Homily For Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th January, 2022

 Homily For Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th January, 2022

Readings: Jer. 1:4-5.17-19; Ps. 71; 1Cor. 12:31-13:13; Luke: 4:21-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT TREAT ANYONE WITH CONTEMPT FOR OUR MISSION IS BUILT ON LOVE

One of the forces that drives the world order today is pride. People can do anything to prove how powerful, influential, popular, wealthy and connected they are before everyone they encounter. To protect these pride and ego, we often look down on people. This is because the society today, treats and respect people based on our knowledge of their background and status, so we fail to look at the image of God found in them or what God is doing through them. This is because our judgment is the product of human wisdom and when our faith is based on this kind of wisdom we are bound to neglect and treat others with contempt. 

This is the situation in our Gospel passage today. For when Jesus came to Nazareth, his own town, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He taught the people about his mission as prophesied by prophet Isaiah and at the end he said to them, this text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. 

But out of pride and reference to his humble background, they got angry with him when he begins to comment on their prideful ways of life by letting them know that God chose them among the gentiles not to be selfish but to be a light to other nations while referring them to the events of Naaman the leper and the widow of Zarephath . So, in contempt they said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely? As they ridiculed him, Jesus said ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. For this reason they tried to kill him.

Here, we see Jesus who preached about love and inclusion, found himself excluded. His listeners were frightened at his message and because of familiarity, he was rejected by his own people who glory in their human wisdom which is based on their knowledge of his humble background, for they lack the effects of true love for him. This kind of ugly attitude and lack of true love is what St. Paul is addressing in our second reading today when he said: Be ambitious for the higher gift which is love, for love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love he said, does not come to an end because God is love. Hence he called us to chose love and not treat anyone with contempt.

Dear friends, today we are called not to treat anyone with contempt and pride for our mission is built on love. And since we  know that pride is the first capital sin, we should not let it deprive us of God’s blessings. Thus, we are called to renounce pride and contemptuous ways of life. And our relationship with Jesus should not be based on this kind of philosophy, rather it should based on our personal experience of the power and love of God in our lives. For it is this personal experience that will help us to embrace his words convincingly and never look down on anyone, but see in all the light of God's presence. 

However, we should not be afraid to embrace our mission to love even when we are treated with contempt for prophet Jeremiah in our first reading encountered the same ugly situation and we can hear the Lord saying to him and also to us:  before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations. today will I make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront the world and conquer it. Therefore, we are called today to be firm in our mission. We should be accommodating and never try to treat anyone with contempt, because anyone can be a potential vessel of God’s blessings to us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride and ignorance, we have often treated people with contempt because of their humbled background, help us today to realize that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and so learn to love and accommodate people, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed Sunday celebration.