“ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES...” (ACTS 2: 4) HOMILY FOR THE PENTECOST SUNDAY Rev. Ezekoka Onyekachi Peter

“ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES...” (ACTS 2: 4)

HOMILY FOR THE PENTECOST SUNDAY

Rev. Ezekoka Onyekachi Peter

Intros

The feast of Pentecost which we celebrate today is an age-long feast which has a Jewish background. Its important for Christians stems from the fact that it is the birthday of the Church. Many scholars and theologians agree to this fact. So we must say and sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Holy Mother Church. We must wish her many more years as the gate of hell can never prevail against it. ♫ Happy birthday to you; many more years to you ♫.

ON THE PENTECOST

When the day of Pentecost came... (Acts 2: 1). Pentecost is a Greek term which simply means “the fiftieth” (day). It is an Isrealite-Jewish festival; one of the three listed in Ex 23: 14-17 (Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacle). It was called in there the feast of Harvest (Ex 23: 16), where the celebration of the firstfruits of the crops sown takes place. In Ex 34:22, it is also called the feast of weeks. It is so called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. In Lev. 23: 15-21, the feast is reckoned by counting 7weeks from the beginning of the grain harvest (cf. Also Deut 16: 9-12, Num 28:26-31, Ch 8:13). It was simply a very important feast. In Judaism, the feast received two major significances:

·       An agricultural feast with no historical motif during which two loaves were offered in gratitude to God for the ingathered harvest.

·       The giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, having a historical motif. It became the anniversary of the giving of the law, even though this motif did not appear until the Christian era.

This feast was a holiday for all and the crowds on the streets would be greater than ever. This would explain why the Holy Spirit employed this yeast for his manifestation.

EVENTS OF THE PENTECOST THAT MARKED THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

The author of the Acts of the Apostles (Luke) exposed that on the day of Pentecost that there certain events that occurred which proved the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. These events I have deemed fit to group into two:

·       Visible signs of the Spirit

·       Audible signs of the Spirit

The visible signs were a violet wind which came from heaven and the tongues of fire that rested on each one of them. The audible signs were the gift of tongues and Peter’s speech. The disciples had an experience of the power of the Spirit flooding their beings such as they never had before.  This experience of the descent of the Spirit upon the disciples was visible in the events that happened such as: the gift of tongues, the discourse of Peter and the formation of the first Christian Church. Amidst every lesson that can be grasped from these three events, concentration is paid on the Gift of Tongues, because of the confusion and misinterpretation that Christians today give to it.

SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES

And they began to speak in other tongues (cf. Acts 2: 4). The gift of Tongues is no doubt one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12: 8- 11). It is technically regarded as glossolaly. But we need to discover what actually this gift is, and how it is presented in the biblical writings. For a deeper understanding, we must go to the root of the word, and how it was used in the Greco-Roman society. What the English versions of the Bible calls tongue is translation from the Greek γλώσσα. Γλώσσα in the ancient Greek usage has three different meanings.

·       As an organ of speech

·       As the language of a people

·       As an unintelligible sound uttered in spiritual ecstasy

We see these meanings reflected in the New Testament writings. The use of this word by Luke in the Acts is not exactly the same usage by Paul in his Letters. The gift of Tongues experienced during the Pentecost (Pentecostal glossolalia) in Acts 2 has even a different context with that of Acts 10 and 19.

In Pentecostal glossolalia, allusion is simply made to the second meaning of viewing tongue as language of a people. Hence, when it is said that they spoke in other tongues, it simply means that they spoke in other languages. And it is not even that they were speaking other languages, but that by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were understood by every person (Parthians, Asians, Capadocians, Romans, etc) regardless of the language differences. The Holy Spirit became their translators. That is the work of the Spirit. The glossolaly of Pentecost is described more precisely as a divinely prompted speech understood by every foreigner. It was intelligible to all those present, for they were heard declaring the wonders of the Lord (cf. Acts 2:11).

This leads us to the purpose of this Pentecostal glossolaly. Through the outpouring of the Spirit, the Church is empowered to address herself to all nations and to be understood by them. The message to all nations in their own tongue is actually fulfilled in the mission of the apostolic group to the people of the world. This event calls our minds to the story of the tower of Babel (Gen 11) in which all mankind was divided due to language/tongue diversities. This lost unity is restored in the Church which speaks all languages but is a single unified society. Hence, the outpouring of the Spirit renders the Church articulate in preaching the gospel. Peter’s speech is the first proclamation. The Church now has as her prerogative the preaching of the gospel, showing her commitment to Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Church thus is a principle of unity for all mankind, breaking down all walls of separation between peoples and bringing them together in one body in Christ.

