Reading 1 2 Mc 6:18-31
Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
Gospel Lk 19:1-10
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
The question of “what is a good life” has been a subject of philosophical reflection down the ages.
Plato in his works “Republic” and “Gorgias” described the good life as a life of virtue. That is a life lived in kindness, generosity, honesty, peace, love etc. For Aristotle, a good life is a life of happiness. The happiness that comes from friendship, study and respect/integrity.
The Epicureans think of the good life as a life of pleasure, which is called a hedonistic lifestyle even though they tried to explain pleasure objectively. Many people have embraced and understood the good life along with these hedonistic terms in its subjective dimension. For them, a good life is a life of pleasure that comes from unbridled fun, drinking, getting high on drugs, having large sum of money and spending mindlessly, acquiring possessions and seeking happiness in them, having sex randomly and carelessly, it is a wild life, a life lived without restraint or caution.
This morning, after reading the story of Eleazar in the first reading and Zacchaeus in the gospel, this question of what is a good life comes to my mind.
I wish to identify five things that are very essential in the definition of a good life.
- A good life is a life of joy and happiness.
Zacchaeus was a wealthy man but he was an unhappy man. He knew joy for the first time when he welcomed Jesus to his heart and home. His life changed from that moment.
Many people live their lives in misery, wasting away in sadness, their countenance perpetually doleful. They carry the burden of past guilt, they do not let go of past hurts and this they add it to present stress. A life of perpetual sadness is not a good life.
- A good life is a life of good relationships with others.
Zacchaeus had money but he was an outcast. Unloved by his people. Jesus restored him back to the family of Abraham.
Many people live life having broken relationships with everyone. They never get along well with anyone, colleagues, family members; they even keep malice with their spouse, complain about in-laws, can’t keep a stable friendship, and find fault in people. That is a terrible way of living.
- A good life is a life of inspiration.
A life that inspires others, a life lived in integrity and as an example for other people. A good example is Eleazar. He lived all his life as a man of honour and offered his life as an example of faith and courage. He will rather die than risk anything that will bring him dishonour and mislead others. This is a good life. We read his story today and we are also inspired by his heroism.
- A good life is a life of impact. A life that blesses others.
Zacchaeus promised to give half of his property to the poor. In other words, he resolved to become a blessing to others. This is what God’s grace produced in him. A life that brings meaning, joy, purpose, and happiness to others is a good life.
- A life lived in fear of God and knowledge of Christ.
Many people often make this mistake of thinking that because a person is good therefore his life is good. A person who is kind, generous and has goodwill, we call a good person but if he does not believe in God or does not know Jesus, it is not a good life. There is a significant “vacuum” in all of us that only God can fill.
It is impossible to live a good life without faith in God (Eleazar-God is my trust) and his Son Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (Zacchaeus).
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on November 19, 2019