HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF LENT.
THEME: OUR IMAGE OF GOD!
BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)
* Ex 32: 7 – 14, Jn 5: 31 – 47.
The 1st discipline in studying theology is to realize that God is always bigger than whatever image we may have of him. Great theologians like St Thomas Aquinas have been humbled by this realization. When he had a vision of the Eucharistic mystery, he found that all he had written was mere trash and swore never to write again. Even sound sacramental theologians like Rev Fr Dr Aloysius Nwabeke will always tell us in those days in Bigard Seminary that God is not limited to his sacraments to save us. God remains an unpredictable God and that is why theology should never be turned into a science.
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The Jews in the time of Moses would not want to accept this image of an unpredictable God. So, when they needed God and didn’t see him, they quickly made a golden image so that they could domesticate God by a visible image. That was the primitive form of idolatry. The Jews in the time of Jesus also did not want an unpredictable God who could speak through a Carpenter’s Son from Nazareth. They therefore rejected Christ’s claim to be the Messiah inspite of 4 witnesses; John’s witness, witness from the works/miracles he performed, witness of the scriptures and God’s own witness on his day of baptism. Till today, theologians keep questioning things from God or discernment of the true signs of the Holy Spirit with the limitations of their own imaginations of who God is. People keep wanting to have a God who would solve their immediate problems and would quickly resort to idolatry when he is slow to act. According to Robert Wetmore, there are 2 forms of idolatry among Christians today; one is having a true image of a false god and the second is having a false image of a true God. The latter is even more rampant in our midst today.
We need to continue to search the scriptures in order to have the correct image of God as revealed in Christ;
1. As Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us , Jn 1: 14, 2. As Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Jn 1: 29,
3. As Living water that gives eternal life, Jn 4: 14,
4. As Bread of life, Jn 6: 35,
5. As Light of the world, Jn 8: 12,
6. As Good Shepherd, Jn 10: 11, 7. As Resurrection and life, Jn 11: 25,
8. As Way, truth and life, Jn 14: 6,
9. As True Vine, Jn 15: 1 and
10. As King of truth, Jn 18 : 37.
One may know the Bible well and yet be a stranger to Christ and the salvation that He brings. We need to believe more in Christ as we encounter his words everyday and change our image of him otherwise we fall into the same trap of idolatry – having an imaginary God. May God bless you today!
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