Last Sunday afternoon, taking advantage of the beautiful warm weather, I went for a walk.  As I was walking along Maroochydore Road,  I noticed a friendly magpie sitting innocently on the grassed pedestrian median strip almost smiling at me!  I smiled and kept walking only to feel, a few moments later, the vicious lunge of that very same magpie.  Obviously, it is nesting season, because that magpie swooped on me all the way along Maroochydore Road and only stopped when I reached the relative safety of the intersection and the traffic lights!  What annoyed me more was the ignominy of it all – trying to maintain my dignity, walking backwards, as cars passed by, everyone looking at me, waving my hands and hat wildly in the air like a crazy man !  The indignity of it all !

That feeling of indignation might help capture what the disciple John was feeling in this weekend’s Gospel.  He had been out, travelling through the villages and, in Jesus’ name, healing the sick and proclaiming the Good News. You could imagine John revelling in the attention and adulation from the crowd.

He then enters a village where he comes across a “man not one of us” who was casting out devils in Jesus’ name.  He might even have been doing a better job than John!  You could imagine the indignation, but worse, the embarrassment, because this imposter was doing what John was supposed to be doing – only doing it better!

You would think that Jesus, wanting to support and encourage his little band of loyal disciples, would have agreed with John and condemned the imposter.  Instead, Jesus rebukes John with the reminder that he is here to love and to heal; he is not interested in copyrights or credits.

Then, using plain yet forceful language with great imagery, Jesus goes on to challenge the disciples not to limit God and God’s ability to work through all people and all structures.  No one has a monopoly on God!  Don’t be indignant that God might use the gifts and talents of another person.

Rather, Jesus goes on to say, what should cause indignation is when vulnerable people are exploited when they should be protected and assisted. And vulnerability is not just something that we associate with childhood – we are vulnerable, to various different degrees, at every stage of life.  From entering into lifelong relationships, trusting a colleague at work, to depending upon others as our own abilities and responsibilities diminish – we never cease to be vulnerable.

Perhaps,  we should save our indignation for ourselves when we, through our own actions and words, deceive or take advantage of someone who is not able to understand what is happening.  When we find ourselves in positions of power and influence over friends, family, workmates or strangers we can allow God to work through us, or we can abuse the position of trust and take advantage of those who are weaker than ourselves.

A swooping magpie during nesting season might cause you a little bit of embarrassment and, with everyone looking on, humiliation. Let’s save our indignation for ourselves when the most vulnerable in our midst are exploited or taken advantage of and we do nothing about it!

With every blessing for the week ahead, Fr Peter Brannelly

Stella Maris Parish Office

Adjacent to the Stella Maris Church – Office Hours 9am—2pm Weekdays

T: 5443 3488

E: [email protected]