Furthermore, we must clarify too the glossolaly experienced by Peter in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:46) and that experienced by Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:6). When these people spoke in tongues, the author added that they too prophesied. Hence, these passages have the context of prophesy.  But, how is prophesy connected to speaking in tongues? To answer this question, we must go to the Old Testament antecedents of the gifts of tongues. The antecedents appear in Numbers 11:25-29, where the Spirit descended on the seventy elders selected by Moses. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but it was for that moment. We again see in 1 Sam 10:5-19, during the anointing of Saul as king by Samuel, he was shown the sign that the Spirit of the Lord rested on him through the character of prophesy, whereby he became a changed person. Again we see in 1 Sam 19:20, how the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men and they also prophesied. These episodes may allude to the view of glossolaly as the uttering of unintelligible sounds. It was actually the influence of such a practice that was exhibited by some Christians. This particular type of glossolaly is momentary and is prompted by God when one is in spiritual ecstasy. It is not manipulated and does not come all the time.

However, under the impulse of the Spirit, the same charisma appears in the Church but in a higher form. This seems to be the charisma that was experienced by Peter and Paul. There came in aberrations as a result of people’s thought about it as the best of gifts. No wonder, Barclay William observed:

There was in the early Church a phenomenon which has never completely passed away. It was called speaking with tongues...what happened was that someone in an ecstasy began to pour out a flood of unintelligible sounds in no known language. (Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles)

From this we can thus not regard any fake uttering of unintelligible sound as speaking in tongues. The best we can call it is what Barclay has said: speaking with tongues (babbling). We must then emphasise that glossolalia seen in the sense of ecstatic discourse has a prophetic context. No wonder Paul warns that if one speaks in tongues and there is no interpreter, he should better be quiet. Actually, any speaking in tongues (in the context of spiritual ecstasy) must communicate a message to the person(s) it was meant for. No speaking in tongues address itself but the other because the human is simply an instrument. In this sense, he that speaks in tongues can be said to be prophesying.

People that prophesy speak in the name of God, and would not have the name unless they spoke inspired utterances. Due to the confusion that arose in the Corinthian Church because of the aberration connected with the glossolalia, Paul had to write to correct them. Evry prophesy has a message which is given in a language that could be understood, and since speaking in tongues has a connect with prophesy, then intelligibility must come in. That was why Paul did not greatly approve of glossolalia because he preferred that a message should be given in a language that could be understood.

Hence, whereas Luke in the Acts favoured the character of glossolalia as languages, Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians corrected glssolalia as uttering of unintelligible words. It is then conceivable that Luke’s outlook had been influenced by Paul’s critic of the glossolalia in 1 Cor. 14:2-19, comparing their incomprehensible sounds unfavourably with the edifying words of prophesy. This points greatly to an effort to inaugurate a mission that would cross all language barriers, which is the emphasis of Pentecostal glossolalia. In all, whether glossolalia as languages (Acts 2:4) or glossolalia as prophesying (Acts 10:46, 19:6. 1 Cor. 14), it must be stressed that the gift of tongues must be prompted by the Spirit of God to utter inspired and intelligible words. Acts 2:11 brings it out better: they were declaring the wonders of the Lord. What is then prophesying if it fails to declare the Lord’s wonders? Hence, prophesy and speaking in tongues has an inseparable connection; they must be intelligible (understandable), prompted by God, and must accompany with it certain message.

OUR EXPERIENCE TODAY: THE WAY FORWARD

The aberrations experienced in the Corinthian community is still beings felt today. The confusion that lies under the gift of tongues still exists today. Indeed, the aberrations have led many into disbelieving the gift of tongues (glossolalia) which actually is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today, people repeat the mistakes of some Corinthians; babbling as they pray or sing. We must be aware that the gift of tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit which indeed exists; and can be given freely by God to any person. Some of us may have experienced spiritual gatherings in which God speaks through a human instrumentality. One’s conviction of the credibility of such an experience may stem from the fact of witnessing what the human instrumentality is incapable of doing at that particular time when the Spirit comes. For instance, when God uses a boy who in reality is unable to express himself in English language to speak words of instruction, repentance or admonition to the worshipping community; and he does so in a sound English, without any grammatical blunder; which the community understand so well. This is glossolalia; words understandable by all, even though the human instrument may not know what he/she utters. Some Church exorcists too have their experiences of how demons are expelled when God speaks through them to the demons the language which they are aware of. Some have confirmed that these words may not be known and understood by them, but are understood by the demons for whom they were spoken. The point is: there must be divine presence and prompting, coupled with intelligibility. If any claims to speak in tongues; the questions remain: who/what prompted him/her? Who understands?

Some Christians go a long way in learning to speak in tongues. It is a pity. What they do is simply speaking with tongues (wobbling their tongues and producing sounds). They are deceiving themselves and others; and must stop such an act. The implication of such an act is that they take the place of God and arrogate to themselves of being able to practice that which comes only from God. Some musicians even go to the extent of performing such aberration as they sing. Tell me, how can such be divine? It is simply an outburst of human emotions. Unintelligible words are mere babblings. Any moment one babbles, it is speaking with the tongues; and such is a corruption of the gift of tongues.

