Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Let us listen again to the words of the Lord Jesus
in verse 24 (Luke 4,24).
“Truly I say to you: no prophet is acceptable in his
own country.”
“Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Akukho –mprofethi
owamukelwa ezweni lakubo”
“Ruri, ke a le botsa,moporofeta ga a ke a thabelwa
motseng wa gabo.”
The Lord Jesus was not only prophesing about himself
in this verse but about the experience of the genuine prophets in the history
of Israel (and he gives some examples of this in the Gospel account). Jesus was
also anticipating what would happen to his followers after his death and
resurrection.And again we read in the Acts of the Apostles and in many later
church accounts, how Christians were often persecuted and even killed because
of their faith in the Lord Jesus. This is still happening today in some parts
of Africa and the world.
Why does this happen? The Lord Jesus gives us an
insight to this question in verse 24 saying.”Truly I say to you: no prophet is
acceptable in his own country.” A
prophet is a person who has been inspired in a special way by the Holy
Spirit.The Holy Spirit enlightens the person in his mind and heart and a new
vision and understanding about life opens up which is directed by God. He or
she is urged by the Holy Spirit to speak for God, for God’s truth and
revelation and to live accordingly.The prophet’s most important point of
reference is no longer my people, or my culture or my friends or my nation but
first and formost – God. Everything the prophet says and does begins and ends
in prayer and worship of God.
That is what
a prophet is – one who speaks for God,who makes known God’s will for humanity
and witnesses to this revelation in his or her personal life.And you know what?
Anyone can become a prophet because everyone is called to become a prophet in
Jesus Christ. And Benedict Daswa was one of those anyones!
Benedict Daswa heard the prophetic call and answered by being
baptised in Christ in the Catholic Church. He responded generously to God’s
call and never looked back. He embraced the truths of revelation and lived
accordingly with joy in the Holy Spirit. And he boldly made known to others –
including his wife, his children,his friends,his co-workers,the learners at his
school,his community and all - the
saving loving power and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Truly,I say to you:no prophet is acceptable in his
own country.”
People familiar with a prophet think they know him
or her but in reality they don’t! People say: We know him.He is one of us.We
grew up with him.He is from our village and speaks like us.We went to the same
schools together. He is not special or unique. Who does he think he is? Does he
think he is better than us?Does he think he knows more than us? The people do
not understand that he is special and unique, that he is no longer simply one
of them but first and foremost a child of God who can discern the difference
between right from wrong, truth from lies,justice from injustice,peace from
violence;who has been given the courage in God’s grace to speak out against
injustice and lies and to resist the temptations that the “blind and slaves”
put on him to give up on God’s way.
Indeed the people who criticise the prophet are the
very people whom God is calling to listen to the prophet! These people are
blind because they are deviod of the light of the Holy Spirit in their lives
and they are slaves of sin because they are ignorant and deny that all people
are called to follow the way of God. Those people who are still enslaved to a
witchcraft mentality and live with superstitious fears, who are still ignorant
of the laws of nature,who are still living with a fatalistic attitude to life
blaming everyone else except themselves for the difficulties of life are “the blind and the slaves” who need to be
liberated by Christ.Those people who thought that Benedict Daswa was simply one
of them and one like them were gravely mistaken.Benedict Daswa was a prophet of
God following the footsteps of Jesus Christ. That is why he was killed by them.
Today we rejoice in God’s grace for and with the
Servant of God Benedict Daswa.We rejoice and are glad for Benedict Daswa’s
reward is great in the Kingdom of Heaven.Yes, we do not mourn or cry in sadness
but give glory to God for having given us such a wonderful prophet. “Yes,
rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice
and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4,13).
“Truly,I say to you:no prophet is acceptable in his
own country.”
“Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Akukho –mprofethi
owamukelwa ezweni lakubo”
“Ruri, ke a le botsa,moporofeta ga a ke a thabelwa
motseng wa gabo.”
Amen
(Homily
by Bishop Joao Rodrigues,the Bishop of Tzaneen Diocese)
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