Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20; Psalm 31; Matthew 20:17-28
One of the stories I love so much in the bible, a story I am always quick to recommend to anyone feeling betrayed or losing hope in life, is the story of Joseph, who was conspired against by his brothers.
In that story, we see the malice of betrayal, the blessings of trusting God patiently and the power of God who can work through human malice to achieve His glory.
Today, may we just reflect on the malice of conspiracy? The theme recurs in all of the readings that we have.
The first reading of today tells us about the plot against Jeremiah. The friends of Jeremiah conspired against him. They said “let us strike him with the tongue and let us not heed any of his words.”
Even the Psalm is the prayer of someone asking God to deliver him from the conspiracy against him.
In today’s Gospel also, Jesus intimates his disciples about the conspiracy awaiting him in Jerusalem. Then comes the ‘diplomatic’ conspiracy of Mrs Zebedee and her sons and finally the rising inclination to conspire against them by the other disciples.
A child of God should not be involved in conspiracy in any way.
Today, may I identify three subtle ways we can be guilty of being part of conspiracy.
I. When we agree to lie against someone or bear false witness against him or her irrespective of the motive. This is conspiracy against truth.
Example is 2kings 21:8-13, Jezebel ordered that two scoundrels come to witness against Naboth so that he might be stoned to death. Daniel 13:34-41, two elders lied against Susanna.
II. Whenever we keep quiet and look elsewhere in the face of injustice or in the midst of evil. This is the conspiracy of silence. We allow evil to triumph because we are too weak, too self-centered or afraid to speak against it.
III. Whenever we plan the shame, ruin, failure or misfortune of another person simply out of ill will and lack of charity. This includes setting trap for someone, refusing to cooperate with them, working against them, mobilising people to rebel against them or concocting a plot to make someone suffer harm.
For instance, Haman plotted against Mordecai and the entire Jewish nation (read story in the Book of Esther). The brothers of Joseph in Gen 37:12-36, the conspiracy against Daniel in Dan 6.
This is conspiracy against innocence.
Our call is to sow love and kindness, to promote and spread the culture of truth and joy and not to be participants in any form of conspiracy against anyone.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on March 20, 2019