GO AND DO THE SAME

HOMILY FOR THE 15TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Faith is an encounter. It is an encounter between God and man. It is an encounter that has the form of a dialogue. And just like many conversations could begin with a question, so too our encounter with Jesus could begin with a question. Longing for truth, we run to God. And surely, Christ is our light shining in the Church and in the world. Indeed, the questions we might ask and the feeling that goes with expecting an answer from the Lord help to lubricate our relationship and enhance our communication with God. Was it not Albert Einstein who was quoted to have said: “the important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”? To not let our curiosity die is a profitable way of maintaining our awe about God. Dialogue is a tool of faith. Reminding ourselves of this could make us view the Gospel Reading (Luke 10:25-37) from the angle of a dialogue between Jesus and a lawyer, and a possible dialogue between Jesus and us. The Gospel pericope has a structure that is beautifully arranged in the form of a dialogue: the lawyer speaks, Jesus listens and responds; Jesus speaks, the lawyer listens and responds.

a) The lawyer quests (v. 25); Jesus replies with a question (v. 26)

b) The Lawyer answers (v. 27); Jesus replies with the first commission (Luke 10:28)

c) The Lawyer quests more (v. 29); Jesus replies with the story of the Samaritan, but ended with yet another question (vv. 29-36)

d) The lawyer answers (v. 37a); Jesus replies him with the second commission (v.37b)

A clear look at the above arrangement reminds us of the socratic method of dialogue, whereby the questioner is led to discover the answer to his/her question by more questions from the person being questioned. This is called maieutics; in it the teacher acts like a midwife to the student who is led to discover the answer to the question through more questions. Jesus acted then as a midwife who helped the lawyer to discover what must be done to gain eternal life. One might say that the Evangelist employed this hermeneutic tool in his narrative to convey to his Gentile audience what it meant to seek eternal life. He ended with the story of the Samaritan to present to them how a non-Jew like them could care for a person who was in need. We might also think of ourselves as this lawyer. When we ask God questions, God might not be answering them directly but might be leading us to answer by ourselves. In numerous ways, we could be expecting to get answers from the Lord while the Lord is leading us to look into ourselves for the answers, so as to discover how to go and do the same like the Samaritan.

An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. His intention might have been to test Jesus about his knowledge of the law of Moses and to discover what law he would favour as the most important; for only the most important law could lead one to eternal life. It is indeed surprising that this lawyer had allowed his motive  to have blinded him from recognising that the one he was talking to was himself the eternal life he sought. Of course, we know how the Gospel of John centres eternal life around Jesus; and this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3). Jesus knew he had knowledge of the law as the lawyer that he was and thus referred him instantly to the law. In his answer, the lawyer made allusions to Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. Jesus then commissioned him to do as the Law said: love God and love your neighbour. But there was something extra to be understood. And this would be discovered in the following question the lawyer would ask. He probed further: who is my neighbour? It would take Jesus the telling of a story –the famous story of the Good Samaritan– to lead him towards the answer, and to commission him to go and do the same.

In that story, Jesus presented three people; two of which were law-conscious people who believed in the letters of the law more than the spirit. The priest and the Levite had passed by the wounded man for fear of becoming defiled. By this, Jesus corrects the impression that sees only the law as the necessity for eternal life. Even though the knowledge and the observance of the law could be important for eternal life, discovering and living by the spirit of the law completes the legs two for the journey of our faith. The Christian application of the law is love; discovering how to apply the law to particular occasions. The pathway to eternal life starts as the First Reading (Deut. 30:10-14) from the obedience to the voice of God who reminds us that true religion is the religion of love rooted in the hearts and souls of all peoples.

Indeed, the entire story of the Good Samaritan could be read from the angle of our journey in life and the experiences we encounter. We might love to see ourselves like this wounded man who was making a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. The location of his departure might suggest that he was from Jerusalem. And this would mean that his own country men had passed but were indifferent to him. It took a Gentile whom he might not have having desired to relate with to save him. Oh, the mystery of life. In life and in our journey of faith, there might be three groups of people we could encounter. The first group would represent the brigands who left the man half dead. The second group would represent the two people (the priest and the Levite) who were indifferent to the dying man, and the third group would represent the one person who cared for him. We are encouraged not to despair when we meet persons belonging to the first and second group, but to be encouraged by the persons who belong to the third group. We are all the more encouraged by Christ to imitate the one who showed love and to go and do the same.

