What’s in your in Report Card?

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Last Sunday’s Gospel taken from Mark 6:7-13 tells us that after summoning the Twelve, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, specific instructions on how to embark on their missionary journey, and thereafter sent them out two by two into the villages to deliver the message of change and repentance. The Twelve went out, preached, drove out numerous demons, anointed the sick with holy oil and many were cured of their ailments. Today’s Gospel (Mark 6:30-34) is the continuation of the story. After accomplishing their mission, the Apostles returned to Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. One after another, they took their turn and reported in detail what they preached and did. They probably said the following:  “Lord, we preached about the kingdom of God and called on the people to turn away from their evil ways.” “Lord, guess what happened? At the mention of your name, the devil trembled. And do you know that we expelled lots of evil spirits from the possessed?” “Lord, we also visited several hospitals, anointed the sick and a good number of them got well.” “Lord, we also visited the homebound, brought your message of salvation to them, and also anointed them too.” “Lord, we took your message to virtually every village around us. We preached without fear. We told people about you. We urged them to accept you as their Lord and Savior. We maintained that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” “Lord, some of them opposed and resisted our message and tried to stop us, but we stood firm.” “Lord, in our preaching, we emphasized that God is love, that God is merciful, that God is full of mercy and compassion. We invited people to accept his mercy, healing and goodness.” “Lord, we think we have made many disciples for you; the next time you go out, a lot more people will come to follow you.” “Lord, we have made you known around here.”

What exactly was going on there? The Twelve were giving a report of their accomplishments. They were reporting to the Master of the harvest—what they did with the word and power he had given to them. With the word of God, prodigals were being saved. With the word, lives were being turned around. With the word, the lost were being found, hopelessness was being replaced by hope, hatred was being replaced by love, injury and hurt were being supplanted by healing. With the word of God, strife was being replaced by peace. With the power in the name of Jesus, the possessed were being set free, spiritual prisoners were being liberated, the sick were being healed and cured. With the power in the name of Jesus, blindness to truth was being overtaken by courage to embrace and promote the truth. With power in the name of Jesus, darkness was giving way to light, sadness was vacating the front seat for joy and comfort. With the power in that name, chains were being broken—chains of habitual anger, chains of addiction, of being judgmental, unnecessarily too critical, selfish, unkind, unappreciative—chains of sins.  

After reporting “all they had done and taught,” Jesus was very pleased with them. The Lord was elated and delighted in their accomplishments. “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. But before then, come and share in your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:23), Jesus may have said to them. To share in their master’s joy, he invited them saying: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). He recognized weariness in them and offered them some time to rest and recuperate. “So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.” But the rest was thwarted by the surging crowds who wanted to see Jesus. When Jesus saw them, “his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). This highlights the profound mercy and compassion of Jesus. But let’s not forget how we got here. Why did Jesus take the Twelve to such a lonely place? He brought them there to rest, to recuperate and to be rewarded. Why? For accomplishing creditably well the assignment he had given to them. 

Beloved in Christ, like the Twelve, Jesus too has given us a mission and an assignment to do while we still have life. Do you know what your assignment is? Are you carrying it out steadfastly and joyfully? What role are you playing in the spread of the Kingdom of God? Are you building up or tearing it down? When the Lord calls, what kind of report are you going to give? At the end of that report, do you think Jesus is going to offer you the invitation to come over with him and rest everlastingly? What’s in your report card? 

Check this out! Good or bad report, there’ll surely be a reward!