HOMILY OF MONDAY 11TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: AVOID OPPRESSION
BY: Fr. Karabari Paul
“And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”
According to Numbers 33:54 and Joshua 13-19, the land of promise had been divided among the children of Israel and each family’s division was to be kept in perpetuity (see Leviticus 25:23–the provisions for the sabbatical year). In the First Reading of today (1 Kings 21:1-16), Ahab’s offer asked Naboth to forsake his birthright, his own inheritance from God, for the mere sake of a whim of the king. When Naboth refused to grant the King’s desire, Jezebel orchestrated Naboth’s death based on false accusations of cursing God and the king. Jezebel didn’t carry out the action by herself. There were ready agents, and the agents of wickedness are still in our world.
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This is a tale of a wealthy and powerful person (Ahab) oppressing a weak and helpless subject (Naboth) to the point of death. Wealth doesn’t necessarily cure greed. Self-centeredness and greed are pervasive in our world, especially among those who have power over others. May the story of Ahab and Naboth be a constant reminder to each of us of our responsibilities to those who are less able than us to defend and care for themselves.
Sometimes, we are never contented with what we have. We still go after those who have less than we do, just to get what rightly belongs to them. God hates oppression. And wickedness has a bad result. To stay safe, we must beware of the evil advice of the many Jezebels around us. It’s may sound good to follow them, but we may end up at the slaughter-bench. Life gives us what we give to others. Avoid oppression. God sees the deeds of men and women. The weak and poor may not stand against our oppressive actions, but it doesn’t mean we are free. We may destroy human beings but can’t destroy the consequences. No matter how golden is the offer from the wicked, defend your inheritance in Christ Jesus. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God bless you and your household always through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning
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