Matthew 16:1-12
Can you see what's going on around you? Are you caught up in it or are you sticking your head in the sand? I think that might be a question that some Roman Catholics may have been asking as the Second Vatican Council was unfolding. The movement of the Spirit was definitely there and beckoning the Church to open the windows and move into a new era of openness, an era that in many ways returns to the roots of love, compassion and faith in our Savior. It worked and it failed at the same time. There were those that resisted and to this day they do not recognize the movement of the Spirit in that Council. They longed for the good old days when Latin was king even if Latin had absolutely nothing to do with the earliest church founded by Jesus. It was a prevalent language for quite some time but so is English and now so is Spanish. The resistors are epitomized by a faction called the Society of St. Pius X.
Not too long ago, say 50 years ago, the movement of the Spirit gave power to a movement called civil rights, epitomized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Gospel was fully alive, the Spirit was fully alive even if there were many so called faithful who resisted and put there head in the sand.
Today another civil rights movement is alive and it is carrying people in the movement of the Spirit to recognition of equality for the gay community. Whether it is marriage equality or GENDA or the realization that gay people are created and loved by God like everyone else, the Spirit is alive in moving us to greater love, inclusion and hope for a better more loving world. There are those that resist, naysayers, again the so called faithful that look back to a time that never really existed except in their own convoluted minds backed up by selected passage of misquoted and mistranslated scripture. The Spirit will not be overwhelmed by negativity and lies.
These movements of the Spirit seem as obvious to us as when Jesus spoke to the The Pharisees and Sadducees in the passage for today. Some people will always refuse to see. The will not see the Spirit, they will not see the glory of God in this world, they will not see miracles that occur all the time and sadly, they very well may not see eternal happiness either.
I am not arguing to get carried up in any movement that comes along. I am not saying get carried away in the hysteria that often accompanies a Fox 'news' broadcast. We can surely get carried away with any number of societal movements that bear all the markings of the evil one. The test is that of love. When it is all said and done, is there a foundation of love, the love of Christ? That would be the arbiter of the Spirit because they proceed from each other, eh? Christ, the Spirit and the Father. Say Amen!
Not too long ago, say 50 years ago, the movement of the Spirit gave power to a movement called civil rights, epitomized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Gospel was fully alive, the Spirit was fully alive even if there were many so called faithful who resisted and put there head in the sand.
Today another civil rights movement is alive and it is carrying people in the movement of the Spirit to recognition of equality for the gay community. Whether it is marriage equality or GENDA or the realization that gay people are created and loved by God like everyone else, the Spirit is alive in moving us to greater love, inclusion and hope for a better more loving world. There are those that resist, naysayers, again the so called faithful that look back to a time that never really existed except in their own convoluted minds backed up by selected passage of misquoted and mistranslated scripture. The Spirit will not be overwhelmed by negativity and lies.
These movements of the Spirit seem as obvious to us as when Jesus spoke to the The Pharisees and Sadducees in the passage for today. Some people will always refuse to see. The will not see the Spirit, they will not see the glory of God in this world, they will not see miracles that occur all the time and sadly, they very well may not see eternal happiness either.
I am not arguing to get carried up in any movement that comes along. I am not saying get carried away in the hysteria that often accompanies a Fox 'news' broadcast. We can surely get carried away with any number of societal movements that bear all the markings of the evil one. The test is that of love. When it is all said and done, is there a foundation of love, the love of Christ? That would be the arbiter of the Spirit because they proceed from each other, eh? Christ, the Spirit and the Father. Say Amen!
The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, ‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’ Then he left them and went away.
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have brought no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, ‘You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’ Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
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