HOMILY FOR THE 26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
We find a very awesome similarity between the story lines of the First Reading and that of the Gospel. And it is in this similarity that we can discover the very important message for Christians today.
In the First Reading (Numbers 11:25-29), Moses had done the Lord’s wish by selecting seventy elders who would assist him to bear the burden of more than six hundred thousand Israelites in exodus to their promised land. The arrangement was that these seventy elders would come up to the mountain to encounter the Lord, and there would receive and be impacted upon some portions of the spirit of Moses. On the D-day, the Lord came down from the cloud and having spoken to Moses, infused the spirit on those elders, and they started to prophesy. However, it happened that two men -Eldad and Medad- who had been registered for that meeting had been left in the camp, and so were not in the gathering with the others. The spirit still rested on them, and while in the camp, they prophesied. When Joshua, Moses’ assistant saw what happened, and thinking that these men should not have been among those who were prophesying, most probably because they were not in the gathering, he went to Moses and pleaded him to stop these two men. Moses’ answer demonstrated that they ought to be left to continue. His answer depicted that the Lord needs as many prophets as possible. The Lord needs many of us, and so we ought to allow one another to flourish in the Lord. Since no one can limit the power of the God’s spirit, we must be careful not to allow ourselves try to limit the extent our fellows use the gift of God.
We see the character of Joshua been played by John in the Gospel Reading (Mark 9:38-48). Having taught his disciples the importance of welcoming other people (cf. Mark 9:37), the disciples felt some remorse and had to ask Jesus one more question, most probably to clear the guilt. In a sort of report, John then boldly told Jesus that they saw someone driving out demons in His name, and tried to stop him because he does not follow them. The reply of Jesus must have been a very shocking one to them. One could imagine that they expected to learn of an exception to this rule of welcoming, but Jesus had to beat their imagination, and ours too: do not stop them; there is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me, for whoever is not against us is for us. By that revolutionary response, Jesus releases to them and us important lessons in tolerance.
1. We need not speak against anything we do not perfectly understand. We are many times too fast to condemn what we do not understand. The truth is larger than one person’s grasp of it. No one person can possess the whole truth. However, we must know that the foundation of tolerance is not a lazy acceptance of anything or the feeling that there cannot be assurance anywhere, but the realization of the magnitude of the orbit of truth that God does reveal to us; that no one has the monopoly of discovering the truth about God. Tolerance means a reverence for all the possibilities of truths in God, with a convincing acknowledgement that it can be found in diverse cultures and times. It is a respect for freedom that God can make another, other than ourselves to prophesy and work for him. Intolerance can be a sign of arrogance and ignorance. In tolerance, a person believes that there can be truths beyond the truth he sees.
2. We need not think ourselves (our thoughts, ideas, beliefs) more special and higher than everyone else’s, and hence disregarding and discrediting the prowls of another. One aspect of this is that many times, we tend to discredit others because we feel the other is trying to get to the same level as us; and so whatever effort he/she makes becomes superfluous. Another aspect of it is that some other times, we are inclined to criticise what we cannot achieve or an idea too high for us to understand. However, tolerance is not a simple acceptance of errors and sins to thrive in the guise of respecting the other person’s thought or way of life. It is the recognition that in pursuing the truth of life and in God, there can be different ways employable by us, and may be permissible by God. Remember, the disciple saw another person using the name of Jesus. Intolerance can a sign of jealousy. Moses had to ask Joshua: are you jealous for my sake. In tolerance, a person believes that the truth about God he searches is also sought after by others, for God may will to construct many routes to the same destination.
3. We need not hate a man for not sharing in our ideas about God. We need not shut someone up for not speaking what we need to hear. We need not hush someone for not expressing God the way a particular people does. However, tolerance is not a blind acceptance and love for ideas and doctrines inimical to our faith. If the man had spoken ill of Christ, then he was against Him. This means that only in this condition could they have stopped him, for the person is not for them. Tolerance is the recognition that other spiritual gifts can emanate from ways and in persons we least expect inasmuch as our faith is not destroyed. The disciple thought the only people who have right to use the name of Jesus were themselves. Joshua thought that the only elders who must prophesy were those on the mountains. They never knew God had selected/anointed others and had allowed them to become channels for divine grace. Intolerance can indicate hatred for particular group of people. In tolerance, a person might not accept another’s thought but still loves him/her.
In all, there are several reasons why men are intolerant: self-exaltation, jealousy and envy, pride and arrogance, and the desire for segregation in the guise of unity. Intolerance has destroyed many lives, wrecked relationships, and continues to cause strife and division, hurt and pain. At the end, it brings shame and disgrace. It was for the sake of intolerance that St. James condemned the selfishly rich people. They were intolerant in being free and generous with their treasures. They allowed their riches to render them hard hearted. A person of tolerance would understand that no one desires to be so poor as to be a burden to another. Do you not think that we need ourselves, irrespective of our backgrounds, varied ideas, and different belief systems? Happy new week. God bless you.
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