21st Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima
Theme: Choosing to follow Christ: Our Fundamental Option
Readings: Jos 24:1–2a,15–17,18b; Eph. 5:21–32; Jn. 6:60–69
Dear friends in the Lord, on this twenty-first Sunday, the Church challenges and encourages us to choose serving God both in good times and in bad times. She instructs us to stand with Christ even when doing so becomes the most difficult option to be taken. Most times, when we come to the crossroads of our life, confusion sets in as to which way to go. Each day and each life situation present us with opportunities to make a fundamental decision/option — the type of decision or option that will change or shape the entire course of our life and our future.
In today’s first reading, the Israelites were no longer a nomadic people, they had settled in the Promised Land; they had become a nation. So, Joshua took them to the land of Shechem, the place where God made a covenant with Abram (Gen. 12:6). And there, he challenged them to make a fundamental choice or option for themselves and their generations, either to worship God or the gods of the other nations.
Let us remember the Israelites already chose to serve God while they were wondering in the desert. However, in this first reading, Joshua took that choice for granted, because it appeared to be a choice which the people made when they needed God’s help to survive in the desert. Actually, Joshua wanted to know if their choice to serve God would remain same when they had received all they needed for survival as a nation.
Most times, some people stay close to God only when they need His intervention in their lives, when they need healing and other helps from Him. But often, in the midst of riches, good health and other answered prayers, these people tend to forget God. Many of them tend to think only of parties, works and engagements; they put God aside in toto. In today’s first reading, the people of Israel chose to serve the living God both in their riches and in their poverty. The church experts us to make the same choice in our relationship with God. Let us choose God in all situations of life.
As a leader, Joshua led by example. He was the first to make the choice for God in this first reading. Thus, leaders among us (in the church, our families and our societies) should make choices that will influence other people positively. It is their responsibility to show their people the way to God. It is good to understand that Joshua led the people to make a choice to serve God in order to ensure that the people of Israel, handed over to Him by Moses, remained united under one God. This is another challenge to all leaders and parents. We must ensure that the people placed under our care (our families and friends) are always led to the best choices in life, especially in choosing to serve God.
In the Gospel reading of today, after Jesus had told the crowd that He is the bread of life, many of His followers were disappointed. What they heard from Him was not what they expected. That teaching was too difficult for them to accept; in fact, it was complicating what they already believed about life. It was entirely unacceptable for them. For this reason, they chose to abandon Him.
Jesus, then, turned to his disciples and put to them a question: “what about you, do you want to go away too?” His question was like telling them: if you are not convinced with my teaching, you can go away too. It is almost the same question that Joshua posed to the people of Israel in the first reading.
Dear friends, sometimes, many people come to Christ with fixed expectations and just to hear what they wish to hear. Some others come to seek for a safe haven for the type of life they have chosen to live. Some others also come to ask the Church to change the teachings of Christ, so that the style of life they have chosen to live will find approval in the church. These are some of the greatest challenges of the Church in our own time.
But today’s gospel reading is telling us that the teachings of Christ must not agree with the way we have chosen to live our lives or what the society has chosen as a standard of morality. Often, the teachings of Christ challenge us to make a change in our lives. Sometimes, Christ’s words challenge the moral standard of the society. Some other times, the gospel truth comes in contrast with the decisions we have made or the ones our families and friends have made for us. At such times, what do you do? When the teaching of Christ contradicts your choices or decisions, do you put Christ away and maintain your own choices? Or do you choose to follow Christ’s? How many times have we abandoned God and his Church, especially at difficult moments in life? How many times have we chosen to say no to Christ in those His teachings that contradict what our society has accepted as expressions of human right?
In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples chose to follow Christ even when they knew that such a choice would bring them persecution and death. Dear friends, there are inevitable moments in life when the authenticity of our faith and fidelity to God must be tested by the fire of afflictions (1 Pt 1:7). That time, only the true disciples will stand with Christ to say: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God.” Let us pray to be among those who will stand for Christ in good times and in bad times.
Peace be with you. Happy Sunday
Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima