Riches Without Conscience!

(Homily 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

     Once again, the liturgy of the word this Sunday is traversed by the theme of riches or the possession of earthly wealth, and their devastating deceptive character. As such, it is illusory to put one’s trust and security on them. The seduction of wealth and the avidity of possession are the root and cause of all evil (cf. 1Tm. 6:10). As a matter fact, economic well-being which is not necessarily a sign of divine blessing, can become an occasion or cause of sin, thus, a motive of reproach by God. Indeed, time and eternity are like the two poles that will help us to grasp the density of the liturgical readings. It is evident in the Gospel passage, where the rich man and Lazarus were first situated into the context of this world, and later into that of eternity. Implicitly, in the first reading, we see Prophet Amos’ reproach of the rich who live in dissipation and luxury, forgetting the future judgment of God. In the second reading, St. Paul assured us that in order to live fittingly in time and attain eternity with God; we need a living faith that gives us a sure assurance. Life after death is not an anesthetic to kill the pains of injustice and inequality in the real world, rather eternity is real. Riches without conscience lead to Hades!

     The first reading (Am. 6:1a. 4-7) like the passage of the previous Sunday that dealt with the question of social injustice, denounces private luxury at the negligence of the poor and the weak. In his prophecy last Sunday, Prophet Amos condemned the attitude of those rich that exploit the poor. Today he directs his attack on the political leaders who live in palaces. Prophet Amos attacks vehemently and condemns the hope of salvation that the heads of Samaria and the kingdom of Judah are placing in their places of cult, while they spend their lives in orgies and debauchery. With irony and sarcasm Prophet Amos stigmatized their thoughtlessness and the shameless display and flaunting of their riches: “lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their divans, they dine on lambs from the flock, and stall-fattened veal; they bawl to the sound of the lyre and, like David, they invent musical instruments; they drink wine by the bowlful, and lard themselves with the finest oils, but for the ruin of Joseph they care nothing” (vv.4-6).

     They were unconcerned about the plight and destruction of the people. And for this, here is the threat and the punishment that looms over them and that will be the end of their arrogant security and thoughtlessness, “That is why they will be the first to go into exile and their feasts and banquets will come to an end” (v.7). The reading ends with a threat, that their enemies will come and burn down their palaces, for the used their wealth to indulge in laziness, easy life and self-aggrandizement. This denunciation links the first reading with the passage of the Gospel on the rich man and Lazarus. On the other hand, the responsorial psalm (Ps. 146) serves as a bridge between the first reading and the Gospel, for in verses 9-10 the Psalmist says: “Yahweh protects the stranger, he sustains the orphan and the widow. Yahweh loves the upright, but he frustrates the wicked. Yahweh reigns forever”. The psalmist echoes the denunciation of the rich as in the prophecy of Amos and God’s concern for the poor, the weak and the oppressed; as such it opens a window to the passage of the Gospel.

     In the Gospel passage (Lk. 16:19-31) we read the first part of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which is a representation of the reversal of fortunes in the next world. The beggar's name gives us a hint as to his inner attitude. He is called Lazarus, or Eliezer, God will help. The beggar is the man who puts his trust in the Lord and longs for him. The rich man is nameless. He is everyone who closes his heart in the face of the human misery that confronts us daily. One of the interesting parts of the parable is the dialogue that issued between the rich man and Abraham at the end. This is the hit track of this parable. The rich man requested that Lazarus be allowed to come and convey a special warning to his five brothers who are still alive (Who are those five brothers?). However, to his request he was told that the word of the scripture is sufficient for them. Those who do not believe in the word of the Scripture will not be convinced by a miracle of a resurrection of the dead either. This indeed, is one of the salient points for narrating this parable.

     To understand this parable very well, it is necessary to discover its focal point or the key actor or personage of the parable. The key actor is neither Lazarus nor the five brothers. If the central personage was Lazarus, the parable would have been an invitation to the poor to bear with patience and hope their situation as Lazarus did, in view of the glorious fortune that awaits them in the hereafter. If the pivot revolves around the five brothers, the parable would have been a kind of a re-proposal of the theme of the eschatological urgency and there will be more emphasis on the danger of living without the hereafter in view. But if the true central personage of the parable is the rich man, then there is no doubt that the parable aims at a specific theme: the equal use of riches. It is not about the fact of being rich, but the way one uses his riches or wealth. He did not use his riches to make friends for himself in heaven. “And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings” (Lk.16:9). Indeed, this parable is not just a proclamation of blessedness on the poor, but it is a comment on “alas for you who are rich”, it is a comment on all the three “woes” pronounced by Jesus on his sermon on the Mountain: “But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have plenty to eat now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who are laughing now: you shall mourn and weep” (Lk. 6:24-25), in connection with the two “woes” pronounced by Amos in the first reading.

