A LOVING, COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL GOD
HOMILY FOR TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
BY: Rev. Solomon Patrick Zaku
Exodus 32:7-11,13-14; Psalm 51: 3-4,12-13,17,19; I Timothy 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32
Dearly beloved in the Christ, the readings of this Sunday remind us of the nature of our God. Our God is loving, compassionate and Merciful God. There is no God like him. His love and mercy is are incomparable. God’s love towards his children is unconditional, non calculating benevolent and infinitely merciful. God is concern with those who stray from his love, he searches for the lost and welcomes back those who acknowledge their weaknesses. Psalm 103 :8-10 captures it well when it says: “the lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…..he does not treat us as our sins deserves or repay us according to our iniquities”.
The first reading ( Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14) tells us how the Israelites rebelled against God and committed idolatry shortly after God had delivered them from Egypt. God had planned to destroy them (Exodus 32:10), but Moses pleaded and God “changed His mind about the disaster that He had planned to bring on His people” (Exodus 32:14). He changed his mind because his a merciful God.
The psalm (51) is attributed to David and is believed to be David’s hymn of contrition asking for God’s mercy after David had slept with Uriah’s wife, impregnated her and killed Uriah (IISamuel 11: 1-27). God, however, forgave David because David accepted his wrongdoing and showed contrition (IISamuel 11:13). God forgave David because of his mercy/
In the second reading (ITimothy 1:13-17), St Paul beautifully sings praises of Christ for appointing him to serve Him and for giving him the strength for His work despite the fact that in the past, he spoke evil of Him and persecuted and insulted Him (I Timothy 1:12-13). St. paul spoke about the mission of Christ which is the redemption of sinners, he see himself aas the greatest sinner.
The gospel passage (Lk 15: 1-32) that captures this message about God’s mercy in a most graphic, amazing and unique fashion. Using three parables, the gospel makes it abundantly clear that God does not want any of His children to get lost. Rather, He looks for the straying ones and celebrates them when he finds them. In the Gospel we are presented with the parable of the Lost sheep, lost coin and Prodigal Son.
The parable of the prodigal son is a popular and classical parable of God’s merciful love. Often times whenever we talk about this parable, we tend to talk about the prodigal son but I want us today to look at the attitude of the eldest son. Many of us behave like him today
He was like the Pharisees- self righteous
He was not happy that his brother returned
He sees serving his father a duty-needs to be rewarded
Truly, there are many among us who behave like the elder son. They are preoccupied with the principle of exclusion of others. They think they are God's children because they keep the rules. They think God's love is for them alone, and not meant for sinners. They do not realize that our God is a God whose forgiveness is without conditions. Indeed, that he is a God who loves without taking merit into account.
Unlike God, who loves sinners, many of us often choose the posture of the Pharisees and Scribes. We often do not recognize what wretched state we were in before now. In our relationship with human beings "fellow-sinners", we are often harsh and hard. We often demonise certain category of people and treat them with brutal blows of condemnation, while readily excusing ourselves in the areas we fall- short into sin. Many, like those Pharisees and Scribes in the gospel episode are under the illusion that we are worthy of God, simply because we have not been caught with any 'big' or public sin or crime. We are usually in the habit of calling for the harshest punishments for thieves and harlots, when we ourselves are living with impurity, malice, wickedness, pretensions and falsehood, and all forms of social injustices everyday. Amen
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM OUR READING?
God’s mercy has not limit- he is always ready to forgive us- no matter our sins- he give us chance
We need to make effort to come back to God- like prodigal son-liking missing sheep that bleeds
Eschew Self-praise and Self-righteousness: We are called to watch against expressing self-praise and self-righteousness as well as playing the victim or displaying excessive anger like the eldest son whose refusal to go in almost disrupted the party for his younger brother’s welcome.
.Shun Resentment, Anger and Jealousy: As true sons and daughters of God, we ought to shun anger, resentment and jealousy like the eldest son because God loves us equally and he wants to share everything with us.
As we live in the world, let’s be Beware of Modern Molten Metals: Our first reading cautions us to shun modern molten metals like sex, materialism, drugs, alcohol and raw-power which many people are worshipping in our age.
As we experience the mercy and love for God, may we become loving, compassionate and merciful Christians like our father who is in heaven through Christ our lord. Amen.
