Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about Jesus our Lord Who rebuked the people, especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their lack of faith, for their refusal to believe in the truth that He has brought down upon them, on their stubbornness and adamant refusal to be true disciples and followers of His.

They still refused to believe in Him even after all that He had done for them, all the miraculous deeds and goods He had done in their sight, the healing of the sick, casting out of demons, miracles of the feeding of the many thousands, and many others. These people had seen it all, especially even the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had hounded Jesus and His disciples at every possible opportunities, and yet they still refused to believe.

And yet, God would show them all the ultimate sign of all, when they asked for yet another miracle. He would show them the sign of Jonah, and what does this mean, brethren? The sign of Jonah was a reference to the actions of the prophet Jonah, who had been called by God to preach to the Assyrians in Nineveh about their downfall and yet he fled from the Lord and his duties after refusing to take part in that work.

And when he was on a boat on the way to the faraway lands, a great storm came and engulfed the boat, waves and wind striking against it threatening to sink it, but then the prophet Jonah admitted to the ship captain that he had sinned before God by not listening to His call, and therefore the storm was likely a result of his own actions, and then he asked for the captain to throw him into the sea, of which the captain initially refused to do.

But as the waves and the winds continued to grow stronger, they had no choice, and when the prophet Jonah was thrown into the sea, the very moment they did that, the storm completely stopped and the sea became still. And the prophet Jonah himself was taken into the safety of a big fish’s belly, likely that of a whale for three days and three nights long, before he was released on a seashore.

Jonah would then go on to Nineveh, where he proclaimed the destruction of the city when the Assyrians, from their king to the lowest slaves repented from their sins, and God rescinded His punishment for them, and spared the city and its inhabitants. This is the sign of Jonah, the same sign which our Lord Jesus had brought into the world as well, the sign of His salvation.

Just as Jonah dwelled in the belly of the giant whale for three days and three nights, so would the Lord Jesus descend to the depths of hell for three days after He was crucified and died, so that through that action, He might scour all of hell and free all the righteous people who have long awaited the coming of their Lord and Saviour, much like Jonah who was sent to Nineveh to proclaim the judgment of God, and through repentance, the people of Nineveh and their city was saved.

What is it that each of us can learn from today’s Scripture passages, brethren? It is that our Lord has been so caring and loving towards us that He had done tremendous favours for our sake, His beloved people, His beloved children. Yet it is often that we do not realise just how much God has loved us, much like those people who doubted the Lord despite all that they have seen Him doing in their midst.

Therefore, brethren, let us all not harden our hearts as what those people had done, for if we harden our hearts and refuse the Lord, then our fate may be that of destruction as declared to Nineveh, that is damnation and eternal suffering. Instead, let us all rededicate ourselves to God and follow the examples of the people of Nineveh, regretting our sins and wicked deeds, and sincerely seeking for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us draw closer to our Lord, our loving God and Father. Let us all follow in His footsteps and do all that He had asked us to do, that we may be found righteous and just at the time when He comes again to judge all creation. May the Lord help us and be with us always. Amen.

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, from what we have heard in the Gospel passage, we are reminded that each and every one of us must show true Christian faith by our actions and by our deeds founded upon the principles of love and compassion, as God Himself had shown us, and not to be ignorant of the plight of our brethren who are in need, and who are indeed calling upon us for help.

Today we heard that famous parable of the Good Samaritan which Jesus told to His disciples, to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. And that parable was meant as a rebuke and a reminder to these elites in the Jewish society, that unless they acted in the way expected of them by God. The Lord meant that parable to show to His people, how those who follow Him should act towards one another, that is full of love, mercy and compassion.

The Levites and the priest described in the parable is the representation of all those whom God had chosen to be the leaders and the guide for His people, as these were the ones who were privileged as the priestly caste among the society, to be the ones chosen to be in the presence of God in His Temple. They were the ones who understood the Law and having remembered them as part of their responsibilities.

And yet, as we heard their actions in the parable that we heard today, we noticed that these people just passed by the man who was robbed and beaten, left to death on the roadside. They did not show concern and care for the one who needed their help, even though they did have the ability and the opportunity to do so. They have conscientiously ignored their brethren in need, and therefore they have sinned, not from the sin of action but for the sin of omission.

Thus what God was trying to say to them was that, no matter what position we have in the society, and how well we are respected by others, no matter what intellect or power we have, but if we have no love in us, we will not be accepted, but instead will be rejected by God. God has no placed prepared for all those who have not been merciful and loving, even if they were counted among His own people.

Why so? That is because these people despised the Samaritans and looked down on them. They were proud of their lineage and position as one counted among the chosen people of Israel, and even so as those who were entrusted to be guardians and keepers of the Law of God. The Samaritans were seen as those who were pagans, and even of the worst stock, since the Samaritans were seen as abominations and barbarians who have taken the land that rightfully belonged to the people of Israel.

And yet, Jesus shattered all these perceptions and unjust judgments and portrayals of the Samaritans and the others alike. Through that brilliant parable, Jesus showed them that God does not look at our race, background, appearance or status, but rather, He sees our actions, our deeds, and all the things which we have done, or have not done, which have broad repercussions to our fellow brethren and our community alike.

Thus, brothers and sisters in Christ, even as we listened to the Scripture passages today, are we able to discern deep within ourselves and find what we need to do from now on in order to be truly righteous in God and His presence? If we have not loved our brethren, or worse still, ignoring them when they are clearly asking for help, then perhaps we should rethink our priorities in life and learn how to devote ourselves out of love for these brethren of ours.

Indeed, we cannot help the whole world by ourselves, but from whatever little and minor things we can do, we should be able to impact our brethren around us, and when each and every one of do our part, so much more suffering and pain can be eliminated by our combined work and effort. Therefore, from now on, brethren, let us do our part to love and serve our brethren in need, as how that good Samaritan had done to his brethren in need.

May God help us in this endeavour, and may He awaken in each and every one of us, the strong desire to love with great compassion and sincerity, to care and show concern without desiring for returns, and to give our best for one another. May God be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen.