HOMILY FOR PALM SUNDAY, YEAR A
Rev.
Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
Okonkwo
had two sons in his household –Ikemefuna and Nwoye. Nwoye was the legitimate
son of Okonkwo, as Ikemefula who was fatherless and had come from another
village. There was a plot by the people of Umuofia to kill Ikemefula. Two days
before the execution of the evil plan, Ogbuefi Ezendu, one of the elderly men
went to Okonkwo and said to him: “that boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand
in his death.” Okonkwo was surprised, and was about to say something when the
old man continued: “Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The oracle of Hills
and Caves has pronounced it. They will take him outside Umuofia as is the
custom, and kill him there. But I want you to have nothing to do with it. He
calls you father”. The next day, a group of elders from the nine villages of
Umuofia came to Okonkwo’s house early in the morning to dispose Okonkwo about
their plan for tomorrow. When they went away, Okonkwo called Ikemefuna and told
him that he was to be taken home the next day. Nwoye overheard it and burst
into tears. As for Ikemefuna, he was at a loss. His own home had gradually
become faint and distant. He still missed his mother and his sister and would
be very glad to see them.
The
next day, the men returned with a pot of wine and all other instruments needed
for the execution. Okonkwo got ready quickly, and the party set out with
Ikemefuna carrying a pot of wine. A deathly silence descended on Okonkwo’s compound.
Even the very little children seemed to know. Throughout that day, Nwoye sat in
his mothers hut and tears stood in his eyes. As they approached the outskirt of
the village, Ikemefuna heard a whisper close behind him and turned around
sharply. The man who had whispered now called out aloud, urging the others to
hurry-up. “We still have a long way to go”, he said. Then he and another man
went before Ikemefuna and set a faster pace. Thus, the men of Umuofia pursued
their way, armed with sheathed matchets, and Ikemefuna, carrying a pot of wine
on his head, walked in their midst. Although he had felt uneasy at first, he
was not afraid now. Okonkwo walked behind him. He could hardly imagine that
Okonkwo was not his real father. One of the men behind him cleared his throat.
Ikemefuna looked back, and the man growled at him to go on and not stand
looking back. The way he said it sent cold fear down Ikemefuna’s back. His
hands trembled vaguely on the black pot he carried. Why had Okonkwo withdrawn
to the rear? Ikemefuna felt his legs melting under him. And he was afraid to
look back. As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his
matchet, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the
sand. He heard Ikemefuna cry, “my father,
they have killed me!”, as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo took out
his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of been thought weak (cf. Chinua
Achebe, Things Fall apart).
Why
is it so that often times, betrayal and slander are experienced from the person
close to us? Why is it so that it is always the “domestic rat that informs the
wild rat about the newly bought fish in the kitchen”? Why is it that most
kidnapping incidents have the involvement of a relation of the kidnapped? These
and many likely question are the questions that beg for answers as we reflect
in the words of Judas Iscariot: the one I kiss is the man; arrest him (the
Gospel: Matthew 26:14 - 27:66).
By
using a kiss as a signal for arrest, Judas perverts a gesture for friendship.
Then, it becomes a sign of betrayal. Even my friend in whom I trusted, who ate
my bread has lifted up his heels against me (cf. Ps. 41:9). However, there is
more to this kiss. The Greek word used for the English kiss when Judas told the
Pharisees that it was through this sign that he would indicate the Christ is philein, which is the normal word for a kiss.
But when it is said that Judas actually kissed Jesus, the word used is kataphilein, which is the word for a lover’s kiss,
and means to kiss repeatedly and fervently. Why did Judas do that? Judas most
probably expected Jesus to hide away as he usually did, without realizing that
it was the appointed time for Jesus. It was his greed that landed him to that
sort of thinking so as to fool the Pharisees. If he had not been so greedy as
to love money so much, he would not have nursed it in him to betray Jesus. It is
true that the son of man was going to die, but woe to that man by whom He is
betrayed (cf. Luke 22:22). Judas would have halted such move from his
intention. So, betrayal starts from the mind.
More
to this is when the person who betrays is a close one; when the person who
gives the last blow is a close and loved person. The pains of suffering are
increased as it would not only be bodily pain but also a pain in the heart. It
was the last dagger by Brutus that killed Ceaser due to the trust Ceaser had on
his friend. In our lead story, it was the last cut that made Ikemefuna to give
up the ghost because it came from a person he trusted and called a father. How many
a time have we daggered others who think us as the last chance for their
protection? How many times have we betrayed others who mean well for us, just
because of our selfish desires and interest? How many times have we
disappointed those who call us fathers and mothers? How many times have we
betrayed the zeal of those who look up to us as their mentors?
There
are many ways we betray others. One is to deliver into the hands of an enemy by
fraud. An instance of this is kidnapping. Friends have betrayed friends and
have led them into the hands of kidnappers for desires best known to them.
Second is to violate the confidence of someone, by disclosing a secret, or that
which one is bound in honour not to make known. Many others have betrayed their
friends by slandering them and assassinating their character, thereby rendering
to ridicule the secrets they share or shared as friends. Third is to lead
astray and then abandon or to appear as if you are with someone only to leave
one on the way. Many others have betrayed their friends by denial and
disappointments. Many have disappointed others by promising marriages and not
accomplishing the promise. Many have promised their servants an expected time
of settlements and either prolonged it or never settled at all. Psalm 55:12-14
says: if it were an enemy who betrayed me, I could bear it...but you, a person
of my own rank, a comrade and dear friend, to whom I was bound by intimate
friendship in the house of God.
A
heart that betrays is a heart of selfishness, slander, rancour and envy. These
virtues are enough to land one into hell. The antidote to this type of heart is
in the message of the First Reading (Isaiah 50:4-7). The Lord gives us a
well-trained tongues and well-opened ears to decipher these mischievous hearts
that portray themselves as our best friends but in actual fact work for our
downfall. Christians are out to crush the efforts of those who betray the work
of God and even work to betray God’s people.
But
come to think of it: what gains do the betrayer get after betrayal? His/her
gain is simply ephemeral happiness and smiles which actually are the weapons
that will strike him/her dead. The oracle of Isaiah says: woe to you, O
destroyer, where you arenot destroyed; and he who is treacherous while others
did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will
be destroyed. As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal
treacherously with you (Isaiah 33:1). The momentary happiness which has sadism
as its root cannot last but will turn against him/her. Now, I ask: whom have
you betrayed? This reflection offers you that consciousness to go back to the
person you have betrayed and apologize. Make also a firm purpose of amendment
never to betray again. We must resolve to offer a sincere kiss to those we love
and never a Judas’ kiss which we end up making us traitors unto our friends and
rendering us actually inhuman. May the Holy Week increase the virtues of
fidelity of actions and sincerity of heart in us. Amen. Happy Palm Sunday.
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