20TH SUNDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR C

20TH SUNDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR C

HOMILY THEME: THE PLIGHT OF GOD’S PROPHETS

BY: Fr. Sylvanus Ifeanyi Amaobi

Jer 38:4-6. 8-10, Ps: 39:2-4.18, Heb 12:1-4, Lk 12:49-53

Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

THE PLIGHT OF GOD’S PROPHETS

A Prophet is a harbinger. He is a messenger of God. The Prophet gives God’s messages without adulteration, fear, or favor. He speaks the truth without sugarcoating it. This unique role of the Prophet makes his task a difficult, risky, and daunting one. Such was the experience of Jeremiah in the first reading of today (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10).

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In discharging his duty as God’s Prophet, Jeremiah made some prophetic utterances that were against the city and its soldiers. Giving the message from the Lord, he said, “This city shall certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon; he shall capture it (Jer. 38:3). Therefore, Jeremiah was accused of “demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city, and all the people,… not interested in the welfare of the people”. Because of these accusations, “they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard.”

What was the sin of Jeremiah, one may ask? Was he really guilty as he was charged? Jeremiah’s ‘sin’ was that he spoke the mind of God. His ‘guilt’ was that he delivered the message of God and condemned the ills prevalent in the city. His ‘guilt’ was that he did not adulterate nor sugarcoat the message of God; as such, the leaders and princes of his time took offense and persecuted him.

LESSONS FOR US AS CHRISTIANS

Jeremiah’s story can be our own story, too. It is not only Jeremiah who faced challenges while delivering God’s message, but also the saints, the martyrs, and all our spiritual heroes who lived and proclaimed the Gospel message before us. The second reading from the book of Hebrew tells us (Heb. 12:1-4) that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. These great clouds of witnesses stood for God, suffered persecutions, trials, and tribulations, and persevered to the end.

Jeremiah’s story and the story of the saints and martyrs serve as lessons for us, Christians. We, as children of God, are also called to the prophetic apostolate and to the mission of delivering the message of God to the people. Our task is not easier by any standard. Like Jeremiah, we should deliver God’s message without mitigation. We should have the courage to stand by the truth of the Gospel and resist the temptation of watering it down to suit the ears that hear it.

Let us be encouraged by Jeremiah’s story and those of the saints and the martyrs. Let us persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and ‘perfecter’ of faith, as the author of the book of Hebrews admonishes us.

GOD VINDICATES

Jeremiah’s story did not end with his persecution. God sent Ebed-melech to intervene on his behalf before the King. Ebed-melech realized that the princes were at fault and that they were wrong in their accusations and in all they had done to Jeremiah. He spoke to the King about it. Jeremiah was rescued and vindicated. Our prayer for all the messengers of God’s word, the prophets, the preachers of the word, and those who witness and preach Christ’s Gospel is that God always sends an ‘Ebed-melech’ to intervene on your behalf, plead your cause, and effect your vindication.

In the Gospel (Luke 12:49-53), Jesus says to his disciples, “I have come to set the earth on fire and how I wish it were already blazing.” The statement of Christ sounds like an oxymoron, a contradictory statement about facts. But by saying this, Jesus Christ simply stated a fact that goes with the preaching and proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Some people embrace the Gospel message; others do not. Some accept it with joy, while others reject it with passion. That is the reality of the Gospel of Christ. As a commentator on the Gospel observed, “God’s message will always set people against one another because it won’t be possible to remain neutral in the face of one who has been set ablaze with the Gospel.” It is the reality of the Gospel, and every one of God’s prophets, priests, messengers, and preachers should realize this singular fact. Therefore, we should not be afraid to preach the Gospel and communicate God’s message, for God will always vindicate us in the face of the challenges we face in preaching the Gospel.

Always remember that Jesus loves you!

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