‘A prophet wants to be heard, not admired’

Below is a homily delivered recently by Reverend Father Kingsley Asphall, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, St Andrew.

1 Kings 17:10-16

St Mark 12:38-44

From the beginning of his public life, Jesus came into conflict with the representatives of the religious institution, the scribes and the Pharisees.

They called him a heretic and Jesus called them thieves and robbers, who had turned the temple into a den of thieves.

Today’s Gospel begins by presenting Jesus’ attack against the scribes.

During the exile in Babylon, there was no longer a temple, and, therefore, the scribes gathered the people to listen to the reading from the Torah – the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures (the Pentateuch).

When they returned from Babylon, the scribes became the official interpreters of the Word of God.

Jesus denounced their behaviour: “They like to go around in long robes” to attract everyone’s attention. Jesus could not stand these comedies.

A person united to God, to God’s thoughts, to God’s feelings, never worried about attracting attention to be admired.

A prophet wants to be heard, not admired. To distinguish themselves from others and to show their superiority, these spiritual and religious leaders used special attires.

It’s a pathetic way of begging for attention, of seeking vain glory.

The scribes of Jesus’ time are no more, but do we notice pharisaic behaviours today in our church communities?

How often do we come cross people who try to enhance their personal glory by adding honorary titles to their names and by demanding the bowing and hand-kissing?

THE GREATEST RANKING

If there is a ranking in the Church, the greatest ranking should be given to the disabled, the poor, the needy, and the sinner, because they were ones who became friends of Jesus.

Anything that created separations and division among people angered the Lord.

The only time Jesus speaks of condemnation is against people who created divisions in the community.

And every church community has such persons, there is a ministry of contention, ministry of division, they set out to divide parishioner against parishioner, one group against another group, parishioner against pastor.

Today’s passage is a caution for the clergy and leaders of the Church who cause divisions in the community on account of rites, rituals, traditions, on account of who can get the better material gifts, who can get the well to do members of their communities in their camps, on account of talents, rich, poor, low class, middle class, upper class or no class at all.

Brothers and sisters, we are living in perilous times that require us to dig deep in our faith as Christians.

What transpired recently in Montego Bay in what has been called a cult grouping and referred to as a church, is a blot on Jamaica.

The effects, which have shocked Jamaicans around the world, are far reaching as it has also impugned the reputation of the Church in Jamaica as a whole.

HORRIFIC NEWS

The activities described in various news reports are horrific and attempt to associate the community with Christian worship, which seemed to be the cover used by the leadership of the group over the years.

The terrible events reported at the compound come at a time when churches have been struggling to weather the severe social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has restricted church attendance, caused numerous deaths of friends and family, and sown fear and distress over the entire world.

It’s not clear exactly what the grouping in St James was indeed worshipping, but as Christians we must be unequivocal, rejecting any notion that this could have been a church of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

That was not a Christian community.

The reports which have dominated the news cycle for days and still continuing, have left many Jamaicans in disbelief and demoralised that this could happen in a God-loving and God-fearing Christian nation like ours.

But I think that this is a wake-up call and it requires us as a people of God, as a Christian nation, not only to condemn such activities when the cup overflows, but to be alert as citizens to this type of would-be religious terrorism and exercise wisdom in our associations with those who seek to offer spiritual leadership.

There is always enough for everyone’s need, but never enough for everyone’s greed.

People are searching, people are hurting, people have stopped practising their faith, people’s faith need to be strengthened.

Many Christians have already been left speechless and demoralised by the challenges of the pandemic, in particular, the many deaths over the last two years.

This is a time for Christians of all walks of life to redouble efforts to support each other and reach out to the poor, sick and lonely and those severely challenged by the many trials of daily life.

Now more than ever, we need to encourage Christians to draw closer to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the solid rock on which we stand …. and not to allow the repercussions of the challenging health and economic times to affect our faith; and resolve to serve the one true and living God.

Unless we stand on Christ the solid rock, all other ground will be sinking sand.