HOMILY FOR 29TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY FOR 29TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see [a] cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
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“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” These are the words from the famous song of Bob Dylan in 1962. It was a protest song against war and extolling the values of peace and freedom. This statement can mean two things: either the answer is so obvious it cannot be ignored, or the answer is as imperceptible as the wind.
This may as well be another way of expressing the words of Jesus addressed to the crowds. People know how to interpret the signs in nature. For instance, they knew that air coming in from the west off the Mediterranean Sea carried water which would turn to rain once it was over land. A wind from the south comes from the desert and it would be hot. So, is it going to rain, or is it going to be hot? “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.”
And this is precisely what Our Lord is pointing out. Matters in nature can be so obvious as to be easily interpreted by people. These things are common knowledge. But unfortunately, the signs of the messianic kingdom, which are more obvious than the signs of nature, seem so imperceptible to them.
When messengers came from John the Baptist to ask Jesus if he was really the Messiah who is to come, He replied: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Luke 7:22).
If the people are so skilled in interpreting the signs in nature, then why can they not realize that the signs Jesus performed right in their faces are clear indicators of the presence of God’s kingdom? None of these had been done in secret. The signs were there to be seen. The evidence was clear. This is why Jesus protested: “You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”
The problem is not in their lack of comprehension and understanding. Rather, they do not see because they refuse to see. The problem, then, is in their will. It is more in the heart than the head. Jesus calls them “hypocrites” because they know what is right but they deny it. To acknowledge Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah demands radical change in their lives and values. It means turning away from their selfishness and hypocrisy. And they do not want to do that. They do not like what the truth demands of them.
Then Jesus shifts to a related point: “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” This is still in line with the theme of watchfulness before the return of the master. Jesus uses the image of a man trying to reconcile with an opponent before they reach the judge. He is urging His listeners to put matters right, while there is still time. All the signs they see cannot be ignored for they are pointing to the reality of God’s kingdom in their midst.
Needless to say, these two lessons are important guiding principles for us. We are so fortunate that we are still in the era of God’s mercy. But although God’s mercy is limitless, we cannot afford to delay our response to the call to conversion because our life is limited. Hence, we should not be too absorbed in worldly affairs so as not to miss the signs that God sends us. And the time to live in accord with the values of the kingdom is now.
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