Shikrot Mpwi – Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Nineteenth Sunday of the Year, C – August 07, 2022.
Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:1 and 12.18-19.20 and 22 (R.12b); Hebrews 11:1-2.8-19; Gospel Luke 12:32-48.
The first reading tells us how the forebears of the people of Israel had an unshakable trust in the Lord. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews states that only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for. It notes that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call of God to go to an unknown country. In the gospel, Jesus urges his disciples not to be afraid because God has given them the kingdom. Today’s liturgy charges us to get purses that do not wear out but store up our treasures in heaven where no thief or moth can destroy even as we entrust our cares – social security, material security and psychological security unto God.
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, last Sunday the gospel indicated that “a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns” (Luke 12:15). Today, the gospel demands that we should not be afraid but rather, seek the ultimate security. Our society is no longer safe. From Boko Haram to killer-herdsmen, armed bandits to hired assassins, ritualists to cultists and nefarious activities of commercial kidnappers who have cheapened life, there is a general feeling of insecurity in the country.
The atmosphere is tensed as parents are no longer sure that their children are safe in school; travelers are frightened about our highways; worshippers are afraid of suicide bombers and market men and women are not sure that the day would end well as one mishap or the other might happen. It is in this kind of scenario that storing up a treasure that will not fail becomes a sine qua non.
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Wisdom 18:6-9) tells us how the forebears of the people of Israel had an unshakable trust in the Lord. It narrates how the people waited for God to deliver the righteous from evil ways and punish the enemy. They people felt privileged and gloried by God because of how he dealt with their adversaries. They then resolved to offer a secret sacrifice to the Lord with one accord even as they enacted a holy law which makes for sharing their joys and sorrows together through chanting the hymns of their ancestors.
In the second reading (Hebrews 11:1-2.8-19), the writer of the letter to the Hebrews states that only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for or prove the existence of realities that we cannot see. Noting that it was by faith that the ancestors pleased God, he disclosed that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call of God to go to an unknown country; it was by faith that Sarah conceived in old age. He surmised that through one man who was marked for death, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore were brought forth.
The Gospel reading (Luke 12:32-48) highlights the theme of divine security. Jesus urged his disciples not to be afraid because God has given them the kingdom. He further maintains that they should sell their possessions and give to those in need stressing that they should get purses that do not wear out but store their treasures in heaven where no thief or moth can destroy. He emphatically stated that wherever a man’s treasure is, there is his heart.
Jesus then calls for vigilance and readiness because the Son of man is coming at an hour no one expects. He praises the servant who at his Master’s return, is found diligent in his duties. He further reveals that the servant who knows and does not fulfill what his Master wants would receive many strokes; the one did not know but acted in a way that he deserves beating would receive fewer strokes. He concluded that to whom much is given, much is expected.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Trust God Totally: Based on the submission of the first reading (Wisdom 18:6-9) that the forebears of Israel had an unshakable trust in the Lord, we are called to have an unshakable faith in God to is able to do much more than we can ask or imagine. Little wonder the second reading reveals that: “Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for or prove the existence of realities that we cannot see.”
2. Allow God to Fight Your Battles: In the face of evil, insecurity and total annihilation of life by commercial kidnappers, insurgents, killer-herdsmen et al, the position of the first reading that the people waited for God to deliver the righteous from evil ways and punish their adversaries invites us to do our best but allow God to fight our battles for us.
3. Offer a Secret Sacrifice: The reading urges us to consistently offer a secret sacrifice to the Lord with one accord even as we enact a holy law which makes for sharing our joys and sorrows together through chanting the hymns of the Saints.
4. Have an Unshakable Faith: By revealing that Abraham obeyed God and Sarah conceived in her old age, the second reading (Hebrews 11:1-2.8-19) invites us to have an unshakable faith in God bearing in mind the words of Napoleon Bonaparte: “Impossibility exists in the dictionary of fools” comes in handy here.
5. Do Not be Afraid: Just as Jesus charged his disciples in the Gospel (Luke 12:32-48) not to be afraid because God has given them the kingdom, we are told not to be afraid while entrusting our social security, material security and psychological security to God – The bible states that: “He who loves his life would lose but he who loses his life for my sake would keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). Always remember Shakespeare popular quote: “A coward dies a hundred times before his death.”
Summary Lines
1. The first reading tells us how the forebears of the people of Israel had an unshakable trust in the Lord.
2. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews states that only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for.
3. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call of God to go to an unknown country.
4. Jesus urged his disciples not to be afraid because God has given them the kingdom.
5. Get purses that do not wear out but store their treasures in heaven where no thief or moth can destroy.
Conclusion
Jesus’ praise for the servant who is diligent and ready for his Master’s return challenges us to be diligent and dutiful servants. As a matter of urgency, we must realise that we are the servant who would receive many strokes because we know yet many of us are failing to fulfill what the Master wants.
In conclusion, since he has assured that the one who did not know but acted in a way that he deserves beating would receive fewer strokes, we ought to be up and doing just as we recruit those who are yet to know Christ into the kingdom. We must never forget to store up our treasure in heaven mindful of the fact that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” Have a blessed week!
