Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalm 15; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Grace and peace to you dear family of God’s people.
Today, I want to reflect on what I have titled ‘the essence of true religion‘ or as James said in the Second Reading- the ideal of pure religion.
All the readings of today point to us the ideal, meaning or essence of true/pure religion. Let me reflect on four features of a true religion.
A. It is about a relationship: True religion is not so much about some set of practices, rites, routines or recitation of some creeds. It is about knowing a person, knowing Jesus as our King, Saviour and Friend, having a relationship with Him, trusting completely in Him and surrendering our whole life to Him (Philippians 3:10).
B. It is about obedience: This is what the First Reading is all about. It is trusting God enough so that we surrender our will and obey Him, even when we do not understand or agree to what He is asking. In 1 Samuel 15:22, the Bible tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice. If there is any sacrifice God demands of us in the New Covenant, it is the sacrifice of our “Will” (Romans 12:1-2).
In the Second Reading, St. James tells us to “accept” and “submit” to the Word of God that can save our souls. We need to be yielding and submissive and not rebellious and willful.
C. True religion is about inner transformation and daily renewal, leading to conformity to Christ.
A religion that doesn’t transform us cannot save us. The essence of worship is that we are renewed, that is, made new in Christ. God progressively works on our inner being, in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we increasingly become more and more like Christ (in loving, caring, forgiving, thinking, behaving, living and sharing). True Christianity is becoming more like Christ (Galatians 4:19; Romans 8:29; Galatians 2:20; 1 John 2:6).
A true worshipper becomes like the object of their worship. If we worship the true God whose essence is love, we ought to become like Him.
D. True religion is about how we see, treat and relate to others. It is not enough to be godly in Church, that godliness must translate to kindness, love and care for others outside the Church. True religion is not a Sunday affair, it is daily.
We go out from the Church to love and serve the Lord in others, coming to the help of the needy and keeping ourselves unstained by the world (Second Reading), acting in justice, speaking the truth from the heart, not slandering with the tongue, doing no wrong to our neighbour, not allowing envy to poison how we treat others, keeping our pledge and conducting our affairs with honour (The Psalm).
Dear friends, today the Lord is calling us to review how we practice religion. He doesn’t want lip service when our hearts are far from him.
He calls us today to longing to know Jesus, to accept and submit to God in obedience, to allow the Holy Spirit to transform and renew us from within and make us more like Christ, and to reach out to spread God’s love to others. This is what true and pure religion is all about.
Sermon delivered by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on September 1, 2024