Reflection on Today's Readings, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, September 19th, 2021
Texts: Wis. 2:12.17-20; Ps. 54:3-6-8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37
Today's first reading reveals why the just suffers. It says, “[Ungodly men said:] 'Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.'" The just suffers because his ways of life condemns that of the wicked. Temptation and suffering are marks of the just; they are the price that the just must pay. We cannot be righteous until we learn to suffer and endure temptation; they must come our ways. Then, it is odd for a just man to ask why he is being tempted or made to suffer. One thing about the suffering and temptation of the just is that have divine purpose: building up of the just and salvation.
St. James, in today's second reading, admonishes us to give up jealousy and selfish ambition because they breed disorder and vile practices. We engage in selfish ambition when we support and advance that which suits one's self-interest instead of the whole group. We talk of selfish ambition when someone in a group seeks only that which serves in his own best interests. When everyone begins to seek their best interests, the centre can no longer hold. We will need to subjugate the others to satisfy our best interests. This will lead to fight. Hence, St. James says "What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war." Selfish ambition breeds hatred, malice, abuse, libel, slander, fight, etc.
Jealousy too breeds hatred, slander, libel, malice, abuse etc. Jealousy is ill-feeling towards another person for the good he has. Let us be happy for one another, let us rejoice over the good of the other. We need to educate our feeling that good things are not only for us. A jealous person feels that every good thing is for him and so detest seeing good in another place. Let us reorient ourselves and know that everyone has right to good thing; it should not be an offence to us seeing others enjoying good things.
St. James tells us today that selfish ambition and jealousy are not of God. He says, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." We are ruled by the wisdom of God when we do not harbour hatred, malice or any kind of ill-feeling against our opponents. It is the way of the wicked to destroy their opponents. It is the wisdom of God that we should love even our enemies.
The second reading reminds us to pray for whatever we need. We should learn to entrust into God’s hands our care. Jesus Christ, in today's gospel reading, tells us to be childlike in our ways of lives and also be ready to serve. We need to learn to trust in God and to be docile. We should be ready to serve wherever we find ourselves. We all pray to be the head and never the tail. Jesus tells us today that the prayer can be answered when we are ready to serve. We are all heads when we serve one another.
Lord God, help us all to shun evil and to embrace good, help us to love you and to love one another. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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