Never underestimate the influence you have on others

“The life and death of each of us has its influence on others”. This is how Paul begins this section of his letter to the Romans (14:7-12) that we read today. Never underestimate, then, the impact that your life and your death have on others. Next, he speaks about the impact of our faith by which we live and die for Jesus. This connects us to the death and resurrection of Jesus and to one another. If this is so, I commit myself to seeing Jesus in others. You are my sisters and brothers in Christ. Therefore, it is not my place to stand in judgment over you. Nor should I look down upon you. In this way, I can ensure that my life and death can influence others to do the same, to show the utmost respect for one another. In the end, we must each make an account of ourselves before God. This then brings me to today’s gospel from Luke 15:1-10, where the Pharisees and scribes complain because Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them”. In response, Jesus tells the parable about the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep and goes in search of the one who has gone missing.

 

He also tells the story of the woman who searches for her lost coin and is so happy when she finds it. Jesus ends by saying, “There is more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over those who do not need repentance”. No wonder the life and death of Jesus influenced others! He not only identified himself with the lowly and the sinner, but he also enabled them to see themselves in one another. There are no ninety-nine people who have no need of repentance. After all, we all do. But where just one gives an honest account of him or herself before God, the heavens ring out in exultation. Now, if you can communicate that kind of message to people, you can make a real contribution to enabling people to see that we are brothers and sisters who are responsible for one another. As a consequence, we are also called to respect one another as people who share a sometimes flawed but, at the same time and at all times, a profoundly sacred humanity.