     As a matter fact, placing this parable after the sayings on the right use of wealth, which follows the parable of the unjust steward, makes it probably high that St. Luke intends to lay emphasis on the point of the reversal of fortune of the rich and the poor in the next world. With regards to the parable of the anonymous rich man and Lazarus, we can give two different interpretations. The parable can be divided into two parts. In the first part the two protagonists are duly presented, their ordeal during the earthly existence and after death; the rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day (eating, drinking and dancing from Kukere to Asonto), and at his gate lay the poor beggar, Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. But on the other hand, when they both died, there was a reversal of order, their situations turned around. Lazarus was raised close to Abraham in beatitudes, while the rich man was down, in the place of torment.

     This is indeed a symbolic narrative; therefore, let us not draw conclusions more than what is given in the passage, especially about heaven and hell. However, upon consideration, few points are clear: ●The rich man was not condemned simply because of his riches, but because he was egoistic and insensible to the necessities of the poor. Riches and wealth on their own, are not sin, rather they become sinful when the rich are indifferent to the plight of the poor and when there is lack of solidarity, for it brings division among men and makes it possible for some to swim in abundance while others perish in the world of hunger and misery. In the same vein, the poor was not saved just because he was poor, but because he opened up to God and allowed himself to be led by the power of His love. If the poor man allowed himself to be taken by envy or avidity and the craving for riches, he too would not have been saved. But deliverance is at hand for the poor, who for a short while share in Christ's sufferings so as to share in his glory. For, as St Paul tells us, “What we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory as yet unrevealed, which is awaiting us” (Rom. 8:18).

●The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to him, to dip the end of his finger in water and come and cool his tongue, but Abraham explained to him that it was not possible: “Between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to prevent those who want to cross from our side to yours or from your side to ours” (v.26). Indeed, one can deduce from these words that at death one faces the situation of reward or punishment. One cannot change after death, it has to be done before, and conversion has to take place during our earthly life. In the words of St Paul: “because the world as we know it is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31).

●Afterwards, the rich man pleaded Abraham once again to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers so that they will not end up like him. And Abraham responded him saying: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them” (v.29). And the rich man replied: “Ah no, father Abraham, but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent” (v.30). And finally Abraham closes the discussion with the following words: “if they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even is someone should rise from the dead” (v.31). Behold, the conclusion of the parable is very bitter and strong, but very realistic, who is not disposed to listen to those who speak in the name of God (Moses and prophets and in fact Christ himself), he who does not pay attention and take to heart the teachings of the Scriptures and particularly the Gospel, all the same, will not be disposed to accept the admonitions of one who resurrects from the dead.

     Furthermore, there is also the second way of interpreting this parable, according to this interpretation this parable aims at the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus contests the opinion of the Pharisees that material well-being and riches is a sign of divine benevolence and poverty is a sign of curse. For them whoever that comports himself well according to the prescriptions of the law, has a recompense already in this world (material well-being) and who does not comport himself well will be punished (poverty). By means of this parable, Jesus intends to explain that things are not the way the Pharisees and the Sadducees see them. What matters is life after death, the hereafter that is where the true state of things for a person is revealed, especially for the Sadducees that do not believe in the hereafter and the Pharisees that believe faintly. As demonstrated in the parable, in the hereafter, the rich man who believed that he was blessed by God was in torment, while the poor who supposedly was punished by God, was welcomed in happiness at the bosom of Abraham. Be that as it may, riches are neither a sign of divine approval nor poverty a sign of divine punishment. In God’s parlance, what matters is the state of one’s interiority, the situation of one’s conscience, which no one but God can judge. Even in this present time, this mentality of the Pharisees is wild spread, for according to common opinion a rich person is considered to be fortunate, but this is not the case before God. If a rich man is driven by the consciousness of and attachment to his riches, he runs the risk of losing the true wealth and his last and ultimate end: Eternal Life.

     In the passage of the second reading (1Tm. 6:11-16) we see St. Paul’s invitation to Timothy: “O man of God, avoid all that” (v.11). What are the things he has to avoid? He said in the few lines preceding this passage: “unending dispute by people who are depraved in mind and depraved of truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (vv.5-7). That is the attitude of those who have made religious practice or service a means of income and gain. And he advanced his reproach in verses 9 & 10, against the people who long to be rich, and as such they fall prey to trials, for the love of money is the root of all evil. St. Paul advised Timothy the Bishop of Ephesus to avoid the false teachers and go after justice, piety, faith, charity, patience and gentleness. Every Christian must reflect this list of virtues, bet especially a community leader. St. Paul spoke of the problem that has been giving him sleepless nights, that is, the activity of the false teachers, thus he admonished Timothy and the community to hold firm to the faith they have received until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he charged him to work out his eternity in time, by means of the virtues enlisted above and by avoiding the vices aforementioned in the previous verses. Faith is like a dwelling in which a Christian lives and has a foretaste of eternity already in time. And for the fact that he has a foretaste of eternity in time, he ought to “aim at righteousness, faith, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness” (v.11).

