YEAR A: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF LENT (2)

YEAR A: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF LENT

HOMILY THEME: Stop Complaining; Every Challenge is an Opportunity

BY: Fr. Evaristus Abu

HOMILY: “When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.’” (John 5:6-7)

There are three categories of people in this world; thinkers, talkers and doers. Thinkers understand the problem, talkers broadcast the problem but only doers apply solutions to eliminate the problem. The world has enough thinkers, enough talkers but is ever in need of doers.

The man in today’s Gospel passage was obviously a talker. One thing about talkers is that they don’t listen. They just want to be heard; they are professional complainers! Jesus asked this man a simple question: “Do you want to be healed?” (A simple yes or no question.) This man did not even listen to Jesus’ question. He burst into complaints talking about his condition as if to seek Jesus’ pity.

Are you like this man? How often do you narrate your problems to the world? Maybe it is time you repent, maybe it is time you stopped complaining and start looking at Jesus standing in front of you. Yes, you may have suffered for 38 years but all that history is unnecessary as long as Jesus is here.

This man had so much faith in the curative power of the pool of Bethzatha when it is stirred. (That this water could heal when stirred shows the power of God as Ezekiel testifies in today’s first reading). This man was wishing he could get into the pool before anyone else but this was impossible since there were persons faster than himself. Have you concluded that there is only one type of solution to your problem?

Do you think people are your problem? Imagine this man keeping enmity with people around him just because they could jump into the water before him? Many of us go about with a litany of names (enemies) we curse every day because we think they are the cause of our problem. This is really sad. Those who jumped faster were simply trying to get cured.

Jesus saw a whole lot of people there but his attention was drawn to this man because Jesus could see that he had been there for a very long time. The truth is that even our problems are “blessings” in disguise. Out of the hundreds of people there, Jesus singled out this man for healing. His healing was never going to come from the water but from the very source which gave the water power.

Finally, after Jesus had cured this man, Jesus said something quite striking to him: “See you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” John 5:14. What could be worse than suffering from sickness for 38 years? The condition of living in sin is worse than any physical ailment. Dear friends, let us flee from sin.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, increase my hatred for sin. May I never be distracted with complaints as to miss your presence. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 4th week of Lent. Bible Study: Ezekiel 47:1-12, Psalm 46 and John 5:1-16).