On Christian Greatness!

(Homily 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time-Yr. B)

     A dive into history will reveal that long since the existence of man, there has been a constant tension between good (God) and evil (Devil), between the righteous and the unrighteous, between the just and the unjust, the list can continue, on and on. However, the scenario presented in the readings today is an existential manifestation of this age long tension. Of course, till today we still experience the presages of that tension, many a times fuelled by the quest for greatness. As a matter of fact, the ungodly men will continue to strive to lord it over the just and the righteous, as it is narrated in the first reading, and as we often experience. Many a times is as if the ungodly men do everything to be in power, in order to continue to perpetrate their evil agenda. They strive for the seat of position not for the sake of service but for power, self-exaltation and for the continuation of the so-called spiral of evil. The three readings seem to converge on the themes of the just, the unjust, wisdom and greatness. In the book of Wisdom, the just is a believer in God, who seeks to do his will, what is right and acceptable in His sight. In the New Testament, particularly from the second reading and the Gospel passage, the just is one who is guided by the “wisdom from above”, while the impious, the unjust, according to the book of Wisdom is one who doesn’t recognise the supremacy of God, and retains that he came to the world by chance, he is after pleasure and personal gains. And from the second reading and the Gospel, the impious is one who is guided by the earthly wisdom, and as such, in search of worldly greatness. Above all else, however, it behoves us to affirm that Christian greatness is measured not by the amount of wealth, nor by the numerous titles acquired outside and inside the Church, is rather measured by the capacity and readiness to serve others, particularly the poorest. In today’s message, therefore, the idea of the triumphant ministry is replaced by that of servant hood.

     The first reading (Wis. 2:12.17-20) from the book of Wisdom presents to us the situation of the Jewish community that remained faithful to God and to their religious tradition, in the midst of a pagan world. The sacred author talks about two sets or categories of people: the Just and the godless people. The godless in our text here represents the pagan world, or those Jews that have abandoned their faith in God to conform themselves to the style of life of pagans. The just instead, represents the community of the faithful or individually, one who lives in conformity with the commandments of God. The godless sees the just as a threat, “he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training”. Here, is there reason for hating the righteous. Instead of changing their lives, they look for a way of dealing with the just, even questioning what will be the outcome of their faith in God at the end. Their honesty and truthfulness provoke the godless. Righteousness and justice in the sight of the godless is inflammatory, little wonder they are combative of the just. A closer look to what is happening in our society today goes a long way in revealing that holiness and righteousness are for those that are courageous and ready to swim against the current. For the good actions of the righteous is a threat to the evil deeds of the ungodly. As such, many a times those who are righteous and lack courage are subjected to silence. On the other times they are forced to the trend of conspiracy of silence. Conscious of this, we re-echo our prayer, joining our voices to that of the Psalmist saying: “The sceptre of the wicked will not come to rest over the heritage of the upright; or the upright might set their own hands to evil” (Ps. 125:3).

     Drawing the issue further, from the Christological perspective, the ordeal of the just seem to anticipate the Passion of Christ (the Just par excellence). Secondly, the figure of the just presented in the book of Wisdom shows close affinity with the righteous man described by the Psalmist, who is vindicated by God and also with the suffering servant of Deutero-Isaiah. A sort of parallel exists between the ordeal of the just and the prediction of the Passion. This passage from all indications might have been chosen in consideration of the second prediction of the Passion, in today’s Gospel. And from the existential standpoint, it presents an actual situation that is even present in our own time too. For many a time, honesty and rectitude can attract hostility and hatred. Truly, a Christian who lives in accordance with the spirit of Christ and his Gospel is called to be a reproach to the spirit of the world. Thus, a Christian is equally called to suffer the persecution of the “just”, “anyone who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be persecuted” (2Tm. 3:12).

     The persecution of the just by the impious, though doesn’t have any justification, but it has a psychological explanation, that we can find in the passage. The life of the just is a constant reproach to the impious, it is a constant obstacle to their evil plans and projects. From the psychological standpoint, the impious persecute the just because the ways of the just is a reproach to their conduct and lays bare their hypocrisy. The ways of the just destabilises their apparently built homeostasis, it destroys their primitive defence mechanism.

     In the second reading (James 3:16-4.3) St. James tells us that there is a wisdom that comes from on high, a gift of God. “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity”.  But there is wisdom opposed to this wisdom from above, and that is the wisdom of the world, is a diabolic wisdom. It causes wars, fights, inordinate desires that push you to kill. A brother kills his brother because of this type of wisdom. But a Christian is one who has made a precise choice: to allow himself to be led by the Wisdom from above. He advanced his exultation saying “you do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (Jm. 4:2-3). For this incapacity to decipher what matters in life, the second reading warned us about the danger of confused priorities.

     In today’s Gospel (Mk 9:30-37) Jesus teaches his apostles privately, with the exclusion of the crowd. This could be seen as a moment of formation for the apostles before they could continue the ministry of Jesus. Therein, we see the episode of the discussion of the apostles on their way to Capernaum. The content of their discussion revolved around who is the greatest. Irrespective of the fact that Jesus has predicted for the second time, the betrayal and death that await him in Jerusalem, yet they were not able to understand the demands and the nature of His Mission. Little wonder, they already started to dream of sharing his glory, probably bent on whom to succeed Him, when he will be no more.

     Jesus continued with the teaching on his passion and death to his disciples, but they did not understand profoundly what He was talking about. He was talking about a matter of life and death. But they were not listening to him; they were busy competing on power. Their minds were stalked at the thought of the things of the world like power and authority. And as Jesus and his apostles arrived Capernaum, as soon as they entered the house, Jesus asked them what they were discussing along the road? But they were silent, ashamed of themselves, because on their way they were discussing among themselves who is the greatest or the most important person. Here, the evangelist helps us to picture an interesting scenario. Providentially, this moved Jesus to give them a wonderful teaching on authority-service, or a servant leader. A leader should lead serving. He sat down and called the twelve together, “if anyone wants to be first, he must be the last and the servant of all” (v.35). Jesus teaches by example, he said “I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life” (Mk.10:45). As such, a Christian should not be eying first positions or desire to dominate others; rather he is called to practice humility. He has to be at the service of others, especially the least and the lost.

     Jesus further illustrated his teaching with a fascinating gesture, he took a child, put him in the midst of the twelve, he hugged him tenderly and said, “Who welcomes one of these little ones in my name welcomes me, who welcomes me welcomes He who sent me” (v.37). Jesus puts a child at the centre and not himself. In the words of St. Luke “those who exalts themselves will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 14:11). A child is an eloquent symbol of a weak, needy and dependent person. And welcoming people like this in the name of Christ, in one’s heart and sharing in their sufferings, entails welcoming Christ himself and through Him, the Father. In order to do this, it is necessary to humble oneself. This is the paradox of the wisdom that comes from on high. The most important in the eyes of God is the one who humbles himself. Indeed, Jesus shows them who is truly great, because from the passage, the disciples and Jesus had different ideas of service and how to achieve greatness. Later on, the apostles will understand what true greatness is and they followed the example of Jesus even in their deaths, as martyrs. Today, the world presents power, sex and money as greatness, but Jesus presents humility and service. We have to be ready to show the world what comes first. On the road to Christian greatness, humility ought to be our sure foundation. In fact, when St. Bernard was asked what the four cardinal virtues were, he replied: “Humility, humility, humility and humility”. This even though looks repetitive, reveals the place of importance that humility occupies in the Christian life.

     The message of this Sunday therefore, calls our attention to the imitation of the ways of the just. For the just, as in the first reading is one who is led by the wisdom from above, as it is suggestive of the second reading; and as such he understands life as a gift, and is ready to render service to others (as revealed in Jesus’ teaching to his apostles). For a disciple of Christ therefore, authority is no longer to be understood in terms of power, domination and self-exaltation, but as a humble service. Brethren, we therefore pray in this Holy Eucharist, that we may be enabled to enter into full and profound communion with Christ, the Wisdom of God incarnated and crucified for love. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)