OBEDIENCE

THE DIVINE WORD
BASED ON CATHOLIC LITURGICAL READINGS
26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
THEME: “OBEDIENCE”
((Readings: 1st: Ezk 18:25-28 Ps:24; 2nd: Phil 2:1-11; Gos: Mt 21:28-32))
Today being the 26th Sunday in ordinary time, our mother church is drawing our attention in a special way to the importance of obedience to God. Obedience is an ability to comply with an order, request, law, or submission to another authority. God chose Israel as a nation to be his people. Consequently, He established an order by giving them a system of rules and regulations known as the commandments/Decalogue. In addition, he made so many promises to them, that he will deliver them from slavery and make them prosper in their own land. All the promises that God made to his chosen people were on a condition that Israelites will remain faithful and obedience to him.
Our liturgical readings today warn us that if we choose not to obey God, He does not only cease to fulfill his promises in our life but we also attract his wrath and punishment. However, when a sinner renounces his sinful ways, repents and become law-abiding and honest, and act according to the will of God, He will be forgiven and rewarded accordingly.
Today therefore guided by our liturgical readings we focus on the consequence of obedience and disobedience to God.

DISOBEDIENCE ATTRACTS PUNISHMENT.
While in exile, the Jews thought that God was not fair to them because they were being punished for the disobedience of their forefathers. “Our ancestors sinned, but we are punished and so God is not fair!” Prophet Ezekiel today is emphasizing a personal responsibility of one’s actions. God does not hold grudges against the children because of disobedient of their parents. God does not carry forward punishment of the sins of ancestors to other generations, a mentality to be corrected in our African cultures.

The Jews, were deported and suffered slavery in Babylon because of their own disobedience to the commandments of God. They turned against God and worshipped foreign gods. They broke the covenant and their punishment was just. Disobedience causes suffering and consequently death. Disobedience brings alienation from God, the source of our life causing spiritual death. However, God gives us time and opportunities to repent our ways and be restored to our original state.

OBEDIENCE ATTRACTS BLESSINGS

The letter of St. Paul to the Philippians affirms the fact that a perfect obedience to God will be rewarded. Paul emphasizes on Christ’s perfect obedience to the will of God by emptying himself, assuming the condition of a slave, he took human form and humbling himself by accepting death on a cross. Therefore, God the Father exalted Christ, bestowed on him the name above every other name, and made him the recipient of universal adoration. When we become faithful and obedience to God, he fulfills his promises by exulting us to greatness.

Similarly, Jesus teaches through the parable that repentant tax-collectors and prostitutes, represented by the younger son who first refused to obey his Fathers will, will make their way into the kingdom of God before the chief priests and the elders, represented by the first son in the parable. God is merciful to a disobedient son who repents his ways and acts according to his will. The ultimate reward of obedience to God is eternal life in his kingdom.

OBEDIENCE TO MAN
In Romans 13:1-3, St. Paul exhorts Christians to obey the governing authorities. “Everyone is to obey the governing authority, because there is no authority except from God and so whatever authorities exist have been appointed by God. So, anyone who disobeys an authority is rebelling against God´s ordinance; and rebels must expect to receive the condemnation that they deserve.” Obedience to man/woman in authority is equal to obedience to God. If a man can not obey an authority that he sees, how can he obey God that he cannot see. If a man cannot obey the rules and regulations written down by men, how can he obey the commandments written down by God? The authorities that exist have been established by God, therefore defying them is defying God´s ordinances.

In a nutshell dear friend, each one of us is responsible to God for every of his or her actions and God will punish or reward each individual according to his or her actions. If you become obedient to God and live according to his will, you will be blessed. If you act against his will, you alienate yourself from God causing suffering and death. However, God is ever with us to strengthen us, and to pardon and lift us up again, if through human weakness we stumble on the road. If you have said “YES” God demands faithfulness and obedience. But if you said “NO” to his will in your life, God is waiting for you in the confessional box.

PRAYER: Here am I, Lord; I have come to do your will. Amen” (1Sam 3:8)

Fr. Antony Muchui, SVD
Blessed Sunday
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“May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all People. Amen”