TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY FIFTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
Proverbs 21:1-6.10-13
Luke 8: 19-21
THE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA NEEDED TO BELONG TO THE FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a family. It was founded on a special criteria – obedience to the Word of God. Jesus came into the world in obedience to God’s word. In fact, Jesus is the Word of God. He came to fulfil the desire of God, to redeem mankind by his willing sacrifice on the cross in obedience to the Father.
Mary accepted and consented to be the mother of Jesus. He bore Jesus in her womb and brought him forth in the world in obedience to the message of Angel Gabriel. For Mary consented to the desire of God our Father who visited her through angel Gabriel, who requested her to accept the responsibility of becoming the Mother of God. She gave in to this words of God as she declared, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to thy word.”
Joseph was a man of the tribe of David, who was already betrothed to Mary but realized that she was already with a child conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. In his dilemma, Joseph as man would have rejected Mary but by listening and obeying the word of God, he accepted to be the Father of Jesus and took Mary in as her wife, accepting the words of God.
In all these, the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was a family founded on their obedience to word of God. It was not a family of blood relations per sé. It was more a family that had its origin and essence in their right disposition of listening to the word of God and accepting the word of God. In fact, the word of God itself, who is Jesus is the foundation of the family. For the word has taken flesh and dwelt among us.
It should never be difficult for us to know and accept that fact that anyone who wants or desires any form of relationship, closeness and union with Jesus MUST be founded on obedience and total submission to the word of God. The saying of Jesus in today’s gospel message is therefore true and precise, that the criteria for entrance or membership of his family must be “.. those who hear the word of God and do it.”
TO hear, listen and do what the word says, is the core of becoming one with Jesus. For also it is God’s ways that matters, by the way. As the book of Proverbs says it all. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” To follow the word of God is to submit one’s heart to God, to decide to live righteously, to become upright, to strive to overcome wickedness and evil. It is more to be guided by the hands of God, to listen and act on God’s instruction.
The word of God is alife and active,. It is for our instruction and guidance. It is like the lamp that shows us the way to life. It therefore leads and directs our ways.
The family of Jesus are those whose desire is to do the will of God, to act on God’s words, to follow the commands of our God.
Doing the will of God and flowing his command is far beyond the mere keeping of laws. Keeping the word of God require also not just upholding the precepts of the laws but also being sensitive to God’s daily call to act in charity, to be selfless, to live in righteousness, purity and sanctity of life.
All those who sought the Lord and were favoured and granted their request are those who left everything to follow him, who declared faith in him, who actually did his will and he granted them much more than they asked. But remember that that rich young man was the only one who thought that mere keeping of the law is enough. And he was not able to accept the request to go sell his possession and then come back to follow Jesus. He was the one who went away sad. He was not able to fulfil the criteria requested for membership into Jesus family, which is listening daily to God’s words and acting on it and not just mere keeping the laws.
Lord our God, your Word is life. You built the Holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on their acceptance to listen and live out your command. Help us to always listen to your word and act on it. May our heart yearn for your word, our lives seek your counsel, and our will desire and obey promptly all your word so that we may be ever joined to you as members of your family both in this life and the life to come. Through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
