Homily For The 30th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C

Homily For The 30th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C Ecclesiasticus 35: 12-14,16-19 /Psalm 34/ 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18/ Luke 18:9-14
AGORSOR AARON AGBESHIE
Theme: humility is demanded at prayer

Our Liturgy for today draws our attention to the need to have the right attitude towards prayer. Humility is demanded at prayer otherwise we only pray to ourselves and a prayer made to oneself cannot see the light of day.

In the first reading, Ben Sirach reminds the man at prayer of divine justice. This justice of God is spelt out clearly when he says that “…do not offer him (God) bribe, for he will not accept it; and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge and with him there is no partiality (Sirach 35:14-15).”

The man at prayer, realizing Yahweh is a God of justice must keep far from himself the thought of bribery and sacrifice without sincerity. He must serve God with his whole heart and such prayer will pierce the clouds where God dwells. He will not be consoled until his prayer has reached that height. Can you imagine man bribing God and yet sometimes in our prayer we appear to bribe God; we become insincere. Ben Sirach warns us to be honest and humble with our dealings with God because a humble and sincere prayer pierces the clouds.


The sincere and humble prayer that the First Reading draws our attention to is what the Gospel reading captures in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. We are told that two men went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee we are told “… stood there and said this prayer to himself, “ I thank you God that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous… and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here…” (Luke 18:11). The text says he said a prayer to himself meaning that he did not pray to God after all. A prayer not prayed to God is useless and avails nothing. Again, he justifies himself before God and even condemns his fellow Jewish man in God’s presence. In fact, he has no idea of Psalm 130:3-4 which says “If you o Lord should mark our iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.”

The Pharisee was swallowed up by his accomplishment and successes and he thought he could please God with his achievements. God is not interested in our accomplishments and successes but in our availability. For Mother Teresa of Calcutta God has not called us to be successful but to be faithful.

Jesus praises the Tax Collector for recognizing the fact that if God should mark our guilt no one will survive. We are called upon to imitate the attitude of the tax collector; an attitude of total dependence on God, humility and reverence for we are told that “This man, went home again at right with God, the other did not (Luke 18: 14a).” The whole essence of prayer is to be at right with God and so if your prayer would rather make God angry, then you are sure that your request will never be answered. What is your own attitude towards prayer?

In the Second Reading, Paul becomes an epitome of the right attitude at prayer. Paul acknowledges that his work has come to an end and he has been faithful to his work but unlike the Pharisee in the Gospel, Paul acknowledges that it was the hand of God at work in him that makes it possible for him to accomplish what he accomplishes and Paul is quick to add that because God is a righteous judge, the reward is also meant for all who remain faithful to their calling for he says, “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day and not only to me but also all who have longed for his appearing” ( 2Timothy 4:7-8). St Paul trusted in God’s providence so much so that he was not perturbed at all about the fact that people betrayed him when he needed them most. For he says “ But I am not ashamed for I know the one in whom I have put my trust and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him” ( 2Timothy 1:12).

We have also come to the Temple to pray and whether we like it or not, there are some Pharisees and Tax collectors among us. I wish to remind you that the entire Mass is a prayer and so sometimes our attitude towards people during Mass leaves much to be desired. For some of us think that we are better than others because of the way we have dressed, our expensive mobile phones, hair do; others think that they are more prayerful than others and so they are better than others; better still, others considering their status think that certain groups of people should not sit by them even in Church and the like. Jesus is telling such people that they are praying to themselves and not to God and such prayers cannot see the light of day.

Again, Jesus invites us to imitate the attitude of the Tax collector. This is because God knows us than we know ourselves. He accepts us for who we are. Narrating our accomplishments to him will not change his mind about us. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever (cf Hebrews 13:8). Indeed, it is not even the words of the Tax collector that won Jesus’ admiration but his humble attitude for Luke says “ But the Tax Collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven but was beating his breast and saying ‘Lord be merciful to me, a sinner!’”(Luke 18:13). Jesus himself gives an example of reverent and humble prayer during his life time for “ In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of reverent submission” ( Hebrew 5:7).

Finally, Jesus is not condemning our successes and accomplishments. He teaches us that humility at prayer is prominent in the life of any Christian. Indeed even if we boast about our success, like Paul, we should acknowledge that it is the Lord’s doing and not because of your own effort or holiness. We must not condemn others because of their situation as the Pharisee did for we are what we are simply because of the grace of God.

In sum, our aim should be service not success for whoever exalts himself would be humble and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. The proud will be humiliated by God on purpose that he (God) cannot hear their prayers.