Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, we gather as a people of God to celebrate New Yam. But the question we must ask ourselves is: What exactly are we celebrating?
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ. At Easter, we celebrate our redemption through His death and resurrection. But when we celebrate New Yam, what are we celebrating?
We are celebrating God’s faithfulness, God’s providence, and the mystery of God’s blessing in our lives. You plant half a yam, and at harvest, you discover that it has produced many more yams. Who made that possible?
Since you were born, has anyone ever told you that your ancestors turned one yam into many? No! It is God who gives the increase.
Some people plant their yams, and others steal them, yet somehow the yam continues to grow. Some even cultivate land that does not belong to them, yet God allows the crops to grow. This reminds us that the harvest is ultimately God’s gift. Therefore, when we celebrate New Yam, we must not celebrate only the yam. We must celebrate the God who gives the harvest.
In the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, God reminds His people that when they enter the land and enjoy its abundance, they must not forget Him.
The message is simple: when God blesses you, remember God. And one of the best ways of remembering God is by remembering the people around us.
The Scripture tells us to give to those who have nothing. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, when we share with one another, we honour the God whose image we bear. There are widows among us. There are orphans among us. There are families who have little or nothing to celebrate today.
So, as we celebrate the harvest, let us look around us. Who needs something from my harvest? Who needs my help. Who needs my food. Who needs my kindness? If we truly remember God, we cannot forget our brothers and sisters.
The second reading reminds us of an important truth: one person may plant, another may water, but God gives the increase.
Therefore, we must not become proud because of what we have achieved. You planted, but God gave the growth. You worked, but God gave you strength. You struggled, but God opened the way. You harvested, but God made the harvest possible.
That is why St Paul encourages us to share generously. We should not give only when it is convenient. We should also remember those who have nothing. The true meaning of harvest is not simply “I have enough.” The true meaning of harvest is: “God has given me enough to share.”
Finally, Jesus gives us the parable of the rich fool. The man had a great harvest. His land produced abundantly. But instead of asking, “Who can I help?”, he asked, “What shall I do?”
Then he said: “I will pull down my barns and build larger ones. There I will store all my grain and my goods.” Notice something very important about this man. Throughout the passage, there is hardly any “we.”
It is all about “I.” My harvest. My barns. My goods. My grain. My wealth. My future. He forgot his family. He forgot his neighbours. He forgot the poor. He forgot God. His problem was not that he had a good harvest. His problem was that he had a good harvest but a bad heart. His harvest became an opportunity for selfishness instead of an opportunity for generosity.
He thought that because he had accumulated enough, his life was secure. But God said to him: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you.” Then comes the great question: All the things you have prepared, for whom will they be?
The rich man committed what we might call the sin of “I.” He lived as though everything revolved around him. “I will build.” “I will store.” “I will keep.” “I will enjoy it.” But where was “we”?
This is the danger of prosperity. Sometimes, when God blesses us, we forget that we are blessed for a purpose. God does not give us abundance simply so that we can build bigger barns. He gives us abundance so that others can experience His goodness through us. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, as we celebrate New Yam today, let us not become like the rich fool.
After the harvest, may we not forget God. After the harvest, may we not forget our parents. After the harvest, may we not forget our brothers and sisters. After the harvest, may we not forget the widows. After the harvest, may we not forget the orphans. After the harvest, may we not forget the poor. After the harvest, may we not forget those who helped us along the way.
And above all, may we never forget the God who gave the increase. May our harvest become a blessing to others. May our homes have enough to share. May our communities become stronger because of our generosity. And when God looks at our lives, may He never find us foolish because of our selfishness.
May God bless our harvest. May God bless our families. May God bless those who have little or nothing. And may God give us generous hearts that never forget Him after the harvest.
Amen.