Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21.
The letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 1:4 says “He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
The first reading of today confirms St Paul’s claim that we have all been chosen by God even before our conception.
It may interest you to know that this prophecy of Isaiah was given about two hundred years even before Cyrus was born.
God says for the sake of His people, He will pour His spirit on a pagan king; He will make him a conqueror and through Him He will restore His people from exile in Babylon.
God chose Cyrus even before He was born; He came on stage many years after this prophecy, and God made him a great conqueror just for His own purpose. Cyrus fulfilled this purpose when he declared freedom for the Israelites to go back from exile and he helped to rebuild their temple (Ezra 1:1-3, 2 Chronicles 36:23).
Dear children of God, you have always been in the mind and plan of God, He created you for a purpose and He governs the events of your life, behind the drama of your life there is a God working out something, there is no accident in your life.
In the second reading, St Paul rejoiced over the Christians in Thessalonika because of their faith in action, their work for love and perseverance in hope. He told them that God loved them and chose them to receive the good news.
In our Gospel, we have the story of the Pharisees and Herodians trying to set a trap for Jesus. Let us examine the answer that Jesus gave to their tricky and malicious question. He told them that since the stamp of Caesar was on their currency, they should give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar- and to God what belonged to God.
Dear friends, the stamp of God is in us, we are bearers of God’s image and likeness, which means we belong to Him. We are created for Him, chosen by Him to serve His purpose, not our own purpose (John 6:38).
What are we chosen for? What is God’s purpose for us?
I. To worship, glorify and praise Him.
II. He chose us to serve to Him through loving and merciful service to others.
III. He chose us for salvation:
St Paul’s call this “a rich and glorious inheritance being prepared for us in heaven” (Ephesian 1:18). You are chosen for eternal happiness with God.
IV. God chose us for mission:
Today is World Mission Sunday. A day to remember that we are God’s missionaries in the world. God has revealed His mysteries of love and salvation to us so that through our witness of faith, God may continue to manifest His love and in this way touch and transform hearts, minds, bodies, societies and cultures in every place and time.
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you have chosen me even before I was conceived, help me to fulfill your purpose here on earth and to be worthy to share the rich inheritance being prepared for me in heaven, amen.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka Gukena Okami on October 18, 2020.