32nd SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: WHOM TO BEWARE OF AND WHOM TO LEARN FROM

(Mark 12:38–44)

Our Lord is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He sees all we do. He sees us all both great and small, good and bad alike.

God is interested in what we are doing, the impact our behaviours make on people. He cares about our actions and inactions.

He enters into the sanctuary of our being, that sanctuary not made by human hands, that place that cannot be covered by human pretense and deceit.

He comes to address the sinner to flee from sinning and to encourage and save those who eagerly wait and look up to him.

In the Gospel of today, we saw these two groups; those Christ warned us to guard against and those He appreciated their efforts.

BEWARE OF…

Jesus warned against the scribes, the bad scribes. Let us recall that last Sunday we heard about the good scribe, He came to know the greatest of God’s commandments, and he was fulfilled after his encounter with Christ. Our Lord remarked about Him: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” You see, Jesus did not endorse the scribes in their plural form. He endorsed a singular scribe whose effort came to light.

Today, He would not allow the gullible people to begin seeing the scribes as models. He therefore addressed the group of scribes who are far from the kingdom of God, whose bad behaviours have kept far away from God.

Dear child of God, are you close or far from God?

Let us consider some of the things that can push you away from God, some of the evils that made Christ warn the crowd following Him to beware of the scribes.

These are the dangerous things Jesus saw in them: (1) Going about in long robes (2) having salutations in the market places (3) taking the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at feast (4) Devouring the houses of widows (5) Use prayers and religion to cover their evils.

The above are the dangerous arrows that these persons used to injure and wished to continue using to destroy the innocent people of God.

Are you in any way involved in any of these sins? Are you arrogant? Are you pretentious? Are you immoral? Are you Pharisaic? Are you unreal? If yes, Jesus is seeing you as a danger. Stop being dangerous to God and His people.

Be wise and know the people with these evil traits in your environment, in your workplace, in your office, in your worshipping community, and beware of the influence they carry with them. They lack true love, and they are deceptive. They go with parading and populist spirituality. They are unsympathetic and selfish. They are everywhere, beware of them. Are you one? Retrace today to avoid receiving condemnation.

LEARN FROM…

Jesus sat down and immediately redirected the attention of the crowd on the poor widow. Dearest in Christ, do you think all your efforts all along are not being recognized? Do you feel you have been wasting your time doing those secret acts of kindness? Are you thinking that your sacrifices and worships are in vain? Jesus is telling you today to know that many look up to you as inspiration.

The woman was real. Her gift looked small in the eyes of men but great in the sight of God. Her poverty, which was a genuine excuse to withhold her gift, was not a hindrance to her. She remained generous. She was positive. She was hopeful and faithful. She gave herself to God and appeared as she was before men. She didn’t wear big robes to cover herself from being recognized as the widow she was.

Are you poor in any area? Let God know it. Learn from this widow. Are you lagging behind in holiness, learn from the widow to give your hand to God for Him to fill you.

Have you lost anything? For the woman, it was husband, riches, etc. For you, what is it? Come before God with it. Hear what God has to say concerning your situation. In every situation, may you attract favourable words from the Lord upon your life. May you be a man or woman of honour and not a popular, well-to-do man or woman without integrity

Be an authentic Christian. Be a Christian who worships God in spirit and in truth. Be a generous Christian indeed, loving and sympathetic, ready and willing to share what you have with one another.

God will bless your little effort and crown it with success. May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord, You are rich in mercy and abounding in love. Come and save us. Deliver us from the evils in our world. Help us to learn from You and from honest and sincere people inspired by Christian virtues. As we give You our all, be our All in all. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday to you. (32nd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh