Happy Sunday!
DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Exodus 17,8-13; 2 Timothy 3,14-4,2; Luke 18,1-8: 29th Sunday, Year C, 2019)
The account of the battle of the Israelites with Amalek demonstrates, conclusively, the favoured status of the people of Israel. The Bible records a long history of enmity between these two nations. It is clear the Israelites were no match for the Amalekites, for the only thing that prevented their defeat was Moses’ intervention. When Moses' hands were held up, the Israelites prevailed; when Moses let them down, the Amalekites advanced. The support Moses got from Aaron and Hur is probably symbolic.
In the second reading, 2 Timothy 3, 14-4,2, as he continues to instruct Timothy, Paul expounds on the excellence of the sacred Scriptures (holy writings) and their usefulness in the lives of Christians (3,14-17). The holy writings, to which Paul refers, are what we today call the Old Testament. The praise he directs to the Scriptures is directed to this tradition. Timothy is reminded of those teachers from whom he learned the message of the Scriptures. In his infancy and youth it would have been his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois (cf. 2 Tim 1,5). More recently, it would have been Paul himself. Loyalty to his teachers is given as one reason for his faithfulness to the teaching of the Scriptures. The witness of the writings is further cause for fidelity, for it is within this tradition that the wisdom for salvation is found. Paul does not mean that salvation is found in the Scriptures themselves. Rather, they prepare for and point to the one who brings salvation, Christ Jesus. Training in the Scriptures, interpreted through faith in Christ, can help believers fulfill their religious duties. Having expounded on the glories of the sacred Scriptures, Paul solemnly charges Timothy to remain faithful to his ministerial responsibilities. Until the day when the sovereign Christ comes to bring his reign to fulfillment, Timothy is charged to proclaim the word, be resolute at all times, correct those in error, rebuke those who have gone astray and encourage all. He has the power of Christ Jesus to accomplish this, so he should not be fainthearted.
On the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we read the story of the unjust steward. In today's gospel, Luke 18,1-8, Jesus tells the parable of the unjust (adikia) judge. He draws sharp lines of contrast between this man and a widow who comes to him for justice. The earlier story compared the practical wisdom of the unjust steward with that of the children of light and found the latter lacking. Here, it is the vindication of God that is compared to the judge's execution of justice. The point of the parable is the need for persistence in prayer. The judge is described as fearing neither God nor human being. The fear of God is the quintessential characteristic of the pious person. By his own admission the judge is devoid of such devotion. He was unjust not because he was an active adversary against another but because he failed to ensure that justice was served in the lives of all. This is extraordinarily a serious charge against a judge, whose very function is to secure justice for all, especially the most vulnerable of society. Sins of omission can be as devastating as sins of commission. The woman, on the other hand, is a widow, a member of one of the most oppressed classes in Israel. Though vulnerable, this woman is bold. She is already the victim of injustice, but she appears here before the judge, pressing him for a hearing. As indifferent as the judge seems to be toward her case, so is she persistent in her demands from him. He will not give in; she will not give up. We are not told how long this standoff continued, but it was long enough to wear down the judge. He finally relents, and he states that he will render her justice before she gives him a black eye. At this point in his instruction, Jesus introduces an apriori argument: If the judge who is unjust will finally vindicate those who have been mistreated, how much more will God vindicate those who are the chosen ones, who pray continually, crying out to God day and night? The persistence of the woman becomes the model of resoluteness for God's chosen ones. Like the woman in the parable, they cannot be certain regarding when God will respond, so they must persist. Jesus' disciples are admonished to persevere in prayer day and night, regardless of how close God might seem to be to their pleas. This parable shows them that in God's case, it is not a question of disinterest but of timing. God will answer in His time. This eschatological note leads into the final saying. Using the title with which he generally identifies himself and the character of his messiahship, Jesus implies that he is the one who will ultimately come to execute justice. The question he poses is sobering: Will he find faith on the earth? Following the parable as it does, this could mean: Will there be those who persevere in prayer? He leaves the question unanswered so the disciples can ponder on it.
The theme of faith we have been considering these last two weeks takes a slightly different turn this Sunday. Today we consider the spiritual disciplines that exercise us in that faith and deepen our faith as they do so. The overarching discipline is prayer. The readings today offer various aspects of this prayer for our consideration. There is the spiritual discipline of prayer itself, which is essential to the life of the disciple; there is the communal dimension of prayer; and there is the ministerial commitment that is born of prayer. The spiritual discipline of prayer is seen in the exhortation for ceaseless prayer. Our personal prayer must be persistent. Like Moses and the woman in the gospel reading, we must be ceaseless in our prayer, not discouraged by difficulties we might have to face. The woman's persistence finally opened the door of the judge. This story only captures one facet of prayer, namely, God's openness to us. In reality, prayer develops a mutual openness: God is open to our desire for Him and we are open to His desire for us. In the gospel account it is the woman who was persistent; in reality, it is God who prevails upon us to open ourselves. The gospel only hints at this particular aspect of prayer. It states that the Son of Man will come seeking faith. The first reading strongly emphasizes the communal dimension of prayer. The Israelites would not have been able to prevail against the Amalekites without Moses’ prayerful action, but he would not have been able to persevere in his action of entreaty had not Aaron and Hur supported him. The stress in today's world on the importance of the individual, as important as this may be, has obscured the reality of our social nature and our inability to thrive or even survive without others. It is a big pity that we Nigerians gifted by God in community way of life are losing that God-given-gift very quickly. Quest for individual enhancement, especially, in the area of amassing wealth for selfish purposes not only militates today against the community aspect of our lives but negatively influences its spiritual dimension. This is because what is true about life is true about prayer. We were saved as a people. Salvation may unfold in each life in a particular way, but it is not simply an individual quest or a personal blessing. Christ saved all of humankind. To develop a communal sense may be one of the most challenging aspects of discipleship for many of us today, but develop it we must. The ministerial dimension of prayer can be seen in Paul’s admonition to Timothy to keep preaching the gospel, spreading the good news, allowing the Scriptures to continue being a source of wisdom for himself and, through him, for all of the people who hear him. To have this kind of facility with Scripture requires that one should enter into the deep meaning of the Scriptures and make them the basis of one's prayer. One must engage in what the monks call lectio divina - prayerful reflective reading of the Scriptures. This practice, or spiritual discipline, gives us access to God, and it also gives God access to us. It moves us out of our penchant toward isolated devotion into ministerial commitment. It gives us the courage and gentleness to teach, refute and correct. When our ministerial activity flows from prayer, it also flows from and strengthens right relationships with God, the religious tradition and the community. When this becomes a reality, the Son of Man will indeed find faith on earth. May we, therefore, in this Eucharistic celebration be endowed with gifts of genuine faith and prayerful openness to God. + John I. Okoye.
(pictures by Chukwubike)
No comments:
Post a Comment