We must continue to allow the Spirit dispense his gifts to us and not imposing ourselves on God. Remember, Paul made the Corinthians to understand that love is the greatest virtue (cf. 1 Cor. 13). Love disposes us to keep the commandments of Jesus; for Jesus has said in today’s Gospel reading: if you love me, keep my commandments. It is His wish that we love Him and to allow the Paraclete to dwell in us (as the Second reading exhorts: Rom 8:8-17), to use us as He pleases, and to enkindle in us the fire of His love.

We must as Christians be concerned with that which is our specific mission: to get the Goodnews to every corner of the earth, and to live it out in our lives. We must search for the best way and means of adapting the gospel message to our current world, and not pursuing shadows. We continue thus to pray him to make us cooperative with the Holy Spirit who comes to renew the face of the earth. ♫Send forth your spirit O lord, that the face of the earth be renewed♫ (Psalm 104:30). May He renew His gifts in us, renew our Church, and renew the beauty of our world which human are trying to destroy. Amen. GOD BLESS YOU.    

LIFTING UP THE EYES TO GOD: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN

LIFTING UP THE EYES TO GOD: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN
HOMILY FOR THE 7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)
Rev. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
Intros
♫♫ Ekpere bu ogwu m gworo n’ime Chineke, ekpere bu ogwu anyi gworo, anyi ga agwo ya ozo ♫♫. There was a certain Nigerian movie that I watched in the far past. In it, a certain woman was accused of adultery and was about to be killed for this offence which she was actually innocent of. In the morning of he day of her execution, she woke and ran out under the open air, and looking up to the skies, she lamented heavily and then shouted: Amadioha (God of justice), vindicate me. Immediately, great thunder and lightning ensued from the clouds and as if to say they were on mission went to each one of the accusers and struck them dead. She was vindicated, because she looked up to heaven.
In our traditional Igbo society, it is a common practice to look up to heaven whenever one wants to try some form of communication with the divine. When one is aggrieved, he/she looks up for vindication. When one is joyful, he/she looks up to glorify the Lord. When one is in pains, he/she looks up for healing. There are many advantages attached whenever one looks up to heaven. And indeed, no one can deny this fact that looking up is a universal gesture seen in our communication with God. This communication is Prayer.

PART 1: BUT, WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer has been popularly known to be the rising up of our minds and heart to God. The visible manifestation of this ‘raising’ is seen in our eyes which is the visible instrument for sight. Hence, we can state that prayer can be expressed through the lifting up of our eyes to heaven/God. In it, we communicate with a being higher than humans; and indeed is the highest. We lift up our eyes to God because God is king, most high above all the earth (cf. Psalm 97: 1 Responsorial Psalm). He is the supreme and stands at the zenith. So, the visible gesture of showing this highness, zenithness, and supremacy is that of lifting up our eyes. The lifting up of our eyes apart from being a gesture can also be metaphorical, in the sense of our knowledge that God is above and he/she who seeks Him must be submissive to this supremacy, he that is supreme in our human calculation cannot be placed below. He must be above. Let us then draw some points from the readings of today to see how portray this importance of prayer for every Christian.

PART 2: THE PRAYER OF JESUS
In the Gospel reading (John 17:20-26), we encounter the priestly prayer of Jesus. He used this gesture: lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed (John 17:20). We must also recall that in the preceding pericope (John 17: 6-19), Jesus had already prayed for his immediate disciples; and now, he turns to all who would become believers in his name. There are two basic tips we need to bring to the limelight in this Jesus’ prayer:
The content of the prayer
The admonitory voice of the prayer
The Content of the Prayer
The content of Jesus’ prayer in the pericope of our consideration has two directions:
a) The prayer of unity: Jesus prayed ‘that they may be one’ (vv. 21.22). He said this twice to show how important it was for him. He looks beyond the immediate circle of disciples to those who will believe as a result of their testimony. It is a prayer for unity. There are two dimensions to the expression of this unity: one vertical (Jesus and the Father), and the other horizontal (among members of the Church). The unity between Jesus and His Father poses great challenges to the world. Its object is to show the world the source of the unity. Jesus is the one who brings the disciples into the community of God. Our Christian prayer must be one that gears towards the restoration and revival of this unity. Any prayer that has no sense for unity limps. The importance of prayer for Christians is that it provides an enabling environment for unity. It is a worshipping community united under one head. But it is a pity as regards our today’s experience. Do we still believe that Jesus Christ can unite us? Do we still believe that the oneness of the God-head can initiate and fire up oneness amongst Christians?
b) The Prayer for Glory: Jesus also prayed that ‘they may see my glory’ (v.24). after this strive for unity comes glory. The culmination of that unity should be in the sharing in the glory that Jesus has with the Father from the beginning. To experience the reality of Jesus’ union with the Father, christians must live in unity with God and with fellows. This same glory was shown to Stephen as a reward for his witness to Christ (in the first reading). Before we see this glory, we must practice and pray for unity. Every christian prayer must be one that asks for sharing in the divine glory. The divine glory is the eternal life with God. ♫♫ Eternal Life, I want to live eternal life, God save my soul; oh my saviour, when you want to collect your people, remember me oh Lord, remember me my Lord ♫♫.
The Admonitory Voice of the Prayer
Jesus said a vocal prayer. He prayed to the Father, yes; but he allowed Himself to be heard by the disciples, otherwise it would not have been written down. Vocal prayer can be an avenue of admonition to the people being prayed for. It could be as if Jesus was telling the disciples: make sure you see that you live out the content of this prayer; to remain united and to teach it, not disunity. United we stand but divided we fall. A broom cannot be broken but a stick can be broken into many parts. It is disheartening how we introduce disunity (due to our individual interest) to the body of Christ, the Church for whom Christ prayed. Promoters of disunity either can do this by word of mouth or by action; inciting hatred in the heart of a faithful against another faithful. Jesus through this prayer advices us and warns us to avoid disunity and avoid inciting others to disunity.

