One of the better-known works of ancient Greek literature is the epic poem, Odyssey, written by Homer, which describes the voyage of a man named Odysseus. In one episode, he has to pass through a body of water between Sicily and Italy, known as the Straits of Messina. Passing through there poses two dangers to all sailors.
One is the rocky coastline. If a sailor comes too close to shore, his craft could run aground on the rocks, which would destroy his boat and endanger the crew. But if he stays too far from the shore, there was an even greater danger, a whirlpool that could consume the entire ship. In our spiritual journey, which can be seen as an odyssey, we could find ourselves in the same situation; unaware of the potential harm certain dangers pose to our spiritual welfare. Like the rocky coastline, we could be over-rigid, too set in our ways to deepen our faith relationship with Jesus.
The more likely danger is to be swept into the whirlpool of complacency, venturing along through life without any clear-cut goals. These dangers pose a real threat to the most important goal in our lives, namely eternal salvation.
Are you convinced that there is nothing to stop you from going to heaven? Do you believe that you need not worry about what could happen between now and then? On our journey toward salvation, we find ourselves sailing between two dangers that are ignored by many Christians.
In this short gospel passage, Jesus makes a statement that could mislead us into thinking that our salvation is already assured. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.”
When combined with the first reading from Acts, this prompts some Christians to believe in predestination. “All who were destined for eternal life came to believe.” Here Paul is making the point that if one is to gain eternal life, then one must first believe in God.
Paul does not claim that all who believe are destined for eternal life. To understand his point, let’s use a bit of logic. Everyone who will vote in the election this fall has to be an American citizen, but not every citizen will bother to vote.
Certain Christian denominations believe that some people are predestined for heaven while others are predestined for hell. This illogic shipwrecks the notion of our free will to make choices. How could God decide before hand what our destiny will be if we have the freedom to make choices throughout our lifetime even to reject his son?
Other Christians face a different threat that could be called the whirlpool of universalism. They think that all peoples will be saved. It’s a done deal. Origen, one of the early Church fathers, taught that notion: he even argued that the devil in the end would be saved from final damnation. The idea that there would be no hell runs so contrary to what Jesus taught. If God intends to spare every person the pains of hell, than why would his Son warn us so often about its dangers?
We risk the threat of being swept into this whirlpool when we muddle good and evil, failing to recognize what is evil or actually reconsidering certain evils as good. The most glaring examples in our culture are extramarital sex and abortion. Since our society has legalized or condoned some acts that are morally wrong, many Christians dismiss the inherent evil that remains in these now tolerated practices.
Jesus promises salvation to his sheep, but he also states, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.” Do we hear his voice? Do we follow him? Before replying, ask yourself, “Do the values you live by resonate with the teachings of the Good Shepherd and our Faith or not?” To follow Jesus means to be his disciple and that means being committed to learning about him, not just weekly in short homilies, but in daily prayer and by studying scripture and the teachings of our Catholic Faith.
Jesus knew that not everyone who hears him would follow him. After all, since we have free will, he cannot compel us to do so. Many people consider themselves Catholic, yet they have drifted away from practicing their faith. Do they really see themselves as following Jesus? While church attendance alone is no indication of internal faith, I would daresay that their faith is likely fading away if listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd is not important to them. They remind me of cheap grace, which to quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
Your presence here at Mass reveals that you are listening to him. Those who are absent may argue with you that all this business about following Jesus is a waste of your time but do they have any assurance anywhere that in the end they will find themselves in the multitude wearing white robes and praising God who will not hunger or thirst?
By listening to his message, we see the wisdom of the Good Shepherd and follow his advice, which is designed to keep us out of moral danger and harm’s way. As his followers, the key thing for us to do is to put into practice what we believe for if we remain true to him, he will remain true to us.