Twenty First Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

In the beginning, we thought we chose to believe in God. It was a conscious and voluntary decision. Therefore, people object to the practice of infantile baptism. They think that it is better to wait until the baby has grown old enough to make the decision itself.
Later, when we became spiritually more mature, we believe that we did not choose God. Rather, it was God who, out of His kindness, chose us to share His eternal life. With such logic, the practice of infantile baptism is very sensible and beneficial to the babies.
Today, we come a full circle and affirm once more that we choose God.

Fr. Martin Ip celebrated the 11 a.m. mass with us. He stressed the point that we should gather up our courage to choose. He argued that though we know which the right thing to do is, we still need the courage to choose to do the right thing. Many people have the intelligence to know, to discern what the right thing is. However, they may not have enough courage to carry through the right thing.

In the first reading today, the last chapter of the book of Joshua, we read of how Joshua encouraged the people to choose the right thing to do.
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)
Joshua was addressing the second generation of Israelites who came out from Egypt. The first geneartion had been purged within the forty years in the wilderness. This generation of Israelites was not "contaminated" by Egyptian idolatry and therefore less inclined to return to the more secure life in Egypt. Joshua encouraged them to serve Yahweh. He set himself up as an example before them. He chose to serve Yahweh. The Israelites were free to choose Yahweh or otherwise.
Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;
and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." (Joshua 24:16-18)
The Israelites were deceptively loyal. I do not mean they were insincere. Rather, in the wilderness, they did not know any other gods. With Yahweh fighting for them in the wilderness against other tribes, it was natural for them to draw the conclusion that the other gods were impotent. However, once they had settled down in Canaan, they began to assimilate the local fertility cults and worship other deities in order to guarantee good harvests.

The gospels give us the impression that the miracle of feeding 5000 seems to be the zenith of Jesus' career. Had Jesus been an ambitious man like Hitler, he would have driven out the Romans very easily. He was able to feed his soldiers with 5 loaves of bread. His curse would also dry up an army of Roman soldiers like he did to a fig tree. Yet, this was not God's plan of salvation. The gospel of John gives us a different picture after the feeding of the 5000. Jesus' teaching was too difficult to accept, too unpalatable.
Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:59-63).
Jesus' words, Jesus' teachings are spirit and life. But his teachings are too hard to accept. No, his teachings are not hard to understand but hard to accept. They go against our common sense, our established ideologies. Therefore, many people chose not to follow Jesus anymore.
After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;
and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:66-69)
Jesus had collapsed from the peak to the trough of his career. Many people deserted him. He had become unpopular because his teachings went against our common sense. They were too unpalatable. Yet, the apostles chose to stay with Jesus. They were courageous because despite Jesus' unpopularity, they were able to hang on to their belief in Jesus and acknowledged him the Messiah, the Holy One of God. The apostles risked becoming unpopular themselves.

Do we really choose God?
I think God chooses us first and invites us to accept His redemption. Some people choose to ignore Him. We choose to respond to His call. Indeed, we choose each other.

Dear Lord, whether we admit it or not, we care about other people's opinions. Grant us the courage to choose the right thing to do even if it is unpopular to do so. Amen.