SUNDAY, TWENTY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Nm 11: 25-29 Ps 19: 8,10-14 Jas 5: 1-6 Mk 9: 38-48
GOD INCLUDES WHAT MAN EXCLUDES
The truth of God’s omnipotence and the fact that God is bigger than every human assumption and measure and proposal must always be present in our minds. That is the only way to truly understand God and accept His will. May we never be blinded by the elusive perfection of our limitedness that we aim to limit God also within their confines. From today’s liturgy, we see that whatever God has decreed must come to pass in our lives. The logic of Divine Operation is always beyond human comprehension. This calls for humility on all of us to realize in concrete terms that God knows beyond us, individually and collectively, and He sees infinitely farther than we can ever imagine. In every human rule and working principle, there must be the greatest space for God’s exercise of His absolute freedom. One who does not understand this style of Divine Operation will surely misuse his or her God given opportunities and also use them as a means of inflicting pain and suffering on others and as weapons of exploitation and subjugation. Such a person does not understand that the gifts of God were never given to him or her to be above others, but rather to be at the service of others.
In our first reading of today, seventy men were chosen for the blessings of God. However, two out of the seventy men were not present when God poured out this blessing, but that did not stop them from receiving the blessings of God. The blessings came upon them in the same measure it came upon others. This is simply saying to us that the blessings of God go beyond boundaries. The blessings of God cannot be limited. When you are marked for the blessings of God, it meets you wherever you are. No force or power can stop it. Sometimes in our lives we behave like Joshua as a result of jealousy, as a result of envy, we tend to think that whatever is positive, whatever is good in a given situation should come from us. And if it is not coming from us, most times we are not ready to put in all we ought to do to ensure that it sees the light of day. And today Moses had to ask Joshua “are you jealous?” When that happens in our day to day activities, in our lives, in our human relationship, how do we celebrate others when they experience God’s blessings? Are we envious of them or we praise and thank God for them, for the success and blessings that they enjoy? The attitude of Moses in today’s first reading, admonishes us. We have to learn to come to terms with the fact that God decides to use whoever he wants. And we see that also in the Gospel reading of today.
John tells Jesus, somebody is casting out demons in your name, somebody prophesying in your name. And Jesus says “he who is not against us is for us” and for John, they were trying to stop him simply because he was not from their fold. He says he is not among us and we tried to stop him. And Jesus uses the opportunity to enlighten John. That he is not among us does not mean he cannot be used. In the same way, the Lord is saying to us, that God decides to use whoever he wishes. It is possible his choice may not be yours but then it doesn’t stop him from using whoever he chooses.
In the second reading today James admonishes the wealthy, and when we talk about the wealthy there is the temptation to say I am not a wealthy person. We fail to realize that we are all wealthy people in one way or the other. For instance, the good health we enjoy is wealth from God. The gifts God has given us are also wealth because when properly used are sources of wealth. And today James is saying to us that the wealth God has given us must be used positively. They must not be used as instruments of oppression or intimidation. And that is why today we are all enjoined to ensure that the good we enjoy, the wealth we enjoy, the gifts we enjoy, and the health we enjoy are used positively for our good and the good of humanity to the greater glory of God. Therefore, let us ensure we eradicate any form of jealousy from our lives. This is because jealousy is destructive and it breeds hatred, bitterness, anguish and sorrow
Response: The precepts of the Lord are right; they gladden the heart.
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