31ST THURSDAY HOMILY OF THE ORDINARY TIME (THE LOST SHEEP) — YEAR B
31ST THURSDAY HOMILY OF THE ORDINARY TIME (THE LOST SHEEP) — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: GOD’S LOVE FOR SINNERS
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Phil 3:3-8; Psalm 104(105):2-7; Luke 15:1-10
“There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We may have lost confidence in human love and care. Man may have failed us. But God’s love is assuring and enduring. God’s love appears even extravagant. It looks wasteful and undeserving.
In the Gospel of today (Luke 15:1-10), Jesus gives us two parables. They constitute our Gospel lesson for today. They all make the same point about joy over the repentant sinner.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 31ST THURSDAY HOMILY OF THE ORDINARY TIME (THE LOST SHEEP)
There is a progression in these parables. The shepherd loses one of a hundred sheep (a one per cent loss). The same thing happens to the woman. Both stories are about loss. Both stories are about rejoicing. The joy in both stories is occasioned by repentance on the part of sinners.
Jesus has attracted large crowds, including tax collectors and sinners, who travel with Him. Tax collectors are tools of the hated Romans, often overcharging the hapless populace to line their own pockets. Sinners include those who fail to observe ritual law as well as those guilty of other moral failings.
Tax collectors and sinners come to listen to Jesus. They know that they are in the wrong and are drawn to Jesus because they sense that He can make things right. “The Pharisees and the scribes murmured.” Their grumbling stems from the fact that Jesus offers table fellowship to known sinners, conferring dignity and acceptance on the undignified and unacceptable. Their grumbling reminds us of the grumbling of Israel against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, grumbling that really expressed their resentment toward God.
We must concede, however, that the Pharisees and scribes have some points:
a)Bad company leads to bad conduct. Wise parents encourage their children to seek out wholesome friends.
b)Table fellowship implies acceptance, and Jesus could leave the wrong impression by eating with tax collectors and sinners. Paul advises, “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
There is a tension here that we must honour. If this is only a story about good Jesus versus bad Pharisees, it loses force. It is, instead, a story about religious men, pillars of their community, whose preoccupation with ritual observance has blinded them to their own sin. It is a story about men whose concern for God’s law has caused them to forget God’s love for sinners. Jesus calls them and indeed all of us to love sinners while hating sin. He challenges us to hope for repentance. He calls us to celebrate the redemption of even one sinner.
It is illogical by human judgement to leave ninety-nine in search of one. Or forget about nine to look for one. The loss is insignificant. Throughout His ministry, Jesus has introduced us to the kingdom of God, a place of upside-down rules. This is a kingdom story that reflects the radical nature of God’s love. Ordinary rules of business calculation do not apply. The loss of one sheep breaks the shepherd’s heart, so the shepherd searches until he finds the sheep. You are highly valued in God’s scheme. Do not ever listen to any voice within or external that suggests something contrary. Christ would still die for you even if you were the only one on earth. We must have confidence in this love. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, bless and protect us all through Christ, our Lord Amen.
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>
Dear friends in Christ, We rely on you to upset our bills. To keep us going, please click any of the “Donation” buttons and support us. Remember we also pray for YOU>>>>>