PART 3: THE PRAYER OF STEPHEN
Stephen ‘gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God.’ The direct sight of Stephen’s vision was the glory of God which he had wished in the gospel that we share in. He had made Stephen even while on earth to share in this glory of unity (seeing Jesus seated at the right hand of God). Stephen had already practiced the horizontal dimension of Jesus’ wish that we be one; that was why he received this sight of glory. There are two basic dimensions to Stephen’s act of prayer:
It was one of glorification and adoration
It was one of petition
Glorification and Adoration
Stephen’s act of gazing into heaven was itself an act of prayer which was followed up by glorification and adoration. Our prayer to God begins with adoration of His glory. Christian prayer must start with adoration. We must show our submissiveness to God. He is higher than us. Hence, the importance of Christian prayer is to lead us to come to the knowledge of our lowliness, our creatureliness, our submissiveness and our allegiance to the divine majesty.
Petition
Stephen prayed again when the people were stoning him to death. His prayer of petition has a dual face: for self (Lord, receive my spirit) and for others (Lord, do not hold this sin against them). As Christians, we must ask God for favours for ourselves and for others. Whenever our prayer becomes selfish, it simply ceases to be Christian. We have many things to ask from the Lord. We have needs (our lives, our businesses, for protection, for guidance, for success, for knowledge). Others too have these needs. We must remember them in our prayers. Hence, the importance of Christian prayer is to lead us Christians to pray for ourselves and for others. It helps us to be selfless and considerate, and makes us aware of our dependency on God.

