20210215 INCLUSIVE GRACE
15 February, 2021, Monday, 6th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Genesis 4:1-15,25 © |
The mark of Cain
The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord’ she said. She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for the Lord, while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. The Lord asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.
The Lord asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ ‘What have you done?’ the Lord asked. ‘Listen to the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground. Now be accursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield you any of its produce. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth.’ Then Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. See! Today you drive me from this ground. I must hide from you, and be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth. Why, whoever comes across me will kill me!’ ‘Very well, then,’ the Lord replied ‘if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him.’ So the Lord put a mark on Cain, to prevent whoever might come across him from striking him down.
Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, ‘because God has granted me other offspring’ she said ‘in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 49(50):1,8,16-17,20-21 © |
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.
The God of gods, the Lord,
has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me.’
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.
‘But how can you recite my commandments
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my law
and throw my words to the winds?
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.
‘You who sit and malign your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?’
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 8:11-13 © |
No sign shall be given to this generation
The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.
INCLUSIVE GRACE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GEN 4:1-15, 25; PS 49:1,8,16-17,20-21; MARK 8:11-13]
We can empathize with Cain. He must have been hurting. To have his gifts rejected by God was just the first wound. But for Abel’s gift to be accepted was a double wound. If we were in his situation we too cannot help but feel doubly rejected. What was worse was that no reason was given for the rejection of his gift. It could not be because God valued animal offerings more than grain offerings. Nothing was also suggested that Abel’s offering was worthier than that of Cain’s because it involved a greater sacrifice on his part. This story is not intended focus on what kind of offering is more acceptable to the Lord.
What the author wants to illustrate is that sin increased in kind and in evil when human beings are no more in contact with God. The sin which Adam and Eve committed personally had serious implications for future generations. It shows that what is a personal sin initially will eventually become a social sin. The sinfulness of man grows in leaps and bounds. This is where we have the implication of Original Sin, a sin which affects the human condition. After the fall of Adam and Eve, sin continued to grow but in the hearts of men. Indeed, there is no mention of an external factor like the Serpent that tempted man to sin further.
Sin comes from the human heart that is wounded by sin from our parents and from the environment. Isn’t this what the Lord said as well? “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mk 7:20-23) St Paul spoke about the spiritual warfare within himself when he wrote, “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Rom 7:14-20)
This is particularly true of the sin of envy. If we were Cain, we too would be envious of Abel. Not only did he felt rejected but he was jealous of Abel. Envy is something that we have no control over. The feeling arises because of our insecurity, our need to be recognized, to be loved and accepted. We want fair-play and justice. We are calculative. We cannot accept that others are more gifted than us, better looking, more eloquent, taller or richer. This is why envy is something that happens within our family, among our loved ones, in offices, in work places, in the community and in the world. Favoritism is practiced in many places. Others are promoted because they are friendly to the boss, not because of performance. This breeds anger, hatred and often leads to killing.
Indeed, life is unfair. Why were the Jews the chosen people of God? Why do some have better starting point in life than us, coming from a wealthy family, having influence and connection, talents and financial resources? Indeed, there is no true meritocracy, much as we want to achieve equality. How do we measure meritocracy, by academic education or by profession? Which profession is less worthy than others? Can we do without cleaners, farmers, those who rear poultry and animals for food, chefs, domestic helpers, electrician, plumbers, car mechanics, etc? Without their services, we will be crippled in many ways.
This was the case of the Pharisees who asked Jesus for a sign from heaven. “And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.” Why did the Pharisees still ask for a sign when they already saw the signs that Jesus performed earlier when He multiplied bread for the 5000 and then again for the 4000? This was because in providing bread for the 4000 thousand who were Gentiles, Jesus was putting them on equal footing with the Jews. In the minds of the Jews, only they were the chosen ones and only they were worthy to be saved and fed by God. This, too, was the case of the disciples. It was not that they could not remember the two miracles of the multiplication of loaves; it was because they found it difficult to accept this fact. To change this long-held belief would require divine proof that this was in the mind of God.
The truth is that God’s grace is inclusive. Grace is God’s sovereign. Like the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, God called and chose and paid as He liked. (Mt 20:1-16) He told those who grumbled, “Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Mt 20:14-16) Cain could not understand and accept the grace of God. That was his sin because he was envious of God’s grace. He looked at the situation in a calculative manner, as if he had a right over God. This was what caused him to sin and then rejected by God. The truth is that God does not have to explain why He chooses someone over another. What is important is that all are included in God’s plan for salvation.
God wants to save us all according to His plan. Even the fugitive Cain was given protection by the Lord in spite of what he did. Indeed, God not only protected Cain from being murdered by others, he was blessed to be the first to build a city, start a community and introduce technology. “Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch. (Gn 4:17) This is why every life is precious to God, even that of a criminal or a vulnerable baby in the womb of his or her mother. The Church protects every human life and continues to give opportunity for conversion. The Church does not advocate the death penalty simply because God does not destroy evil with another evil. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment, grace over evil.
Truly, God’s mercy and grace is beyond human comprehension. We cannot understand God’s wisdom. The prophet said, “Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his counselor has instructed him? Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (Rom 11:33; Isa 40:13f) Grace does not work according to what is fair or not fair. Grace is a gift and one accepts the gift graciously without making demands. It is not because God is arbitrary in His choice but because grace is a mystery.
What is our problem? Cain, the Jews and all of us cannot accept God’s plan for us. We cannot accept that His choice is always fair and the best in His eyes. God does not work according to human principles. From human perspective, God seems to be unfair. But only God is able to know what is just and good for us. We have no rights over Him. He knows what is good for us. He chooses us for a certain position in life because it is the best for us. This was how the psalmist came to realize his foolishness when he complained about the wicked being blessed. But when he viewed everything from the perspective of the end of history, he came to realize the wisdom of God. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.” (cf Ps 73:3, 17-20) Instead of being jealous, we should trust His wisdom. We should just accept what God wants for us, instead of being envious and jealous of others. Trusting in His divine wisdom is the way to overcome envy and be contented.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment