THE SIN OF DISOBEDIENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. (Homily for Tuesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time. Year B.)

Bible Study:  Romans 5, 12 to 21. And Luke 12, 35 to 38.

Adam, being the first man ever made had a chance to change the entire course of human history but little did he know that his one act of disobedience would have far reaching consequences on all men. As St. Paul tells us, “For as by one man’s disobedience, many were made sinners…”

There is a social character to sin. For every sin that we commit, we do not only suffer the consequences ourselves. Sin has a way of affecting others as well and badly too. Or to put it in another way, sin spreads like oil. When one finger touches it, it spreads to others as well.

When faced with temptation or when you are contemplating between having to do what is right or what you consider beneficial, remember that a single act of righteousness on your part can change the course of your entire generation, a single decision to do what is right can change the history of your nation, it can change the world as a whole. Yes, whatever pain you may experience right now as a result of your decision to do the right thing is small and in fact, insignificant compared to the pain that millions may have to suffer as a result of your sin in the long run.

Our country is the way it is today because many have failed us in the past; we have had leaders who were in a position to better the fortunes of this country but were must interested in personal aggrandizement, they were more interested in enriching themselves than thinking of the future.

Thanks be to Jesus, the world as a whole would have been worse if he had not come to save mankind. His one act of obedience on the cross, his decision to die for us (even after he prayed: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” in Matthew 26, 39) was the one decision that saved the world. It was very inconveniencing to him, he felt the pain of brutality and the weight of the cross, but he kept on, he fell three times but each time he got up, picked up the cross and staggered on. He had nothing to lose if he had chosen to abandon us, he had no sin but he accepted to carry a burden that was meant for us. His obedience won life for us and because of Jesus, we have become heirs of God the Father.

As Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death, Christ’s obedience brought grace; that is, the POWER we need for righteousness. Do good. It is not enough to criticize others for what they are not doing right. It is for you to realize that your decision to live righteously can change the world. It is not enough that we call our leaders corrupt and blame our woes on them, instead it is for us to always be conscious that if only we decide this very moment to be truthful and sincere at all times, as insignificant as we think we may be, Nigeria as a whole would benefit from our goodness.
So be good. Be good oh, be good. Be good at all times. Never try to select when to be good and when not to be good because you never can tell, the hour that an account of your goodness would be demanded for. This is what Jesus tell us in the Gospel passage today: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, be like men waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast… blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.”

Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning! In other words, practice self-discipline, live a morally upright life, girding your loins means putting a check to your sensuality. And let your lamps keep burning. You are the light of the earth. You cannot afford to live a mediocre life, a lamp is not kept under the table or hidden, you are meant to be on top, you are not meant to pattern your life according to the standard of the people around you, you are meant to have higher standards for yourself, you are meant to aspire for heights in spirituality and holiness far higher than what obtains under the table where cockroaches and small insects love to hide.

Your decision to let your light shine today and drop sin behind can change the world for good. Think not about yourself alone but about the far reaching consequences on others. Always ask this question when about to take any decision: “How will this action of mine benefit others and even the millions yet unborn?”

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, teach me to love you above all things and to live well not just for my sake but for the benefit of others that through me, many more will have a better life. Amen.


Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

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