Homily (Reflection) for the Twenty-Eighth
Sunday of the Year (B) (14th October, 2018) on the Gospel
Wis 7:7-11;
Ps 89:12-17 (R. V.
14);Heb 4:12-13;
Mk 10:17-30 or Mk 10:17-27.
A priest well-known in healing the family root ministry in
this part of the country normally buries Sacramentals as part of the process.
One day during class meeting, his classmates asked him why the acts that are
contrary to Catholic theology. Before he could open his mouth, another jokingly
added: “Or are they more effective when buried?” The third one added: “Or is
there a new theology that we did not know of?” And in response, he said to
them: “My brothers, I know that what I do is contrary to Catholic theology.
Secondly, burying them does not in any way known to me makes them more
effective. But I find myself between retaining the people by doing what they
want and losing them to those who are ready to do even more just to have them.
Unfortunately, I opt to retain them by giving them what they want.”
Topic: Do you really seek God?
One striking thing I have observed for some years
during political campaigns is that every candidate that seeks the support of a
group or an individual would like to be told: ‘O jebego’ meaning that he or she has won the race. Hence, to avoid
avoidable problems all receive the same response, ‘O jebego’ from every group and individual visited. That seems to be
the situation in today’s gospel where we see “a man ran up and knelt before
him [Jesus], and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?’” (Mk 10:17). At the face
level, this looks very much like a question seeking for what to do to make
heaven.
According to prophet Isaiah the Messiah “shall not judge by what his
eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear” (Is 11:3) but will “judge with equity” (Ps 75:2). When Jesus said to him out of love: “You lack
one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mk 10:21) “he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many
possessions” (Mk 10:22). And this
shows that his question was not actually looking for what to do to inherit eternal
life but a confirmation that he has made it (O jebego).
The rich man’s obstacle is his riches. Hence Jesus said to his disciples,
How hard it will be for those who have wealth to
enter the kingdom of God! ...Children, how hard it is [for those who trust in
riches] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10:23, 24).
It is important to note that we all have many possessions like the
rich man in today’s gospel because we all are enriched according to our
individual abilities, cf. Matt 25:15.
God expects us to offer back to Him all He has blessed us with. However,
earthly riches have made many including those in leadership positions in the
church forget everything about God. The bible tells us that those who trust in their
riches will wither cf. Prov 11:28. Because where ones treasure
is, there will his/her heart also, cf. Matt
6:21; Lk 12:34. The rich man like
many is so comfortable in what he has in this world that he could not think of
anything better. He could not imagine loosing ‘the heaven’ he has created for
some other one. For him, should that be the way to heaven, it will be subject
of another discussion, cf. Acts 17:32.
The Psalmist rightly admonishes us, “Put no confidence in extortion, set
no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them” (Ps 62:10) because riches do not last
forever, cf. Prov 27:24. Hence for
the prophet Jeremiah, the rich should not glory in his riches, cf. Jer 9:23. And in his first letter to
his son Saint Paul wrote: “As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be
haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly
furnishes us with everything to enjoy” (1Tim
6:17). Considering the truth, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the
heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1Cor 2:9) we should not be afraid of
losing anything in this world including our lives for the sake of the kingdom
of heaven. In the gospel we read this admonition, “Use your worldly resources
to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are
gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (Lk 16:9, NLT). If we fail to make good use of the riches we are
blessed with, they will rot, cf. Jas 5:2.
And we shall render account of all these riches to God who blessed us thus, cf.
Rom 14:12.
Finally, in the first letter of Saint Peter we read this advice to the
church leaders, “give a shepherd’s care to the flock of God that is entrusted
to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, as God wants; not for
sordid money, but because you are eager to do it” (1Pt 5:2, TNJB). Leaders
in the church are called to lead the people for God and to God. Leaders are
called to lead the people to where God wants and neither to where the leader/s
want/s nor to where the people want to go. Neither Jesus changed the message
for the rich man nor prophet Elisha for Naaman, cf. 2Kg 5:5-19 among so many examples in the bible. We, leaders ought
to re-examine ourselves to see if we are still men of God we are called to be
or men of ourselves or of money, or of rich men, and so on. And my dear
brothers and sisters in the Lord, follow God and neither yourselves nor your
heart desires.
Bible Reading: 2Kg 5:5-19; Is 11:1-16; Ps 52; Matt 25:14-30; 1Cor
2:1-16.
Thought for today:
Do you really seek and serve God?
Let us pray: Our Lord and God help us to see the futility of not
seeking you and help us seek and serve you alone – Amen.
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