Rev.fr.
Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
Here comes something so
awesome and outstanding. There was an advertisement of a particular brand of noodles
that portrayed the story of a child who got so pleased with the delicious meal
the mother prepared for her. This made the child to give to her mother another
title: mommy like no other. When we
act in an outstanding manner in our various areas of duty, we become like no other. When we make sincere
efforts to do exactly what is required of us, then we are following the line of
Christ who did exactly what was required of him in his mission of preaching and
teaching; and this got the people to believe that he was really like no other. Jesus is the prophet like
no other.
In the First Reading
(Deut. 18: 15-20), Moses in his speech to the people promised them that the
Lord would send a prophet like himself, who will come from among the people.
His major reason for this promise was that that was exactly what the people
implied telling God when they cried to him in the desert to never let them hear
directly from Him, or see the great fire which marked the presence of God. The Lord
understood their plea and had to tell Moses that he would from among them raise
a prophet just like Moses to be his mouthpiece. There are two consequences of
this. The first concerns the people, as the second concerns the prophet
himself. If anyone from among the people fails to listen to the word of the
prophet, the person must answer to God, and if the prophet becomes insincere
with his prophesy, he will die. On the part of the prophet especially, the
condition is tough. Who is that prophet
that can fulfil this role in utmost sincerity and dedication?
The first awareness we
make of this text is that at first sight, there is here an establishment of the
prophetic ministry in Israel, as there is an assurance of its continuity. However,
a critical look at the book of Deuteronomy, and in the whole of the Bible does
not show a direct evidence of such an office of ‘the prophet’ that satisfied
this condition so well. Prophets are mentioned only twice in Deuteronomy –here and
in Deut. 13:1-6. In both places, prophets are presented as potential threats to
the loyalty that Israel owes God. They are to be observed very carefully, for
they can lead and presumably have led Israel away from undivided service and
obedience to the Lord (Jer. 28). The writer of Deuteronomy even went ahead to
enumerate the true test of prophesy in verse 22: if what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place
or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. This test is so impractical and of
no use to anyone who needs to make an urgent decision regarding a specific case.
For the book of Deuteronomy, if people want to know the divine will, all they
need to do is to study the book of the Lord (Deuteronomy); that is why it
presents a singularly unflattering image of prophesy. Who is then the prophet that can positively present a dignified image
of prophesy and at same a master of the law more than the scribes
themselves?
It is Jesus. In the
mind of the Deuteronomist, no prophet may satisfy this test, because of his
exaltation of the law as the avenue of knowing the will of God. However, it is
providential that he thought this way for God used him to bring out the
outstanding character of the Messiah himself –the prophet par excellence. Jesus
is the only prophet that knows the mind of God and speaks only in the name of
God the Father (cf. John 14:10-14; Jesus’ correction over the attribution of
his power to Beelzebub: Matt. 12:24-28). In him are the law and the prophet surmised.
Jesus so distinguished himself in his teachings and deeds that got the people
astonished; he taught as a prophet like no other. There was something so different
about him. He even surpassed the manner of teaching of the scribes. This made
him so famous throughout the whole region of Galilee. This is what we see in
the Gospel reading (Mark 1:21-28). The people were so surprised for Jesus
taught them as one who has authority and not as the scribes.
And as if that surprise
got from his teaching was not enough, at the same was the healing of a demon-possessed
man. The people became more amazed, and asked one another: what is this? This reminds
us of the same question (though with a change in pronoun) asked by the people
in the desert when God provided them with food from heaven (Exod. 16:15): what
is it? In this case, Moses was able to answer the question because it concerned
a thing (bread) sent by God; but in the case of the Gospel, no one was able to
answer the question because it concerns a person (Jesus, who in himself is a
mystery to us) sent by God. The people’s astonishment led them to various and
wild speculations that the fame of Jesus spread all over the region of Galilee.
He is indeed the prophet like no other. As a prophet like no other, Jesus does
not spare any demon. He chases them out of anybody they possess, and this is
how we must be pro-active in the fight against demons.
But what is really a
demon? What are demons? The name for demons is mazzikin, which means one who does harm. Demons are wicked beings
who are out to harm the relationship man shares with God. And so, man can
actually be a demon to another man. When a person is out to rupture the
relationship one shares with God, then he is a demon. The question remains:
have you ever been a demon? We need to cure ourselves from demonic acts before
ever stuffing ourselves with the conviction that a being outside of us has possessed
us and cause us to perpetrate evils. When you cease being a demon, you exorcise
yourself. When you contribute to hamper the good relationship one shares with
God, you become a demon to that person. Only when we stop being demons to
others can we partake in the outstanding character of “the prophet like no
other.”
Just like Christ who
was outstanding, can we also be outstanding in the work we have been given to
do? Can you make your job outstanding? Can you make your academic life
outstanding? Can you make your marriage life outstanding? Can you make your
spiritual life outstanding? Can you actually make a difference through the way
you put in your best in the mission God has sent you as a Christian? We need to
try to answer in our various ways names such as: a priest like no other, an electrician like no other, a doctor like no
other, a teacher like no other, a wife like no other, a husband like no other,
a mother like no other, a father like no other, a child like no other, a trader
like no other, a politician like no other, a neighbour like no other, as
servant like no other, etc. Paul in the Second Reading (1 Cor. 7:32-35)
makes effort to clarify his thesis on not allowing marriage to hinder the Christians
from proper preparation. He makes us to understand that there is a difference
between a married person and a unmarried virgin. A married person can in one
way or the other be distracted by things and persons around him, but an
unmarried virgin who has worked ascetically to make himself or herself
outstanding in purity is concerned only with the things of God ‘in both body
and spirit’ (v.34). We must know that making ourselves to be like no other involves sacrifices and
constant efforts.
Lastly, we must
remember the personality of Daniel. There were many administrators and officers
during the time of Daniel, but the outstanding character and quality of Daniel
made the king Nebuchadnezzar to desire a new and highest appointment for him: and Daniel so distinguished himself among
the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king
planned to set him over his whole kingdom (Daniel 6:3). If you distinguish yourself,
you will be uplifted irrespective of many who are in the same race with you. If
you are like no other, you will be preferred. And so, work to be like no other
in the life of the spirit, and you will be the preferred of God. Happy new
week. God bless you.
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