Sunday Readings in Brief 33 A
Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31; Psalms 127(128); 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Mathew 25:14-30
Called to be active believers
Dear friends, today is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next Sunday will be the last Sunday of the liturgical year A. The Ordinary Time has been a moment of learning from Jesus and as we have heard from the parable of the talents, we too are being asked to give an account of the things we have learned from Jesus during the last 33 weeks.
Some time ago, the Regional Commissioner of the province where I was working called for a meeting of all religious leaders in the city. In his unusual speech, he emphasized that we have only three recognized days of worship in a week, that is, Friday for the Muslims, Saturday for the Seventh Day Adventists, and Sunday for Christians. During these days, the worshippers are exempted from work. The other remaining days are working days to earn a living and contribute to the building of the country. If there is a need for exceptions, it is occasional.
The reason why he said this was the increasing number of crusades and faith meetings every day of the week in all the corners of the city. He said that many people were spending a lot of time in worship places therefore not. Now, for them to eat and pay other bills, these people turn to unlawful and unethical ways such as stealing, deceiving, and begging. He said that there is time for worship and time for work. I could not agree more with the bold leader, God himself demands only one day from us to worship him. The other days he commanded us to till the land and subdue it (Genesi 1:27-28). Today’s Gospel is praising hard work and scolding laziness. Faith is not an alternative to hard work as many preachers are misleading people today.
The book of Proverbs presents a good wife as one who is always active and works with her hands to take care of her husband and the needy. Today ‘some’ () wives spend the biggest part of their day gossiping or in salons while their husbands are working many times in very difficult conditions. If you are a keen observer, you will notice that most of the people who flock to miracle crusades and healing centers are women. Not that attending these services is wrong but doing it every day makes one a lazy worshipper.
The Psalmist says, “You will eat by the labour of your hands”. Today preaching has turned into a very profitable business. Many are investing in it, including former convicts. Their modus operadi is freelance or sole proprietorship where they do not have to answer anyone or any institution. Many of them have no physical address apart from their homes, making it very difficult to hold them accountable or follow up something with them. Whatever they preach is according to their interpretation of the Bible and we can only hope that indeed the Holy Spirit is working in them as they say. Since the collection they get is not receipted taxed, preaching presents a very lucrative business opportunity. People are investing more in the “Art of Preaching” than in the faith. Since the freelancer preacher is the sole owner of his or her enterprise, there is no one to vet or monitor his or her credentials. One can assume whatever title they see convenient such as pastor, prophet, or bishop, and we have even had Jesus and God himself living on this earth.
To attract even more “clients”, the typical self-sponsored preacher has invested a lot in the “prosperity gospel and the end of time predictions”. The preacher claims to know hidden ways of getting quick riches and even a shortcut to heaven. However, Paul reminds us today that the day of the Lord shall arrive like a thief in the night. Last Sunday Jesus told us that no one knows neither the day nor the hour. We need to be vigilant all the time and not sleep and wait for that day to catch up with us.
In the Gospel today Jesus presents the parable of the talents. Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of God is not laziness but hard work. The late Pastor Myles Monroe in his book, “Releasing Your Potential”, says that God created each one of us with potential to be released in this world. This potential remains dormant unless we work it out. The parable says that each one of the three servants was given talents according to their individual capacities. The first two went on and worked hand their talents and produced a profit from them. Their reward was great – “Come, join your master’s happiness”. They were entrusted with bigger things.
The last servant who presents the attitude of many was lazy and did not do anything with the talent given to him. Instead, he blamed his master for his laziness. Maybe he was jealous and angry because his colleagues were given more talents than him. We sometimes also behave like these servants. Instead of working out the talents God has given us, we become jealous of our colleagues, and we continue to grow bitter in idleness. When we are called to account, we blame everyone else except ourselves. I have heard people complain that God has not blessed them with anything. However, when you look at them, they are physically strong, and they cannot even remember they were sick. We often lament about many things, but we do not take time to count the blessings we have received from God.
Jesus always wanted his disciples and the people who were following him to be active participants of the Kingdom of God that he was preaching. When he fed the huge crowds with bread, Jesus did not mysteriously produce bread from nowhere, a thing that would have made him a magician; rather he asked them if they had any bread with them. He used the little they had to feed many (Mk 6:32-44). Again, in Cana of Galilee Jesus asked the servants to fill the jars with water before turning it into wine (Jn 2:1-12). Today, the self-proclaimed prophets promise people riches without hard work. They are robbed of their fortunes in broad daylight by preachers whose home addresses they do not know. If things do not work out as promised, they tell you that you are possessed by demons that need to be exorcised, of course at a price.
Dear friends let us not be deceived. Let us active believers and utilize well the gifts and talents that God has given and bear fruits for ourselves and for all those around us. What is my talent? Am I using it in the right way?
Have a blessed Sunday.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 