VOICE OF THE LOGOS: REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY-SEVENTH (27TH) SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

The Problem with Wanting Gratitude for Every Good Deed

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3,2:2-4
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 94(95):1-2,6-9
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14
Gospel: Luke 17:5-10
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In daily life, we often meet people who expect applause after doing the simplest act of duty. Imagine a child doing their domestic duties and insisting on hearing “thank you” as if he had done the family a favour. Or in an office setting, it is often the case to see workers feeling cheated if their supervisors do not recognize their effort, even though they were hired precisely for that task. Coming down to politics, leaders often boast about building roads, schools, or hospitals and expect the people to praise them, when in fact it is their obligation to serve the people who entrusted them with power. Then in our very religious context, some Christians expect special recognition for attending Mass, giving alms, or joining a group, society, or apostolate, as if they were doing God an extra favour. This tendency to seek reward for what is our responsibility is deeply rooted in human pride. Yet it is precisely this attitude that Christ challenges in the Gospel of today. He teaches us that discipleship is not a contract where we render services for benefits, but a vocation of love in which we serve because it is what we ought to do.

The first reading from the book of Habakkuk sets the tone. Habakkuk was a prophet around the end of the 7th century BC, likely between 612 and 587 BC, during the decline of Assyria and the rising threat of Babylon. The entire book is a dialogue between the prophet and God, dealing with the disturbing question of why God seems silent in the face of violence and injustice. Habakkuk cries, “How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help and you will not listen?” (Hab 1:2). This lament is not rebellion but an honest prayer springing from frustration with corruption and oppression. God’s answer is striking: He commands the prophet to write the vision clearly, affirming that “the just shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4). Here, the Hebrew root word for faith is אֱמוּנָה (emunah), meaning firmness, steadiness, fidelity. In its original sense, it does not primarily mean intellectual belief but steadfast loyalty and perseverance in the face of delay. For Habakkuk, this was the divine call: not to demand immediate gratification or applause, but to remain faithful because God’s justice, though delayed, is certain. This lesson speaks directly to us who want instant recognition for every little effort. Faith, as emunah, is steady endurance without expectation of reward.

The responsorial psalm then goes on to add another layer: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:7-8). The psalm recalls the rebellion of Israel at Meribah when the people tested God because He did not meet their needs as quickly as they wished (Ex 17:1-7). Instead of trusting, they hardened their hearts. This attitude is the opposite of emunah. The psalm teaches that the true posture before God is listening and obedience, not bargaining for favours. Service without gratification becomes possible only when the heart is docile to God’s word and open to His timing. By reciting this psalm, the Church places us in continuity with Israel’s history, warning us not to repeat their error of entitlement.

The Gospel from Luke 17:5-10 brings this message to its climax. The apostles beg, “Increase our faith,” and Jesus responds with the image of faith like a mustard seed, capable of uprooting a mulberry tree. But then He tells a parable about a servant who works in the field and serves his master at table. At the end of the day, does the master thank the servant for doing what was commanded? The answer in the cultural context of first-century Palestine is “NO.” In that world, servitude implied total obligation; the master owed no gratitude for tasks done as duty. Jesus is not endorsing slavery but using that socio-cultural background to make a point about discipleship. The Greek term He uses is δοῦλος (doulos), meaning servant or slave. In the Greco-Roman world, a doulos had no entitlement to reward, only the obligation to obey. Jesus adapts this to faith: we are God’s douloi, called to do our duty without expecting recognition. The teaching is radical in a culture where religion was often transactional, with sacrifices offered in exchange for favours. Christ redefines service as free and unmerited, rooted in love. Thus, when He says, “We are unworthy servants; we have done what we were obliged to do” (Lk 17:10), He unmasks our modern mentality that constantly seeks compensation. Service in the Kingdom is not a matter of personal gain but of fidelity to God’s will.

The second reading from 2 Timothy strengthens this vision. Paul exhorts his young disciple not to be timid but to fan into flame the gift of God, living with “a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:6–7). He warns him to guard the faith entrusted to him, not for personal glory but for Christ. This shows that Christian service is not measured by applause but by perseverance. Paul himself suffered without seeking reward, saying elsewhere: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16). His service was an obligation of love, not a favour to God.

What then are the practical lessons for us? First, faith that demands recognition is immature; true faith serves quietly, trusting that God sees in secret (Mt 6:4). Second, we must beware of entitlement in our spiritual lives. God owes us nothing; it is we who owe Him everything. Third, in society we should recognize the danger of leaders and even pastors who boast of doing what is their duty. The Christian is called to serve humbly, as Christ, who came “not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Finally, we must cultivate emunah (steadfast loyalty), so that even when justice seems delayed, when prayers seem unanswered, and when service goes unnoticed, we remain faithful. For in the end, God’s reward is not applause or recognition, but communion with Him in eternity.

O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)

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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com

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Have you prayed your rosary today?