CONCLUSION
John 17: 20-26 was the last encounter Jesus had with his disciples before his arrest. Jesus ended with prayers to the Father. We must pray always and never lose heart. ♫♫ Prayer is the key, prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayers and ended with prayers. Prayer is the master key ♫♫. It is in prayer that we see God’s glory and hear His voice. We must lift up our eyes/minds in prayer. Salvation comes from above, and that is why we must look up; yes, we must pray. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian. Pray always. When you stop praying, you stop living because our livelihood has its source on God. You must also know that God answers every prayer. He answers based on what he knows is best for us. It is either a Yes or a No or a Wait. He does answers. Remember, he promises us: I will not leave you orphans, I will come back to you and your hearts will rejoice (cf. The Gospel acclamation). Never think that God has forsaken you when you pray and get no answer in our human thinking. He never leaves us. He never forsakes. He searches for us. May God make his words alive in us. Amen. God bless you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT; PARACLETE OF CHRIST AND OF HUMANITY
HOMILY FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C
There was a poor man who was convicted of a crime in a customary court. He was unable to afford the assistance of a lawyer. On reaching the court, the plaintiff with his lawyer presented their cases against the defendant who had no lawyer. No one was there to defend him; no one was there to speak for him. Suddenly, an observer in the court who was actually a Supreme Judge rose to the defendant’s rescue. Due to the higher authority that was involved, the case had another face. He became his lawyer, his counselor, and indeed his paraclete. Yes, in the legal context, we can regard that Supreme Judge as a Paraclete. This is how God acts and surprises us in difficult moments. This is the Spirit's work as the Paraclete. However, this is not the only meaning of Paraclete. The word has much more deeper meanings and implications.
The word Paraclete comes from the two Greek words παρα (preposition which can mean by, beside, in) and κλήτος (called, invited, summoned). The conjunction of both words as παρακλήτος renders the meaning as ‘one called (invited, summoned) in’, most probably for support. This support can be in the form of advice and advocacy, in the form of counselling and defence, in the form of consoling, and in the form of teaching. Hence, in everyday usage, we can become paracletes to one another. We can comfort, admonish, defend, guide and counsel others. Little wonder various Bible versions favour varied terms as translations of this Greek word. Some favoured Paraclete (a direct transliteration); some others comforter and some others Counselor. Indeed, all these terms portray same idea but having slight differences.
In the gospel of today (John 14: 23-29), precisely in the 26th verse, Jesus the Christ identifies the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete (But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all I have taught you). All of us can be paracletes, but we have the only one who has the name in definitivity. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete. Surely, this term suggests some form of identity and activity of the Holy Spirit. Hence, what is the work of the Paraclete? From the passage, the work of the Paraclete is two-fold:
Towards us, human beings (he will teach you all things)
Towards Jesus (and bring to your remembrance all that I have taught you)
We begin from the work of the Paraclete concerning Jesus.
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS JESUS’ PARACLETE
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by God the Father in the name of Jesus to bring to their remembrance (the followers of Jesus) all that Jesus said to them. To Jesus, the Spirit would accomplish in the disciples all the more the work Jesus started in them. The Paraclete is in the continuing life of the apostolic faith (and the Church) what Jesus is in its foundation. Hence, the Paraclete shares his functions with Jesus, not outside of Him. The Paraclete’s teaching involves understanding what Jesus had taught and done. The Paraclete does not bring in any teaching independent of the revelation in Jesus. Therefore, there is a strongly christological concentration of the work of the Spirit. The Spirit becomes the power of growth of the Church (cf. Eph. 3:16). He is the vital principle of the body of the Church (cf. Eph. 4:4). He is the agent of holiness, of peace, of love, and of inspiration. Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit that inspired the biblical writers to write about Christ; for all scripture is inspired/God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16).
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS OUR PARACLETE
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to teach us (leading us to the fullness of the truth), to counsel us (advocating and defending us against every danger) and to comfort us (consoling us in all our sufferings). The Holy Spirit as the Paraclete involves these tripartite role.
1. TEACHING
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to teach us about the Truth (Christ) and to the full. Jesus tells us that he will teach us all things. The Paraclete teaches us to the full, not half knowledge. He is not a Spirit of mediocrity, but a Spirit of plenitude. He supports us in our mission which consists in proclaiming Christ. He gives us all the necessary knowledge we need about Christ and His kingdom. He teaches all things, not some things. He is not like the teachers of the world who teach what they want and may not even be to the full. Remember, Christ had told us that the Holy Spirit has the function to teach us what we shall say (cf. Luke 12:12). The Holy Spirit ignites in us a special kind of knowledge and proclamation incomprehensible to any man (cf. Elizabeth in Luke 1:41 and Zechariah in Luke 1:67). He is the spirit of wisdom (cf. Acts 6:3 in the choice of the deacons). It was this same Spirit that taught Peter to see all peoples as clean and worthy of the gospel (Acts 10ff). The Spirit searches and reveals to us the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10). It is this same Spirit in the Second Reading that led the author of the book of Revelation to the heavenly throne and revealed to him the hidden knowledge about God (cf. Rev. 21:10-14. 22-23). The Spirit teaches us to teach. He teaches us to prophesy(cf. Ezek. 2:2, 3:12). The prophet/teacher is a man of the spirit (Hosea 9:7).
2. COUNSELLING/ADVOCACY
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesusto counsel us. The Holy Spirit is there to support by speaking on our behalf, speaking in our favour. A Counselor does two functions: He advices/guides, and he defends. In the legal context, the lawyer counsels and advices the accused on what to do and say, and thereupon defends him/her in front of all. The first function is one of guidance. In the first reading, we meet how the Holy Spirit led/directs the apostles to take appropriate decisions concerning the admission of Gentiles into the Church of Jesus Christ. They said:it has pleased the Holy Spirit and us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things...(Acts 15:28). This means that the Holy Spirit has the first place in their decision. To guide also implies being charismatic. Someone who guides must have the strength and knowledge to guide. In the whole of the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit empowers the apostles to feats of courage and eloquence. He is a Spirit of encouragement (Acts 9:31). He led the Church to making important decisions (Acts 13:2; 20:28). The Counselor does not only guide and admonishes; He defends too. Advocacy implies guidance and defence. He defends us against every evil. He liberated Peter from prison (Acts 12ff), and Paul and Silas too (Acts 16ff). He supports us and leads us to avoid evil so as not to be accused by sin.
3. COMFORTING/CONSOLING
The Holy Spirit is ‘called in’ by Jesus to comfort us in our tribulations. He consoles us when we are suffering for the sake of Christ and His Church. He strengthensus (Acts 9:31) in our weakness. He is the Spirit of faith (cf. 2 Col. 4:13). The Spirit consoles us and tells us the manner to conquer all afflictions which is love. Actually, it is He who awakens love in the Christian (Col. 1:8). He is the principle of the mutual love of Christians (cf. Gal 5:13-36, Rom 15:30). The Comforter enables us to pray (Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6). The Spirit makes us to cry Abba father and he rests on all who suffer for Christ (1Pet 4:14).
THE CONTEMPORARY PARACLETES OF JESUS AND HUMANITY
As Christians, we are called to perform the function of the Paraclete, on the one side towards Jesus and on the other side, towards humanity. The Holy Spirit did, does and continues to do his function as the Paraclete to Jesus and His establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. How do we help ans support the work of Jesus? The Spirit never broke away from the work of Jesus but continues as the vivifier of the mission. Some Christians today tend to break away from the mission of Christ for our own self agrandisement and gain. We tend to preach ourselves, our businesses, our progress rather than Christ. Some ecclesiastical communities now place the pictures of their pastors on the bill board rather than the picture of Christ. In sum, some tend to start their own mission apart from the one of Christ. Remember that cut off from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). The various divisions in Christianity was/is as a result of this tendency. We should focus on Christ and must preach Christ; nothing else. We must support to see that the work of God in Christ is continued daily, fastly and judiciously.
We are calle too to become paracletes to our fellow humans. We must console them in times of troubles; we must give to people the reason to hope further and to live. We must act ascounselors, advicing and defending people ( welcoming sinners and treating their wounds of sin). We must advice our fellow Christians on the right manner of Christian living, on the right manner of praying to God, on the right manner of worship and on the best way of relating with nature, humanity and our neighbours (avoiding evil and detaching from it, and doing good and attaching to goodness). Most importantly, we must teach others  Christ by word and deed. He should be the focus of our advocacy. Others must see and experience Christ in us. May we never loose hope that Christ is no longer with his Church. Christ is constantly with  his. Yes, Christ will ascend to his Father and our Father, but he remains with us in the person and work of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. God bless you. Rev. Ezekoka Peter.

