Homily for 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time September 5, 2021 (A classless faith)

By Rev. Rudolf Ofori

In today’s second reading, which comes from the letter of St James, we hear this simple advice: ‘’My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes that the well-dressed man who enters the synagogue, with gold ring glinting its own message, naturally deserves more attention and care than the poor man who enters at the same time. If preference is going to be made, it should reflect the declared preference of God: he chose those who are poor according to the world, to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom he promises.

  God’s preference for those who are poor according to this world is seen clearly in today’s Gospel. Jesus comes face to face with a deaf man who has a speech impediment. The man is doubly afflicted: he is a Gentile, hence regarded by orthodox Jews as unclean, and is also physically disabled. Jesus takes him aside, away from the crowd, and cures his deafness and his stutter. Mark emphasizes the response of the crowd, who publish their judgement that Jesus has done all things well. Thus, the messianic prophecy of Isaiah heard in the first reading is seen to be fulfilled: ‘’the ears of the deaf are unsealed…….and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy.’

Out of his infinite passion Jesus’ love is available to everyone, without any presuppositions or any conditions. He is not disconcerted by the disabled; neither is he prejudiced against those not of his own race or religion. His own uniqueness is not employed to lord it over others, but to be of service to them. In his presence there is no need to hide one’s disability, no one has to remain isolated in a wordless world, no one has to be rejected because of difference. Jesus’ acceptance and love open up new possibilities; for him, nothing is settled. Prejudice, on the other hand, tries to settle everything.

  Jesus knows that people shrink back under indifference, are wounded by prejudice, are hurt when they are rejected. Prejudice handicaps everyone it touches; it allows fear to dress up as social and religious propriety; it sneaks its way into our laws. It is a killer disease. 

It is always good to remember that whoever we meet, God has first loved them. So let us be challenged by the words of wisdom: Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion is to take off our shoes for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on another’s dream. More serious still, we may forget that God was there before our arrival.