DAILY HOMILIES #Jesus

Never forget God when your life is rosy. The psalmist sings: “Let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not.” The question is – why did they forget God in the first place? Why did they worship false gods? Like the Israelites, we are fond of asking, “Where is God?” in times of crisis, but when enjoying peace and success, we say, “Who is God?” Whenever we forget God and start trusting in ourselves (our connections, riches, security mechanisms, etc.), God shows us that we are dust.

It is easy to judge people when we are not in their shoes, do not understand them, or have never experienced their situation. It is very easy to condemn a footballer when you are not the one kicking the ball before a crowd of 45,000 people. It is easy to condemn a politician for stealing public funds when you have never been in a position with such access to public funds.

When you are terrified, open your mouth and start singing praises. Be like Paul and Silas, who could sing from prison and the glory of God manifested mightily. The chains were broken, and all the prisoners were set free. Faced with threats on every side from many who wanted his downfall, Jeremiah prays: “O Lord of hosts, who triest the righteous, who seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause.”

Today’s first reading continues the story of Joash, the young king who bit the hand that fed him. Despite all that the priest Jehoiada did to protect him from being slain by Athaliah, Joash failed to protect Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada. Another evil of King Joash was his support for idol worship. Under his watch, Israel served Asherim, abandoning God’s ways. Nemesis caught up with Joash when the Syrian army, with only a few men, massacred the great army of Judah.

To pray well, you must try to listen to what God is saying in the depths of your heart, and this is only possible when you do not talk too much. Jesus says, “In praying, do not heap up empty phrases.” Jesus warns against using prayer to attract others’ applause.

Elijah told Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said: “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha, like Solomon, was given a blank cheque to ask for anything. He could have asked for riches, long life or the death of his enemies, but he asked for a double share of Elijah’s spirit. When I pray, what do I ask for? Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). With God, all things are possible. If you do not seek, you will not find.

God knows how to deal with the wicked. The fact that Jesus admonishes us to love our enemy or turn the other cheek when we are slapped does not mean that God supports wickedness. Today’s Gospel passage can be summarised as: “Do not take laws into your hands.” God is not blind. If He can see what we are thinking in our hearts, He can also see what is happening in the world.

God’s blessings do not come to us in a vacuum. When you pray, go out and work so that your work becomes the instrument through which you receive God’s blessing. When you are inspired, don’t let your ideas waste away in your head; write them down and start working on them. When you see the brighter side, pray about it and act on it. If you only listen (or read) today’s homily and do nothing about it, then this homily will not work. Consider the thousands of churches in our society today, alongside the level of decadence, and you cannot help but see that our problem is action.

The moment Elisha sensed his calling, he took the yoke of oxen, slew them, boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people. They all ate, and then he rose, went after Elijah, and ministered to him. Interestingly, this is exactly what Jesus required of Peter and the other apostles (including the seventy others). Jesus also required this of the rich young man: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21).

Besides simply coming to Him, Jesus wants us to take His yoke and learn from him. In a world where might is right and people would rather have their way with violence, Jesus wants us to know from his simplicity, gentleness and lowliness. As he said: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Peter wanted to fight on the night of His arrest, but Jesus said: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52).

If you are on God’s side, be assured of victory. Elijah asked the people to drench the offerings with water three times to prove that God’s power is greater than what science can explain. Elijah did not need to shout or cut his skin like the prophets of Baal. Elijah prayed with faith, and God granted his request immediately.

You are light; you lead, not copy. You do not follow the trends; you create trends. Light bulbs do not need speakers; they speak by doing their jobs. They don’t pretend. If you turn a light bulb on, it will continue to shine even if no one is in the room. Avoid living a fake Christian life – actions speak louder than words. Shine even if no one is clapping.