DAILY HOMILIES #God

Do not become the Herod who kills thousands of innocent children in a bid to kill someone you consider a rival. You may consider yourself a good person, but you do not know how much evil you are capable of doing when you allow hatred to take hold of your mind. We have seen saints behave worse than demons because the wine of bitterness toward others intoxicated them. The saying goes, “When our enemies succeed in making us hate them, they have defeated us.” When we hate others, we become like them. Our real power lies in our ability to remain angels of light regardless of the provocation from others.

By choosing to come as a baby (not a warrior with an army), by choosing to be born to poor people under humble circumstances (not in a palace of gold), and by making Himself so vulnerable (such that Joseph had to flee at night with the baby Jesus for safety from Herod), I believe God was clearly showing mankind: “Love me, don’t be so frightened about me, I am close to you.”

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus offered a vivid analogy for these religious leaders. They make everyone believe they are close to God, but in reality, they mounted the most tremendous opposition to God. They are like the first son who said “Yes” to his father, but eventually, his actions betrayed his words. Do my actions betray my promises to God?

While Isaiah describes God as the “rock” to illustrate His unshakable nature, Jesus uses the same word to show how unshakable we become when we obey His word. There is a link between trusting in God (the eternal Rock) and finding peace of mind (becoming like a Rock). Jesus says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.”

Whether we face persecution or not, we cannot escape death and God’s judgment. Malachi reminds us that while evildoers will stumble, those who fear God will rise to eternal life. Our Psalmist declares, “God judges with fairness.” Surely, God cannot be bribed or threatened into delivering false judgment, a phenomenon we are used to in this country.

The wise person is not worried about when the world will end because they are ready at any time to give an account of their life to God. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” In other words, the best time to prepare for God’s kingdom is now. It is here already. There is no point in procrastinating goodness. Be the best version of yourself today. Practice wisdom; do not be carried away by the foolishness of those who practice worldly wisdom.

Many Christians today resemble the remaining nine lepers; God has answered their prayers, but their ingratitude prevents them from being made whole. They often complain about unanswered prayers, not because God has failed to do more than what they request, but because they have yet to notice God’s blessings. Ingratitude — taking the small things of life for granted — is a sickness only you can cure. It is like a man being confined in a prison cell, crying day and night to be fed, while the key to the cell lies right beside him.

From Jesus’ response, we can see that sin by itself is just as deadly and dangerous as having a whole tower fall on top of a person, or having one’s blood mixed with sacrifices. While many felt this calamity was due to the sins of the victims, Jesus said they were not even worse sinners than others. This means that God does not punish us according to our sins, but then every sin we commit is a serious matter.

Sin is not just an offence against God; it is an offence against myself. As long as I do not live by God’s instructions, I can never become all that God desires for me. When a doctor tells you to choose between your favourite meal and death, I bet you will start hating that meal. To live above sin, we must hate sin. If our hatred for sin is not intense, we may abstain for a while only to return.

Our inner restlessness is not a result of a lack of material comforts, but rather a lack of a solid connection with God. Even though we gather all the pleasurable things in the world, make all the money, and become the most powerful persons, we would still be UNHAPPY if we lacked a connection with God. The best we can ever get away from God is a tickling of our senses, but genuine happiness is found only in God.

Humility is giving God reverence; it is coming to terms with our nothingness before God, our creator. Humility is channelling the praises we often receive from others to God as the source of our talents, our riches, and, in fact, everything good in our lives. It is ensuring that we do not take the glory that rightfully belongs to God. Humility is being able to give God thanks from the very depths of our hearts, not grudgingly, as though we are being forced.

Jesus is not against the use of titles. No. Jesus is against answering a name that your actions contradict. Don’t call me Father if I am not behaving like one. I don’t deserve such titles if I do not practice what I preach. Jesus is against the worship of human beings. If I do what is wrong, be bold enough to call and correct me. Do not say: “Leave him alone. He is next to God.” Jesus says: “Call no man on earth your God. You have only one God who is in heaven!”