HOMILY FOR 5TH SUNDAY OF LENT / YEAR B

HOMILY FOR 5TH SUNDAY OF LENT / YEAR B

THEME: OUT OF TROUBLE

BY: Fr Andrew Ekpenyong

1. Joke. Here are two “What do you call jokes” with the 2nd one relevant for this homily. Q: What do you call someone that saw an iPhone being stolen? A: An iWitness. Q: What do you call something that’s easy to get into, but hard to get out of? A: Trouble. Some troubles are even harder to get out of. If you have skin trouble perhaps on the face, then skin care products such as “Out of Trouble 10 Minute Face Mask” might help. But when your heart is troubled, when your soul is troubled, it is a whole new level. In today’s Gospel reading (Jn 12:20-33), our Lord says, “my soul is troubled”, “Nun he psyche mou tetaraktai”: “now is my soul troubled” (Jn 12:27). What does it mean for the soul to be troubled? We’ve probably experienced it. The word is tarássō in Greek and simply means to shake-up; to cause agitation; to make restless; to render anxious or distressed. That our Lord became troubled at this time is very concerning because the next time He spoke of being troubled, it was at His declaration 5 days later, that Judas will betray Him (Jn 13:21). But why is our Lord troubled at this time? The answer is contained in the passage leading up to this verse.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY/REFLECTION FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

2. Why Jesus is troubled? We are reading from chapter 12 of the Gospel according to John. It was 5 days before the Passover. (Jn 12:1,12). The crowds had gathered around Jesus. Some believed in Him. Some did not. The plot to kill Him was no longer a secret. Today’s Gospel reading starts from John 12:20. But here is what precedes it. Verses 17-19 read: “So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify. This was why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. So, the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him.’” And as if to prove the fears of the Pharisees, the Greeks tried to meet our Lord, through his disciples according to the Gospel reading today (Jn 12:20). There was no more room for political correctness, no more chance for sitting on the fence. The battle line was drawn. You were either for Him or against Him. In the midst of this tension where some followed Him passionately and some sought to kill Him, our Lord was troubled. He was troubled because not everyone would receive the salvation He was bringing. He will die and resurrect, but not everyone will accept the benefits of His passion and death. That was why He spoke of the need for those who love Him, to follow Him in death (Jn 12:26). His heart must have felt somehow betrayed, stabbed, cheated, burned and broken. Not everyone will return his love. Not everyone will keep their part of the covenant. Not everyone will be true to their conscience, the seat of the new covenant established by God, according to the 1st reading (Jer 31:31-34). He was troubled because though he would die to save everyone, to get everyone out of trouble, not everyone will accept His salvation. Yet, he remains the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, according to the 2nd reading today. (Heb 5:7-9).

3. Out of Trouble. Like Jesus, we His disciples do get troubled. Perhaps we have done everything for our children, but some are still wayward. Perhaps we have become the breadwinners for our family, but some are not cooperating. Despite our good example, some of our relatives and friends copy bad examples from others. The Church, the body of Christ does get troubled when betrayed by some members of the clergy and others. We are troubled when treated as guilty by association. Think of good parents who have to put up with children going their own way. Think of those who render services and are not acknowledged for it. Think of charity you performed only to get insulted for it or misunderstood. Think of betrayals by those you love, ingratitude from those you care for. St Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit captures what our sentiments should be in such moments: 2 Cor 4:8, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” And our Lord elaborated on this in today’s Gospel reading: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” Our Lord got into trouble to get us out of trouble: out of the most troubling things, namely, sin and death. Our Lord got us out of trouble by defeating sin and death. He founded the Church to continue His work of getting people out of trouble, out of sin and victorious over death. What a privilege, that our Lord uses us, as members of His body, get people out of trouble: out of sin, through His Word and Sacraments we share and through the good example of our lives. Thank you, Lord, for your saving death and resurrection which get us out of our greatest troubles: sin and death. Amen.

FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>