     Above all, at this point, we may ask a pertinent question: what does Jesus intend to teach us through that parable: that the poor will go to heaven and the rich to hell? Far be it! Jesus teaches us that wealth as such is not perverse and evil, it can only be when it is acquired by hook and crook, through a dishonest way or when riches become “thorns and thistles” that suffocate the Word in our lives. On the other hand, poverty is not a good thing or better a value to be celebrated, it is not a title of merit or a condition for happiness, but it can only become all of the above if the heart is disposed to open up to God and to those around, to put one’s trust in God and not on earthly riches. Therefore, the rich is not to be condemned because he is rich, but only when it renders him closed, egoistic and insensible to the needs of others and if it becomes for him the source of safety and pride, as exemplified in the first reading. In all, the parable teaches us that truly there is “hereafter” and that in the hereafter, there is a two-fold prospective: of reward for the good and punishment for the wicked. Indeed, in-between time and eternity, we need to hold on to the Faith, as St. Paul insisted in the second reading. And again, the essential thing is to believe in the Word of God (Moses and the prophets), the teachings of Jesus (the Gospel). Little wonder, the parable ended with particular attention on the five brothers. We are in a certain sense those five brothers of the rich man; to us God has sent Someone who rose from the dead. Let us not forget that Someone has actually risen from the dead: Jesus Christ, and our faith is founded and solidified on his resurrection. We may well say that the resurrection of Jesus is the rich man’s prayer answered, therefore, today if we hear his words let us not harden our hearts (cf. Ps. 95:7b-8a). Let us not act like those who jeer at Jesus and his message: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him” (Lk. 16:14). The message at the heart of this parable is the invitation to share the good things God has given to us with the poor and the needy. We need to have a heart that sees in order to do this effectively. Till date, the poor continues to knock at our door, how do we respond to them? Do we respond to them at all or we close our doors at them? Riches and wealth have been given to us in order to serve others and not to dominate them. Share and be enriched the more!

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

The Imperative of True Wealth!

(Homily 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

    The readings of this Sunday revolve around Christian responsibilities in relation to social justice and the good use of earthly riches. At the background of the liturgical texts of this Sunday, we encounter an interrogation of where true riches or wealth are found. To this, the first reading warns that true riches do not coincide with inordinate ambition and avidity at the expense of the poor and the needy. In the parlance of the Gospel passage, true riches are the riches of the faith, and we are astute when we use the riches of this world to help those in needy. This manner of understanding does not come by easily; rather we obtain it by means of prayer as evidenced in the second reading. And at the heart of the Gospel passage is the borderline between “the sons of this world” and “the sons of light”, however this contraposition could be seen as a point of convergence between the first reading and the Gospel passage, and by extension to the second reading, for St. Paul calls the children of light to embark on prayers that produce peace and destroys anger, quarrelling and class struggle. Prayer is indeed the medium and locus through which true riches flow!

     In the first reading (Am. 8:4-7) we reflect on the passage from the prophecy of Amos. Amos is one of the prophets regarded as a prophet of social justice. This fact is well orchestrated in his prophecy, for he denounces the rich who cheat and exploit the poor. Prophet Amos in this passage proposes the theme of the rapport between the rich and the poor, the theme of social justice. Amos lived in Israel around the 8^th century B. C., when Israel was living in a period of economic breakthrough and material prosperity. However, it was at the advantage of the rich, they were falsifying the scales and increasing the prizes of goods to their own pleasure, but at the detriment of the poor. As such, he threatens them with divine judgment. Prophet Amos condemns those rich who use the vulnerability of the poor to enrich themselves. The rich of the time of Prophet Amos enriched themselves by cheating the poor, is this astuteness as seen in the Gospel? They may be astute in the eyes of men, but before God they are losers, for they have lost out in the eternal treasure. As a matter of fact, in the responsorial psalm we see God’s vindication of the poor: “From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the ash heap he raises the poor” (Ps.113:7) and this serves as a response to the prophecy of Amos.

     Amos therefore stood with the poor. He was not an economic expert rather he was simply a prophet who speaks in the name of God and before this phenomenon of injustice, he announces without fear the judgment of God on those who enrich themselves at the expense of the poor: “Yahweh has sworn by the pride of Jacob, ‘Never will I forget anything they have done”’ (v.7). Just like Amos every Christian in the name of God, has to be on the side of the poor and the weak especially in situations of injustice and oppression. When Mahatma Ghandi was talking about the sins of the modern world, he mentioned “wealth without work and commerce without morality”. Indeed, the happenings of the time of Amos are not far-fetched from the daily experiences of our present time torn apart by the presages of greed, avarice, inordinate desire for wealth and unfounded ambition. No doubt, the preaching of Amos has a clearer message for our present day social standards than that of any other Old Testament prophet.

     The Gospel passage (Lk.16:1-13) presents the parable of the shrewd steward with some admonitions on the proper use of wealth. This parable serves as a sign of warning to the contemporaries of Jesus, so as to decide for the Kingdom of God, before it becomes too late. As a matter of fact, the admonitions that follow the parable give it a new dimension: the disciples are expected therefore to demonstrate a good dose of intelligence in the use of wealth, like the shrewd steward, although his was for his own interest.

     The parable of the dishonest or the astute steward reveals the dichotomy made by Jesus between “the sons of this world” and “the sons of light”. However, it is as if Jesus praised the dishonest servant for planning for his future. In that bid, we need to situate ourselves into the historical context of that time, because that time among the Jews, stewards had their own gains, illicit though. A steward's salary took the form of a commission on the sale of his master's goods. This was his only salary. And so in reducing the debtors’ bills the steward was not defrauding his master. He was only giving up the commission due to himself. In that frame work, what the steward gave up was part of his illegal gains. Little wonder, Jesus seems to praise him for his “prudence”.  He praised his astuteness and not the act. He gave up all his illegal gains in order to find friends and plan for his future. Thus, Jesus praised the shrewdness of that steward for he used his wealth to help others. This is contrary to the conduct of the rich of Amos time who impoverished the poor to enrich themselves the more. Instead the astute steward used the riches of this world to build up friendship for his own interest and future.

     The central point of the parable of Jesus on the shrewd steward is the affirmation that “the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light” (v.8). However, Jesus by no means intends to praise the steward in question because of his fraud at the expense of his master, by falsifying the receipts of his debtors and by reducing the amount the owe. Instead Jesus praises him for his astuteness, shrewdness and his craftiness in acting promptly in order to secure for himself a future, when he will no longer be in administration. And Jesus bitterly affirmed that the sons of the light (Christians) many a times are not astute and prompt to secure for themselves eternal riches, like the children of this world for their material interest. The children of this world do everything and can go to any length to obtain what they desire; if we Christians should make the same effort in doing good we would have been far ahead in our journey of holiness. In comparison Jesus opined that “the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light” (v.8). This indeed is a sort of challenge for the sons of light, for if Christians should pursue holiness and are heavenly minded as the sons of the world pursue wealth and are future minded, their light will dissipate the darkness of selfishness and inordinate accumulation of wealth. 

     And applying the parable to the theme of riches, Jesus admonishes: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations” (v.9). Those to befriend are the poor, those who are friends of God. It is obvious that Jesus is not inviting us to acquire wealth through unjust means and afterwards help the poor, far be it! Rather he is inviting us to use what we have to help the poor and the needy, in order to guarantee our future in Heaven, like the astute steward that befriended his master’s debtors in order to secure his future in their houses. In few words, the Christian use of riches is that of sharing with the poor and the needy. As such, a Christian is astute and shrewd in the measure he shares his wealth with the poor and the needy. A Christian is shrewd when he uses his or her riches to help those Jesus called “the least of these brothers of mine” (Mt. 25:40), he went as far as identifying himself with them, for “in so far as you did this to one of the least brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40). The word of God therefore invites us to give up the riches of this world and attachment to them, for the true riches that endure forever, the heavenly riches that will secure our eternal friendship with Jesus and our abode in heaven. The Good News of today is that Jesus is inviting us to bank in the Eternal Bank of Heaven, where our true wealth and treasure are secured. Therefore, we should use what we have to win friends for our eternal dwelling, not just for the earthly dwelling.

     At the conclusion of the passage, Jesus warns us sternly that “No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon” (v. 13). It is therefore, an invitation to put God first in our life, to put God as our priority and everything else is subordinated to Him. The concept mammon does not signify only riches, but also the accumulation of earthly riches. On the other hand, it has to do especially with the tendency of trusting in riches and economic powers as a guarantee for security. But in the parlance of Jesus, there cannot be two supreme values or absolutes at the same time. He, who makes money, riches, accumulation of wealth and economic power his supreme value, cannot serve and love God with all his heart as he ought to. And he who serves and loves God cannot be slave to money. Riches, money and economic powers should by nature be at the service of man, but many a times, they tend to render him a slave. There is therefore need for decision: for or against God, for God or for mammon. There is no 50-50 approach. A Christian thus, must pay attention to the seduction of wealth, the avidity of possession and the avarice of money, which can contaminate not only the rich, but also the poor! If not, the Christian compromises his rapport with God. For this, St. Paul in his letter to Timothy affirmed that “The love of money is the root of all evils’ and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds” (1Tm. 6:10).

     In the passage of the second reading (1Tm.2:1-8) St. Paul brings to light the necessity of prayer. At first he admonished the Christian community to pray always and for all, thus he gives prayer a universal undertone. Not just for all, later St. Paul advised that particular prayers be said for those in authority: for Kings and those in high positions. In fact, the prayer is for all, geared towards a peaceful co-existence of all in the society. The light and the strength to work for true riches come to Christians through prayer. A Christian prays for all, for Kings and for all in high positions. The fact of praying for all is a way of subordinating all to the Power and Sovereignty of God, and subordinating the worldly riches to the riches that cannot be destroyed or exhausted. In prayer we understand that God will judge the rich, whose act of injustice towards the poor and the needy cries to God (as revealed in the first reading). In prayer, we come to understand that the richness of man consists in the richness of his faith. The one who prays with holy hands lifted up to heaven, without anger or quarrelling discovers the richness of salvation and grace, that Jesus Christ, the Mediator offers. On the contrary, if one prays with dirty hands stained with blood as a result of injustice and iniquities, or with hands filled with hatred and rancor, that prayer cannot rise up to heaven.  

     In the ambience of prayer, we rediscover that all the riches of this world come from above (God), man is a mere administrator. At the school of prayer, we come to grasp that the riches and the wealth of this world are only means of collaborating with God, the Creator of all and with his Son, Jesus Christ who holds all things in being (cf. Col.1:17). And equally a means of serving others better, so that when we leave the administration of this world, we will be welcomed in heaven where true riches abide.

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

Inexhaustible Mercy!

(Homily 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

      At the heart of today’s readings is the manifestation and celebration of God’s mercy, orchestrated principally through patience and forgiveness. The Good News of today indeed is a joyful hymn on divine mercy that metamorphosed into a feast, and the culminating moment of this celebration is in the Gospel passage. Even the Opening Prayer (Collect) ushers in the message of “the power of God’s Mercy”. Little wonder, the word of God today goes straight to the heart; it is synthesized in a consoling message thus: God is merciful love that forgives, a love that reaches extents that are humanly unimaginable. Here, we are not talking about “too much love or excess love”, rather it is indeed extreme love: “having loved those who were his in the world, he loved them to the end” (Jn. 13:1). No doubt God’s mercy resounds in the three readings, even though it is more explicit in the Gospel passage with those three wonderful parables of God’s mery towards sinners. In the first reading, we listened to a sort of music of God’s mercy towards his people, thanks to the intervention and intercession of Moses. And lastly, in the second reading, we listen to those touching words and confession of Paul, about the mercy of Jesus Christ towards him.

     The first reading (Ex. 32:7-11, 13-14) is a presentation of Yahweh’s merciful love for he abandoned his intention of punishing Israel for making the golden calf and worshiping it. However, at the center of this episode is Moses’ action as a mediator. Moses interceded on their behalf, by pleading the promises of God to the patriarchs. Indeed, this incident captured the attention of the Psalmist thus: “He thought of putting an end to them, had not Moses, his chosen one, taken a stand in the breach and confronted him, to turn his anger away from destroying them” (Ps. 106:23). Therein, Moses prefigures the messianic work of Christ. On the event of his Passion on the Cross, Jesus addressed his mediatory prayer to the Father thus: “Father, forgive them”. Jesus is the New Mediator between God and the New Israel, just as Moses was the mediator between Yahweh and the Old Israel. In the words of St. Paul: “For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and humanity, himself a human being, Christ Jesus” (1Tm. 2:5).

      The Gospel (Lk. 15:1-32) is an amalgamation of three different parables: the Siamese parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. Being preceded by the two parables, the parable of the prodigal son acquires more significance, for when taken and considered alone, there is the temptation of laying much emphasis on the prodigal son’s initiative of returning home. Upon consideration within the network of the two preceding parables, there is an emphasis on the prevenient action of God in seeking and saving the least and the lost. And within the framework of the parable of the prodigal son the above understanding is carried over in the action of the father, for while the returning prodigal son was still far away, he made a move, he “ran” in order to accept and welcome him back home. Be that as it may, the three parables are connected with the atonement.

     If the Gospel is Good News, and more precisely Good News for the poor and sinners, then it behooves us to affirm that the 15^th chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke with the three parables therein, introduces us to the heart of the Gospel. And the concrete occasion that unifies these parables is Jesus’ attempt to defend himself from the accusations of his enemies. Before we continue in our reflection, let us situate ourselves well into the context of this parable. The context of the parable as it was presented by Luke is: that the publicans and sinners came to listen to Jesus, while the scribes and the Pharisees were murmuring, accusing Jesus of receiving and eating with sinners and outcasts. Then, in order to correct this erroneous impression Jesus narrated the parable. Jesus destroyed the mental scheme of the scribes and Pharisees, for their interrogation and murmuring gave rise to Jesus’s exposition of the Father’s love and mercy towards sinners. Thus, the parables were addressed to the Pharisees and the Scribes who were murmuring that Jesus was receiving and eating with sinners. For this, Jesus invented concrete human situations to drive home his point, even though the parables on a closer look appear unrealistic and contrary to experience. Come to think of it, a true shepherd cannot abandon 99 sheep in the desert, because he would have found the 1 lost, and when he returns the 99 will be lost. Secondly, a poor woman cannot invite her friends for a feast just because she finds her lost coin. And lastly, in the Palestinian culture that time, a father cannot give his younger son, who is not yet married his inheritance.

     With these concrete situations Jesus illustrated the action of God. Therefore, the situations that Jesus created in the parables are true, but they are of a superior truth, not human but divine. Indeed, Jesus used the mediation of those three parables to demonstrate God’s action before man. However, in the parables Jesus expects his listeners to draw the conclusion themselves, considered in close connection with Jesus, the parables of mercy have a Christological context. It speaks of Christ, his person and mission. They parables therefore serve as his auto-revelation. We remember the episode when Jesus healed the paralytic and after restoring his health, Jesus told him: “your sins are forgiven you” (Lk. 5:20), and immediately the Pharisees there retorted: “Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Lk. 5:22), of course Jesus is God!

     The three parables are connected one with the other and Jesus narrated them at a go: which of you with a hundred sheep…, what woman with ten drachmas… or what father that has two children… The pivot around which revolve these parables is neither on the lost sheep, the lost drachmas nor on the prodigal son. For these parables do not speak principally about man, rather about the mercy and glory of God. No doubt, if the context of the parables is Christological, the text of the parables is theological, for they contain the revelation of God. The glory therein is manifested through the expression of joy. The joy of God reoccurs three good times in the brief parable of the shepherd (or the lost sheep): “when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders… when he got home, call together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me” (vv.5-7), also in the parable of the lost drachma, he says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner” (v.10). Similarly, in the parable of the prodigal son (or the Merciful Father) joy becomes feast: “we will celebrate by having a feast” (v.23).

     There is something uncommon about these parables, why was the shepherd more joyful over 1 sheep that was lost and found, over the 99 that never caused any problem? Are we not all children of God? Why does the shepherd in that parable value one sheep over ninety sheep? It sounds scandalous! But the most convincing response to this question is that the lost sheep as well as the prodigal son made the heart of God to tremor, for the fear of losing them forever. For this God loved them in hope of finding and gaining them back home. When the sheep is found and when the prodigal son returned home God’s joy knows no bounds, there is more joy when they are found, than when they remained at home. The Father in the parable almost compared the incidence to the event of the death and resurrection of Jesus, for he says “your brother here was dead and has come back to life” (v.32). He compares his going astray and his home coming to death and resurrection. The same thing happens too in our own experience, for when we sin is like we are dead and lost before God.

Behold, any sinner that reads or listens to these parables maybe touched and thus thirsts for conversion for various motives, but the major reason could be to make God happy, for God is indeed waiting and hoping in love for the return of every sinner. In fact, in the words of St, Paul “there is more joy in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35), this is also valid for God, for his love is self-giving and gratuitous, for this there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. This gives God the opportunity not only to love but pardon, it permits God to love in his own way, for he “loves first” (cf. 1Jn. 4:19). The fact that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents does not confer a sort of preference or recognition to the repentant sinner more than the just. Rather, the most interesting fact, is that the just are called to participate, to take part in the joy. The shepherd told his friends: “Rejoice with me”; and the Father invited the Bigger brother: “we should celebrate and rejoice”.

     Furthermore, the central message of these parables, which Jesus intends to communicate to the Scribes and the Pharisees and to all of us today, is the fact that the attitude of the Scribes and the Pharisees was a kind of attack to God who waits and hopes in love for the return of sinners. For “God does not want the death of a sinner, but that he repents and lives” (Ez. 18:23). But also, that attitude is an offence against sinners, thus an insult to one’s neighbor. Therefore, their hostile before towards sinners touches the first and the second commandment. A true Big brother cannot remain indifferent to a younger brother in perdition, he has to suffer with the father, and that is exactly what our Big Brother par excellence, the Only Begotten Son of God did to save humanity. He didn’t remain indifferent to the plight of the sinful humanity; instead he himself went in search of the sinful humanity to bring him back to the Father.

Above all, these three parables that tend to speak to us about God, ended up speaking to all and about all: to sinners and to the just etc. We have to pay particular attention to the just here, for they could be considered from the objective sense of those who are not in need of penitence, but also from the subjective view point as those who do not see or feel the need for penitence. Is there anyone that does not need conversion? Maybe the Pharisees and the Scribes. However, in reality we know that the true lost sheep is the one lost in his or her pride… The parables on mercy are for all, for we are all in need of conversion, some more, some less!

     The attitude of the sheep owner, the woman with drachmas and that of father towards the son signifies what God does for us when we stray, when we abandon God or when we relegate Him to the background. God never abandons sinners, for He says: “by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities…he shall certainly live, and shall not die” (Ex. 18:28). Again, the psalmist humbly questions: “If you kept a record of our sins, Lord, who could stand their ground?” (Ps. 130:3). Jeremiah speaks of the freshness of God’s mercy: “Surely Yahweh’s mercies are not over, his deeds of faithful love not exhausted; every morning they are renewed; great is his faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). 

