31st Sunday Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima
Theme: God’s divine initiative for sinners and its proper response
Readings: 1st: Wis 11:22–12:2; Ps: 144:1–2. 11–14; 2nd: 2 Thes 1, 11–2:2; Gos: Lk 19:1–10
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the readings of today invite us to reflect on how God treats sinners, and also to learn what should be the right attitude towards sinners. We are called in a special way to show other people the mercy which God shows us anytime we sin against him.
At the heart of the first reading of today from the book of wisdom was the answer of the author of this book to the question of ‘why God does not do away with evil men’. This question of why God allows evil men to live doesn’t get old, it is present on the lips of many Christians and non-Christians. It is not uncommon that, in this world, many people are angry with God; many people have stopped coming to church or stopped praying to God because of their anger for God; many others wait for the slightest opportunity to transfer their anger and aggression against God to anyone who talks to them about God, holiness or morality. At the root of this anger is often the question of why God allows evil men to live.
The answer given to the question of why God doesn’t kill evil men is very important to our world because many people have entered into depression seeing those who treated them badly still sitting with them in the church and God has not done anything about it. They expect God to unleash his anger and terror upon them and their families. In his first answer, the author of the book of Wisdom acknowledged the mighty power of God; he praised God as one who has power to do anything He wants. However, this author affirmed that this powerful God is also merciful towards everyone. Unlike men who are powerless and yet merciless, this God is powerful and yet merciful and benevolent towards all His creatures. This author further explained the reason why this powerful God is merciful even to sinners. He said this God overlooks the sins of sinners so that we may repent. So, this powerful God is merciful towards His creatures so that they may have time to repent of their evil deeds.
The reason why God gives sinners enough time to repent of their evil ways is because God created them and He loves all that he created. The author of the book of Wisdom beautifully explained this love of God saying: “You love everything that exists. You despise nothing that you have made. If you hated it, you wouldn’t have created it. Nothing could survive unless you had willed it. Nothing could remain unless you continued to call it into being. You spare all things because all things are yours, ruler and lover of life.” The prophet Ezekiel also hinted on this when he said God does not derive any joy over the death of wicked men, rather, He wants them to repent and live (18:32).
So, God wants all His creatures to be saved. And because He loves them and wants them to be saved, God always adopts the way of gentle correction whenever men sin against Him. Because of His redemptive love for His creatures, God doesn’t use heavy punishment to correct Human beings. The author of the book of Wisdom explained this saying: “Your imperishable spirit is present in all things. Therefore, Lord, little by little you correct those who have gone astray. You warn them by reminding them of how they have sinned, so that they can be set free from their wickedness and believe in you.” Dear friends, this is the way of God, this is His divine initiative for sinners; His strength is made manifest in His love and mercy, and not in the punishment for sins committed against Him.
As Christians, we are always grateful to God whenever he forgives us our sins, saves us from destruction and disgrace, and gives us another chance to live. Therefore, we should not be angry with God when He shows mercy to other people too, just as the people were angry with Jesus when he extended God’s divine invitation to Zacchaeus in the gospel of today, rather, we should learn to treat sinners the way God treats them, that is, by gently correcting them, so that they will depart from the path of sin. This is the divine way of treating sinners.
In the gospel of today, Jesus showed us this divine way of treating sinners. When He saw Zacchaeus, a man who was despised by the people because of his unholy practices at the tax office, he did not despise him, he did not condemn him, rather, he extended a divine invitation to him with love, because He came to seek and to save what was lost. Christ’s attitude towards sinners is that of bringing them closers, and then helping them to change because they are God’s creatures too. We should, therefore, adopt this divine attitude towards sinners by going close to our brothers and sisters who have gone astray and helping them to find their ways back to God. Let us not wish nor pray that they be destroyed by God’s anger.
When Zacchaeus saw Christ’s initiative to enter his house, he grabbed it immediately. Then, he hurried down from the tree, opened his house to Christ and embraced Him with joy. The entrance of Christ into the house of Zacchaeus changed the story of Zacchaeus and that of his entire family
Dear friends, Christ has come to us several times with the divine initiative of repentance, mercy and love; He has extended the hand of salvation to many of us, but, unlike Zacchaeus, many people have refused to accept this divine invitation; many people have refused to come down from their past life or their life of sin and embrace Christ. Today, the church reminds us that Christ is still knocking at our doors with this divine initiative for sinners and that the entrance of Christ in our life will change our story. So, let us open ourselves and accept Christ’s invitation.
Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday
Rev. Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima