21st Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior

First Reading: Joshua 24:1-2a.15-17.18b/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:1-2.15-22 (R. 8a) Second Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32/Gosp. Acclamation: John 6:63c.68c/Gospel: John 6:60-69

Theme: Opt For Christ

Humankind was created in and for freedom. With freewill, the human person is expected to make decisions and be responsible for them. These decisions must be based on true love. We are to be careful concerning how we use our freedom, because it will judge us and will determine where we will spend eternity – either in bliss or misery. Again, our freedom should enable us to love and show leadership in all aspects of life particularly in the family, which is the domestic church, and the microcosm of society from where the socialization process begins. Husbands and wives are encouraged to choose love as the basis of their decisions. We are also encouraged to choose Christ over and above all else through love. Our readings today help us to understand this point clearly.

In the first reading, Joshua shows great love for God, as well as, leadership, willingness, wisdom, and tact in choosing God over and above all else. He does this to inspire the Israelites to make a good choice by opting for God. He leads them to renew their commitment to the Covenant Moses inaugurated at Sinai (cf. Ex. 24; Deut. 27-32). Convinced of his choice, he tells Israel: “If you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). This is neither an empty talk nor a mere rhetoric; rather, a decisive, definitive and apt word matched with action. In response, Israel declares: “…we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God” (Josh. 24:18). To this end, the Psalmist encourages us to choose God so as to experience his goodness. He says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8a). This ‘taste’ is our choice or option for God.

Furthermore, the Psalmist highlights the marks of good leadership in God to teach the benefits of choosing God when he says: “The Lord turns his eyes to the just, and his ears are open to their cry. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth” (Ps. 34:15-16). Consequently, leaders are to be sensitive to the plight of the needy; to reward right living and punish evil in society. They must better the lot of the people by fighting corruption.

In telling married couples in the second reading to choose the way of love by imitating Christ’s relationship with the church, which is his mystical Body, St. Paul, is promoting good leadership and fidelity to the institution of marriage. Paul sets out the relationship within the household, the context of husband-wife-children interactions, based on the relationship between Christ and the church. One interesting thing to note is that, some think Paul was supporting male chauvinism in this pericope. However, a critical look at the text shows that the Paul’s point of view is not about giving limitless power to man in order to dominate woman. He begins this passage with his true purpose: “Brethren, be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21). In the first place, when we see each other in the light of Christ, we come to acknowledge each person’s dignity irrespective of sex, age, colour and social standing. By this, we are able to sustain mutual respect and honour as equals. It is this mutual respect based on reverence to Christ which must characterise the relationship between husband and wife. Nevertheless, this situation, having been watered down by sin, evil and human traditions, tends to favour some people while being inimical to others. For example, according to the Mosaic law, a man who wished to divorce his wife gave her a bill of divorcement which read: “Let this be from me thy writ of divorce and letter of dismissal and deed of liberation, that thou mayest marry whatsoever man thou wilt.” All a man had to do was to hand over a certificate written by a Rabbi to his wife, in the presence of two witnesses and the divorce was complete. The only other condition was that the woman’s dowry must be returned. Given the enormity of divorce cases caused by non-existent fidelity, the result is that, it is difficult to find a real home! And the prognosis is that true family life is nearing extinction. According to William Barclay, St. Paul writes today’s second reading to call men and women to a new purity and a new fellowship in the married life. Instead of domination and power, it must be based on a love that is sacrificial, purifying, caring and unbreakable; and the uniting force or the binding agent is Christ himself. Napoleon Bonaparte once said: Alexander’s kingdom and my kingdom will come to an end but not Christ’s. Because, we conquer it with weapons; he conquers with love. Love conquers all the human proclivities in the heart, and when marriage is centred on love, that marriage will survive because not even death can overcome love. More than a feeling, love is a decision, and those who value it find life. On the other hand, for those who choose hatred, it is a known fact – whether we accept it or not – that, hate destroys the hater before it destroys the hated.

Given the aforementioned, St. Peter gives us an example in the Gospel of how to make loving choices in our lives here on earth. For five Sundays now, we have been meditating on the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel – the discourse between Jesus and the Jews concerning his body and blood as food which sustains life unto eternity. In this passage, Peter makes a profound statement about the unavoidable dependence of humankind on God. He says: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:68). When we find Jesus’ teaching “hard,” (cf. Jn. 6:60), it is not because it is itself hard to understand, but that, we just do not want to accept it! The problem is not with what Jesus is teaching, but our free decision not to accept it. In the light of this, some Jews in today’s Gospel defected and never walked with Jesus again (cf. Jn. 6:66). These are the ‘fair-weather’ followers. We can find them everywhere even among close friends. As long as everything seems to be going on smoothly, they will stick with you. They always like to be with the winning team. Nevertheless, when life turns turbulent and sour, they are quick to desert you. They choose to be with you through the ‘thin’ but not through the ‘thick’! These are opportunists who take advantage of others and are driven by the concept of ‘success-always-suffering-never.’ They have the ‘I-me-my-mine’ mentality which always comes first before all else. Hence, such people cannot choose love for they are never ready to sacrifice for others’ sake, and since love involves sacrifice, self-donation and self-emptying (kenosis), they are always found wanting!

Be that as it may, Peter’s statement in the Gospel is very instructive. It is pregnant with loyalty and determination. Leadership is at its best when authentic loyalty and genuine determination to stick with each other is displayed by both leaders and followers. It teaches us to cling firmly to Jesus, our Leader, even when the going gets tough. It is an indication that Peter and the apostles had a very personal relationship with Jesus to the extent that their allegiance to him was not suspect. This should guide our entire Christian life here on earth. It calls for single-mindedness, self-surrender and discipline in choice making. We also need to encourage ourselves always with the military jargon: “no retreat, no surrender.” At all times, we must choose Christ and follow him to the end! Beloved in Christ, are we Christians because of what we can get from Jesus Christ? Do we accept his crown of victory and not his cross of suffering? Do we love the resurrection of Easter Sunday and are uncomfortable with the death on Good Friday? Is our allegiance to Christ genuine; is it something borne out of love? Unfortunately, many Christians are becoming more and more this class of cross-less, suffering-free and ‘fair-weather’ believers. We are free to choose or not to choose Christ because of our innate freewill, but it is eternally costly not to choose him. Let us make good choices in our lives, and the best among all choices is the option for God. May God guide and bless us in this regard! Happy Sunday! Blessed week! Remember to: #Opt-For-Christ#