Homily for the Sixth Sunday of the Year
(A) (12th February, 2017) on the Gospel
Sir 15:15-20;
Ps 118:1-2.4-5.17-18.33-34 (R. v.1)
1Cor 2:6-10;
Matt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37.
One day I saw two children fighting. After stopping
the fight, I took time to find out what caused the fight to forestall them fighting
after I left. According to them it all started from their argument about the
ownership of a motorcycle that passed by. Each of them claimed that he was the
first to say that it was his before the other. As none of them was ready to
consent to the other, the result was the fight. I asked them few questions
about the motorcycle. They only looked around but not even a word came from
their mouth. Hum! The motorcycle in question as at the time I came was many
miles away from where the children were fighting over its ownership.
Topic: My sin, your sin.
Today’s gospel can be divided
into five parts in line with its lessons – Jesus’ mission in relation to the
law and the prophets (Matt 5:17-20),
anger (Matt 5:21-26), adultery (Matt 5:27-30), divorce (Matt 5:31-32), and oath taking (Matt 5:33-37). This gospel reading is a
follow up of that of last Sunday where Jesus reminds us of the dignity of our
status as Christians – salt and light of the world. In all these lessons, one
thing stands out. God expects much more from us Christians because to whom much
is given much is also expected from him or her, cf. Lk 12:48.
Many
Christians today including those who occupy leadership positions struggle to prove
that they are not the worst of sinners. It looks as if it is useless to fight
against sin in its entirety. We spend our energy comparing our sins with that
of others and consoling ourselves that we are not the worst. But are we called
to be mediocres – not being saints and not being sinners? Have we suddenly
forget the warning, “...because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I
will spew you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:16).
Christians
are not called to compete with others in sin but to be like God himself, cf. Matt 5:48. We are called to be saints,
cf. Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:2. Saint John in
his Third Letter writes: “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who
does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God” (3Jn 1:11). Jesus tells us,
…
whoever breaks one of the least of
these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in
the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called
great in the kingdom of heaven.
One
may console him/herself that what he or she does is not what he or she teaches
thereby seeing this as an escape route. However, the two are inseparable no
matter how careful one is. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews asks us to
imitate our fathers in faith who spoke to us the word of God, cf. Heb 13:7. Saint Paul wrote, “Be
imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1Cor
11:1).
Just
like the children who fought over the ownership of a motorcycle that they know
nothing about, our argument or struggle over whose sin is the greatest will
neither lead us to our destination, the kingdom of heaven nor will it better
the world we live in. The Book of Revelation tells us that nothing unclean
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, cf. Rev
21:27. Or can one be clean by struggling not to be a mediocre? Saint Paul
in his First Letter to the Corinthians writes: “Do you not
know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor
the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom
of God” (1Cor 6:9-10; cf. Eph 5:5; Gal
5:21). We have been delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred
to the kingdom of God, Col 1:13.
Unless we live accordingly, we cannot be the salt and light of the earth that
we are meant to be.
Jesus concludes the first part of today’s gospel with this emphasis on
righteousness: “…
unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven”. So my dear one, let
us go and compete in doing what is good, and right and true, cf. Eph 5:9. Through this we can be the
salt and light of the world and also inherit the kingdom of light in the world
to come.
Bible Readings: 1Cor 6:7-20; 2Cor 6:14-7:1; Eph 5:1-17.
Thought for today: What you do is what you teach.
Let us pray: Lord, help us in our fight against every sin and
every occasion that might lead to sin – Amen.
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