A Prophet's Reward Homily for the 13th Sunday in ordinary time year A JULY 2023

HOMILY FOR THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

2Kings 4:8-11.14-16a; Ps.89; Rom.6:3-4.8-11; Matthew 10:37-42

 _He who receives you receive me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me_ (Matt.10:40)

A Prophet’s Reward

The gospel reading of today is the concluding part of Matthew chapter 10. The entire chapter contains the mission statement of Jesus. This mission statement is basically in two parts: first, it contains how the disciples must minister to the people. Jesus asked the disciples to preach that the kingdom of heaven is near. He gave them authority to work signs. All these they must do without placing a charge. To keep them focused, he further instructed them not to be concerned about their basic necessities of life. Not because these needs will not arise but because the second part of the mission statement assigns the meeting of these needs as the responsibility of the people towards the minister. It therefore means that this mission statement is not meant for the disciples alone but for all. We are either ministering or caring for the minister or doing both. The readings of today, particularly the first and the gospel readings dwell on the second part of this mission statement.

The method Jesus used in propagating the gospel made him and the disciples become like itinerant teachers who move from place to place teaching. This was not an uncommon experience at that time. But unlike the regular itinerant teachers, Jesus charged his disciples not to charge for their services nor be concerned about their welfare but to rely on the kindness and generosity of the people. They were not even to ask/demand for this generosity but to oblige anyone whose conscience spurs him or her to do the needful. But Jesus also added that anyone who will be gracious enough to show kindness to the disciples will not go unrewarded.

It therefore means that for anyone to get the prophet’s rewards reward, the person must have grown from selfishness to selflessness; from a sense of entitlement to that of gratitude. A selfish person considers only what he/she should receive and never what he/she should give. But when a selfless person receives, with a sense of gratitude, he/she seeks for ways to give in appreciation for what he/she has received. It is such a people that can be moved to observe the needs of the prophets and be moved to meet these needs without being asked to do so. It is not surprising therefore when at the beginning of today’s gospel reading, Jesus said: He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. If we have not prioritized the love of God above every person and thing, we will remain on the level of selfishness with a sense of entitlement. When we allow our personal needs to constitute a reason for our blindness to the needs of others, we are also selfish.

In the first reading, we encountered a wealthy shunammite woman who showed kindness to Elisha. We are not told that there was any extra ordinary encounter between the woman and Elisha that necessitated her kindness. Elisha was not even living in Shunem; he only goes there to evangelize. Of course, the woman must have been evangelized by the general works of Elisha in Shunem. Out of her own volition, she started inviting him to eat some food. This woman would not have been the only wealthy person who benefited from Elisha’s evangelization; but she was a selfless person who received with a sense of appreciation. Her giving to Elisha was so purely motivated that it became a constant gesture towards Elisha. If we are pretending to love, we will not be able to love for long.

We can only imagine how her generosity refreshed Elisha and contributed to the effectiveness of his evangelization at Shunem. She and her husband further provided shelter for Elisha. This woman had no ulterior motive that will constitute a distraction for Elisha. She was simply grateful for the works of God. When you read 2kings 4:8-37, you will find the comprehensive story. Elisha tried to reward this woman but she would ask nothing of him. Yet, she had a big problem – she had no son and her husband was very old. It is always a matter of great distress for wealthy people when they have no children or responsible children to inherit and continue their wealth. Today, people go extra length to have male children for the continuity of their name and possession. Yet, this woman who perceived that Elisha was a man of God, did not bother Elisha with her personal problem.

In the gospel reading, Jesus noted that if we show kindness to a prophet, we shall receive a prophet’s reward. A way to understand this is that the way we treat those who work for God is the same way God treats us. This was clearly demonstrated in the first reading. The woman attended to Elisha without being asked to. God in turn attended to the woman without her asking. The woman went the extra mile of making her generosity consistent and also building a shelter for Elisha. God went an extra mile of causing the woman to have a son even when the husband was already very old.

God did not just bless this woman according but abundantly; He outdid her in generosity. So, after many years, this child of hers died but was brought back to life through the instrumentality of Prophet Elisha. Beloved, there is something about a prophet’s reward that we should strive to get. Kindness to God’s ministers simply means helping them to do their work well. This also entails not constituting a barrier to their holiness and effectiveness. When your priest does well, encourage him; when he makes a mistake, charitably correct him; when he is weak, do not help him to fall; when he behaves or looks unusual, ask him if he’s fine; when he opens up to you, do not take advantage of him or gossip about him. The Priest is Human!

If kindness to a prophet attracts a prophets rewards, so also will evil done to a priest attract an opposite reward. Jesus had already warned the disciples that they are like sheep in the midst of wolves; they will be hated, arrested and killed for being his disciples (cf.Matt.10:16-33) by those who are too selfish to be grateful for anything. Beloved, it is not compulsory that you will be close friend to your priest; you may not even like him as a person; you may prefer the previous priest for one reason or the other. But know that getting your likeness is not the primary duty of the priest but doing his work well. So, on no ground is it justified to harm a priest; do not conceive nor participate in such. If you learn of any of such plan, speak out immediately else you become guilty by silence. He who bites the finger that feeds him will die of hunger. Respect God; treat his ministers well.