The Rebellious House of Israel

Homily for Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Rebellion is considered the most grievous sin in the Hebrew culture, worse than even perversion. Ezekiel hears God’s word which indicts the children as a rebellious house. These people know what is expected of them, have seen what God has done for them, have heard God’s word, and yet they choose to turn their backs to God and go their own way.

So God has Ezekiel act out the future rather than try to persuade them by words. During the day, Ezekiel is directed to pack up his belongings and place them outside the house as if he was preparing to leave. Then as evening draws near he is to create an opening in the wall that surrounds Jerusalem, a hole through which he can escape. Then once night has fallen, he is to cover his head and leave in the midst of the darkness. This is what lies in store for the Israelites if they continue in their rebellion. Through these actions, Ezekiel is telling the people a parable but a parable without words.

The Gospel also uses a parable to make a point about one of the most important parts of the Christian faith – forgiveness. Unlike most of the parables of the Gospel, this one is not open-ended. Jesus tells them exactly what the parable means. If you fail to forgive, you will not be forgiven.

Rebellion and a lack of forgiveness are very much hallmarks of the times in which we live. So these two “parables” of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures still apply to us today. We see rebellion in all sorts of forms, but perhaps the most disturbing is the open hostility toward the leaders of the Church, and in particular to Pope Francis. Lack of forgiveness is also a reality and tends to be expressed in vengeful comments and actions.

Perhaps the newer form of idolatry has to do with our own opinion, our own perspective, or our own way of doing things. When we become so intensely walled in by these things and cannot do things differently or look at something from a different point of view, we have begun to idolize ourselves. Ezekiel and Matthew both speak to us today.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator