October
20, 2019
Readings:
First
Reading: Exodus 17: 8-13
Psalm
121 “Our help is from the Lord, who made
heaven and earth.”
Second
Reading: 2 Timothy 3: 14 – 4: 2
Gospel
reading according to Luke 18: 1-8
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Homily:
Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray
without weary and fervently, without ceasing.
Prayer is the only means of communicating God in thanking him for all
the blessings (good and not so good) we received and in asking our daily
needs. Prayer for us followers of Jesus
Christ means a lot. From the rising of
the sun to its setting, we pray, in the morning and in the evening, we
communicate, converse and connect to God.
“Jesus told his disciples a
parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary”
(Luke 18: 1). In praying there is
nothing to worry about. Our prayers are
answered by God who knows what is better if not best for us. But still, it depends to God how and in what
manner He will answer our prayers. Jesus
told his disciples the importance of prayer to God. Prayer leads us to understand the will of
God, what God wants us to do and to be.
This means to lead us conducting and showing the ways of God and walking
in the truth of God. Prayer disposes us
to love Him with our whole heart, and with our whole soul, and with our whole
mind, our whole being. Do not be ashamed
to ask God, for this is what He wants us to do, to ask (and it shall be given
unto you), to seek (and you shall find), and to knock (and it shall open up to
you).
In his parable, Jesus described two
different characters, the first was a certain judge or lawyer called Dayyaneh Gezeloth which means robber
judges, who did not fear God who is Judge of all and without respect to common
tao in giving decision or verdict to the cases he handled. William Barclay
describes this kind of judge “as one of the paid magistrates appointed either
by Herod or by the Romans. Such judges
were notorious.” “He said, ‘There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God
nor respected any human being’.” (Luke 18: 2). Barclay continued, “Unless the plaintiff had
influence and money to bribe his way to a verdict he had no hope of ever
getting his case settled” (The Daily
Study Bible, “The Gospel of Luke,” 1985, pp. 221-222). He was a dishonorable and disreputable judge.
The other kind of judges is the Dayyaneh Gezeroth who gives judgment
according to the evidences presented and not from hearsay, or money or
influence or without any basis. As long
as he was in the jurisdiction of the law, he believed, he was protected by the
law.
The other character present in the
parable of Jesus was a widow who had a complaint against her opponent to the
judge. “’And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just
decision for me against my adversary’.” (Luke 18: 3). As a plaintiff, she needed a just decision on
her part against her antagonist. We do
not know her complain to the judge, for it was not indicated or mentioned what
was her complaint or accusation. We can
speculate only. Maybe she has a
grievance against her neighbor, naisahan,
naloko, or because she was a widow and poor she was exploited, manipulated
or abused, whatever little thing she has maybe was taken away from her, she was
maltreated, assaulted and attacked, and many other possibilities a poor and at
the same time widow can experienced.
The judge who knew that the widow had a
reason to win her case (may laban),
but with unknown motive, as what Jesus said of him as “dishonest judge,” maybe
he was waiting for bribe, or gift from the widow, he made it slow and created lots of
postponements. But the widow was very
persistent and patient (makulit), and
will not give in to the caprice of that terrible judge. She was determined that she will receive
justice to her case. “’For a long time the judge was unwilling,
but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor
respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver
a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me’.” (Luke 18:
4-5). Every day, morning until night the widow came to that judge’s house to
bring her complaint to his attention. It
took months and almost a year now but nothing happened to her case. It was very slow and lots of postponement in
hearing her case. But because of the
persistence and determination of that poor widow, though unwilling to help and
prolonged the agony of that widow, although in his mind and imagination he knew
what the widow can possibly do to him, and he was pestering by the said widow,
he decided at last to give her what she want – justice, what is due to her.
Jesus told this parable to his disciples
to listen to what this dishonest judge said to himself, “. . . because this widow keeps bothering me I
shall deliver a just decision for her, . . .” he gave in to the widow’s
plea. “The Lord said, ‘Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his
chosen ones who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them’?” (Luke 18: 6-7). The same with our
God and Judge of all yet merciful Father, He listens to our pleas, to our
prayers, and our needs. What kind of God
is He if He cannot give to His children/creatures what they are asking for? How
God is without power to give what is the best to his children/creatures? Why He became our God and Father if He cannot
give what is good to us, His children?
Here, we can quote what St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans said, “You, O man, are without excuse, every one of
you who passes judgment. For by the
standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge,
do the very same things. We know the judgment of God on those who do such
things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such
things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?? Or do you hold his priceless kindness,
forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would
lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2: 1-4).
St. Paul also encourages us not to judge others because we too do the same
mistakes, the same sins others do and we need also to pray for the forgiveness
of our sins and mistakes. Jesus told his
disciples and us that God listens to all of us sinners and saints, and He never
passes judgments immediately.
In prayers, we will be answered and
rewarded immediately, without delay, what we need only is patience endurance
and constantly waiting. It will come
sooner or later, as a song goes to say “basta’t
maghintay ka lamang.” “’I tell you, he will see to it that justice
is done for them speedily. But when the
Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth’?” (Luke 18: 8). St. Paul continued, “. . . for the day of wrath and revelation of the
just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works, eternal
life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in
good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and
obey wickedness. . . .. There is no partiality with God” (Romans 2: 5-8). The
problem with us is we easily forget especially when we already received what we
asked for, like the ten (10) lepers who were cure from their diseases yet only
one (1) returned and gave thanks. Jesus
is worrying about the conditions of his disciples when he is already gone. Can they/we wait for his second coming
patiently? Can we continue praying and
believing that everything is possible with Jesus Christ inspite of his absence
but his Spirit is present and always with us?
Do we not stop praying despite many problems, struggles, and challenges
coming on our way? Can he (Jesus Christ)
find us watching and waiting, and praying for his return and still finds
faithful disciples/we when he returns in his second coming?
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