SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II 29TH JANUARY 2024

SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II 29TH JANUARY 2024

2Samuel 15:13-14,30;16:5-13a; Ps.3; Mark 5:1-20

God Saves without weighing the Cost

Man is quite selfish, such that in setting priorities, he considers himself first before others. On the other hand, God is love, and so, when God sets priorities, he puts first things first. The gospel reading of today describes an event where the above fact was clearly demonstrated.

The healing of the Gerasene Demoniac is contained in the three synoptic gospels. But the account of Mark is more elaborate because he gave a detailed description of the oppression the demoniac had suffered from the hands of the devil. It was so bad that the best help the people could render (to bind him) proved abortive. Obviously, curing him was something they could not do. When we reflect further on how Mark described the man’s suffering, we can imagine that the man’s case attracted all the pity it could get.

Jesus came into the scene and immediately the demons identified him and submitted to his power. The healing of the man had the consequence of the drowning of a heard of swine. The herdsmen were not oblivious of what happened. They were clearly aware that it were the demons that came out of the demoniac that drowned the swine, with the permission of Jesus.

At this point, the selfishness of man surfaced. The people may have attempted to help the demoniac but when it comes to comparison with their livestock, they will not take such risk. The sight of the man healed meant nothing to them since their swine were drowned. Clearly, they would have preferred that the man remained in his pitiable condition while their investment strived.

We may not be too sure why Jesus did not handle the demons through other less costly means but then the story teaches us that the reign of God in our lives will cause some lost inside of us. The more we allow Jesus to reign over us, the more something else dies in us. Conversion can only take place when we decide to take the risk of dying to ourselves.

Again, the story teaches us that only God’s love is pure and authentic. Be careful not to rely on the help of man at the expense of your absolute trust in God. The world is selfish. Only God will save us without weighing the cost – God will go any length to bring you freedom and happiness. If he could give up his only son for our sake, then a herd of swine is nothing for him to forgo. Indeed, those who trust in the Lord are like mount Zion that cannot be shaken.