Readings: Philippians 3:3-8, Ps. 105:2-7, Luke 15:1-10
“I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)
A story is told of a man whose wife was pregnant. She was about to give birth. The man had a bicycle, so he put her on it and rode her while he walked. Someone saw it and laughed at him for being a “woman wrapper.” He decided to share the seat with his wife; it became bumpy, and he barely avoided a fall. Someone saw it and laughed at him, saying, “Do you want to break the bicycle? One of you must come down.” So he asked his wife to get off and walk while he rode the bicycle alone. Someone saw them and scolded him for being so cruel to his pregnant wife.
In this life, you can never please people. No matter how good you are, people must criticise you. In today’s Gospel passage, the Pharisees and scribes grumbled when they saw Jesus among persons they labelled as sinners. Meanwhile, by associating with them, Jesus, far from endorsing their sinful behaviours, demonstrated God’s attitude to us when we sin. How we feel when we lose something of great value is how God feels when we go astray.
Rather than withdraw from God’s presence because your conscience disturbs you, remember that God is more interested in healing your wounds (sin wounds us) than punishing you. There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
In the two parables in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus used the word “lost” to describe the condition of sinners. To sin is to become lost. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). Sin is an offence against God, but the reality is that sin is self-destruction. Whether or not we are caught, we are at the losing end because sin takes us away from God.
Jesus said: “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” You would expect the shepherd to be angry with the lost sheep for stressing him, but instead, He lays it on his shoulders. Why? The shepherd understands that the sheep has no sense. It got lost because it didn’t know the dangers it was exposed to. No wonder Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).
We may argue that, unlike the sheep, we have a higher reasoning capacity. However, as long as we believe there is something to gain from sin, do we know what we are doing? Do we know what we do when we believe we can keep our sins secret? Recently, we heard the story of a man who was found with explicit materials while he was being investigated for financial fraud. When I saw the story, I remembered Jesus’s words in John 8:7: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
What will happen when God plays the record of everything I have ever done? Today is his turn; tomorrow might be mine. God allowed this story to break out so that all of us guilty of similar (or even worse) acts would retrace our steps like the lost sheep and the lost coin. Fornication is a sin. Adultery is a sin. Sexting (nudity and masturbation during video calls) is a sin. Pornography viewing, production, and distribution are sins. Blackmailing is a sin. The list is endless. All these things are evil. Consent does not justify these acts before God.
Don’t wait to get caught. Repent now. While the two parables in today’s Gospel passage explain God’s attitude toward sinners, they also call us to imitate Jesus. Let us seek to bring the lost back. Do not be afraid; God wants to use you to bring back the next Matthew, Zaccheus, Paul, Mary Magdalene, etc. To those Pharisees pointing accusing fingers, Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31).
Bringing back the lost requires great discipline, courage and integrity. You cannot give what you don’t have. To be successful, you must be detached from the world. You must, like St. Paul says in today’s first reading, “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.”
Let us pray: Almighty and merciful God, by whose gift your faithful offer you right and praiseworthy service, grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling to receive the things you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Thursday of week 31 in Ordinary Time Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Philippians 3:3-8, Ps. 105:2-7, Luke 15:1-10)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu