1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15 /Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:9-10.11-12.13-14 (R. 8) 2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 /Gospel Acclamation: Ephesians 1:17-18 /Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Theme: The Gospel Of God Not For Sale
Do we preach the Gospel purposely to make money? Is money our motivation? Do we promote, connive and condone with false prophets by patronising their services? As people expected to evangelise the world, do we work to curry favours from political and civil authorities? Do we speak the truth and speak courageously to the powers that be? Have we abandoned the basic and time-tested principles of Christian living where fidelity to intimate relationship with God through personal and communal prayer, Bible studies, assent to sacred tradition, obedience to the law of God, Church attendance, practice of virtues and good citizenship are strongly upheld? Against this background of the commercialisation of the Gospel, with the unfortunate attendant problem of exploiting people’s vulnerabilities by drawing financial and economic advantages out of it, that today’s liturgical readings offer us the opportunity to rethink, refocus and amend our ways.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls his twelve disciples and sends them out two by two. Going in pairs is a wise decision, so that, they will complement, support and shore up each other. Being a lone ranger in the service of God is a big danger and a threat to mission. And what is their mission, one may ask? To undo the works of Satan and to bring salvation to people, and that is why he gives them authority over unclean spirits. To emphasise the urgency and the need for mission, he asks them to carry nothing for the journey except a staff, which is a key symbol of a shepherd/ pastor/leader. With it, the disciple of Jesus is to guide the faithful on the right path as would a shepherd with his sheep. With the staff, the disciple not only guides the way, but also pulls back the stray and gently spanks the stubborn, disobedient, wayward and the belligerent. In all these, the disciple (in the case of the Gospel) and the prophet (in the case of the first reading) are to use the unadulterated word of God. Notice what St. Paul writes to St. Timothy: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refuting error, for correcting and for training in righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16). It seems in our day and age, these traditional purposes of the word of God have been supplanted by philosophies of make-me-feel-good which look like the Gospel. In itself, the word of God has an intrinsic motivation which lifts up the heart of the broken-hearted, challenges the sinner unto righteousness and encourages the saint to persevere. This is why it is called Good News (Gospel)! However, the Gospel of God must comfort the disturbed and ‘disturb’ the comfortable. That is, it must challenge those who are comfortable with sin and have become nominal Christians, in order to reform their ways and thereby save them.
Again, the disciple is to carry no bread, no bag and no money. Instead, they are to put on sandals and a single tunic, not a double cloak! Clearly, with these instructions, Jesus teaches and prepares his disciples with eternal principles of simplicity, selflessness, total trust in the provident God, as well as the spirit of generosity which according to William Barclay, is out always to give and never to demand. We find a practical example of this phenomenon in today’s first reading. God himself appoints Amos as a prophet. Amos does not force himself into the prophetic ministry. He is simply called and given a vocation, to which he responds immediately and appropriately. This makes Amos an authentic prophet of God. It is not a profession whereby one requires payment for their services and use of skills. Herein lies the difference between vocation and profession. In view of this, when the self-styled prophet, Amaziah, who takes advantage of prophecy to make money, confronts Amos, the latter simply tells him: “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel (Amos 7:14-15).
There are scores of examples of Amaziahs, so-called men and women of God who are on a grabbing-grasping spree. Their collection boxes go before their pulpits. They put priority on their stomachs and pockets than on people. Some even demand consultation fees before counselling and praying for people. They find it extremely difficult to give off themselves, their time, energy and resources to help others. Rather than feeding their sheep, they feed on them. Instead of preaching the authentic word of God, they give false hope to please people. Also, they resort to sycophancy, truth-massage, and speak what people want to hear, and not what God wants to tell his people. About such people, St. Paul cautions St. Timothy to be careful (cf. II Tim. 3:1-5, 8).
Furthermore, in our modern times, Christian charity and service have all been tainted with self[1]interest or monetised altogether. For some people, any help or assistance they want to render, they look at the profits they are likely to make before extending such help. They seem to forget that giving aid with strings attached deepens the plight of those at the receiving end, since in most cases, it makes them perpetually indebted to the giver or donor. Christ Jesus cautions us against commercialisation of the Gospel. In other words, turning the proclamation of the Good News into a money-machine is anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-people and counter-productive. It must stop!
Beloved in Christ, let us remember that God loves us dearly and is very gracious to us. He chose us right before the ages to be his holy and blameless people. We have been selected and made the people of God through baptism. Therefore, in the second reading, St. Paul reminds us of this fact when he says: “He [God] chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world. As if this was not enough, “He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3-4). Our election by God and blessings from him are expressions of his generosity towards us. This should spur us on to also share gratuitously with others by living and proclaiming the Gospel authentically. We are to live by God’s word. We should not surround ourselves with false and money-making prophets. We are to avoid make-me-feel-good-even-in-my-sin prophets. We hear them on radios and watch them on televisions. We should not patronise them, and by their fruits, we shall know them (cf. Mt. 5: 15-20). Those (wo)men of God who make people depend on them rather than on God are false prophets only interested in themselves.
Today, implore God’s mercy and protection from the snares of the evil one and from the antics of false prophets who disguise themselves as angels of God. Again, let us meditate on and pray the Responsorial Psalm: “Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation (Ps. 85:8). As we pray for our shepherds, priests, pastors, prophets and leaders, may God open our eyes, and make us wise as serpents and innocent as doves in whatever situation we find ourselves. Happy Sunday and may God richly bless us! Remember: #The-Gospel-Of-God-Is-Not-For-Sale#
By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp
