Homily for Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th June, 2022

 Homily for Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  Year C, 26th June, 2022.

Reading: 1Kings19:16.19-21; Ps.16; Gal. 5:1.13-18; Luke 9:51-62

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTION, PERSECUTION AND STRONG OPPOSITIONS OF LIFE 

Oftentimes when we find ourselves in difficult situations caused by our opponent, the first instinct that comes to our minds is to do away with the opponent and ensure that he or she does not exist anymore. Sometimes we feel like crushing anything that stands on the way towards our goal, especially when we think that we have the power and authority do so. 

This is the disposition of James and John in our Gospel passage today, when they said to Jesus: ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ This is because some people in Samaritan village will not let Jesus and his disciples past through their town to Jerusalem. For opposing them the two disciples felt that they should be consumed by fire. But Jesus turned and rebuked his disciples, and then went off to another village.

Here, Jesus is showing us how to deal with rejection and strong opposition of life. For in life we must surely encounter oppositions, but what makes a difference is how we deal with it. In the Gospel the two disciples of Jesus feel that the best way to deal with such opposition is by calling down fire on the opponent, just like most of us will have done if we have the power and authority to do so. 

However, this is not the same with Jesus, who though had the absolute power and authority to command fire to consume anything he wishes, but in this case, he chooses to flee from the problem not because he was a coward, no, rather because he hoped to experiencing peace and teach us that sometimes the best way to deal with rejection, hostility and oppositions is to walk away.

This does not mean that he was weak, rather he wants us to understand that a change of location does not make us weak or remove our enemies, it only changes where the battle takes place. And for Jesus the battlefield is not the Samaritan territory, but the heart of the human person who occupied the territory. Perhaps, Jesus did not come to destroy the people, if he had come for that purpose, he would have destroyed these Samaritans; but he came to save. 

And so Jesus bears patiently the ignorance of the opposition, we too must learn to do the same. For we heard St. Paul in our first reading saying: My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community. 

This is necessary because we are called to be disciples of Jesus just like Elisha in our first reading today and in our Gospel we also heard Jesus telling us about the need to embrace the call for discipleship with undivided attention, so as to withstand the pressures of life especially when we have to deal with rejection, hostility and persecutions.

Dear friends, have you ever been rejected by people? Are you passing through difficult opposition? Are you passing through persecutions? Are you been tormented by people? Do you feel that people are responsible for the ugly situation in your life or in your family and needs to do something about them? What are those oppositions and obstacles in your life? Have you lost your inner peace and joy because of the persecution and obstacles around you? Do you really want to overcome those oppositions and obstacles and gain your peace and joy back? Then we must learn from Jesus how to gently and wisely walk away from opposition for the sake of peace. 

We must learn to change the battle ground not because we are weak but because we are not sent to destroy the opponent or to be like them, rather we are called to gently and wisely correct them. So, we should not be like James and John wanting to destroy those that opposes us. Rather we must learn to acquire the spirit of Lord Jesus; temper our zeal like his; seek to bear patiently with those who stands on our way. Let us seek peace. Let us be patient, and forgiving. Let us not allow the feeling of revenge to consume us into hurting those with whom we feel we cannot resolve our differences.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, everyday we encounter oppositions that we feel like crushing and eliminating. Help us to learn from Jesus how to deal with opposition patiently for the sake of peace and harmony in our societies. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.