Homily of Thirteenth Sunday
in Ordinary Time Year A, 2020
2 Kings 4:4-11,14-16; Psalm
89:2-19; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Gospel 10:37-42
The first reading is from 2 Kings
4:8-11, 14-16. However, verses 12-13 have an important message. It reads, “He
[Elisha] told his servant Gehazi to go and call the woman. When she came, he
said to Gegazi, ‘Ask her what I can do for her in return for all the trouble
she has had in providing for our needs. Maybe she would like me to go to the
king or army commander and put in a good word for her.’ ‘I have all I need here
among my own people,’ she answered.” The woman and her husband provided for Elisha
and his servant. They did this out of their generosity and good nature, and did
not expect anything in return. We see in the passage, when she was asked what
she needed, she said that she needed nothing; “I have all I need.” But God knew
what she needed. She was given a child, for she had none.
Jesus tells us in the Gospel,
“Whoever receives you receives me, … Whoever receives a prophet because he is a
prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. Whoever
gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the
little one is a disciple… will surely not lose his reward.”
It is important that we express
gratitude to those who pay their tithe to the Church; those who bring various
kinds of donations to the Church; to Church missions and establishments for the
work of evangelization; those who sponsor the training of seminarians; and
those who volunteers for all kinds of mission work and services in the Church
and not expecting any material reward in return. May our God who rewarded the
Shunamite woman and her husband reward all generous benefactors and
benefactresses. In Luke 6:38, Jesus promises, “Give and gifts will be given to
you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be
poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be
measured out to you.”
We also pray for governments,
churches, organizations, and individuals who, generously, undertake works of
mercy and charity to help and support the needy in our society and our world.
It is a great thing that in this difficult Covid 19 Pandemic time, many
people are risking and sacrificing their own lives in many ways to help those in
dire need.
We are governed by the natural
law of reward for work done. Scripture emphasizes that the laborer deserves his
or her wages. The harder we work, the greater our reward. However,
the message today challenges our world driven by the selfish and self-interest
motivated attitudes of ‘What’s in it for me?’ and ‘string attached mentality.’
Unfortunately, the age-old sins of ‘What’s in it for me?’ and ‘string attached
mentality’ pervade all areas of human existence and have brought so much horror
and pain to humanity. Unfortunately, the sins of ‘What’s in it for me’ and
‘string attached mentality,’ continually committed, are very much in all areas
of human existence locally, nationally, and internationally. In many ways, our
world has the same attitude as Judas who asked the chief priests, “What are you
willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15).
As individuals, we are invited to
examine our relationships and undertakings, and see where we have offended God
and fellow human beings by the sins of ‘What’s in it for me,’ and ‘string
attached mentality,’ and repent. We have a lot to learn from the Shunamite
woman and her husband who provided for Elisha and his servant without expecting
anything in return.
Jesus warns us, “Whoever
loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his
cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life
will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This
warning can be interpreted to mean, whoever is selfish and ruled by
self-interest, self-seeking, self-serving, self-absorption, self-love,
self-indulgence, and self-regard cannot be a true disciple of him. Jesus lived
a life of selflessness, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. Our reflection today
suggests that the crosses we carry and become true followers of Jesus are
crosses of selflessness, self-denial, and self-sacrifice.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP
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