20240809 THE WAYS OF GOD ARE NOT MAN’S WAYS
09 August 2024, Friday, 18th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Nahum 2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7 |
Israel restored; Nineveh ruined
See, over the mountains the messenger hurries!
‘Peace!’ he proclaims.
Judah, celebrate your feasts,
carry out your vows,
for Belial will never pass through you again;
he is utterly annihilated.
Yes, the Lord is restoring the vineyard of Jacob
and the vineyard of Israel.
For the plunderers had plundered them,
they had broken off their branches.
Woe to the city soaked in blood,
full of lies,
stuffed with booty,
whose plunderings know no end!
The crack of the whip!
The rumble of wheels!
Galloping horse,
jolting chariot,
charging cavalry,
flash of swords,
gleam of spears...
a mass of wounded,
hosts of dead,
countless corpses;
they stumble over the dead.
I am going to pelt you with filth,
shame you, make you a public show.
And all who look on you will turn their backs on you and say,
‘Nineveh is a ruin.’
Could anyone pity her?
Where can I find anyone to comfort her?
Responsorial Psalm |
Deuteronomy 32:35-36,39,41 |
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
It is close, the day of their ruin;
their doom comes at speed.
For the Lord will see his people righted,
he will take pity on his servants.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
See now that I, I am He,
and beside me there is no other god.
It is I who deal death and life;
when I have struck it is I who heal.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
When I have whetted my flashing sword
I will take up the cause of Right,
I will give my foes as good again,
I will repay those who hate me.
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
Gospel Acclamation | 1S3:9,Jn6:68 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 16:24-28 |
Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?
‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour. I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.’
THE WAYS OF GOD ARE NOT MAN’S WAYS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NAHUM 2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7; MT 16:24-28]
This life is rather challenging and sometimes we are bewildered as to what is taking place. We feel so helpless at times when we know we cannot change the situation. We look at our children, they are irresponsible, having wrong priorities and not studying. We worry to death over them. Sometimes, it is our loved ones and siblings who have gone the wrong way. We look at our workplace and things are not as what they should be. We are not happy with our boss and colleagues. At the same time, we are stuck and have no other place to move on. When we look at the Church, I, too, am overwhelmed by the challenges facing the Church from within and without. Most of all, when we see how society is evolving, we cannot but fear for our children and children’s children. What will be the future of humanity?
Rather than succumb to fear and hopelessness, the scripture readings of today give us hope. It is clear that God is solely and fully in charge even when we think nothing can change. This was the case of Judah under threat from the powerful nation, Assyria. She was threatened by her. But the prophet Isaiah reminded them to hold firm because God will protect her. Isaiah said, “When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria” (Isaiah 10:12) This prophecy of Isaiah was affirmed by the prophet Nahum today. He prophesied the fall of the capital of Assyria, Nineveh. It was unthinkable and unimaginable that it could even happen. Yet, history shows how God used the Medes and the Babylonians to conquer the Assyrians in 612 B.C. and thus saved Judah.
Indeed, God is the supreme ruler and the Wise sovereign King. The psalmist declares, “It is the Lord who deals death and life. It is close, the day of their ruin; their doom comes at speed. For the Lord will see his people righted, he will take pity on his servants. See now that I, I am He, and beside me there is no other god. It is I who deal death and life; when I have struck it is I who heal. When I have whetted my flashing sword I will take up the cause of Right, I will give my foes as good again, I will repay those who hate me.”
This fulfilment of the prophecy confirms that the way of God is not the way of man. Today’s theme is a continuation of the gospel yesterday when Jesus reprimanded Peter for rejecting the cross, “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” What, then, is really the way of God?
It is the way of grace, of surrender to the power of God who works in paradoxical ways. Yes, we are not to rely on the wisdom and power of the world but on the grace of God who works even more powerfully in human weakness and lowliness. This powerlessness of man is symbolized in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. At a certain point of His ministry, Jesus came to realize that miracles alone, and preaching cannot change the heart and mind of man. The only way is to die for God and for His people. He chose the shameful cross, giving up His life for us so that others could live. This is the only way, not only to life but eternal life.
The paradox is that in giving and in dying for others, we live even more because we share in the life and love of God. Life consists not in how much we have and what we own, or our status and position. Rather, it depends on how much we love and what capacity we have to give. That is why Jesus asked us, “What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?” The truth is that the world and its empty and illusory promises cannot give us life. They only bring fear, attachment, addiction and slavery. The things of this world make us more insecure as we try to keep them for ourselves. We deprive ourselves of the love and joy of giving and sharing with others. Seeking life for ourselves will bring us further away from life.
However, for those of us who give up our lives for others, we find the fullness of life already here and now. That is why Jesus remarked, “I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.” Those who love never die, and those who die always live forever. Fullness of life on this earth is in dying and giving oneself to others, and fullness of life in eternity begins here and now. To live the essentials of life is to focus on living a life of love and service. At the end of the day, love is all that matters and is truly meaningful and fulfilling.
Consequently, today, we are called to take after Jesus by carrying our cross and not behave like Peter and the apostles who were frightened of the cross. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” What is this cross? It is the cross of Jesus, of the sacrifices of daily life. It is the cross of our fellowmen that we carry, for and with them. It is our own crosses that come from our sins and selfishness. It is the cross of commitment, sacrifices and risks we take each day in loving others.
In the final analysis, we don’t even live for this life but for life eternal. Our life is short on this earth. Rather, our life continues into eternity. So the eternal perspective of life will determine how we live today, as there is a continuity between now and the future. At the end of the day, God, or rather His love, will judge us as to how we used our talents and resources for the service of love. Jesus warned us, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.” So even if we feel we are losing out now, the reward is kept for us in heaven. He will reward us accordingly in this life and in the next with joy and happiness, now and hereafter, because we have learnt how to love and give. In loving and giving, we are set free from the prison of our self and ego.
So the question remains: Are you merely contented with existing, or do we really want to live? If you seek to truly live, then be ready to die with Christ to self and live for others and for God. Otherwise, we may end up like the three sons with three talents because they did not use them well. The first son who had skills in planting olive trees gave it up during the cold and harsh season. He allowed the villagers to cut down the trees for firewood. The second son who was a shepherd sacrificed his sheep for the people during the time of famine. And the youngest son who was a dancer did not use them for dancing and ended up with a frozen pair of legs. By the time the father came back, all the villagers had left for greener pasture. Are we willing to sacrifice the future for the present, or do we think only of the present enjoyment and lose the future?
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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