17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
2 Kings 4:42—44

SECOND READING
Ephesians 4:1—6

GOSPEL
John 6:1—15

THEME: THE LORD PROVIDES FOR HIS PEOPLE.

From of old, the Lord has continued to provide for his people till this day and he will also continue to do so till eternity.  Think of man in his creation God gave him every necessary to live.  He provided him with all that he needed.  Think of Abraham, God took care of him even when the world thought that there was no hope, he gave him a child (Genesis 21:1-22).  When Abraham himself thought there was no hope, that his son was gone, God provided the sacrificial victim. Israelites in their sojourn of life, God never left them to perish, he was every time protecting and providing for them.  When humanity was on the verge of doom, Jesus Christ came and redeemed us.  What a wonderful God! 

In the first reading, the servant of Elisha forgot the nature of the God of his master but Elisha knowing the God he was serving and being faithful to him waited for the Lord to do what he is known for and he did it and there was leftover. Whatever our God is doing, he does that with excess in order to favour us, though it may take time but when it comes, it covers all those time that it took before coming. Continue Reading .....................................

The same happened in the gospel, Jesus gave those who were hungry something to eat and they ate to their satisfaction and many were left, up to twelve baskets. What a wonderful God! This is type of blessings that the Lord always gives his people. He does it from his own will and not our wills.

Many things are expected of us if God will continue to provide for us.  If we are to continue to be his people, we are faced with many responsibilities. Those responsibilities are what St.  Paul is telling us today in the second reading.  We must live according to our calling.  There are some simple things expected of us as Christians to be doing in our everyday lives.  It must be part of us as God’s people.  We are called Christians, which we are. Every group in the world is known for something and when anyone in the group starts to leave the trend, the person is being called back, but if proven to be stubborn, the person may be left to face punishment of erring. This will also happen to us as we make efforts as Christians.

Things that we must do as Christians are not things that are impossible rather, they are simple things that we must do in extraordinary ways.

We must obey God’s commandments in our everyday lives.  If God is our provider, we must not take any other thing or place or person as our God. We must not use the name of God in vain. Some will always say, the Lord said or told me to tell you when they know they were not told anything by God.  Some in the market or working places will always tell you, in the name of God this is the best and the cheapest thing you can get, when they know they are lying. Some have taken Sundays as the day of work, market and so on.  God said we should keep the day of the Lord holy, but that has become the day many commit various sins especially since of the flesh (adultery and fornication).  Why so?  Let us keep the day of the Lord Holy.  Some do not regard their parents as anything these days. Some even go to the extent of using them as means to achieve their worldly desires.  What a world.  All of us know the commandments of God and we know how we disobey them and spoil them.  We must come back to what is expected of us in order for the Lord to continue to provide for us.  He is ever ready to provide us with our needs if we come back to him in body, soul and spirit, heart and mind. God is our provider.  How can we remain sinless?  By obeying the word (of God) (Psalm 119:9). This is the only way he will continue to provide us.  THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY.