Fresh Dew Media

 29th Sunday, Year A (Mission Sunday): Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Keeping the Church’s Mission Alive Amidst Obstacles

Readings: Is 45:1.4–6; Ps 95; 1 Thes 1:1–5; Mt 22:15–21

Dear friends in Christ, on this 29th Sunday of the year, the Church invites all her faithful to pause and reflect on the mission entrusted to us by Christ: to consider how far we have gone, how faithfully we have carried out this mission, the challenges we have overcome, and those that still raise their ugly heads. We are also urged to evaluate our personal contributions to the fulfilment of the Church’s mission.

Our Lord Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth and entrusted to His disciples — and to all who would follow them — the task of keeping this kingdom alive, spreading it among all peoples, and converting the world according to its values. A quick assessment of the Church’s missionary work shows that the Good News continues to spread to many parts of the world; yet many corners of the earth have still not received it, and sadly, some who once embraced the faith have turned away, returning to paganism, Satanism, and secularism. This sad development should concern every member of God’s kingdom on earth.

In the midst of both the successes and the challenges of evangelization, St Paul reminds us of an indispensable element in the fulfilment of God’s mission. In the second reading, he tells the Christians in Thessalonica, “Our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.” Paul and his companions preached the Good News, but they knew that words alone could not produce the fruits God desired. They sustained their preaching with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of their listeners. In this way, St Paul highlights the centrality of prayer in the Church’s mission. In his letter to the Ephesians, he repeats this appeal, saying, “Pray also for me, that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should” (Eph 6:19–20).

Dear friends, prayer is essential to the Church’s mission. We must never grow weary in our spiritual duty to pray for the success of evangelization: for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts to receive God’s Word, for strength and protection for missionaries facing hostility, and for God’s continued provision for their needs. In our study of missiology in the seminary, we learned that there are two ways of participating in mission. Some go out physically to preach the Gospel, while others support the mission through prayer and material assistance. Those who pray and donate are also missionaries. On this Mission Sunday, therefore, the Church encourages all who support her mission to remain steadfast. For the mission of the Church to stay alive in the world, both prayer and material support are necessary.

The Gospel reading of today shows us one of the challenges that the Church’s mission faces on earth, especially in our present world: the Good News is constantly confronted by detractors and difficulties. The Gospel is a force that frees humanity from the clutches and deceits of the devil and depopulates the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, wherever the Good News is preached, it poses a real threat to the underworld, and the forces of darkness fight back with any weapon at their disposal.

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees take counsel on how to entrap Jesus and halt His mission. They present Him with a cleverly calculated dilemma meant to sow confusion and doubt in the minds of His listeners. According to their reasoning, if Jesus affirms that paying tribute to a foreign and idolatrous state is lawful, He risks losing the esteem of those who reject Roman rule. But if He declares the tax illicit, He exposes Himself to accusations of sedition. Yet Jesus, with divine wisdom, conquers their trap.

Thus, the Pharisees in today’s Gospel represent the many obstacles missionaries encounter in their work. These difficulties come in all shapes and forms: temptations, doubts, persecutions, threats to life, material needs, calumny, alienation, loneliness, and more. For a missionary to overcome these obstacles and keep the mission alive, he must be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove; he must be prayerful, discerning, and strong in faith.

The response of Jesus to the Pharisees carries important lessons for Christians engaged in mission. He tells them: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” This statement has suffered countless misinterpretations. Some use it to justify syncretism in their religious life; others claim it means that religion and politics have no connection. This latter group insists that God has no place in politics and that religious values should not be mentioned in public affairs. Such thinking has led to proposals for a secularistic and positivistic world — a world where God is excluded. History has shown, however, that attempts to build a world without God ultimately turn against humanity.

God cannot be sidelined in the political and social life of the world, nor in the construction of the earthly city, as though He were uninterested in human affairs. One reason is that all power belongs to God; He is the One who grants authority to rulers, even though many misuse it. The first reading today attests to this truth: God raises and strengthens a pagan king, Cyrus, to defeat Babylon and free Israel from slavery.

Another important lesson from Christ’s instruction to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” is that Christians have obligations to the state. We are called to obey just laws, to support legitimate political authority through taxes and prayers, and even to participate in politics so as to influence government policies from within with the Christian message. Christians have the mission to be law‑abiding citizens and to infuse public life with the values of Christ.

Finally, when Jesus says, “…and give to God what belongs to God,” He directly reminds all Christians that certain things are due exclusively to God and cannot be given to anyone else. Worship, fidelity to the commandments, and obedience to God’s will are duties owed to Him alone. Neither the state nor any earthly reality can take these away from Christians as they carry out their mission. Missionaries must therefore reject any attempt by temporal powers or material interests to usurp the place of God in their lives and ministries.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima