The Sharing of God's Gift

 

The gift of God is not exclusive to any group of people.

Reflection on Today's Readings, 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, September 29th, 2024
Texts: Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19: 8,10,12-14; James 5:1-6; Mark 9: 38-43.45.47-48  

Today we will reflect on the sharing of God's gift. We learn from today's first reading and gospel reading that no one has monopoly of God's gift. God wants us to share His gift with others. Today's first reading reports how God took some of the spirit upon Moses and put it upon seventy elders. We read, "The  Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses, and took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders".  

The gift of God is not exclusive to any group of people; it does not matter where you are. The gift of God cut across every culture, race, colour, gender, nation, ethnicity, etc. This is clear in the first reading as the spirit also descended upon Eldad and Medad, who were not at the tent. The gospel reading also reports how some people who were not among Jesus' disciples performed miracles in His name. There is no exclusivity in sharing God's gift; it is for all. 

Our unity consist in welcoming and realizing the gift of God in our lives. This is clear in the words of our Lord Jesus: "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us." The awareness of God's gift in us brings us to our common unity in God. 

Jealousy is an evil which makes us haul the gift of God. Jealousy makes us feel that the gift of God is exclusive to us, our race, culture, colour, ethnicity, gender, nation, etc. It hinders us from sharing the gift of God. St. Paul, in the second reading, reveals how jealousy makes man haul riches and perpetrate evil. The rich who are afflicted with jealousy always suppress others for fear they may be rich. They deny them their wages and opportunity to rise. 

The leaders too should be beware of jealousy.  Jesus Christ witnessed and experienced the evil of jealousy of a leader from Herod. Joseph and Mary had to relocate to Egypt to escape the evil of jealousy from Herod. Herod killed innocent children because he was jealous of Jesus. The jealousy of a leader manifest in oppression, speaking ill of the followers and denial of promotion and opportunity to grow. Friends give themselves bad advice when there is jealousy. 

St. Paul warns the rich who are jealous thus: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire." The reward of jealousy is evil; we should not entertain jealousy in our lives. 

Joshua and John are examples of leaders who were afflicted with jealousy but were saved. They heeded the instructions of their masters. Moses said to Joshua, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the  Lord's people were prophets, that the  Lord would put his spirit upon them!" Jesus said to John, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me." 

Jesus teaches us to share goodness when he says, "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea."  

Jesus admonishes us to give it what it takes to make heaven. Whatever sacrifice it requires we should do it to make heaven. He puts it thus: "And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. …”   

Prayer  
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke