THE MORE WE RENOUNCE, THE MORE USEFUL WE BECOME

 HOMILY FOR THE 23^RD SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The world today strives after gain and utility in whatever they do. There is this cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society and our religion. This cankerworm is the manner with which Christians nowadays search for crowns and glory without cross and sorrow; the manner with which Christians strive after magic and take them to be miracles; the manner with which Christians look assiduously at the gains of a particular venture without being calculative of the work that ought to accompany such a venture. As it stands now in Nigeria, I see the Church is trying to lose her identity as ambassadors of Christ and as the conscience of the society. What is Christianity if not a life lived in sincere imitation of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ? Are we forgetting the teachings of Christ? Or do we not see faith in what we are doing again? The way people view the Church as a profit-oriented institution, and not as an institution for service baffles me. The way Christians fight over power is scandalous. What are we fighting for? The only fight every Christian is permitted to engage in is the fight to possess Christ with a holiness of life and a sincere humble spirit of service to God and to humanity. Woes betide us if we lose sight of this.

Today, the Church presents us with the gospel of renunciation. To be candid: IF YOU DO NOT RENOUNCE, YOU BECOME USELESS; useless in what you are doing regardless of your status in the Church or in the society. To be useful as a Christian, you must renounce the distractions of the world that are there only to weigh our souls down. When we accumulate, we sink. When we denounce, we are lighter; only then can we fly. Every Christian must know the expectations Christ demands from us. The Gospel of today (Luke 14:25-33) is very explicit on the expectations from every Christian. Jesus made it clear that Christianity is not a bed of roses. If you want to be a priest, be ready to accept the difficulties. If you want to be a leader of a particular group in the Church, be ready to serve and not to be served. We are gradually loosing focus. We are gradually missing the mark. Any person who desires to follow Jesus must be ready to face some difficulties. He is not on the road to worldly power and glory, but must be ready for a loyalty which would sacrifice the dearest things in life and for a suffering which would be like the agony of a man upon a cross. Whosoever wants to be my disciple must be ready to take up his cross and follow me, Christ insists. He must denounce worldly possessions, powers, family, friends, children, wives for the sake of Christ. No love should supersede the love we have for God.

Only when we love God can we share this love to our brothers and sisters in the faith. If your love for God is thwarted or one-sided (expecting only the good and pleasurable from God), then your love for your fellow Christian will be highly k-legged. There is no two-ways about it. We all are brothers and sisters in Christ. The status of Onesimus in the Second Reading (Philemon 9b-10.12-17) today was changed due to this singular character of conversion to Christianity. Onesimus renounced his pagan worship and bad ways of life (for which he ran away from his master Philemon). That was why Paul asked Philemon to accept him for his newly found faith.

Paul, who is an ambassador of Christ, and an elder in the Christian faith appeals to Philemon (a fellow Christian) on behalf of Onesimus. He addresses onesimus as his child: I appeal to you for my child, whose father I have become... With the mention of the name ‘Onesimus’, Paul makes it explicit to Philemon the name of the person for whom he writes to him. The fact that Onesimus is begotten of Paul indicates that the slave was converted through Paul’s ministry, thereby making Paul his spiritual father. Philemon also has the same relationship with Paul (cf. V. 17 –if you consider me a partner). Therefore, Paul enjoins Philemon to accept Onesimus as a beloved brother, both in the flesh and in the Lord. They are now adopted children of God through baptism. This is because what unites them now is greater than the unnecessary hierarchy of being slave and master.

Paul did not just stop at exhorting Philemon to accept Onesimus as a beloved brother, but to have him forever. By virtue of the Christian baptism, we have become engrafted to Christ that we forever share a common patrimony and father, irrespective of race, class and interests. Yes, Onesimus is now returning more faithful than ever, but there is now a new relationship that exists between Philemon and Onesimus. Both are now Christians, related in a way that not even death can undo. Onesimus is coming back with a big difference. He went away as a heathen slave; he comes back as a beloved brother in Christ.

We also must take note of a very important issue herein. The Christian has the obligation to accept the man that has made a mistake. Often time, we regard the man who has made mistakes with suspicion and show that we are never prepared to trust him again. We believe that God can forgive him, but we ourselves find it difficult to forgive.

Let us now consider the name and the meaning of this name for whom the letter was written. Onesimus is a Greek name which means ‘useful’ (a profitable one). The bearer of the name was a slave of Philemon, who wronged his master and had to run away. He became useless. He then met Paul at Rome and was converted to Christianity. He became useful. Paul then had to send him back as a useful Christian, no longer as a useless servant to Philemon with a letter of recommendation.

And actually, the Greek terms for useless (αχρηστον) and useful (εὑχρηστον) suggest that whereas Onesimus was once αχρηστον, and therefore α-χρὶστον (without Christ), he is now εὑχρηστον, and therefore εὑ-χρὶστον (good Christian). Paul himself testifies to this real change of Onesimus. Life presents us with many experiences that make us to see ourselves either as useful or as useless. Being useless is an attribute every normal person makes effort to avoid. However, in the Christian life, a useless life is a life devoid of Christ whereas a useful life is one rooted in Christ.

Christianity has the power to make bad men good. In Christ, the useless person is made useful. Christianity teaches us great morals, not only about things concerning the heavens, but also things concerning the earth. She teaches us how to live in the society, and how to carry out our work more efficiently. Indeed, the Church produces people who are of use and can do a job better than they ever could if they did not know Christ. Think about the great artists of history (Michelle Angelo for instance), the great scientists of history (Galileo Galilei, Copernicus, etc). The very first wine production was done in the monastery. The Church produces efficient people, useful for the society and useful for God.

In renouncing the things of the world, we become more productive for the world, offering our time, talents and treasures for the good of humanity. But in accumulating the things of the world, we become mere consumers, exploiting the people and causing harm unto the mother earth. Never be a party to such an exploitative mentality. You must believe that if there is no cross, there will be no crown. Never nurture in your mind to reap where you have not sown. When we follow Christ sincerely in service, do not worry, for the one you follow has promised to provide a hundred-fold of that which you think you are losing. Remember Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question of the reward for discipleship: whosoever sacrifices for the sake of Christ will receive a hundred-fold of what he/she has sacrificed and upon those, eternal life (Matt. 19:29). We should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and every other thing will be added unto us. May these words guide our paths as I wish us a blessed week ahead. God bless you.