Homily Twenty-First Sunday of Year A: Fr.
Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Isaiah 22:19-23; · Ps 138:1-3, 6, 8;
· Rom 11:33-36
· Matthew 16:13-20
A God of Surprise and Giver of Keys
Of Responsibilities
Many of us
do not like to be surprised, except with anniversary gifts! But our God is a
God of surprises. To be surprised implies that we have surrendered at least
some of our autonomy(ies). It means events, wonders and amazements have taken place
in which we have little or no control, but only to trust in God. Many of such
events abound in our lives. In those moments, God is at work. He creates and
recreates. He admonishes sinners and welcomes the repentant. He can make king
and has the power too to bring kings down. He promotes and demotes. He
changes sufferings into joy, failures into success, illness into good health,
and death into life. This is true when we take a closer look into today’s Bible
lessons. The Lord entrusted us with the keys to join in building the kingdom.
In the
first reading (Isa 22:19-23), there is a contrast drawn between two court
officials during the time of Hezekiah. They were Shebna and Eliakim. Shabna was
irresponsible, building a tomb for himself, faithless, abusive, unstable,
pompous and selfish (Isa 22:1-18). As a result he was disgraced out of office
(v 19). God surprisingly replaces him with Eliakim, whom he calls his servant
(v 20). Eliakim is a father to the people (v 21), dependable and solid like a
peg. What a surprise from Shebna to Eliakim! We are invited to be
servants of God and of one another.
Above all during
prayers we are challenged to believe in a God of surprises. He surprises us
through others and through daily events and circumstances. Some of them may
initially look ugly. But don’t lose the mystery of hope. Saint Paul reechoes
this surprising nature of God in the second reading (Rom 11:33-36) when he
says: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom, and knowledge of God! How
inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways.”
Similar
elements of divine surprises occur in Matthew’s Gospel today. Who would have
thought that the same would-be “Denying Peter,” during the Passion Week would
surprisingly get the answer put by Christ, “who do people think that I am.”
Surprisingly, ahead of other disciples, Peter got it. He professed Christ as
the Son of the living God (matt 16:6). As a result, and like
Eliakim who was given the symbols of power, the keys of the house of David in
the first reading (Isa 22:23), Peter is divinely entrusted with the keys of
responsibilities: to lead, love, forgive and preach faith and hope. He is
pastorally blessed and confirmed as the rock upon which Christ’s Church shall
be built (vv.18-19).
Each of us
has role to play in using the keys entrusted to us by God for the service of
God and our neighbors. We are to be a rock and a pillar for one another!
Metaphorically,
rocks in rural African families are used for multiple purposes. They are used to
crack or produce kernels (from palms) sold for economic
livelihood of many families. Rocks are also used in most cultures
for homes, offices’, road or bridge constructions to support and sustain
nations and society. In another sense, they are used to build bridges of unity,
forgiveness, reconciliation, and ecumenism, inter- religious or cultural dialogue
and peace much needed today in our world! O course, God is the "Rock of all Ages."
I know when
we experience wars, threats of terrorism, tragedies, civil unrest and other
forms of disorientation, we often succumb to the fallacy that God is not really
interested in our affairs and concerns. We may feel that we are not persons,
only numbers in a gigantic universe. Like Peter and his successors including
Pope Francis, in particular, we are encouraged to trust in God. We are invited to
be our neighbor’s and planet’s rock of hope and support. We are called to be
the rock, keys, and the pillars for our neighboring poor, the immigrants, the
rejected, the homeless, the voiceless, the sick, the needy and the suffering of
our generations.
Reflection Questions:
1.
Do you see yourself in Shebna, Eliakim, or Peter in today’
readings?
2.
How have you been using your keys and your assigned responsibilities
to foster dialogue, unity, protect the planet, family values, love and empowerment
of the poor and marginalized of your faith community?
3.
Name one or two ways you have used the pillars and the rocks
of your gifts to give glory and thanks to God’s name.
