Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Constructed with Joyous Duty”
Habakkuk 1: 12-2: 4/ Psalm 37: 1-9/2 Timothy 1: 1-10/ Luke 17: 5-10
Bishop Ariel P. Santos
In the Old Testament reading, Habakkuk says to record the vision so people can read it, listen to it, and watch it so that people can observe it. The prophet continues to say that though it tarries and it delays, we wait. One translation says that even if it is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently for it will certainly come to pass. He continues to say, “Those who are too proud to heed the message will not survive and the righteous will live, be preserved and saved by their faithfulness, loyalty and reliability.”
In the NASB, it says that the righteous shall live by faith because the standard is faith, and we live by this standard. The context in this is that the righteous will live BECAUSE of their faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, steadfastness and reliability. This is the reason that the righteous will live a full life - not just the standard but it leads to fullness of life. It is not just faith because of mental assent or intellectual agreement about something. It is neither positive thinking or forcing ourselves for an affirmative result of what we believe. We claim, “I will get healed. I will get an Iphone. My basketball team will win.” This is positive thinking and we think this is faith. No, faith means faith-fullness because the fullness of faith is faith-fulness. Our faith is full when we are faithful. When we have faithfulness, our faith reaches its fullness.
Sometimes, God grants us our petitions, and sometimes it is not granted. We may receive favors from God, but what if not? What if our faithfulness, our commitment or our service are not rewarded? What if they don’t bear fruit? We are to wait patiently. Job and St. Paul are examples. Job was a blameless man but horrible things happened to him, and the solution did not come right away for him to be restored. Paul was told by God, through Ananias, how much he will suffer for His namesake. Paul had a thorn in the flesh and prayed several times that it may be removed, but God did not answer him. Both Job and Paul remained steadfast and faithful despite all.
Hebrews 11 is a chapter about the heroes of the faith. Twice it was said that all of these heroes of the faith died in faith without receiving the promises of their commitment. The first was in verse 13 says, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance.” The second time was in verses 39-40. “All these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” One day, all of us will receive the promise in the way that eye have not seen nor ear have heard, but even if the promise is fulfilled after our lifetime, the joy of the next generation will be our joy.
If parents provide for their children’s education and they graduate, will the parents ask something in return for what they put in? When children triumph in their lives, it is also the joy and triumph of the parents. The promise that is fulfilled in their children’s lives is the same fulfillment that the parents have. They are one and apart from each other, they cannot receive the promise.
Hebrews 1 says, “Faith is the substance of things we hoped/prayed for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.” We pray, “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This has not happened yet, but someday, the fullness of God’s kingdom will be revealed. But even before it is seen, even before the knowledge and the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth as the waters covers the sea, even before every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord, we, Christians, already manifest the substance and the evidence of this Kingdom coming one day. This is the definition of faith.
Faithfulness is spending our whole life steadfastly serving the Lord whether we receive recognition or reward or not, to the end, till death. The phrase ‘for life’ means until eternity. Think about it in this way: for fullness of life. We obey God because it brings fullness of life. The phrase ‘for good’ means forever. We obey God for our good. A husband loves his wife for the good of their marriage. “CEC for LIFE” just doesn’t mean that we are pro-life but we are also CEC for our whole lifetime. It is fullness of life when we are faithful and steadfast.
Looking in to Psalm 37, its salient points are the following:
1. Do not be upset or worry about evildoers. Evildoers are everywhere because we are sinners. We offend each without probably intending to do it. We are not to worry about it because Jesus is Lord. Jesus loves the sinners. He makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
2. Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land; stay put; commit and where we are planted, cultivate faithfulness.
3. Wait patiently for Him. Hebrews 11 says that we are in this for the long haul; it is not instant. Some good things don’t come instantly so be patient.
4. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Why do we get angry? We blame others for a situation and it leads only to evil doing.
5. Those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land, the earth and the promise.
The heroes of the faith died doing all of these and they waited patiently without seeing the promise.
In Luke 17:5-10, the servants worked in the field under the heat of sun, but going back to his master’s home, he was expected to prepare his master’s meal only after bathing. Then, he needs to serve his master and clean-up. Then and then only can the servant eat on a separate room and then sleep. Doing this, an appreciation will never be heard from his master because Jesus says this should be our attitude: to do what is expected from us, not expecting a ‘thank you.” We are servants of God, but our attitude should be that of the servant. Jesus, although He was the Son of God, took the form of a bond-servant even to the point of death. This attitude should motivate us. What should keep us going is zeal, and the joy to do God’s will. Even if there is conflict and opposition against all odds, we are not moved. Our service is based on our love for our God and our thanksgiving to Him.
God has poured into our lives every spiritual blessing and everything pertaining to life and godliness has been given to us. He gave His life, what more could He give! Always bear in mind, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want anything, even a thanks from Him.” We should be the one giving thanks to God for He has blessed us abundantly. Obedience is the expression of this thanks. Obedience is not to earn God’s blessings. God wants His will to become for us more and more an initiative and less and less an obligation; more and more a joy and less and less a duty. We grow in this and it is a process. It doesn’t mean that we will have a duty in all; it means that we will have a fulfillment, not a burden.
There are three levels of motivation of obedience:
1. Fear of consequence. We obey because of fear.
2. Return, reward or incentive when we obey. Do we give tithe because we will get a hundred-fold?
3. Obeying out of love – seeking the good of another.
What then is our motivation? Why are we faithful? Why do we serve? Why do we commit ourselves?
Compliance is not obedience. Do not conform or submit just because it is required but because we delight to do so. Psalm 40 says, “I delight to do Your will and Your will is within my heart. My food (sustenance and satisfaction) is to do the will of Him Who sent Me.”
In reflection, were we more disciplined before as members of this Church? Were we committed more before? Were we more punctual in coming to Church before? If this is true, was it because of a fear of punishment or consequence? Did we tithe and give beyond before? If we did, is it because we were taught that we will prosper when we did this?
The standard was not lowered! The discipline and the excellence were not lowered. The only difference between now and before is that nobody is threatening us anymore. Maybe, we needed the discipline before. Now, it is supposed to be written in our hearts – not only in stone, in Cannons, or in the Bible – but in our hearts because of love. If anything, the standard was raised. We need to level up! We obey because we delight to do the will of God for His law is within our hearts.
1John 4:18-19, “There is no fear; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because He first loved us.” We love not because God threatens us or rewards us. We love because He first loved us, thus, we voluntarily respond in love. God’s kindness leads us to repentance. We obey God because we are thankful for His love. We obey God not because we are afraid of His wrath but because of love. We obey not because we are after what’s in it for us but because of love.
We live by this standard. We live full lives because of this standard. It is not just faith but loyalty, commitment, steadfast and reliability. These are what we lived by and the reason we live, and because this is the way it is in the kingdom of our God.
