Such punishment as announced upon unfaithful Israel can be seen to manifest in the life of the possessed man in the gospel of today. The man lost the ability to speak his mind and to praise God. Jesus, the Faithful Servant per excellence, steps in to set the man free from the bondage of evil. And He went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel, and healing every disease and infirmity.
Think about how Jesus gave out knowledge of God through His
teaching, true worship by his preaching of the gospel, and liberation by
healing of body and soul. All these are easily gotten by the man who is on the
path of faithfulness to God. That is why Hosea exposed the atrocities of the
people and how they lead to destruction. But thanks be to Jesus, we have the
living channel of faithfulness; never shall we ‘return back to Egypt’, the land
of slavery. And a man who has been set free by Christ Jesus learns of His love
and compassion. Faithfulness without love is empty and hypocrisy.
Therefore, as Hosea went out in search of his wife, and as
the healed made the people to praise God, so does Christ’s faithful follow His steps
of compassion and go forth bringing healing and liberation to others, becoming
other channels of faithfulness. At the end of today’s gospel Jesus said to His
disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Tuesday July 5, 2022.
www.soundofsilence.ng