    But also, as emanating from the context of the parables, we need to guard against the syndrome of the Scribes, the Pharisees and the Big Brother. The syndrome is that of not looking inwardly in themselves, but they ‘project’ towards others. They are good observants of law and of the rules of the house like the big brother: “Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command…”, he respected all the rules but he lacked love, he was pharisaic in his relationship with the father. He remained with the mentality of the Judaic law of retribution, but the father was inviting him to embrace the law of merciful love. We are called to be servants of mercy like the servants of the father, and not judges of mercy! At the heart of the parable, the Father came out to meet the son, to stand where he (son) was in order to bring him back home. Similarly, God in Christ came out to meet the sinful humanity. We pray that Jesus may give us the grace like Him the excellent Big Brother, to be always ready to go in search of our brothers and sisters who have gone to a “distant country”.

     The second reading (1Tm.1:12-17) takes into consideration the atonement Paul gained by means of his apostolic call. And it was a manifestation of God’s abundant grace to someone like Paul who acknowledged himself as the greatest of sinners, for he persecuted the Church. This Pauline passage is the concretization of the parables on divine mercy. While he (Paul was writing to Timothy he affirmed a fundamental truth: “Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, I myself am the greatest of them” (v.15) that the humble affirmation of St. Paul, he further confessed: “even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however, was shown me” (v.13), which mercy was he talking about, if not the superabundant grace of God, for he says: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength. By calling me into his service he has judged me trustworthy” (v.12). And one may ask why was abundant grace or mercy shown to Paul? And St. Paul responds: “and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the leading example of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who were later to trust in him for eternal life” (v.16). Jesus not only wanted to manifest his benevolence to a sinner like Paul, but at the same time he desires to give reason for trust and hope to all who are in need of God’s pardon. Jesus truly came to manifest and reveal to us the face of God, his extreme love and inexhaustible mercy.

     Truly the overriding Good News of today is that God does not abandon sinners to their painful end, it is not only that “he does not desire the death of a sinner”, but he goes in search of him so that “he will repent and live”. God is in search of sinners so that He will show them mercy. Indeed, “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him” (Dan. 9:9). Let us therefore thank the Father who through His Son, Jesus Christ has delivered us and continues to deliver us from the kingdom of darkness and sin:  “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col.1:13-14).

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

The Demands Of His Discipleship!

(Homily 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

     The three readings of today seem to have different themes:  the discernment of the Divine will which is only possible through the Spirit of God; the transformation of personal relations in Christ and the total renunciation as a mark of a true discipleship. As such, to figure out a common thread that runs through the three readings requires dexterity. Wisdom is the keyword recurrent in the liturgical texts. In the first reading, the human capacity of reasoning that is weak and uncertain, is opposed to the wisdom with which God teaches man and woman so that they will obtain salvation. The human prudence makes calculations to know if you can count on sufficient means to construct a tower or a sufficient number of soldiers to wage war against an enemy. This prudence is necessary, but in order to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, the prudence or better the wisdom that comes from God is required, as exemplified in the Gospel passage. And indeed in the second reading, the letter of St. Paul to Philemon is it not a real manifestation of wisdom learnt at the school of faith? Drawing the issue further, we can summarize the liturgical readings of today thus: The first reading and the responsorial psalm raise a question; the Gospel offers a response; while the second reading gives us an example of its existential application. As a matter of fact, in the biblical logic, the Old Testament reveals an expectation (a waiting), while the New Testament brings its fulfillment.

     The first reading (Wis. 9:13-18) presents a part of prayer which the book of Wisdom attributes to Solomon. In the first book of the Kings we see the earliest version of King Solomon’s prayer (1Kg. 3:6-9), where he prayed for understanding. In another occasion he prayed for wisdom to help him carry out his duties as a King (cf. 2Chr. 1:9-10).  However, in this passage therefore, the sacred writer expatiates the point that the will of God can only be discerned through the wisdom and Spirit of God. The question emanating from the first reading with reference to the wisdom, the thought or will of God is this: “What human being indeed can know the intentions of God? And who can comprehend the will of the Lord?” (v.13). The answer is in the negative: No one! The passage tells us with much clarity that man is not capable of knowing the will of God. Man can only know the thoughts of God if God reveals them to him, and God revealed himself to man: “And who could ever have known your will, had you not given Wisdom and sent your holy Spirit from above?” (v.17). The human person many a times does not even know what he wants. Man lacks the indication of an existential scope or the sense for living, the drama is condensed in the following words of the psalmist: “All our days pass under your wrath; our lives are over like a sigh. The span of our life is seventy years, eighty for those who are strong, but their whole extent is anxiety and trouble, they are over in a moment and we are gone” (Ps. 90:9-10), before this bitter fact, the modern man falls into desperation and finds refuge in the materialistic point of view: “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die” (cf. Is. 22:13); the biblical man as we have heard in the responsorial psalm finds refuge in prayer, he asks God the grace to learn how to count his days, to gain wisdom of heart.

