Homily (Reflection) for the Seventeenth
Sunday of the Year (C) (28th July, 2019) on the Gospel
Gen 18:20-32;
Ps 137:1-3.6-8 (R.v.3);Col 2:12-14;
Lk 11:1-13.
The daughter of Karl Marx once
confessed to a friend that she had never been brought up in any religion and
had never been religious, “But,” she said, “the other day I came across a
beautiful prayer which I very much wish could be true.” “And what was that
prayer?” she was asked. Slowly the daughter of Karl Marx began repeating in
German, “Our Father, who art in heaven....[1]
Topic: God, our Father.
Today’s gospel can be divided into
two parts, The Lord’s Prayer (Lk 11:1-4),
and the teaching on perseverance in prayer (Lk 11:5-13). This version of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than the
one in Matthew’s gospel, cf. Matt 6:9-13.
Our reflection will be based mainly on the first part.
William Barclay noted that “It was the regular custom for a
Rabbi to teach his disciples a simple prayer which they might habitually use.”
John the Baptist followed this tradition and Jesus’ disciples came to Him in
today’s gospel with the request, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his
disciples.” Barclay also outlined a number of lessons in this prayer. They
include addressing God as Father. God, His glory, and the reverence due to Him
come first in this prayer. It also covers all life; present need, past sin, and
future trials.[2]
Addressing God as a Father is foreign in some religions like
Islam.[3]
In Judaism, it is somehow vague. Although God is addressed as Father in the Old
Testament (cf. Deut 32:6; Mal 1:6. 2:10),
it later turned out to be one of the capital sins of Jesus Christ, cf. Jn 5:18.
To be a child of God is a privilege. Hence Saint John writes,
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are” (1Jn 3:1a).
Again, it is wrong to see being a child of God as a means of getting everything
one wants from Him; when, where, and how he/she wants them. It is much more
than that. Saint Paul writes,
When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ It is that
very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact,
we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him (Rom 8:15b-17).
Being a child of God means that one is God’s business. He
cares for all His children much more than any earthly father/mother could do,
cf. Matt 7:11; Is 49:15. The
Psalmist rightly noted, “Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the
price of his life, for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice”
(Ps 49:7-8). God did that by
offering His only Son, cf. 1Jn 4:9; Rom
5:6; 1Tim 2:6; Matt 20:28; Mk 10:45.
Karl Marx’s daughter could only wish that it is true that
God is our Father based on her background. It is disheartening that we do not
behave differently often. One does not need to be told that a labourer ought to
be paid after doing his/her work. But it will be certainly bizarre for a son or
a daughter to bargain with his/her dad or mum before doing any house chores or
to demand for payment after doing them.
If we juxtapose this with what many do today, it makes
nonsense of our claim that we are children of God. It is very difficult for
Christians to pray if they do not have anything to ask of God or to do any good
work without expecting its immediate reward. If we are really sons and
daughters of God, everything that is God’s is ours, cf. Lk 15:31. We only need to prove that we are what we claim to be.
Our Heavenly Father queries, “A son honours his father, and a servant his
master. If then I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where
is my fear?” (Mal 1:6).
Whoever is a child of God should live as one. We are certain
that God will give us all He has promised, cf. 1Cor 2:9; Jas 1:12. 2:5. On my part, I do not remember ever
bargaining with God before He created me and blessed me with many good things
that I cannot even finish counting. What about you? Live like a son/daughter
which is a guarantee of being an heir of God. Do not reduce yourself to a hired
servant. God has given us much more than that, cf. Heb 12:22-24.
Bible Reading: Matt 7:7-11; Lk 18:9-14; Rom
8:1-30; 1The 5:15-22.
Thought for today: God is
our Father.
Let
us pray: Lord, help us to understand correctly what it means to be
your children – Amen.
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free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.
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[1]
Fuller, G. (2010). Stories
for all seasons. Bangalore: St Pauls, p. 134.
[2]
Barclay, W. (2006). The
daily study bible: The gospel of Luke. Bangalore: Theological
Publications in India, pp. 143-144.
[3]
Sagayanathan, A. (2009). Launching
pad: Stories for Sunday homilies – A, B & C. Bangalore: Asian
Trading Corporation, p. 317.
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