HOMILY FOR THE 30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

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Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126. R/ v.3; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52.

“THE CHURCH OF GOD: A “COMMUNITY” OR A “CROWD”?”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Christianity as we have it today is a fulfilment of the Prophecy of Jeremiah. “See, I will bring them back from the land of the North and gather them from the far ends of the earth; all of them: the blind and the lame, women with child, women in labour” (Jer. 31:8).

·      The Christian faith represents the fulfilment of the gathering of people from the ends of the earth to form a “community” of believers (Christian community). The waters of baptism give us entry into this community. 

·      As long as we keep the commandments of God, keep our common vision and goal, we attract the blessing and restoration of God through faith, we remain appropriately a community of Christians.

·      In the community, there is mutual concern for one another “they were faithful to the teachings of the Apostles, the common life of sharing, the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). As a community of Christian believers, we are intent upon God. But when we seize to be a community, we become a “crowd” with many negative tendencies.

·      The church of God is this Christian community gathered from the ends of the earth. The second reading (Hebrews 5:1-6), tells us that Christ is the high priest in charge of these people drawn to this community. He was taken from among the people by the singular act of God “no one takes this honour upon himself” (Heb. 5:4).

·      After being taken from among the people and made the High Priest, Christ, in turn instituted a lineage of priests in the order of Melchizedek to carry out this mission of maintaining and directing the Christian community to prevent it from slipping from being a “Community” to a “Crowd”.

·      There are a lot of things that can make a ‘Christian community’ become a ‘crowd’: greed, infighting, pride, jealousy, envy, anger, material insensitivity, careerism, selfishness, tribalism, nepotism, etc.

·      When the Christian community becomes a “Crowd” rather than a “Community” of worshippers, we become spiritually blind and corrupt, we lose our taste and vigour, we become helpless and hopeless.

·      It is rather unfortunate that after a careful look at our church gatherings and worshippers, we are more a ‘crowd’ rather than a ‘community’. When you have most of those who fill up churches on Sundays involved in a lot of ills in the society, then you begin to wonder how deep and how serious we take our Christian commitment. The reason is not farfetched: we have become spiritually blind needing Christ the high priest to restore us. 

·      Since Christ the high priest is taken from amongst us, he feels our pains, he knows our limitations and weaknesses. We must present ourselves to him to make us whole again, to heal our blindness, to return us from a ‘crowd’ to a ‘community’.

·      In the Gospel reading (Mark 10:46-52), the people who gathered around blind man Bartimaeus proved themselves to be a “crowd” rather than a “Community”. Instead of rallying around to help the blind man in need, they gathered to shut him down and to prevent him from getting his salvation.

·      Friends in Christ, we must re-evaluate our call to be an authentic Christian community. We must learn to be at the service of each other especially those who are weak and defenseless. Although, they tried to shut up the blind man, Jesus was able to see through the crowd to identify him

·      Jesus is ever ready to restore us to health, wholeness, and joy, let us not be discouraged by the intimidating voice of the crowd  but seek to make ourselves, a positive voice for good in the community of believers. And gradually, we shall transform the ills of our church from a ‘crowd’ to an authentic ‘Christian community’, then like the psalmist, we can say: “The Lord has done great things for me; we are filled with joy” (Ps. 126:3).

·      May the good Lord bless his word in our hearts, through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!

 

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