BY: Rev. Solomon Patrick Zaku
Exodus 32:7-11,13-14; Psalm 51: 3-4,12-13,17,19; I Timothy 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32
Dearly beloved in the Christ, the readings of this Sunday remind us of the nature of our God. Our God is loving, compassionate and Merciful God. There is no God like him. His love and mercy is are incomparable. God’s love towards his children is unconditional, non calculating benevolent and infinitely merciful. God is concern with those who stray from his love, he searches for the lost and welcomes back those who acknowledge their weaknesses. Psalm 103 :8-10 captures it well when it says: “the lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…..he does not treat us as our sins deserves or repay us according to our iniquities”.
The first reading ( Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14) tells us how the Israelites rebelled against God and committed idolatry shortly after God had delivered them from Egypt. God had planned to destroy them (Exodus 32:10), but Moses pleaded and God “changed His mind about the disaster that He had planned to bring on His people” (Exodus 32:14). He changed his mind because his a merciful God.
The psalm (51) is attributed to David and is believed to be David’s hymn of contrition asking for God’s mercy after David had slept with Uriah’s wife, impregnated her and killed Uriah (IISamuel 11: 1-27). God, however, forgave David because David accepted his wrongdoing and showed contrition (IISamuel 11:13). God forgave David because of his mercy/
In the second reading (ITimothy 1:13-17), St Paul beautifully sings praises of Christ for appointing him to serve Him and for giving him the strength for His work despite the fact that in the past, he spoke evil of Him and persecuted and insulted Him (I Timothy 1:12-13). St. paul spoke about the mission of Christ which is the redemption of sinners, he see himself aas the greatest sinner.
The gospel passage (Lk 15: 1-32) that captures this message about God’s mercy in a most graphic, amazing and unique fashion. Using three parables, the gospel makes it abundantly clear that God does not want any of His children to get lost. Rather, He looks for the straying ones and celebrates them when he finds them. In the Gospel we are presented with the parable of the Lost sheep, lost coin and Prodigal Son.
The parable of the prodigal son is a popular and classical parable of God’s merciful love. Often times whenever we talk about this parable, we tend to talk about the prodigal son but I want us today to look at the attitude of the eldest son. Many of us behave like him today
He was like the Pharisees- self righteous
He was not happy that his brother returned
He sees serving his father a duty-needs to be rewarded
Truly, there are many among us who behave like the elder son. They are preoccupied with the principle of exclusion of others. They think they are God's children because they keep the rules. They think God's love is for them alone, and not meant for sinners. They do not realize that our God is a God whose forgiveness is without conditions. Indeed, that he is a God who loves without taking merit into account.
Unlike God, who loves sinners, many of us often choose the posture of the Pharisees and Scribes. We often do not recognize what wretched state we were in before now. In our relationship with human beings "fellow-sinners", we are often harsh and hard. We often demonise certain category of people and treat them with brutal blows of condemnation, while readily excusing ourselves in the areas we fall- short into sin. Many, like those Pharisees and Scribes in the gospel episode are under the illusion that we are worthy of God, simply because we have not been caught with any 'big' or public sin or crime. We are usually in the habit of calling for the harshest punishments for thieves and harlots, when we ourselves are living with impurity, malice, wickedness, pretensions and falsehood, and all forms of social injustices everyday. Amen
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM OUR READING?
God’s mercy has not limit- he is always ready to forgive us- no matter our sins- he give us chance
We need to make effort to come back to God- like prodigal son-liking missing sheep that bleeds
Eschew Self-praise and Self-righteousness: We are called to watch against expressing self-praise and self-righteousness as well as playing the victim or displaying excessive anger like the eldest son whose refusal to go in almost disrupted the party for his younger brother’s welcome.
.Shun Resentment, Anger and Jealousy: As true sons and daughters of God, we ought to shun anger, resentment and jealousy like the eldest son because God loves us equally and he wants to share everything with us.
As we live in the world, let’s be Beware of Modern Molten Metals: Our first reading cautions us to shun modern molten metals like sex, materialism, drugs, alcohol and raw-power which many people are worshipping in our age.
As we experience the mercy and love for God, may we become loving, compassionate and merciful Christians like our father who is in heaven through Christ our lord. Amen.
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