Saturday 20th week Year A By Tobe Eze

Saturday 20^th week Year A

First Reading

Ruth 2:1-3.8-11; 4:13-17

Gospel

Matthew 23:1-12

THEME: TRUE HONOUR

In the first reading, it was because Boaz feared God, it made him not to have lustful attraction towards Ruth and also commanded his servants not to molest her. He was a man of respect and true honour. He gave himself the true meaning of honourable position. If he was like some of us here, we will be happy that a sex object has come to us. In our time people even do fight over a widow. I went somewhere to see their Igwe (King), when I reached the palace, there was a case the King was trying to solve. What was the case? That a man caught another man going to have sex with a widow he has been taking care of. And shamelessly they took the case to the Igwe’s palace for him to settle the case for them. Two of them ended up disgracing themselves and two of them were punished. They disgraced and removed the honour they had before in the society.

In the gospel, though the scribes and the Pharisees teach the commandments of God, they use that position to also demand honour which they knew truly that they did not deserve. Evil men in the position of honour. All these are false honours. These people can be seen in our churches, communities, villages and so on. The true honour comes from God to humanity and that we shall work for and not allow ourselves to be carried away by this worldly things. A man was made the King of his Autonomous community and he used the opportunity to deal with people. He had the honour of answering Igweeeeeeee! But he lost the honour from God for his name went viral as an evil man and he also died a shameful death of being killed by his own son. Let us seek the true honour from God not self-given honour which does not last. Thanks.