Reflection on Today’s Readings, 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B, February 4th, 2024
Texts: Job 7: 1-4.6-7; Psalm147: 1-2.3-4.5-6; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19.22-23; Mark 1:29-39 

                                         The Reward for our Service

Is it true that man is as Job claims in today’s first reading? Does man truly have a hard service upon earth? Is man truly like a hireling who looks for his wages or a slave who longs for the shadow? Yes, man has task to fulfil upon the earth. St. Paul tells us his work is to preach the gospel. 

Even Jesus Christ says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” Every Christian has the work of preaching and living the gospel.  

Job does not tell us his own task in the reading, he is concerned with the reward of his service. Truly man expects reward for his service. Hence, he is like a slave who longs for the shadow. He waits for shadow to fall so that he can rest. Rest is a reward of a kind. 

He who works deserves rest. Jesus Christ has this kind of reward in today’s gospel reading. We read, “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.” Jesus Christ teaches us that true rest is to be with the Lord.  

Wages are what we get as the value of our work

It is also true that man is like a hireling who looks for his wages. Rest is what we get for working. Unlike rest, wages are what we get as the value of our work. This is the kind of reward St. Paul speaks about in today’s second reading. St. Paul teaches how to get reward for our Christian obligations. 

He speaks of preaching the gospel as an obligation for him. He says, “If I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” 

St. Paul tells us that he gets reward by carrying out his obligation Willingly. He puts it thus: “For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.” The reward, here, is salvation,  gaining eternal life. He has salvation by preaching the gospel willingly. If he preaches the gospel as only an obligation, he will be like a signpost directing people to heaven.  

Job tells us that the reward for his own service is emptiness and misery

We see in job what becomes of us if we do not do Christian obligations willingly. Job tells us that the reward for his own service is emptiness and misery. He says, “so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.” 

He calls it emptiness because he gets nothing from his work. It is misery because he experiences pain and discomfort by his service. That is what happens when we do not carry out our obligation willingly; we experience pains and discomfort.  

Being a priest, preaching the gospel and celebrating the liturgy and Sacraments are my obligations. My reward is doing it willingly. Being parents, giving your children good upbringing is your obligation. Your reward is doing it willingly. Being workers, your obligation is to do your work. 

Doing it willingly is your reward. Being children, helping your parents is your obligation. Doing it willingly is your reward. Keeping the commandments of God as His people is our obligation. Doing it willingly is our reward. There are so many obligations we have; doing them willingly is our reward. 

How do we prove our willingly in carrying out our obligation? 

St. Paul goes on to speak of how he expresses his willingly in his service. He says, “What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the Gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the Gospel.” 

How do we prove our willingly in carrying out our obligation? We prove our willingly by adding value to our works, by doing more and facilitating growth. What more do you do in your place of work, in the Church, in the society, in your family? 

Prayer  

Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke