20220223 ARROGANCE
23 February, 2022, Wednesday, Week 7 in Ordinary Time
First reading | James 4:13-17 © |
You cannot know what will happen tomorrow
Here is the answer for those of you who talk like this: ‘Today or tomorrow, we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend a year there, trading, and make some money.’
You never know what will happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that is here for a little while and then disappears. The most you should ever say is: ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we shall still be alive to do this or that.’ But how proud and sure of yourselves you are now! Pride of this kind is always wicked. Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and doesn’t do it commits a sin.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 48(49):2-3,6-11 © |
How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Hear this, all you peoples,
give heed, all who dwell in the world,
men both low and high,
rich and poor alike!
How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Why should I fear in evil days
the malice of the foes who surround me,
men who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches?
How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
For no man can buy his own ransom,
or pay a price to God for his life.
The ransom of his soul is beyond him.
He cannot buy life without end,
nor avoid coming to the grave.
How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
He knows that wise men and fools must both perish
and leave their wealth to others.
How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Gospel Acclamation | 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 9:38-40 © |
You must not stop anyone from working miracles in my name
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’
ARROGANCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JAMES 4:13-17; PS 49:2-3,6-11; MK 9:38-40]
The scripture readings today focus on the theme of arrogance. In the letter of St James, he spoke of the arrogance towards God, an overly self-confidence. In the gospel, this arrogance is directed towards one’s fellowmen. Hence, it is proper for us to reflect on the different manifestations of arrogance in our lives.
Some of us are very confident of ourselves, thinking that we can control every aspect of our life, events and developments. St James gave an example of one who had meticulously planned every detail of his business plan and his success. “Today or tomorrow, where, we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend a year there, trading, and make some money.” This businessman used four future tenses without a doubt that things could turn out differently. Indeed, there are many of us who are overly confident of ourselves to the extent that we become arrogant, smug and complacent.
This type of arrogance comes from knowledge. Most of us might not be boastful about ourselves because we do not go around and let the whole world know how great we are. But arrogance can come very subtly. When we presume we can control time and events, then we fall into this category. This presumptuous attitude is very prevalent among our peoples today because they feel that with technology and science, they can control events. Many people over-commit themselves in business, taking loans for investments, undertaking projects and assuming appointments. In the end, they become very stressed, unable to focus on anything well, become dissatisfied with their performance, and end up with failed relationships. When one becomes too ambitious and over-driven in life, one will end up disillusioned and empty.
But this is a deception because we really cannot control all the events of life, in society, in the world much less our own lives. We do not know when we can be suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness or meet with an accident. Even investors cannot predict the market correctly, when it will be bearish or bullish. They can foresee but they are never too sure. Otherwise, all financial planners and professional investors will be the richest people on earth. Events can suddenly unfold beyond human calculation, like a terrorist attack, a war or a pandemic. So we can never be too sure of what would happen tomorrow. This is what St James wants us to remember. “You never know what will happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that is here for a little while and then disappears. The most you should ever say is: ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we shall still be alive to do this or that.'” To act otherwise is to commit the sin of pride. “But how proud and sure of yourselves you are now! Pride of this kind is always wicked. Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and doesn’t do it commits a sin.”
What we need is a good measure of humility. This humility comes from a real awareness of our finiteness and our place in this world. We are like a vanishing mist, morning dew, like flowers in the field, here today and gone tomorrow unless the Lord provides us eternal life. This is what the psalmist says, “How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Hear this, all you peoples, give heed, all who dwell in the world, men both low and high, rich and poor alike! Why should I fear in evil days the malice of the foes who surround me, men who trust in their wealth, and boast of the vastness of their riches?”
Indeed, God is the one who sustains our lives. He is in control of events and time. Again, the psalmist reminds us, “For no man can buy his own ransom, or pay a price to God for his life. The ransom of his soul is beyond him. He cannot buy life without end, nor avoid coming to the grave. He knows that wise men and fools must both perish and leave their wealth to others.” This truth should wake us up of our self-sufficiency and be humble to rely on God who provides us all our needs. We must depend on God’s grace in the final analysis.
However, we must be careful that we do not go to the other extreme as well. We can also become arrogant in our confidence in God. Although the gospel reminds us to trust in Him and depend on God alone, it does not mean that we live carelessly and recklessly, believing that the Lord will supply. Such a superficial spirituality is no better than those who rely on themselves. In fact, an over-confidence in God who supplies everything can lead to irresponsibility by refusing to do any work or planning of any sort. We must be clear that St James is not asking us to just live from day to day without planning for the future but to avoid an attitude of self-sufficiency that relies only on self. The kind of spirituality that is truly of the gospel is to depend on God for everything but always cooperating with His grace. Knowing God’s will is not enough, but one must also carry out the will of God.
The gospel presents us another form of arrogance, which is in attitude and behaviour. We see the arrogance of the apostles of our Lord towards those whom they regarded as outsiders. John was one of the inner group of apostles. He must have carried an air of superiority, not just over the other apostles when he and his brother asked the Lord for seats on His left and right when He came to His kingdom, but with regard to the way he looked at others. In this case, John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” In his mind, how could someone who was not among the apostles or the disciples of our Lord also be using His name to cast our devils. John felt that the power and authority over the evil spirits was their sole prerogative and that no one could use the name of Jesus unless appointed by our Lord. It was an attempt to act exclusively, as if their discipleship was an exclusive and elite club.
If the apostles were truly gracious and knew that what they had were from God alone and not from their merits or efforts, then they would manifest their humility in actions, especially towards others. As St Paul says, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (2 Cor 11:30) When we are humble before God, we will always act humbly towards our fellowmen as well. The arrogance displayed by James and John showed that they forgot they were nobody when they were called. St Paul himself wrote to the early Christians, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor 1:26-29) Humility is a characteristic of those who are truly wise, of those who recognize the grace of God in their lives.
Jesus showed Himself to be magnanimous and accommodating. He was not insecure or wanting to claim credit. He did not need to be surrounded by people always. Jesus kept His focus in perspective, which was to proclaim the reign of God. Earlier on, He already instructed them when they were arguing who was the greatest among them. “He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'” (Mk 9:33-37) The disciples had to be reminded that their authority depended not on themselves but on those who bear the name of our Lord. To receive a child in the name of Jesus does not imply any special authority on their part but simply because that child is important to the Lord.
Indeed, what is important with respect to happiness in life is a humble attitude towards God and towards our fellowmen. We must be inclusive in our approach to others and recognize that the Spirit of God may be at work outside the boundaries of the Church structures. Whenever and wherever truth and goodness prevail, there is the Spirit of God. Indeed, “There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:4-7) Humility is the way of the wise man, knowing where he stands before God.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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