THE REWARD OF SELFLESS SERVICE: A REFLECTION ON MATT 25:40

EZEKOKA PETER ONYEKACHI

THE REWARD OF SELFLESS SERVICE: A REFLECTION ON MATT 25:40

In a world berated by selfishness and pea-cock lifestyle, where people exult themselves as gods, and lord it over those they think are of lower grades, a society troubled by fear to help one another due to certain abuses (witchcraft bewitchment, theft avenue, implicit inquiry of the wealthy) that have been witnessed by people, an era where individualism seems to be taking the upper hand over collective interest, an age where service appears to be relegated and those who serve are under-rated, there comes the necessity of a discourse on selflessness and service, and the rewards there-from; a greater emphasis on the virtue of selflessness, and when combined with service, selfless service. I call Selflessness a capital virtue (just as capital sins are so called because of the numerous sins that flow from them) because it gives way for many other virtues: humility, sobriety, temperance, prudence, etc. It also drives away many vices: envy/jealousy, slander/calumny, pride, etc. Our services make meaning only when they are selfless. The virtue of selfless service is indeed a remedy to the selfish inclination of man; it is an antidote to the current humanity that strives after self-enrichment, individualism, and an inordinate tussle for kingliness.

Matthew 25:40 states: And the king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me (translation by the New International Version of the Holy Bible, 1973). This verse surely has a context under which it can be holistically understood. It falls under the eschatological sermon (cf. Matt 24:1-25:46) of Jesus the Christ as recorded by Matthew. This eschatological sermon has its highpoint in the enthronement of the son of man as the master of judgement, judging the sheep and the goats (cf. Matt 25:31-46). Hence, the passage presents the son of man in the apocalyptic context of the judgment of the world. Christ is the universal judge; and in verses 40 and 45 we see the place of service to the needy in the divine judgment and our eternal livelihood with God. It is in this sense that one can grab the intent of our topic on the reward of selfless service. The coming of the son of man would bring about a separation of the sheep from the goats, whereby the sheep represent those on the right (the righteous) who obey the commands of God and are to inherit the kingdom, and the goat are those on the left who disobey the commands of God and are to be sent to eternal punishment. There is in this separation a form of dialogue with both parties concerning their placements either on the right or on the left. In it, the king enumerates the conditions of his judgments, and the people express their bewilderments over the moments they did all of those. It is at these moments that the king utters those words which express that charity done to our fellow humans is charity done to God: I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me (v. 40), and in v. 45: I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. So, the king by virtue of the selfless lives and services the people rendered had to reward or punish them according to their deeds.

We notice that in v. 45, the word brother is dropped. It is on this ground that scholars debate on whether the word ‘brother’ refers only to Christians or to any one in need. We must comment that in this sense, adelphos (brother) refers to any human being as the object of ethical duty, not just as a member of the Christian community. It is in this broader sense of adelphos that we see the limitlessness of the selfless service that we are called to render. It is not only to one’s religious inclination/belongedness, or to one’s friends, or to one’s ethnicity or nation, but to all peoples. There should be no discrimination in this; otherwise, the service turns into a selfish one, rooted in self aggrandizement. In selfishness is no reward, but punishment. So, we may be thinking that we are serving the people, while we are incurring punishment on ourselves because we are not serving with the proper intention, model and goal. It is in selflessness and universality of our selfless service that we can locate the proper intention, model and goal of Christian service. The king’s reply in v. 40 which is the knot upon which the pendulum of our write-up oscillates is a great answer which identifies service to the needy with love of Christ; for whatever good or bad you do to your fellow, you do to Christ. If you say you love me, keep my commands (John 14:15). And the implicit command he gives through this passage is to attend to (serve) the needy in a selfless manner. This is the practical manifestation of our love of God and neighbour, which assures us of eternal life. It is in this line that Fulton Sheen in the address delivered on February 4, 1945 defines heaven as “a place where charity is externalized. In heaven, there will be no faith, for then we will see God, in heaven there will be no hope, for then we will posses God; but in heaven there will be charity, for love endures forever.” (Sheen F., You, St. Paul’s Press, India, 1998, p.71).

Love, expressed in our selfless service is the criteria here for heaven.  It is Christ’s command that we love one another; and no one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends (cf. John 15:12-13). The pericope exposes the ways through which we can bit by bit lay down our lives for our friends: for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me (cf. Matt 25:35-36). These are the corporal works of mercy. It is in these corporal works that the spiritual works (admonish sinners, instruct the uninformed, counsel the doubtful, comfort the sorrowful, be patient with those in error, forgive offenses, pray for the living and the dead) find their enrichment and proper meaning; for how can one practice the spiritual works without an in-depth exercise of the corporal works. Both go hand in hand, and must be employed in the rendering of our selfless service. Barclay William helps us further to grasp some lessons from the passage with reference to the help we render. It must be help in simple things and one must not be so rich; a case of giving help to people we meet every day. It must be a service which is incalculable, and must flow from ourselves just as those who helped never knew that they did all those for Christ. When we render assistance to people, it is Jesus himself we do them for. If you want to delight God’s heart, then help his children (cf. Barclay W., The Daily Study Bible on the Gospel of Matthew, pp. 325-326).

The eternal livelihood with God as evidenced in the verses 34 and 46b give us a clear eschatological reward of selfless service, as juxtaposed with Verses 41 and 46a. The implication is that selfless service is decisive in our eternity with God. But there is also the reward for selfless service here on earth. Selfless service can turn enmity into friendship; can soften the heart of one’s oppressor; can help to destroy the plans of one’s assailants; can be a practical manner of teaching. But, remember, all this must flow from the love of Christ and tend towards the conversion of persons to embrace the life of selflessness in service. How do you think Christ would have instructed the disciples that the greatest among them must be their servant if there is not really any reward that await for the selfless servant (cf. Matt 20:26)? More so, the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). So, we must be like our master and not inflate or puff up ourselves, but to deflate so that the air becomes a source of life for others we meet. St. Paul further enjoins us to serve one another through love (cf. Gal. 5:14).

As a Christian, how many times have you given food to that hungry person that lives near you; given a cup of water to the thirsty person passing you; rejected or acted mechanically to someone just because he is a stranger to you; given out your clothes to those who cannot afford them; visited the sick and the dying in the hospitals; gone to the prison to see those whose freedom has been limited for either what they have done or the corrupt system of our governance? These are ways we practice our Christian ideals. Never believe that your selfless services can bring you insults and degradation. Never subscribe to the rumour that your selfless arms to the poor will reduce or dry your purse. Never accept the insinuation that your donation for the good of the Church or state can create problems for you. Go with the conviction that ihe ọma gi agaghi egbu gi. Charity opens doors of favours, makes us light and happy, and creates the spirit of togetherness. Start today to be selfless for in it is many benefits. You can even render help to the government through the formation of non-governmental unions that care for the oppressed and the needy. You can visit the motherless babies’ home. We must believe that in selfless service is our pride. It is in the selfless assistance that we render to persons that we become truly Christians, who will be worthy to hear those words of the king: come, you are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from time immemorial (Matt. 25:34). They are blessed because they have aligned themselves to the commands of God and have co-operated with the operative grace of God.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD TODAY

Having decided to dwell on this topic, it is my strong wish to borrow leaves from Hans Kung for a holistic grasp of my intent. In discussing the Church as the Kingdom of God on earth, this German theologian enumerated a five-finger significance of the Kingdom of God on earth (the Church). These are:

1.     The kingdom of God is eschatological; that is, the fully realised, final and absolute reign of God at the end of time which as an event is now at hand (MK 1:15).

2.     The kingdom of God is a powerful sovereign act of God himself, not something that can be realised by the faithful adherence to the law. It is the Father that exclusively invites. God alone can dispose.

3.     The kingdom of God is a purely religious kingdom, not an earthly, natural and religio-political theocracy. It is not situated in a place and time, but simply God’s rule the reign of the king.

