The Mission is the Lord’s (HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER MAY 2023

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER

Acts 20:17-27; Ps.68; John 17:1-11a

The Mission is the Lord’s

Both the first and the gospel readings of today contain farewell speeches. In the first reading, Paul, on his way back to Jerusalem where he will experience imprisonment and trials, called to himself the elders of the Church at Ephesus and addressed them. He did this because, when he departs, the elders will be responsible for shepherding the local Church. Paul began his address not just by reminding them of what he has taught them but of how he has lived amongst them. He was confident that he has fully bore on himself the tenets of the gospel such that imitating him was tantamount to imitating Christ.

I find this very striking! Paul was always conscious of the fact that the mission was not he’s but the Lord’s; meaning that someday, he will not be in the picture. Hence, he consciously groomed to maturity Christians who will be able to continue the mission. This means that in the course of his missionary endeavor, he was not using God as an instrument to draw the people to himself, rather he acted as an instrument to draw people to God.

In the course of His prayer for the disciples in the gospel, Jesus said that He has given eternal life to all whom the Father gave Him. This eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Just like Paul, Jesus is confident that He has been true to the mission entrusted to Him by the Father.

We are already anticipating the Holy Spirit. It is all too easy for us to be carried away by the euphoria of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and forget to put things in right perspective. When the Spirit is re-energized again in us, a mission is automatically entrusted to us - the mission to make disciples of all nations. But we must be careful not to forget that we are earthen vessels bearing the gift of God’s grace. The good works that will accompany our lives of witnessing does not mean to say that “we are powerful”, rather they speak of the glory of God.

The mission is all about Christ not us. It is Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. A time will surely come when we will leave the scene. Therefore, if you are finding it difficult to handover office/power, you need to ask yourself if you have done well at all; that is, if you have been serving yourself rather than God. If you fear being taken away from where you stand and you do all within your power to secure that space, know that you are no longer serving but have idolize yourself.

It is not for you to decipher whether those coming after you will perform as much as you have performed. The owner of the vineyard knows what type of labourer he needs at every point in time. If you have done well you will be confident to say like Paul: “I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God”. Be responsible with the gift that the Spirit will give to you.