PUT GOD FIRST: YOU WILL SURELY BE REWARDED (13th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year A)

Last Sunday, Jesus instructed us never to fear people who can only kill the body but to fear God, who alone can destroy both soul and body in hell. Like Jeremiah, we are often discouraged from proclaiming the Gospel, but we should not allow fear to prevent us from responding to our divine call. Jesus warns that if we are ashamed of Him on earth, He will be ashamed of us in Heaven. While fear can be a stumbling block in our proclamation of the Gospel, attachment to family members (love for material possessions and earthly riches) can also be a stumbling block in our mission. Hence in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells us: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38) Is Jesus’ instruction a contradiction of the commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves? What exactly does Jesus mean by taking up our cross and coming after him? What do we even stand to gain from denying ourselves to follow Jesus? These are some of the questions we shall try to answer as we consider today’s lessons: 1. Seek First God’s Kingdom The summary of last Sunday’s and this Sunday’s Gospel passages is: Seek God’s kingdom first. To be missionaries at all, we must put God first. If God does not come first, our attempt to evangelise would be fruitless, as we would find ourselves compromising to fulfil other obligations. When Jesus asked a young man to follow him, and he gave the excuse of going to bury his father, Jesus said to him: “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60) 2. Seeking God First Always Requires a Sacrifice Seeking God’s kingdom first entails dying to sin and walking in righteousness. This is what St. Paul teaches us in our second reading today. “So you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11). Whenever we are faced with temptation, we are made to choose between doing what God desires and doing what the devil desires, a choice between obeying God and satisfying our bodily craving for pleasure. Of course, this is never an easy choice to make. Jesus says we are not worthy of following Him unless we are willing to carry our crosses and deny ourselves pleasures, cravings, and even material comforts. If the only reason we are serving God is to take from God, if there is nothing we are sacrificing on our part, we will soon fall away when these goodies we seek are not forthcoming. 3. There is always a Reward for Seeking God First As much as seeking God first comes at a cost, it never goes unrewarded. As the Psalmist puts it: “He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6). Whatever good you do for the sake of God, even if it is as little as giving someone a cup of water to drink, there is a reward that awaits you. Jesus also speaks of a prophet’s reward, a righteous man’s reward and a little child’s reward. This takes us to our first reading. In appreciation for the house she built, Elisha thought of how to say “thank you”, and when Gehazi told him she had no child, Elisha assured the woman that she would embrace a son. Dear friends, the reward we get for serving God is always greater than whatever sacrifices we make. The story of the woman of Shunem resembles that of Abraham. Although God had promised him a child, the promise became a reality when Abraham hosted three Angels sent by God. Abraham only saw them passing when he ran from his tent to meet them. He told them they must come into his house and freshen up before continuing their journey. Abraham hurriedly prepared a meal for them and served them. The Angels were so delighted with Abraham’s show of hospitality that they said: “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:10) Conclusion: Give Thanks to God Always Above all, as our Psalmist today sings, we must sing forever of God’s mercies. That is, we must never stop singing praises to God. The more we sing to God, the more we realise He has done so much for us and that our troubles are very light for Him. Even our constant singing reminds us to seek God first in all we do. “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:33). Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: 2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16, Ps. 89:2-3,16-19, Romans 6:3-4,8-11, Matthew 10:37-42) @Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu