Saturday 32nd Week of Ordinary Time – B (11/17/18)
It is an odd time in which we live. Very reminiscent of the 18th century in France, we live in a culture that seems to not care too much about God. Our culture seemingly has thrown him out of our schools our governmental facilities and in many cases right out of our homes.
The Parable of the Judge
The parable that Jesus gives us today surrounds a Judge and one who has no care for man or for God
So why be a judge if you are going to have this kind of feeling towards men and God? A judge like this, in actuality, would do no one else very much good. This kind of judge really is looking for the biggest payoff. What will be to the most benefit to him? And him alone.
This caricature that is presented is actually quite scary, psychologically perhaps bordering on extreme anti-social behavior. In addition his motives are completely barren. He decides solely based upon the motive of self-preservation. “lest she strike me.”
The end result though is a just decision. Jesus’ point is that perseverance in prayer is incredibly important. If an unjust judge can render a just decision think of what God will do.
I would though, like to explore a bit more of the judge’s decision. While eventually there was a just decision… Is it moral?
You might guess that I wouldn’t ask the question if I thought it were.
Just Decision?
Today, as we look around it is very easy to see that the end result is all that many people cares about. In philosophy, the term means refers to any action carried out for the sole purpose of achieving a result. This end result is referred simply as the “end”. We hear this quite often in phrases such as “the end justifies the means”.
We hear words like this often enough it might just lose its meaning. So let’s reword this to show what it really is saying.
Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes;
Applying this concept, because in the end there was a just decision, what the judge was doing was okay. Even though the only reason he gave the decision was so he wouldn’t get clobbered
However, this would mean that an action taken now is considered morally right or wrong based solely on the morality of an outcome that will come sometime in the future.
Instinctually this sounds wrong… simply because it is.
A just society
We can’t have that kind of philosophy in a just and moral society… In that scenario the ones who would end up on top would be only the richest, strongest and most powerful.
That concept reminds me of a couple more axioms we often hear today, “Might makes right” “Those that have the most toys wins”
This whole concept of morality being determined by the end result permeates our entire culture. We have changed from working toward the common good of all mankind to what’s in it for me.
My father used a saying that he picked up somewhere, perhaps my grandparents. However, it does make the point of doing things the right way. He would remind us, whenever someone in my family was wandering off the moral path (okay usually it was me),
He said “
Do the right thing, at the right time, because it is the right thing to do”
Instead of applauding people who get a result, but hurt others in the process, we as Christians should at all times champion doing the good. From that we will we see good results. And with truly good results everywhere, we can celebrate in Thanksgiving all the true gifts which we receive and that God has sent to us.