Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)

Beggar story

-gives food no payment etc

gift

Is food helpful?

must eat

gift w/o works pointless

works dont make less gift

traded to gain eating from him?

paid food to see chew

hear munching

nor force down throat

no

food w/o eating pointless

likewise faith w/o works dead

Scripture is not plain

particularly Paul

2 Pet 3:16.

many bad beliefs is a line of Paul out of context

one of these is understanding how saved

probably heard said..

not works but faith alone or grace alone.

here what gets right

we cannot purchase our salvation any more than beggar w/o money can buy food

weight of sin too heavy

only infinite can pay the infinite cost of sin

Psalm 49:8 ransom is beyond us

From this can get idea no works necessary

that work always turns a gift into earned

God saves we can do whatever, just believe

more foolish beggar thin full by understanding handed food

eating the food doesnt turn food into earned, but it is necessary work

No, must be eaten

we must take up cross (our ironic saving gift from God) daily

James TODAY helps us here for people already misinterpreting Paul from the start

James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

faith w/o works is dead

Oh but im a believer!!! not atheist

james says, whoop dee doo

so do the devils in hell!: Js 2:19

faith that saves is lived, not merely believed in head

must eat saving bread gives us

Our lives

Can get idea take on salvation of Christ without doing anything

our lives look no different than unbelievers

what a scandal

in talking about obeyoing

‘unless surpasses scribes pharisees will not enter!’ Matt 5:20.

Theres the scary tough news

the good news is part of deepest happiness

once past the hurdle of doing

chewing and swalowing may seem difficult, but its fulfillment received

that God never tries beyond capacity 1 cor 10:13..

Conclusion

we are the beggar, Christ the gift giver

just because we have to eat the food of salvation doesnt mean the food is any less gift

wasnt earned, eating wasnt payment, consideration for the ‘trade’

If you wish to be saved put on Christ

saving faith is embodied, not just a floating idea in your head.

Notes

Me

what get right about “faith alone” then wrong

CCC 155 Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace

Teaching that need works

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it”

Matthew 19:17 “And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.””

Matt 25:40s (sheep and goats)

1 Corinthians 13:2 “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Commentators

Pitre

Augustine

faith and works

need moral reform

deals w/ those claim only need faith w.o works

typical people take extremes from Scripture

faith only works only

Compares those who say faith alone as devils as James does

Paul notoriously difficult to interpret correctly