HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. 08.07.2020.

Readings: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Psalm 104: 2-7 and Matthew 10:1-7.

THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL: WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THEM? 

 

Reflecting on the readings of today, two things strikes the mind: why did Christ placed restriction on his disciples not to visit the Gentiles (sinners) and what did he mean by the lost sheep of Israel?

 

From the first reading of today, the prophet Hosea made analysis of Israel sinful state. He said, “Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increase, the more altars he built.” God blessed Israel with material abundance, but they spent it on themselves and their own idolatrous desires, by increasing the altars they built. Israel enjoyed the blessings of God, but used those blessings in ungodly ways. Sometimes, we as Christians receive blessings from God and use it in an ungodly way like the Israelite. Each time we do this, God frowns at it. We can ask ourselves, which man will be happy to give his wife money for her proper use, and in turn, the woman uses it to satisfy another man that her heart is partially or fully divided with?

 

This ideology pictures the relationship between the Israelite and God during the time of the prophet Hosea. The idea of Israel insincere heart is reflected by the adulteries of Hosea’s wife Gomer earlier in the book. In the same way that an unfaithful spouse will say they love their partner, all the while living a lie, is the same way Israel’s heart was towards God. Their hearts were divided, and the blessings they received from God were not used wisely. Because they used God’s blessings to satisfy their other lovers or gods. For this act, God would break down their altars to pagan gods and ruin their sacred pillars made unto idols. This way, God will do in judgment what they should have done in contrition, ‘break down their altars, and spoil their images. By their deeds, they were lost in sin, of which the gospel addresses.

 

Christ in the Gospel commissioned the twelve disciples for a mission to the lost sheep of Israel. In antecedent of this gospel, Christ went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogue and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and in today’s pericope, there is a form of expansion, not just he going about but sending the disciples to go preach to the lost sheep of Israel about the kingdom of God. He specifically said, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The emphasis of the saying lies not primarily on the prohibition of a wider mission, but on the priority of the mission to Israel. Going to the lost sheep of Israel, God’s intention was to reach the whole world, but beginning with Israel. There was certainly enough work to do among the lost sheep of the house of Israel to keep the twelve busy until God directly commanded them to expand their ministry. Significantly, Jesus still called the Jewish people “the house of Israel” even though they had lost their Jewish state many decades before this time.

 

Reflecting on the lost sheep of Israel, in a sense, all of them were. The prophet Isaiah states, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way.” In another sense, there were also lost sheep that were abused and neglected by their spiritual shepherds, the scribes, priests, and Pharisees. This is the sense of Jeremiah 50:6: “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray.” Christ sending his disciples out is because so many were spiritually neglected, and the intention was to begin from the ‘known’ to the ‘unknown.’ This lost sheep of Israel could be found in the feast at Capernaum, Christ dinning with tax collectors and sinners in Mt 9:10. The motive is to reconcile the immediate ones back to God and later to the Gentiles as Christ clearly told Paul, “You will be my disciples to the Gentiles” (Act 9:15).

 

Dear friends in Christ, charity begins at home. Today’s message urges us to begin the good work of evangelism with ourselves, by first reconciling to God as was required by the Israelite and then, we can travel far and wide to bring the ‘lost sheep’ among our families and friends back to God. May God help us through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you!

 

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