DAILY HOMILIES #Jesus

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.”

Like Jesus Christ, we all have two names: one that appears on our certificates and one that defines who we are. Although the names we bear may vary, the kind of life we live must reflect our real identity—Christlike, children of God. People should not only call us Christians; they must also see Christ in us.

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?

The chief priests and Pharisees doubted Jesus, but as today’s first reading shows, Jesus is truly the Messiah. Truth does not force itself on anyone; it does not depend on how we feel about what we choose to accept. Truth is truth, regardless of whatever anyone thinks. Yes, Jesus is God.

Our world continues to experience the effects of individual and collective sinfulness. Today, the devil tries to make us believe God’s commandments are outdated, oppressive, or impossible to follow. Don’t fall for these lies. Following God’s commandments always benefits you. Societal values may have changed, but God’s words will never change. A sin remains a sin no matter how society describes it. The peace and happiness you seek can only come from obeying God. The devil has nothing good to offer.

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.”

During this season of Advent, we must continually purge ourselves of the corruption of pride. If God could bring Himself to our level to save us, how willing am I to come down to the level of my subordinates? How willing am I to acknowledge my nothingness before God, like the Roman Centurion who did not allow Jesus to come under his roof?

In St. Paul’s words, Advent is a time to “avoid drunkenness, licentiousness (anything goes), quarrelling, jealousy, and indulgence of the flesh.” As Isaiah states, this is a time to allow the mountain of the Lord to be established as the highest of the mountains. In other words, this is a time for us to pay more attention to the things of God, to put God first, and to talk about God, so that those living in darkness (those who think that there is no God) may, through our celebration, begin to recognise and worship God.

While Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was about the future, we also see Jesus, in our Gospel passage, discussing the future: the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the rise of many false prophets claiming they are the Christ. This teaches us one lesson: The only person who knows the future is the one who is already in the future – God. Humans can only guess based on calculations from the past.

Jesus explains that we will be like the angels in the resurrection – pure spirits who would not need to marry or have children. Jesus quoted from the Scriptures to support his point. He directed them to the passage where Moses encountered the burning bush. The Sadducees were familiar with that passage, but they never fully grasped its implications. He is God, not of the dead but of the Living.

If you are not fired up like Eleazer, the seven brothers and their mother, Matatthaias, or Judas and his brothers, or even like Jesus (who cleansed the temple), then something is seriously wrong. Fight for morality, fight for truth, fight for justice, fight for the Christian faith.