Friends, today we are celebrating the twenty-third Sunday of ordinary time year b. The readings of today remind us of God’s healing power, His justice, and our call to live out our faith. We are encouraged to trust in God’s promises, treat everyone with equality, and seek healing from Jesus. Brothers and sisters, in the first reading God promises to deliver and heal, transforming the afflicted and the barren landscapes into flourishing life and in the second reading we are reminded that treating people differently based on wealth contradicts faith in Jesus Christ. While in the gospel Jesus healed a deaf man with a speech issue in the Decapolis. Friends, this Sunday let us ask the Lord to open our ears to hear his voice and our hearts to receive his healing. Lord gives us the grace to treat everyone with the love and respect they deserve.
Friends, the book of Isaiah covers three distinct periods in Israel’s history. The first part is from, chapters 1- 39 before Babylonian exile and part of it in the exile. The second part, chapters 40- 55, is during the Babylonian exile and towards the end of the exile and the third part of the book from chapters 56- 66, it belongs to the post-exile period. The prophet is addressing himself to the Israelites who are prisoners in Babylonian. They are depressed and think of their relatives slaughtered by soldiers, their houses and fields burnt up by the invaders, and their land now deserted. They are wondering if a people so hard hit by calamities can never rise again from its ruins.
Friends, the first reading of today is the prophet’s answer to the depressed and dispirited sons and daughters of Israel. It is a message of hope for the oppressed people of God and for all of us who need His saving help. It is a message of restoration from the Lord, who neither shows favoritism nor likes oppression. Above all, it is a message of hope from a loving Father who cares for all his children. He says to us today; “courage, do not be afraid! Look, your God is coming.” Brothers and sisters, God promises to deliver and heal His people. He will turn barren landscapes into flourishing life. This shows God’s care and commitment to those who are suffering. God’s promise of healing can bring comfort to those who feel hopeless. He transforms dry lands into streams of water, symbolizing new life and hope. Friends, the first reading of today reminds us that no situation is too difficult for God to change. We are called to trust in God’s promise. When we face challenges, we can remember that God has the power to bring healing and new life. Just as He promised to the people in Isaiah’s time, He promises us the same today.
Friends, “the rich do wrong and take a high line, the poor is wronged and has to beg for pardon” (Si 13:3). This is the bitter fact, that each one of us sees taking place every day. The rich and powerful enjoy all forms of privileges, they are given the first places everywhere, and people applaud whatever they do or say; if they make a mistake nobody condemns them. This kind of discrimination is today accepted by all as normal, nobody thinks of protesting against it. Friends, in the second reading of today, James speaks about treating people equally. He warns against showing favoritism to the wealthy. Brothers and sisters, wealth or status should not determine how we treat others. God values each person equally, regardless of their material possessions. This reading challenges us to examine our behavior. Do we treat people differently based on their wealth? True faith calls us to see and honor the dignity in every person, just as God does. So, to favor some people and disregard others based on their race, economic, social, or religious background is a terrible evil against God and man.
Friends, this evil afflicted the early church. This was why seven deacons were elected to avoid favoritism in the distribution of resources in Acts 6. The message of James is still very relevant to all of us today. This is because today, in our families, communities, churches, states, and indeed worldwide, people still suffer terrible injustice because of who they are. They Still suffer because of where they come from and the color of their skin. Many innocent, poor, and good people are not valued because of their economic, social, political, religious, and cultural status. It is sad to know that favoritism, discrimination, and racism still plague our society in this century. This should not be so for us as Christians. Wherever they exist, they are signs that we do not yet know or understand God and his ways. Their roots are in these twin vices called: pride and selfishness. Pride makes one think he is better than the other or superior, while others are inferior. So, they must be treated differently. Selfishness makes one think only about one’s well-being and so, ignoring others’ sufferings and needs. These twin vices are the forces behind the theory of “Might is right,” a negative expression of power.
Friends, in today’s gospel, “Jesus went from one town to the other doing good.” However, the gospel did not tell us that he healed only the poor or the rich. Rather, His blessings touched and transformed the poor, rich, sinner, righteous, beautiful, and ugly. He did not discriminate or show favoritism. Instead, he identified with all classes of people. Remember, Christ visited and ate with Zacchaeus, the tax collector (Lk 19 1-10). He called Levi the tax collector and transformed him into Saint Matthew, the great evangelist (Mt 9: 9-13). He also healed the daughter of a gentile, Jairus, the wealthy Roman centurion (Mk 5: 21-43). Against Jewish tradition, He spoke with a Samaritan woman and transformed her life by bringing her to faith (Lk 4:1 42), without favoritism.
Friends, let us emulate Jesus by aiming at being good to all without discrimination or favoritism. We must make ourselves an instrument to help others rise without minding their status. We should be motivated by the fact that “God created all of us in his image and likeness” (Gen 2, 27). Brothers and sisters, we all suffer from spiritual deafness at times. Sometimes we don’t want to hear God’s voice. Jesus can heal us, just as He healed the deaf man if we take time to listen. To overcome our spiritual deafness, we need to spend more time in prayer. Listening to God, rather than just speaking, can open our hearts to His healing. Jesus will heal us if we humbly ask Him to do so. The Lord be with you …. May the almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Have a Blessed Sunday and a Fruitful New Week to You
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By: Fr. Ben Chola mccj
Aka Omuntu Wa Bantu
