Roc Homily (a) – Twenty-Ninth Sunday Ordinary Time 2016

Intro: “the need to pray always…”

The wordplay at work beneath the surface of the text in this parable opens our eyes to new horizons of interpretations…

Luke 18:1f Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart – This shows that prayer has an edge to it as seen in how Luke uses this verb. It has to do with the urgency of the will of God as well as the grace for which Jesus directs us to pray (!)

To be necessary; must; ought = dei

Luke 9:22 (NRSV) — 22 saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Luke 13:33 (NRSV) — 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’

Luke 17:24f (NRSV) — 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.25 But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation.

Luke 24:7 (NRSV) — 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

Le point: In praying to be conformed to Christ, we approach (with attraction, even aversion) his willingness to hand himself over to those who would kill him. 

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