THE ESSENCE OF TRUE GREATNESS. (Homily for August 9, 2016. Tuesday of the 19th week in Ordinary Time.)


Bible Study: Ezekiel 2, 8 to 3, 4. Matthew 18, 1 to 5, 10, 12 to 14.


In the book of Isaiah, chapter 55, verses 8 to 9, we read: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The truth of this statement is what dawns on us in today’s Gospel passage. The way we humans think is so different from the way God thinks.

For the disciples, the essence of greatness is lordship over others and the exercise of power but to their greatest surprise, Jesus’ definition of greatness was the very opposite. True Greatness in the sight of God is to become humble like a little child. And it doesn’t stop at that, we have no choice but to humble ourselves because without the virtue of humility, we cannot even enter the kingdom of heaven. Hence St. James would say: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4, 6.

How do I become proud? By assuming that I am better or richer or wiser than someone else. When I start to look down on others or do things to make them bow before me or when I make myself a god. Jesus goes further to say: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

To despise a person is to treat the person as if he or she is not important. If there are two people waiting to see me for instance and I treat one of them with respect and cordiality while I completely ignore the other one or tell him or her that I am not around, I have despised such a person. Wherever you go today, be it in our banking halls, in hospitals, in offices, in government buildings and sadly even in our churches, people are despised either on the basis of their age, their financial status, their tribe, their family background or simply because of who-know-man syndrome.

Nobody deserves to be taken for granted. Nobody deserves to be treated like shit. No soul is unimportant. A person may be little in your eyes today but that same person may be your saviour tomorrow. Treat everyone you meet well not because of what may happen tomorrow but because as Jesus says, these little ones have Angels, invisible angels around them who are watching and taking note of how you treat them. And God himself cares about each little one. God can leave the ninety-nine and go in search of the missing one. We also should have that same attitude.

Don’t be a banker who will get up from his seat to attend to a “big” man but reign insult on a poor man who has been standing on the queue for hours. Don’t be a teacher who will favour a bright student in the class but ignore the slow learner who needs more time and attention to grasp what is being taught. Don’t be a Government official who will listen to the God-fathers of your party and then ignore the youths because they have nothing to contribute financially. We all have a duty to humble ourselves and attend to the little ones around us.

Above all, just as Ezekiel was given the scroll containing the word of God to eat, we need to consume the word of God day in day out in other for us to start thinking and acting like God. Left to our natural ways of thinking, we are so different from God, we are in fact, opposite. But our continued and persistent study of the Bible changes our thinking, it changes our value system, it makes us more humble and better persons.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, increase my level of humility. Amen.


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

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