22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
Joshua 24:1-2a.15-17.18b Ephesians 5: 21-32 John 6: 60-69
Theme: Obedience to God
In the first reading for this Sunday, we see Moses admonishing the Israelites about the need for them to keep the statutes of the Lord. The commands he has given them, to guide and to direct them and their actions as it concerns their relationship with God and with one another. As he admonishes them, he is equally saying the same thing to you and me as children of God. We are encouraged to keep the statutes and laws of God in our daily lives.
The law of the Lord which Jesus came and summed up as love of God and love of neighbour. How well are we living it out in our daily lives? If we live it according to the admonition of Moses in today’s first reading, it will be more meaningful to us, taking it into consideration what we see in the second reading of today. It encourages us to live out the word of God that we hear and preach to others in our lives. By so doing, we will be sowing seeds that will stand the test of time. Seeds that will impact on the lives of those who encounter us. Let the love of God and neighbour, guide your actions and God will richly bless everything that concerns you.
Dear friends in Christ, we are also encouraged to live a life that is in harmony with the word of God that we preach and hear. As children of God, we are not just hearers of the word of God, we should also practice the word of God in our lives. With this harmony in our lives, it is easier to impact positively in the lives of those who encounter us.
In the gospel reading, Jesus admonishes us to guide against hypocrisy, because it is evil and misleading. It does not present the true situation of things and can be very misleading. As children of God, we are all encouraged to do all within our power to guide against living a hypocritical life. It is a way of life that is not pleasing to God and can easily take us away from attaining salvation at the end of our earthly pilgrimage.
The word of God challenges us today as followers of Christ. what is the quality of your discipleship? If your discipleship were to be a commodity, will people be ready to buy it? How do you handle the word of God that you hear and preach? Are you sincere with it? What makes a great difference in our lives is what we have inside of us, and not the externals. We can present something that is very attractive externally for people to see, while internally what we have will discourage anyone who knows about it. That is why we must take the admonition of Jesus very seriously in today’s liturgy. Try to guide against living a hypocritical life. Let there be harmony between the external that people see and the internal that is known to only you and God. As you strive to do this, may almighty God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.