4.     The kingdom of God is a saving event for sinners, not a judgement of vengeance on sinners and godless men. God’s mercy and forgiveness are preached to all and are made visible in Jesus’ actions: the revelation of God’s love for sinners is a sign of the coming reign of God (Kung H., The Church (creative Print and Design Wales, Ebbw Vale, GreatBritain 1968), p. 47-54).

The kingdom of God demands a radical decision for God, not a demand for men to follow a new improved moral code. It must be either God and his reign or the world and its reign, no two ways about it. Repentance (metanoia) is involved which is made possible by faith. It is the necessary and fundamental condition of entry into the reign of God – Repent and believe in the Gospel (MK 1:15). The Church by virtue of her proclamation of the message of Jesus as the Lord also preaches the messages of the kingdom of God in a concentrated form. Hence, she must become the voice of Jesus himself. The Church must take over the radical demands of Jesus, must preach them and must practice them. The same divine demands which Jesus had preached under the heading “the kingdom of God”, the Church now preaches under the heading ‘Jesus the Lord,’ because this same Jesus fulfilled all the demands of the kingdom of God and is the kingdom Himself (autobasileia). The Church preaches the same as Jesus preached. The reign of the kingdom is the reign of Christ. The kingdom of God fulfilled, realized and personified in Christ remains the horizon of the Church and the focal point of its own life and which she strives to bring to the world. For the Church to become a credible herald, witness, demonstrator and messenger in the service of the kingdom of God, then she must carefully and constantly repeat the message of Jesus not only to the world or others, but also to her members. The Church’s credibility depends totally on its remaining faithful to the message of Jesus. In other words, the different perspectives of the preaching of the kingdom of God through Jesus become ecclesiological imperatives.

In the first place, Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom of God as a decisive, future, final event at the end of time has some inevitable consequences. The Church should not make herself the focal point of its preaching of the last days; its task is to point from the fulfilled reign of God in Christ to the coming reign of God towards which she looks as the crucial consummation of her mission. In doing this, she should not pretend to be an end in itself or appear to claim the glory which rightly belongs to God. It must not give the impression that man’s decision is for the Church, rather than for God, or that man exists for the Church, rather than the Church for mankind, and hence for the reign of God. If she fails to do this, then she will grow tired and weak and will have no future. But if she does this conscientiously, she can survive for it has not demanded too much from itself, and will not be surprised when shaken by obstacles and doubts in her temporary state.

In the second place, Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom of God as an all-powerful act of God himself has again unavoidable implications. The Church must not try to create the kingdom of God by herself; for only God creates it for the Church. And the Church must put its whole trust in God’s act, not her own. If she fails to do this, she is bound to failure and destruction because of the lack of unselfish and trusting faith in God’s decisive action. But if she adheres to this mission, she will be able to gather together and build up, for strength will be given to its humility and confidence. If the Church allows herself to receive the final victory which can only come from above independent of human actions, then she can be confident and faithful, and by so doing change the world.

In the third place, Jesus preaching of the kingdom of God as a purely religious reign has some pertinent repercussions. The Church should never, whatever the circumstance may be present herself as a religio-political theocracy. Her role must be a spiritual diakonia. She must perform her ministry in the guise of a servant, the service of God as a service to men, the service of men as a service of God. She must know that she is called to the selfless service of humanity, of its enemies and of the world.  If she fails to do this, then she loses her dignity and rank and the very justification of its existence. But if she does this and is without pump and majesty, she will find in her significance her true greatness, which is in the cross of Christ, for only in losing her life can she gain it.

In the fourth place, Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom as a saving event for sinners has some significant outcome. The Church should never behave as if she is a menacing, intimidating institution devoted to preaching doom and inculcating fear nor the declaration of war, but should preach the message of salvation, the joyful good news, and the message of peace. The Church exists for the sinners and the godless men, not for the righteous, and hence must forgive, heal and save. Is she fails to recognise that she is composed of sinful men and exists for sinful men, then she must grow hardhearted, self-righteous and without compassion, deserving neither the mercy of God nor the confidence of men. But if she recognizes and does this duty, she will have the grace of holiness ad righteousness which she cannot create for herself. The Church must then not look down self-righteously on publicans and sinners, for he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

In the fifth place, Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom of God as a radical decision for God has some undeniable effect. The Church must never be distracted by anything from her radical decision for God. She must turn away from worldly message and desires in metanoia and accept the coming reign of God, so that it can turn next in love to the world and to men. She must not shut herself off from the world in a spirit of asceticism, but must live in the everyday world, inspired by the radical obedience of love towards God’s will. If she tends to forget to whom her obedience is due, trying to play the master, then she must end up enslaving and enchaining herself. But if she does all expected of her in total obedience to God, she will totally become free; free in imitating the service of Christ, the service of God by which she can truly serve men, and by the service of men by which she serves God.

Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi