From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
SUNDAY, 17, 2013

Today’s first reading is taken from Mal 3:19-20a. It concerns the day of retribution, of judgment when the Lord will punish the wicked and reward His faithful ones. The book was written to correct the lax religious and social behaviour of the Israelites, particularly the priests in post-exilic Jerusalem.

Malachi is not only criticizing his audience for questioning God’s justice but also reminds them that God is just, exhorting them to be faithful as they await that justice. Being faithful is to give God all that He deserves.

The priests were not faithful because they have been offering unacceptable sacrifices, so the people have been neglecting to offer their full tithe to Elohim. The result of these shortcomings is that the people come to believe that no good comes out of serving God.

Because Israel was an agricultural society back when the Torah was given, the tithe laws speak of crops. Because of this, some say that the tithe laws only apply to farmers. They then suggest that since they are not farmers, they do not owe tithes.

However, this would mean that the farmers would have to support the entire priesthood by themselves, while no one else has to pay anything. This, however, would not be just. Levites were given the priesthood as a reward for opposing all those who were unrestrained, even when it was their own sons and relations.

Numbers 35 indicates that Levites were given 48 cities throughout Israel, and the land around each city extending out from the city walls for 2000 cubits, which is about two-thirds of a mile. They were to use this land for their herds and crops.

Levitical priests were only serving in the Tabernacle (or Temple) two weeks out of the year, and the rest of the year, dwelled in one of the 48 cities scattered around Israel where they lived, worked, and raised their families.

The priests were of the sons of Levi, that had the office of the priesthood, that had the Commandment to take tithes of their brethren, of the people according to the Law, to help the widows, disabled and the poor, but these tithes were abused by the priests.

In this context, Malachi’s prophetic message of the promise of coming justice, or judgment, is tied to the coming of the Messiah who would come to witness God’s love, a witness that centers precisely on problems of violence, brokenness, conflict, and alienation.

This witness finds expression in the lives of those who do turn to God and themselves witness to God’s love in the midst of alienation and brokenness. God’s justice finds expression in this costly witness whereby God’s people bring healing amidst brokenness.

This is because Jesus’ acts of justice involve not only healing the hurting but also confronting those who have been doing the hurting, including religious and political leaders who do have a kind of justice on their side—justice in the sense of the self-interests of people in power and their laws and policies that act to sustain their power.

This is similar to the Gospel taken from Lk 21:5-19. When some people were speaking about the temple adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilence; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony.

Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.”

The second reading is from 2 Thes 3:7-12 in which Paul addresses those few in the community who were unwilling to earn their daily bread and were abusing the charity of their fellow Christians.

Even though in his two letters to the Thessalonians, Paul praises their faith and good works, as in the best of communities, there were a few amongst them who were unwilling to earn their daily bread and were abusing the charity of their fellow Christians.

Paul condemns this dishonesty and in the sixth verse, which immediately precedes today’s reading, he tells the brethren to “keep away from any of the brothers who refuse to work.” As he did while he was amongst them he then goes on to encourage the whole Christian community to avoid idleness and to earn their daily bread honestly.

To help us to be honest with ourselves in our stock-taking we are reminded today that this world will come to an end one day. We do not know when or how but that end will come. It will be followed immediately by the general judgment.

Christ will come in power and glory to judge the whole human race. Each one will receive the sentence he merited while on earth. The just will enter with him into eternal glory. The wicked will go to their place of suffering, sorrow and remorse.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.
-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ
UN Disarmament
Conference, 2002