Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Ezekiel 33:7-9/ Psalm 95/ Romans 13:8-10/ Matthew 18:15-20

THEME: Rebuke and Reconciliation


God is not a tyrant. God is not a slave driver. God is not an old man with a white beard sitting on a throne ready to strike us down whenever we fail him. God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit as an eternal exchange of love. Therefore, the sole reason God created us is to share his eternal bliss and beatitude with us. The greatest longing of man, therefore, is to participate in this eternal exchange of divine love. The readings for today draw our attention to this love of God which is boundless. We are all called to witness to this love by loving.


It is said that the only way we can be taught to love is to be loved. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel is described by God as a sentinel. A sentinel is one who watches or guards; specifically (Military.), a soldier set to guard an army, camp, or other place, from surprise, to observe the approach of danger, and give notice of it. The prophet is that sentinel that does not only watch but saves his people from destruction. He must be that light which will light the dark places of God’s people. He is supposed to be that torchlight that will illumine the conscience of God’s people. God tells Ezekiel, “So you mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give the warning from me” (Ezekiel 33:7).


What was the warning? “If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked ones, you shall surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand” ( Ezekiel 33:8). Apathy and non- involvement have no place in the life of a Christian because of the prophetic dimension of his calling. Today, it is the Prophet Ezekiel who is the centre of affairs. However, he represents all Christians who must be the conscience of society. Where is the prophetic voice in the midst of the decadence in all sectors of our lives as a people?


Indeed, the only way we can be saved is to help others to be saved. In this post- modern era, if man is to fulfill the prophetic dimension of his calling, he must recall two values namely love and will. In a world of sophistication like ours coupled with technological and scientific advancement, human values are under strong attack. We need prophets who will be guided by love and good will to stand in the gap. A case in point is the issue of Homosexual activity and its upsurge in Ghana. People who have such tendencies need Pastoral Care. We need true prophets to tell the world that the act is disgusting but God loves the actors.


It does not really matter if the people we are sent to correct listen to us or not. Ours is to go sow the seed of repentance in hearts and allow the Master of the harvest to do His work. That is why the prophet is always vindicated when he says what he is sent to prophesy. He says, “But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life” (Ezekiel 33:9). It does not matter whether they listen or not. Like God told Ezekiel, “… Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me to this very day… whether they listen or refuse to hear, they shall know that there has been a prophet among them” ( Ezekiel 2:3-5).


St. Paul in the second reading reminds us that we should, “Owe no one anything except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). Such love may demand one going through pain especially when the Christian feels responsible to rebuke and warn against morally harmful patterns of behavior.


Today, the opposite of love is not hatred but apathy. This is what God warns Ezekiel about in the first reading. It is an attitude that makes one not feel for perishing souls; it is the survival of the fittest game.


The Gospel reading presents Christ not only as our example but also assurance that it is safe to risk feeling and caring about others and becoming emotionally entangled with them through a concern that might lead ultimately to censure, rebuke and perhaps separation. Refusing the risk is not only to settle for mediocrity but to miss the whole point of Christianity.


To show that God hates sin but loves the sinner, Jesus gives us practical ways by which we can deal with issues of reconciliation. He says, “If a member of the Church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one” (Matthew 18:15). In a civilized community like our Church, gossip is considered not only appalling but uncivilized. Jesus sets the stage for alternative conflict resolution (ADR). He expects the offended party like He did for us on the cross, to take the initiative to reconcile with the offender and it should be done when the offender is alone. What Jesus emphasises here is the fact that love must be the basis of reconciliation.


True reconciliation must necessarily lead to conversion. However, because of our stubbornness of heart, Jesus says even if the person remains adamant to change, “… let such a one be to you as a gentile or a tax collector (Matthew 18:17b). How did Jesus treat tax collectors and gentiles? He prayed for them; he showed them compassion. Unlike Ezekiel in the Old Testament who was to leave the sinner to perish if he refuses to repent, Jesus demonstrates to us that he never gives up on a sinner. He is a prophet par excellence. This should be the lot of every Christian.


In sum, “No one can live without love” says Blessed John Paul II. This is because “There have been times when we have turned from God’s presence. We have walked other paths, other ways. But we have called on his name in the dark of our shame, and his mercy was gentle as silence (Hymn 357). Jesus is calling on us sinners; he is calling today because he loves us. We are the prophets of our time and our role is to be reconcilers. Let us eschew apathy and be agents of rebuke and reconciliation.