Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B

# Today’s Gospel shows us Jesus teaching as a man of authority, not like the scribes in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Sabbath. For us who only know his teaching through the testimony of those who knew him, what authority does what Jesus said in the past have for us today ? What does it mean to be authoritative ? In the Gospel, if the word of Jesus is authoritative, it is because Jesus is totally in tune with his word. There is no distance between what he says and what he is. He is in his word, he is the Word. Today the Word of God is authoritative for me in the sense that it guides and directs my life. It is the meditation on this Word that gives me the main guidelines for my life.

This Word is authoritative for me in the sense that I humbly strive to conform to it, even if with many failures. This Word is also authoritative in the way I receive it. We must also pass it on so that it is a path for others. Eternal life is perceived differently by different peoples throughout the ages and religions. In Neolithic times, people believed in the existence of the soul, a principle different from the body. They built monumental monuments where they kept the bodies, matrices of the soul. The chamber under the dolmens was closed by a door with a hole through which the spirits of the buried bodies could escape. Isis, as the wife of Osiris, is the goddess associated with funeral rites.

After finding thirteen of the fourteen body parts of her beloved, who had been killed and slaughtered by her jealous brother Set, she gave him the breath of eternal life and bore him a son, Horus. In order to enjoy eternal life, the Egyptians needed to keep their bodies and names intact. Judaism proclaims the perpetuity of the soul; eternal life is one of the foundations of Jewish belief. The world to come, or Olam haBa, is closely related to Jewish eschatology and messianism. The New Testament refers to eternal life 43 times; the author who mentions it the most is the Apostle John (17 mentions in his Gospel, 6 in his first epistle).

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John

At that time Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. Many of his disciples listened to him and said: ‘This is a difficult word! Who can listen to it?’ Jesus knew for himself that his disciples were grumbling against him. Then he said to them : «Does this offend you? And when you see the Son of Man ascending to the place where he was before ». It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is capable of nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ‘But there are some among you who do not believe. Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelievers were and who would betray him. He added: ‘This is why I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is given to him by the Father’. From that moment, many of his disciples turned back and stopped accompanying him. Then Jesus said to the Twelve : ‘Do you also wish to leave? Simon Peter answered : « Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God ». (Jn 6:60-69) 

The defection of some disciples

Up to this point, Jesus had been arguing with the Jews, who were more or less against his teaching. Now he left the synagogue, followed by his disciples, and some of them took action. A crisis of faith occurred among them. These disciples, in great numbers, followed him from place to place to hear his word and witness his works. One day Jesus was able to choose seventy of them to send on mission (Lk 10, 1). For many, the end of the speech was beyond the measure of their intelligence and strength. Their comment : « This word is hard » did not only mean that they found it difficult to understand, but rather impossible to accept : who can listen to it and put it into practice ? These disciples took Jesus’ last words literally and materially like the Jews; but they found an obstacle in the thought that Jesus had to suffer and die for the life of the world and that they themselves had to appropriate the fruits of his death through a mysterious communion with him This scandalised them.

This prospect was always a source of scandal for the Jews and also for the apostles, before they received the divine Spirit. It is no different for many today. Jesus knew in himself the secret murmurings of the disciples; he saw at once that they were caused by a failure of their faith : « Does this scandalise you, is it an occasion for you to fall and defect ? » « What if you saw the Son of Man ascend to where he was before ? » (Jn 6, 62): Did Jesus mean that they were then scandalised more, or that they then ceased to be scandalised ? This is the question that has divided the interpreters.

Some, considering that Jesus could not ascend to heaven except by passing through profound humiliation and through the death of which he spoke, thought that he meant to say to his hearers : « There you will find a much greater reason to be scandalised ». Others, concentrating exclusively on the idea of Christ’s ascension and glorification, thought that he was bringing to his hearers the prospect of a time when it would be easier for them to understand the spiritual meaning of his words, to believe in him, in a word, to stop being scandalised by this outcome for many of Jesus’ disciples who, until then, had not believed in him.

But was it the same for men who, in the present situation, found in Jesus’ words only an occasion for scandal and falling away? Was it easier for them to understand and accept the person of Christ in his spirituality, when he was separated from them and they had to walk by faith and not by sight ? Could Jesus give this encouragement, this promise, to listeners who saw his miracles, heard his words, yet abandoned him ? ‘Since the words I tell you are spirit and life, the reason for the scandal they cause you is not in them, but in your unbelief’.

Jesus softens this accusation, reducing to a few the number of those who refuse to believe in him, to accept him as he had just presented himself to them in this John gives an explanation: Jesus was not surprised by this crisis of faith of his disciples, he had expected it, he had seen it in their hearts beforehand. He knew from the beginning who were the people who did not believe and who was the one who had betrayed him. What does the word ‘from the beginning’ mean ? Most interpreters believe that it means the moment when Jesus started his ministry and began to gather disciples. At that time, Jesus did not yet know them. The abandonment of a large number of disciples caused Jesus deep sadness ; but he also knew that a purge had to take place among those who had attached themselves to him, and he was not so much concerned with numbers as with the sincere faith and absolute devotion of those who followed him in his humiliations.

That is why he asked the twelve apostles he had chosen this serious and solemn question : « Do you also want to leave ? » Jesus wanted to test them and provoke a full decision in them, because he was asking for a people with a frank will. He knew them well enough to know that all but Judas would remain faithful to him, and he had no doubts about their answer, but he wanted to hear it from them, because Peter’s beautiful profession was to help strengthen their faith. Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life’ (Jn 6:68) : these words were a cry of the soul, and Peter uttered them with full persuasion, holy enthusiasm, and ardent love for Jesus.

Peter had already experienced that the words of Jesus were words of eternal life, which contained and communicated to the soul the imperishable life of heaven. He confirmed the declaration of Jesus that he had heard : « The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life ». This affirmation of the objective truth of Jesus’ words was made with an intimate certainty based on personal experience. Peter’s confession is the same one that took place, according to the synoptics, at Caesarea Philippi. Such was Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession ! With what deep sorrow Jesus had to utter these words! John did not want his readers to have the slightest doubt about the disciple designated by Jesus ; and, sharing Jesus’ sorrow, he called him Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.

In turn, he could not help but point out this terrible contrast : « One of the twelve would have betrayed him ! ». John was not struck by this contrast until later, because at the time of Jesus’ declaration, of the disciples knew who he was talking about, and they only knew at the moment when Judas carried out his betrayal. The uncertainty in which Jesus left them contained a formidable warning for all.

Deacon Michel Houyoux

Links to other Christian sites

◊ frcanicenjoku : click here to read the paper → Homily for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B

◊ Society of African Mission : click here to read the paper → Homily for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024, Year B

 ♥ Video Father Mikes’ Homily : click here → https://youtu.be/DC5Ili-4lyU

Jeudi de la vingtième semaine du Temps Ordinaire – Année Paire

 

De l’Évangile de Jésus Christ selon Matthieu

En ce temps-là, Jésus se mit de nouveau à parler aux grands prêtres et aux anciens du peuple, et il leur dit en paraboles : « Le royaume des Cieux est comparable à un roi qui célébra les noces de son fils.» Il envoya ses serviteurs appeler à la noce les invités, mais ceux-ci ne voulaient pas venir.     Il envoya encore d’autres serviteurs dire aux invités : « Voilà : j’ai préparé mon banquet, mes bœufs et mes bêtes grasses sont égorgés ; tout est prêt : venez à la noce.» Mais ils n’en tinrent aucun compte et s’en allèrent, l’un à son champ, l’autre à son commerce ; les autres empoignèrent les serviteurs, les maltraitèrent et les tuèrent. Le roi se mit en colère, il envoya ses troupes, fit périr les meurtriers et incendia leur ville.

Alors il dit à ses serviteurs : « Le repas de noce est prêt, mais les invités n’en étaient pas dignes.  Allez donc aux croisées des chemins : tous ceux que vous trouverez invitez-les à la noce.» Les serviteurs allèrent sur les chemins, rassemblèrent tous ceux qu’ils trouvèrent, les mauvais comme les bons, et la salle de noce fut remplie de convives. Le roi entra pour examiner les convives, et là il vit un homme qui ne portait pas le vêtement de noce. Il lui dit : « Mon ami, comment es-tu entré ici, sans avoir le vêtement de noce ? » L’autre garda le silence. Alors le roi dit aux serviteurs : «Jetez le, pieds et poings liés, dans les ténèbres du dehors ; là, il y aura des pleurs et des grincements de dents. »  Car beaucoup sont appelés, mais peu sont élus.  (Mt 22, 1-14)

Nous sommes tous invités

«Le Royaume des Cieux est comparable à un roi qui célébrait les noces de son fils» Dieu rêve d’un banquet universel pour toute l’humanité, un festin vraiment royal, une fête.. La célébration de ce dimanche nous invite à nous souvenir que nous sommes les invités du Seigneur. Dieu invite toujours : «Heureux les invités au repas du Seigneur»   Lorsque des noces étaient imminentes, dans la tradition des invitations du Moyen-Orient ancien, il y avait deux invitations : la première qui annonçait qu’il allait y avoir des noces, la deuxième pour chercher les invités.

Les premiers serviteurs envoyés sont ceux qui annoncent la fête, et beaucoup parmi les prévenus, nous dit l’évangile, n’en ont cure : «Ceux-ci ne voulaient pas venir.» La deuxième invitation se faisait en allant chercher les invités : on leur avait laissé le temps de se préparer et en plus, on les emmenait. Là, la deuxième série des serviteurs se fait même tuer : «Ils n’en tinrent aucun compte, et s’en allèrent, l’un à son champ, l’autre à son commerce ; les autres empoignèrent les serviteurs, les maltraitèrent et les tuèrent»

Il suffit de mettre quelques exemples précis, choisis dans notre quotidien, sous les mots de jadis pour découvrir que Jésus décrit très exactement l’état de notre monde.  Par exemple : «Comment voulez-vous que je participe à la messe paroissiale le dimanche, je n’ai que ce jour-là pour faire du sport» ou encore : «C’est le jour où nous sommes souvent partis.» ou encore : «Je dois encore faire mes devoirs et étudier mes leçons pour demain lundi»

Ne donnons pas à Dieu la dernière place ! Tant d’autre voix couvrent ses appels. Le prophète Isaïe, il y a plus de 2700 ans, au 8ième siècle avant Jésus Christ, nous invitait déjà grand festin messianique : «Ce jour-là, le Seigneur Dieu de l’univers, préparera pour tous les peuples de la terre, sur sa sainte montagne, un festin de viandes succulentes et de vins délicieux.»  Dans la première lecture, Isaïe décrit la grande fête de millions de croyants : «Ce jour-là, le Seigneur Dieu de l’univers enlèvera le voile de deuil qui enveloppait tous les peuples, et le linceul qui couvrait toutes les nations. Il détruira la mort pour toujours. Le Seigneur essuiera les larmes sur tous les visages. Ce jour-là sera un jour de joie pour ceux et celles qui auront misé leur vie sur Dieu et qui auront vécu dans l’espérance.»

Puisque ceux qui furent appelés ne répondirent pas à l’invitation qui leur fut faite, il y eut une invitation pour tout le monde, l’appel est universel. Les élus ce sont toutes les personnes qui entendent cet appel, et personne n’est exclu, quel que soit son lieu d’origine, quelles que soient ses idées, sa race, ses convictions : «Allez donc aux croisées des chemins : tous ceux que vous rencontrerez, invitez-les au repas de noce.» 

 Les serviteurs allèrent sur les chemins, rassemblèrent tous ceux qu’ils rencontrèrent, les mauvais comme les bons, et la salle de noce fut remplie de convives. Répondons, frères et sœurs, aux multiples appels du Christ qui nous sont transmis par l’Évangile, par l’Église, par les rencontres de notre vie. Dieu invite tout le monde, sans aucune discrimination et il privilégie même les pauvres, les marginaux, les laissés pour compte. Nous sommes tous invités à la noce ! Cependant, comme toute invitation, l’invitation que Dieu nous adresse se heurte à notre liberté. Choisir d’être de la noce ou de ne pas en être. Choisir ! C’est bien à cela que nous pousse l’évangile de ce jour.

Diacre Michel Houyoux

Liens avec d’autres sites chrétiens sur Internet

◊ Radio Don Bosco – Fandraisana : cliquez ici pour lire  l’article → Jeudi, Vingtième Semaine du Temps Ordinaire — Année Paire

◊ Vie Chrétienne : cliquez ici pour lire l’article → jeudi, 20ème semaine du temps ordinaire – Homélie

♥ Vidéo Invités à la noce → https://youtu.be/Px4JzXSX64A