Malachi 3:19-20a; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19
We celebrate Salvation Day and NOT Doom’s Day: Heaven or Hell depends on you!
Nigerians are very daring and creative people. Not only on earth, but in Heaven above and in Hell below. Listen to this story about Nigerian bravery.
I’ve been laughing since I got this joke…..but are
we really this bad?
ANGELS: Father! We are tired of these Nigerians
in heaven.
GOD: What have they done this time?
ANGEL: Everything!They don’t listen to
instructions. They don’t obey traffic rules. They
don’t wait for their turn in anything. They are
completely reckless!
GOD: Then we better send them to hell!
(Calls the Devil). Hello..
SATAN: Hello my creator and master, pls call me
later. There’s an issue I’m trying to resolve.
Ten (10) minutes later:
GOD: Hello Lucifer.
SATAN: Your Lordship my father! I’ll call you
back.
The issue has turned into a crisis ooo!
An hour later:
SATAN: Hello?
GOD: What’s going on over there?
SATAN: It’s the Nigerians I have with me in hell
oooo!
(He stammers),they… they… they have
quenched the fire in hell and installed air conditioner.
The first reaction one may get from reading our first reading is an air of imminent cataclysm or the fact that our planet earth is going to be destroyed. Yes and No. One fact is sure, though, each one of us has to decide what actually happens, salvation or destruction. In other words, human beings are largely the determinants of what comes off the prophecy of Malachi, in our first reading. In this respect, we are as important as God has made us important – our freedom of choice of which line of action to tow; by this we mean that our ethical or moral decisions, make or mar the entirety of creation, especially the human specie.
If we just pay attention to every statement of the first reading without noticing its quintessential closing statement – “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3:20) – it is very possible to miss the meaning, not only of the first reading, but also of the whole Sunday. The choice to “fear my name,” the name of God, provides “healing rays” from God to those who fear him. Wow! This is comparable to how photosynthesis takes place: sun light makes plants to grow, but it can also scotch them. This precisely is what happened with every doom’s day prediction in the past: some were doomed, others saved. Not even in Sodom and Gomorrah was everybody doomed; Lot and his daughters were saved! In fact, plants, animals and humans were saved in Nineveh, after a doom’s day prediction preached by Jonah – the power of repentance, above all, the decision to repent, saved lives.
The simultaneity of God’s condemnation and salvation puts the outcome of the prophecy of Malachi in human hands. The first point of call is the name of the prophet – MALACHI, meaning – my messenger. For our purposes, the beginning of Malachi (Malachi 3:1) helps us to know why Malachi prophesied: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” From this lone verse, we see that Malachi prophesies the coming of the Savior of human beings and not their destroyer. The one who prepares “the way,” is the one who offers the will of God to those willing to receive it. The recipients of God’s “way” are those who “fear the Lord,” for whom “there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays,” according to our first reading. This is an offer of hope, hope for salvation, not the certainty of damnation and destruction!
It is pertinent to know that God is our healer and not our destroyer: “I am the Lord your healer” (Exodus 15:26), he says. If this is not enough proof, John the Baptist prepared the way for the Savior through a baptism of repentance not through the destruction of sinners. As a matter of fact, it was the Messenger – John the Baptist, and the Message – Jesus Christ, who were killed, all in order to save sinners. Therefore, we celebrate Salvation Day and NOT Doom’s Day. It follows that, to be forewarned is to be forearmed! But what are you doing about this salvific warning, this opportunity for repentance?
Indeed, we already had evidences of cataclysmic realities in global warming; and for the human world, the menace of all kinds of extremist groups and pogroms and genocides spell doom’s day all around the globe. Rightly too, there are concerted efforts to thwart the spate of global killings and reverse the course of global warming. This is the same kind of action that tickle the fancy of Jesus’ questioners, in today’s gospel – when should we anticipate a cataclysm? – the eventual Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Interestingly, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem was not Jesus’ preoccupation in the gospel, he worried more about how to save the human temple of God, human lives and souls. Here is what Jesus said: “but not a hair on your head will be destroyed” (Luke 21:18). As long as the human person is saved, God doesn’t count any losses, no casualties!
There are precautions to be taken to make sure that “not a hair . . . be destroyed”: don’t believe the rumors that any human being is God, who alone knows when the end will be. Worry rather about the salvation of your soul, at individual death. Just as death is surely going to come unexpectedly, provide for a good death by preparing your soul. After all, many Westerners arrange for their funerals with funeral homes before dying. The question is: do you make provisions for your soul in heaven, while you live?
The last sentence of the gospel helps us to both make a connection with our second reading, on the one hand, and on the other, to propose to us how human life on earth should be lived. This statement of Jesus, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” (Luke 21:19) focuses out attention on individual salvation, rather than the destruction of the world or cataclysmic events. We experience sudden deaths in the forms of heart attack, car/train/plane crashes, etc. When such happen, the end of earthly existence has come for such individuals. Here and now, each one of us is invited to take precaution against such suddenness and uncertainty of when death will strike. While the gospel invites us to perseverance, St. Paul uses the analogy of food, that material element that is indispensable for the sustenance of our physical body, to encourage us to keep doing what is right every single day of our lives, as remedies for mortality, and guarantee for the immortality of our souls.
The advise of Paul to the Thessalonians, in our second reading, of the necessity to work instead of fold one’s arms because of the imminence of the end of the world, was to reorient Christians towards an active wait for the coming of the savior, and not a passive waiting. The good actions of Christians hasten the coming of God’s kingdom. This augurs well with the intention of the Lord’s Prayer – “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Perseverance in doing good ensures the salvation of each soul. The analogy of the importance of food for the body leads to the importance of good works for the salvation of each soul. While doom’s day preachers preoccupy themselves with the end of the world, Christians busy themselves preparing for the sudden possibility of individual death, and using that reality and possibility to prepare for the salvation of their souls after death.
If Paul offered his life as an example worthy of emulation, it was because he himself emulated Christ. Paul, like Christ, never placed a lot of premium on earthly existence, only as long as earthly existence prepared for our heavenly kingdom. Like Christ, who constantly reminded his disciples of his death for the salvation of human beings, working hard for one’s salvation, just as we struggle to feed the body daily, should be the Christian approach to daily living. For, the salvation of souls is the sole reason and motif for living, day in and day out.
If Nigerians could put out the fires of Hell and instal air conditioners in Hell, according to our story, you can change the death sentence hanging over your head, on account of your sins, and replace it with a guarantee of eternal salvation, by good and charitable actions. An active hope for salvation is doing good right now, in preparation for heaven. Heaven and Hell both depend on you, the choices you make here and now. Be proactive for Heaven!
Assignment for the Week:
As a sign of an active hope for the salvation of your/my soul, can you/I live this week with a readiness for heaven, should God call you/me right away?
Thank you Ayo. Good one.