Homily
for July 17, 2017
I think it
was Jim Reeves who sang:
This world
is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through,
My
treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue,
The angels
beckon me from heaven's open door,
And I
can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Oh Lord,
You know I have no friend like you
If
heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
The angels
beckon me from heaven's open door,
And I
can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Indeed
there is no better summary for today’s readings than these few lines above.
Now there
arose in Egypt a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph… How come a whole Pharaoh did
not know about Joseph, how his singular advice saved the entire Egyptian Nation
and its neighbours from dying of starvation? How come he came to see the Israelite
nation as a threat instead of an ally? Where did such hatred come from?
The
greatest mistake we make today is the neglect of history. Technology may change
the way people do things but it does not change their past. Our generation
today needs to be taught her history lest we repeat the mistakes of the past.
Again, on
the part of the Israelites, one may ask, how come they refused to return home
after the famine subsided? The same land they left upon Joseph’s invitation to
Egypt was now flowing with milk and honey and the people who lived there were
great giants (too much food) yet they real owners of the Land, the Israelites
were languishing under Pharaoh’s persecution.
Does it
ring a bell how we often become too comfortable in a foreign land that we
forget we are not yet at home? Like the Israelites, we Christians today have
forgotten about our real home - heaven. We forget that we are only sojourners
on earth.
We want to
build mansions, have lots of money and so on and so on, we even fast and pray,
do all nights and beseech God to make things sweet and easy for us here on
earth forgetting that Jesus said: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its
righteousness...” Matthew 6:33.
In today’s
Gospel passage, Jesus goes further to say: “Do not think that I have come to
bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword… He who does
not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life
will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew
10:34-39.
In other
words, this world is not our own. So, we should not be surprised when Pharaoh
along with his cohorts become hostile to us. They hate us because we don’t belong
here. Check out the millions of Christians that are killed day in day out,
consider how the powers that be try every means to silence and suppress Christianity. All these are because we are not yet home.
If out of
love for Egypt, we begin to compromise our faith, swim in sin and deny God, we
would be making ourselves slaves in a foreign land whereas our true homeland is
flowing with milk and honey. No wonder Jesus asked: “what shall it profit you
to gain the whole world and lose your soul?” Mark 8:38.
Let
us pray: Lord Jesus, may my love for you be greater than my love for this
world. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of
the 15th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 1:8-14,22 and Matthew
10:34-11:1).
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