Gospel Reflection 2020/2021

According to scientific studies, human beings (homo sapiens) have existed for about 6 million years. The modern form of humanity emerged around 200,000 years ago; and human civilization started to form at about 6,000 years ago. Humanity has existed, expanded, extended and evolved through a long history.

Looking back, we always scorn and shudder at the thought of our uncivilized, barbaric and sometimes cannibalistic predecessors and ancestors. Yet, after so long a history, we may not have scored any better than our predecessors and ancestors.

Even in our so-called modern and civilized world, we are still very much uncivilized, barbaric and ‘cannibalistic’ in one way or another. Our world is still a man-eat-man world, it seems that after 6 million years, we are still living in the jungle where the Law of Jungle rules and anything goes – I do whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want, and however I want.

In our modern society, it seems that there can only be survival of the fittest – we compete with our tooth and nail to keep up with the Joneses; we trample on each other to climb the ladder of success; without hesitation, we dominate, manipulate and exploit other fellow humans for our personal greed and covetousness; and we are even willing to kill lest we will be killed. Even children in kindergarten want to be first, and no one wants to be second.

The first biblical account of murder was recorded when Cain killed his own brother Abel out of jealousy [cf. Gn 4: 1-16]. And as much as we hate to admit, this dark history repeats itself every day in our modern society.

St James in the Second Reading [Jm 3: 16 - 4: 3] has rightfully pointed out the root of our human strife and suffering, “Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done…” And he added, “Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight your way by force…”

As Christians, we are called to be different – to be in the world, yet not of the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us in the Gospel reading this Sunday, “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.”

Fr Michael Chua in his homily on 27 Feb 2020 has this to say,

“In fact, if there is anyone who deserves our kneeling and worship, it is God alone. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had once remarked: ‘Kneeling does not come from any culture – it comes from the Bible.’

Wise men knelt, Peter and the apostles knelt, lepers knelt, rulers knelt, Gentiles knelt, even men possessed by the devil knelt [Mk 5:6]. They knelt only to the King of Kings.

But even this Great King chose to kneel. He knelt to wash the feet of His disciples. In the garden of Gethsemane, He ‘knelt down and prayed’ [Lk 22:41].

On the other hand, there is one who will never ever kneel. ‘The devil has no knees,’ wrote Abba Apollo, a desert Father of the Church who lived around 300AD, ‘he cannot kneel; he cannot adore; he cannot pray; he can only look down his nose in contempt. Being unwilling to bend the knee at the name of Jesus is the essence of evil. (cf. Is 45:23, Rm 14:11)’”

As our Lord tells us, our Christian life is not about who is the greatest, the wealthiest, the smartest, the strongest, the most famous, the most powerful, the most influential, or the most gorgeous…

Our Christian life is not about ‘I, Me and Myself’. Neither it is about individual preferences or privileges. Rather, it is about God, the larger community and the common good.

Our Lord Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, knelt. If we dare to call ourselves CHRIST-ians, we must do likewise. Our Christian life is about constant uprooting of our jealousy, greed and covetousness to embrace the humility of Jesus Christ – kneeling to serve God and humanity.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lord Jesus Christ, grant me the humility to kneel to serve You and others.”