     The Gospel passage (Lk. 14:25-33) consists of Jesus’ demands and the cost of discipleship. And Jesus used two parables to illustrate his point on the cost of discipleship: the tower builder and the king going to war. In verse (26) it says “Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple”, the verb hate here is somewhat harsh, however, there is a suggestion that the original Aramaic entails “loving less”. But that does not really portray the real meaning therein. By that Jesus intends to teach his disciples that to follow Him one has to surrender the whole of one’s life.

      In this passage Jesus speaks of the necessity of hating one’s relatives and one’s life, in order to be able to take the Cross and follow Him. He admonishes his disciples to check very well their strength and capabilities before embarking on the journey of his discipleship. As such, Jesus gives instances of the man who wanted to construct a tower and the King who was about to engage another King in a war. Is as if Jesus is telling us, before you come to me, think about it very well, but it is somewhat surprising, that the Jesus who said: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28), and now apparently in this passage he gives us a somewhat discouraging admonition. But that is not the case, in order to understand the meaning of these words, we need to identify whom they were addressed to, they were addressed to the disciples, those that have already said yes to Jesus and to the Gospel and they are following Him. So they are not in doubt on whether to follow Jesus or not, but on how to follow Him. What are the exigencies of the sequela Christi? Accepting the Kingdom of God is indeed a hard nut to crack, it is a decisive choice. However, many a times some of the disciples of Jesus lack awareness about the seriousness and the radicality of the call of Jesus. Maybe they thought like in the mentality of that time, that to follow Jesus, the Messiah entails grabbing every form of triumphalism, even though they must have understood that following Jesus is something important, but not to the point of renouncing oneself. As such, the passage of this Gospel gives us some indications or conditions for following Christ and to be his disciple: ● Whoever wishes to follow Christ must give precedence to Christ in everything. He has to occupy the first position in our life. ● To be a disciple of Christ entails following the Master and carrying one’s cross daily, it involves the ability to “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev. 14:4). ● To follow Christ one must detach himself or herself from earthly riches. ● The consciousness that being a disciple of Christ or being a Christian is serious and demanding, little wonder, Jesus expects whoever wishes to follow Him to ponder over it properly.

     As a mater fact, the heart of Christian wisdom is the choice of Christ, and it is an existential choice. This helps us to understand better the conclusive words of Jesus’ discourse: “So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns” (v.33), thus, renouncing all for Christ means not putting anything before Him. There is incompatibility in the choice; it is a fundamental option that determines all other choices. Jesus and his message of salvation have to be the priority of the disciple.

     Indeed, it is indispensable to read the passage of this Gospel without reference to the preceding verses, that is the parable of those invited to the banquet (cf. Lk. 14:15-24). Also it is necessary to read this passage in the light of the successive verses (cf. Lk. 14:34-35), this equally speaks of the disciple who have not understood that he has become lukewarm, and that he is just moving ahead for inertia. The same words used to reproach the Christian community of Laodicea can be addressed to some Christians today: “I know about your activities: how you are neither cold or hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither hot nor cold, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16).

     In the second reading (Phil. 1.9-10.12-17) we see the story of Onesimus, a slave who run away from his master Philemon, a Christian of Colossae, who had joined Paul in prison. When Paul was writing this letter he was already old, but also in prison under chains in Rome, as a result of his fidelity to Christ. The interesting part of this story is that through the influence of Paul, Onesimus was converted to Christianity. After his conversion to Christianity, Paul mediated between Onesimus and his Master, Philemon. In sending Onesimus back to his Master, Paul commended him as no longer a slave, but a dear brother in the Lord. However, through this wonderful intervention of Paul he did not in any way abolish slavery, which would have been impossible in the ancient world. But at least he succeeded in transforming the relationship that was existing between them, from a master-slave relationship to a brother-brother relationship. Paul maintained that in Christ there is no longer anyone like a slave, rather we are free sons and daughters of God. Behold, at the heart of this passage is the message that our faith as Christians does not encourage barriers, divisions and discrimination of any kind. Our Christian faith teaches us to recognize all as brothers and sisters, thus sons and daughters of the same Father.

     Behold, the pivot on which revolves the message of this Sunday is on divine Wisdom as opposed to human prudence or wisdom. Jesus is the One who reveals to us the sapiential vision of life, for He is the wisdom of the Father, incarnated and made visible. Therefore, following Him, “Way, Truth and Life” entails walking on the path of that Wisdom that comes from above. And whoever that walks on this path is endowed with divine Wisdom, just as St. Paul. And the presence of the divine Wisdom in him was manifested in his brotherly and affectionate intervention in the matter bothering Philemon and Onesimus. It is by means of divine Wisdom that the status of Onesimus was raised from a slave to a beloved brother. And no doubt, to be one of the disciples of Christ, one needs the Wisdom that comes from above.

     Dear Jesus give us this Wisdom that comes from above so that we may be enabled to love you more, love our brothers and sisters sincerely and follow you authentically. Amen!!

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