Therefore, one’s neighbour includes the person with whom you might not share the same faith, race, opinion, gender or background. True Christians are called in a world that is becoming more exclusive to break those boundaries and reach out to the other in need. It was the Samaritan that understood this. He understood what it meant to break boundaries for love. With this story and the famous question that followed -which of these three was a neighbour to the wounded man?- Jesus turned the lawyer’s question on its head.

The lawyer would agree that the Samaritan showed himself a neighbour to the wounded person. He had now answered his own question. Jesus would then reply by commissioning him to go and imitate the Samaritan. What a lovely conversation/dialogue that ended with a commissioning to witness to love; for only through selfless love could one attain eternal life; for only through selfless love could one destroy social, cultural and racial boundaries!!! Remember, it took Jesus’ selfless love to make peace by the blood of his cross (cf. Second Reading; Col. 1:15-20). Is it not how our conversation with Jesus Christ ought to lead us to more love and better ways of practising charity? And should this not also inspire the conversations we engage with people; one that motivates, pardons, and evangelizes? Fruitful conversations inspire evangelization and deepens spirituality. Could this not be why Christian spirituality encourages all Christ’s faithful to have spiritual direction; someone with whom one could discuss his/her spiritual needs and concerns? Spiritual direction requires trust, humility, and obedience. Trust gives the courage to approach, humility gives the strength to listen, and obedience gives the power to act according to the direction -go and do the same. Do have a lovely week ahead; God bless you.                            

                           

HE SENT THEM OUT TWO BY TWO

HOMILY FOR THE 14^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

There was a forest. In that forest was a very mighty tree that actually was the mightiest and the oldest of all the trees. This mighty tree was fond of intimidating other trees and reminding them how powerless they were; that they could only feed from the rains, the sunlight, and the soil after she must have fed. Hence, they were only able to feed from her left-overs. The others continued to condone this until one day when the mighty tree said something that broke the camel’s back. In that meeting, she said: You are because I am. Whenever the winds come, you are protected because of my mighty branches and leaves. You do not experience erosion because my roots are deeply rooted with very many fibrous roots scattered all around the forest. If not for my sake, this place could never be respected as a forest. If not for my sake, you all would have long been cut down and perished. So, I demand that every morning, you all must bow down before me. The others felt humiliated and devastated at these words. There was a huge silence, until a tiny blade of grass who was touched by such an audacity of the mighty tree said quietly to the other trees: why don’t you relocate to another area and see whether what she has told you is true?

Those words encouraged them; they all agreed to leave and relocated to another area; but there was one who pitied this mighty tree and remained. When the caretakers came and saw the deforestation that had taken place, they wandered and wanted to use the remaining two for wood production, but someone suggested: would it not be better to give these two trees another chance and care for them, for this may attract the others that left to return? The mighty tree was still unable to learn from this and be humble; rather she continued to oppress her remaining ally until this tree decided to join others in their new habitat. The mighty tree was now left by herself. When the caretakers returned, they saw that the mighty tree was now left alone. And since a tree cannot make a forest, they immediately cut it down to put it into another use; so ended the forest.

A tree cannot indeed make a forest. It requires two to Tango, just as it required two (Adam and Eve) to fill the earth and multiply. There is power in the number two (2) for livelihood, for survival and for success, and of course for mission.

In the Gospel ( Luke 10:1-12.17-20), the Lord sends out his seventy disciples “two by two” and gave them authority over unclean spirits with some more instructions so as to avoid giving the impression that they might be working for their own economic gain. This number ‘2’ could be taken as the foundation for every mission and every Christian community life. Perhaps, the prior question about this episode should be why these disciples were sent out in pairs. 

In the time of Jesus, there was a great importance that every ordinary Jew attached to testimony. Testimony for the Jewish law consisted of testimony by eligible witnesses to a court authorized to render decisions. There were qualities which could make one an eligible witness. He must never be deaf, mentally or morally unsuitable, or too young. Also, women are in most cases not eligible. For the witness of the gospel to be eligible then, Jesus sent persons who are free, matured enough, mentally and morally sound. For the Jews, two witnesses provide conclusive proof of reality, but one witness does not. The testimony of two witnesses is equal in force to the testimony of three or more witnesses.

For instance, when two witnesses testify to the occurrence of an event, and one hundred witnesses do the same, the groups of witnesses are considered to contradict one another, but no more weight is given to the larger group. In betrothal ceremonies, two witnesses are required to perform the action. Even a divorce case requires still two witnesses to sign the document or see the delivery. Recourse to the scriptures makes this case vivid. In Deuteronomy 19:15, only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three shall a charge be established. In Numbers 35:30, only on the evidence of more than one witness shall a murderer be put to death. In the Gospel of Matthew 18:16, it is by the evidence of two or three witnesses that a charge can be established. In John 8:13, the Jews had to make reference to this law when the Pharisees told Jesus: you bear witness about yourself and so this testimony is not true. In 2 Cor. 13:1, Paul reminds the Church of the Jewish law that every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. In 1 Timothy 5: 19, Paul admonishes Timothy not to admit a charge against an elder unless on the evidence of two or three witnesses. Therefore, one might be free to see Jesus’ approach of the mission in pairs as a response to the culture of his time and for an easier receptivity of the message.  

Those to whom Jesus sent his disciples required the testimony of two. The testimony of two disciples would carry the much weight required for the transmission of the good news. Therefore, the evidence of two disciples carries much weight. Two challenges and encourages unity. Two makes mission interesting. Two enhances strength and promotes knowledge. Hence, to regard the number 2 as the number for missions would not be a wrong thing to do. And indeed, existence stands because of the reality of two. A recourse to the Scriptures and through our daily cultural experiences would buttress this point.

In the Old Testament, the power and the importance of the ‘two-reality’ stand out clearly. The very first verse in the bible says, in the beginning, God created heaven and earth (Gen 1:1). The hagiographer continued that the days of creation saw the creation of light and darkness (Gen 1:3-5), dry land and waters (Gen 1:10) till the day he made humans; male and female he created them (Gen 1:27). The very first offspring of Adam and Eve were also two (Cain and Abel). However, the events of Gen. 4 when Cain killed Abel, and of Gen. 27 regarding the two sons of Isaac (Esau and Jacob) suggested a distortion of the power of two, which would later contribute in making ‘2’ be seen as representing division. Using two then as a mission strategy in Christ would now become a restoration of the ‘two-reality’ which was set in motion in creation.

In the New Testament, the two-reality continued to be in play. It was the divine will that Joseph be the foster father of Jesus. Christ was born in the family of two –Mary and Joseph`s (cf. Matt.1:18-25) even though Mary did not need Joseph for the conception of the messiah. In the wake of his ministry, Christ called his disciples in pairs: Simon and Andrew (cf. Matt 4:18) and James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Matt 4:21). He also sent his twelve disciples on mission two by two (cf. Mk. 6:7).  In the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2).

Enough of this long lecture on the scriptural importance and significance of two!!! The relevant question now should revolve around how we can make a deep meaning out of it.

No doubt, we are a new creation as Paul tells us in the second Reading (Gal. 6:14-18). We are a new creation founded on unity and community life. Our mission is to work as a team and to succeed as a team. Our collective vocation is to serve as a team and succeed as a team. Building a team spirit is our collective duty. The disciples were sent in pairs to ensure that their mutual sharing and caring would witness to charity ever before they spoke of it. Their innocence and gentleness should reflect that of the lamb, and their greeting should be of peace; and so should we. Their words about God must first be rooted in their deep trust in Him; and so should we. They were to carry no purse or haversack in total trust that God and the people would take care of them. Their lives should be able to proclaim a God who is very sufficient to our needs, trustworthy and whose love is real; and so should we. They would be agents of God’s power to heal and restore peace; and so should we. Wherever peace is, there is joy. Writing after the return from the Babylonian exile, the poet in the First Reading (Isaiah 66:10-14) likens Jerusalem to a mother who nurses her children at her breast - a moving image of peace and love. The divine purpose is restore peace and joy on earth by our collective voice and deeds.

Thus, every Christian is sent together with others by Christ to become a messenger of hope, peace and joy to the world. The world here might mean the area in which we live, our places of work, and the people we encounter daily. To go through with this, we certainly need each other. The woman needs the man; the man needs the woman. The Government needs the citizens; the citizens need the Government. The employer needs the employees; the employees need the employer. The clergy need the lay; the lay need the clergy. The priests need their bishops; the bishops need their priests. God needs us; and we need Him; God’s grace is first of all operative, demanding our cooperation.

There are indeed practical benefits of serving God as a team. We are corrected by our counterpart when we err. We are advised when confused. We are encouraged when despaired. We are loved when downtrodden. It helps us to speak the mind of Christ, not our own. Working as a group helps us to draw more persons to God. We are assisted in the face of difficulties. We develop better thoughts when we share them with our counterparts. We achieve more as a group. It is in praying together that we experience Christ better, for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there (cf. Mtt. 18: 20). It is in working together that we experience Christ the more, and that others see Christ in us (cf. Acts 11:19-26). May the Lord renew us, and may our service to God be ever renewed in our hearts. Amen. God Bless You.