HOMILY FOR 28TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
THEME: HAVE A MOMENT WITH GOD
BY: Rev. Fr. Linus Terhemen Akase
Homily for Sunday October 10 2021
Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalm 90:12-13.14.15.16-17 (R.14); Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30
Our first reading today personalizes wisdom, and attributed to her the highest qualities. This wisdom is the wisdom of the highest order. It is not just cleverness, intelligence, diplomacy, smartness, understanding, etc. but something more than these. In I Cor.1:23-24 St. Paul says that Christ (the Word) is the wisdom of God. And this wisdom is made known to both rulers and authorities of the world through the Church (Eph.3:10). Wisdom is God himself from whom all good things emanate and must return to. Hence nothing can be compared with her. Nothing has value without her and all created things only partake of her beauty and splendour. It is this wisdom that places before us the ability to choose between God and riches (wealth) where some of us prefer riches for God.
In the Gospel passage, we are presented with the story of the rich man who comes to Jesus in order to parade his efforts and get some praises in return. No wonder, he flatters Jesus by saying “Good Master”. Even though Jesus is good but he allows no one to flatter Him in order to win favour from Him. That notwithstanding, Jesus knows everything about this man especially his weakness when it comes to riches. As the Wisdom of God, Christ searches and diagnoses him of only “one thing,” – attachment to his wealth. Having done all things that God wants from the Law, as the man claims, he lacks the ultimate – detachment from wealth. Of course, he must allow the Word and Wisdom of God to penetrate and transform his life. Jesus presents to him two options – first, to go and sell all that he has, distribute the money among the poor and second, to come and follow Him. This young man lacks wisdom. He refuses to know that to possess Jesus who is the wisdom of God is to possess the greatest wealth in the world.
On this day therefore, we are asked to look at ourselves critically in the light of Jesus’ values. If our identity is locked into our possessions, who are we when our possessions are taken from us? We are afraid that if we have nothing, we are nothing. Attachment to our possessions can soon lead to our being possessed by our attachment. When this happens, we are no longer free to accept the invitation of Jesus. Attachment to material goods can steal our freedom to choose. Jesus wants us to enjoy an inner independence, so that who we are will not be dependent on what we have. Detachment from possessions enables us to pay attention to others and Jesus in this Gospel says that we shall have a whole host of brothers, sisters, mothers, and children and land here on earth and be happy with Him in Heaven. Let us therefore free ourselves from all material things that are holding us captives and preventing us from following Jesus as we should. Are you ready to cling to Jesus?
By: Rev. Fr. Linus Terhemen Akase
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