HOMILY FOR THE 19TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
Rev.
Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
During the early days
of persecution, a humble Christian was brought before the judges. He explained
to them that nothing can shake him for he believed that God is true and
faithful to him inasmuch as he remains faithful and true to God. One of the
judges asked him: do you really think that people of your type will be with God
and enter into His glory? The humble Christian answered: I do not think, but I know.
I know
that I will be with God and share in His glory. And the judges were marvelled
at this great answer. Yes, the Christian faith deals with a hope that is
certain, and not uncertain. We do not think that God is faithful; we rather
know and believe. In the eyes of the common man, this humble Christian was
about to be tortured and perhaps killed for a future that is uncertain; a
future that is vague and shrouded in great ambiguity. The Christian faith is
such that determines all of our conducts; we live in it, and die in it.
Hence, the Christian
answer to the question that forms our topic is that the future is not uncertain
because it belongs to God. We know this because God commands everything
and that God has promised it. Our God lives, and He is certain; our future then
lives and is certain. We are certain that in the long run, truth will prevail.
No one can exile the truth. It appeared that Socrates, the ancient Philosopher
had been eliminated for seeking the truth, but what is the case today? He is
known and studied, as his executioners are not even known. Shedrach, Meshach
and Abednego converted the whole Babylon nation for their singular unquenchable
faith they had in God. What of our Lord Jesus? It appeared that he was dealt
with and killed during the reign of Pilate, but he is the most popular name on
earth today. Paul was once condemned by Emperor Nero, but today many persons
have their names as Paul, as it is even hard for dogs to go by the name Nero. Only
the future can tell.
The Second Reading (Hebrew
11:1-2; 8-19) of today has so much attracted me that the satellite of this
reflection is focused on it. The Hebrew writer(s) gave us a powerful definition
of faith (pistis): the assurance of things hoped for, and the
conviction of things not seen. What a powerful definition that stands over
time. Two words are vivid in the manner most English versions of the Bible put
this definition: assurance and
conviction. The original Greek has it thus: ὑποστασὶς (hypostasis) and ἔλέγχος
(elenchos). Without delving into the correctness of these translations,
considering both words in their widest and contextual meaning may help to
understand better the definition. Beforehand, we must state that the writer of
the Letter to the Hebrews spoke in philosophical terms, as Philosophy was
greatly respected in that period. He explained many theological realities in
philosophical terms. Of course, the original language of the Letter is Greek
which the language of Philosophy was.
In Philosophy, hypostasis simply means the underlying
reality or substance of something. Little wonder, the Latin version of the
translation favoured the term substantia (substance)
to portray this philosophical language. Many commentators too have preferred
the term reality which brings out
well the intent of the writer(s). I join them too in favour of the word reality. Elenchos for the Greeks can be
synonymous with the English argumentation.
Little wonder too the Latin version favoured the term argumentetum. But this argumentation is geared towards a particular
goal: to prove that which one believes in. Hence, when the Greeks use the word elenchus, it denotes the proof of a
point, not the argument proper. Hence, the word proof brings out the meaning better. We must then re-present our
own definition: Faith is the reality (substance/subsistence) of things hoped for, and
the proof of things not seen. So, for the words, assurance and
conviction, we replace them with reality and proof. The reality of things hoped
for is concerned with this world, as the proof of things not seen is concerned
with the heavenly world. Thus, it is because we believe in the reality of what
we hope for in this life that we ignore the pleasures of the moment, and it is
because we believe in the certainty of our future that we argue in order to
prove its existence.
Ignoring the pleasures
of the moment...
Faith is belief in God
against the world; a world that is transient. In the Gospel (Luke 12:35-45),
Jesus advises his disciples to ignore the pleasures of the moment for the sake
of the future. We ought to be ready in wait for our master to come home from
the marriage feast so that we can better attend to him once he returns. Blessed
are those whom the master finds awake when he comes. Readiness to meet the son
of man certainly costs us to ignore the pleasures of the moment, for we know
that he will certainly come, even though we lack the knowledge of the hour of
his coming. That servant who is way-ward and acts as if he is the master and
that everything is dependent on the moment certainly gets punishment when the
master unexpectedly returns, but that servant who is ever ready gains more
reward from his master. To this futuristic servant, much more power and respect
will be given him, for he showed great commitment to his work, but the momentous
servant will be given severe beating and stripped of all powers and respect,
for he has abused the much that was given him.
Believing in the
certainty of our future...
God has been so
faithful to us. He has been faithful to his promises. He has assured us of his
salvation. In the First Reading (Wisdom 18:6-9), the people of Israel had to
look back at their history and thereupon discovered that God has always been
faithful. This gives them courage and hope for the future. The Lord has
delivered the righteous and destroyed their enemies. The constant remembrance
of this gives us courage and deepens our faith in God. What we have seen in the
past assures us of the things not seen. We do not see the future, but from what
the Lord has done in the past, we hope in the certainty of our future. In
Romans 8:24, we are clarified that any hope that is seen ceases to be hopes;
and the things unseen are eternal, but the ones seen are transient (2 Cor.
4:18). Hence, our faith is like that which Peter explains in his Letter: though
we have not seen him, we love him; and though we do not now see him, we believe
in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of our faith and the salvation of our souls (1 Pet. 1:8).
Our faith in the certainty of our future makes us work hard to demonstrate it
in the present.
The offspring of
faith...
1. Faith produces
obedience: Obedience to the will of God is one of the demonstrations of faith
so that we now resign to the will of God in our lives, not our own will.
Abraham obeyed God when he was called to go to a place which he was to receive
as an inheritance, and not knowing, he still went. Our faith must be hinged on
obedience to God and his representatives on earth.
2. Faith breeds
courage: Abraham had the courage to sojourn in the land of promise, leaving
everything he has acquired before then, for he looks forward to the city which
has foundation, whose builder and maker is God. His faith in God was
adventurous, and so too our faith must be adventurous; to move out and to reach
out. We must leave the comforts of our homes, the pleasures of the moment for
the sake of our faith in God.
3. Faith generates
miracle: By faith, Sarah received power to conceive even when she was past the
age. This was a belief in the impossible. That Sarah should have a child,
humanly speaking, was impossible. But by God’s power and grace, the impossible
became true. Thus, faith is that ability to lay hold on that grace which is
sufficient for all things in such a way that the humanly impossible things
become divinely possible. With God, all things are possible. Our faith in God
comes with a reward. God visits us when he deems fit with those natural
elements that he knows we need and that we lead us not away from Him. But we
must allow God to always take the initiative to offer us his works which are
miracles in our lives. Today, many Christians force their wills on God and are
in fact being deceived by magic which never comes from God. Only miracles come
from God. If it ceases to be miracle, count God out.
4. Faith encourages
sacrifice and offering: Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac; and he who
has received the promise was ready to offer up his only begotten son. Our faith
must ginger us to offer. Faith makes us selfless and sacrificial. We must be ready to offer what is dearest to
us for the sake of loyalty to God. Sometimes, a person may have to sacrifice
even personal relationship for the service of God. Men have sacrificed marriage
for the service on the altar of God. This is all realistic because of faith. Faith
makes us to remember the other and to help for the betterment of the other
person. It makes us to offer what we have for the good of the Church. We must
make out time to offer ourselves as a sure test of our faith.
5. Faith desires
heaven: Any faith that does not desire heaven is camouflage. God is able to
raise men from the dead. He wants us to come and live with him in heaven. Our
faith must ensure that all we here on earth are oriented towards there in
heaven. Faith reproduces many things innumerable. It revives the soul. It creates
inner joy. It comforts and consoles. It initiates all the more God’s
glorification by us and our edification by God. Today, as we rejuvenate our
understanding of faith so as to channel it to the proper pipe, permit me to
draw the curtain here as we join our voices to sing this song of faith: ♫♫ He has
promised He will never fail. I will follow, I will follow Him. He has promised
He will never fail. His faithfulness is forever more.♫♫ God bless you, as I
wish you a blessed week ahead.
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