Allelluia! He is Risen, Indeed!

John 20:1-9

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus ' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Food for thought

Today, we celebrate the greatest day in the history of humanity. Today we celebrate the great truth that Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a cross and died, arose from the dead just three days later! 

This one truth is what sets Christianity apart from every other systems of belief in the world! All other religious leaders have died. Buddha died! Mohammed died! Confucius died! Every founder of every religion that has ever existed has died. However, only One has died and risen from the dead! 

If we were to strip Christianity of the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, then our faith would be no more than just another religious system! If Jesus did not arise from the dead and is not alive today, then everything He did was in vain, His death was a waste of a life and all of His teachings are simply the ravings of a madman! If Jesus Christ is not alive, then you and I have no salvation. 

Mary came to the tomb a good while before daylight. When she arrives, she finds the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Immediately, she runs to find the disciples of Jesus and she tells them that the body of their Lord is missing from the tomb. When they heard this news, Peter and John ran to the tomb to see what had happened. When they arrived, they both saw that linen clothes lying there undisturbed and the napkin that had been around His face lying folded, in a place by itself. 

And talking about the grave clothes. 

I believe that Jesus left His grave clothes behind for a reason. He left them behind so that they could preach a message to all those who saw them early on that Sunday morning. 

The gospel says that the linen clothes were lying still in their folds. This means that they looked exactly like they were still around the body of Jesus. You see, the burial spices would have hardened the cloths around the body and would have formed a cocoon; the cloths still resembled the shape of the body of Jesus.

Another truth to note is that the scene is very orderly and undisturbed. Had the body been taken by grave robbers, the wrappings around the body would not have been removed, and if they had been removed, they would not have been left in such an orderly fashion. 

Then, there is the matter of the napkin, which had covered the head of Jesus. Had the body been removed by others, the napkin would merely have lain where it had fallen. Instead, it had been folded and laid in a place by itself. Everything speaks of calmness and order in the empty tomb of Jesus!

The only logical conclusion to the matter is that the tomb was a scene of order and calm because Jesus had merely passed through His grave clothes; he simply evaporated. He then must have folded His own napkin and laid it aside. He left behind a scene of peace and order so that all those who look in would believe. And they did. At least John did. The gospel says that he saw the clothes and believed.

The part that love plays in this story is extraordinary. It was Mary, who loved Jesus so much, who was first at the tomb. It was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, who was first to believe in the Resurrection; when John saw the scene, he believed. Why? Because he was the disciple who loved Jesus most; he is the only disciple who followed Jesus until the end. All the others run away. Love gave him eyes to read the signs and a mind to understand.

Here we have the great law of love. Love is the great interpreter. Where there's love there's understanding; if you love someone, you will understand them; you can't understand someone you hate. If you don't understand someone, like your spouse, it is because you don't love him or her enough. You will never understand someone whom you don't love.

It is good news to know that love is true, and truth is immortal. We can suppress love / truth, accuse it of being a lie, condemn it, torture it, kill it, bury it in the grave but on the third day love / truth will rise again. 

Remember this and do not give up on Love / Truth even when everybody seems to give up on it. Do not give up on Love / Truth; do not give up on Justice. Do not give up on doing what is right. Do not go corrupt because everybody around you has gone corrupt. True will always be true. Just will always be just. Right will always be right even when the world around us would have it otherwise. 

We must learn to believe in the sun even when it is not shining, knowing that sooner or later it will shine again. It is the end of the story that counts. 

That is why we all rejoice today and are glad. Even those who are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; even those people whom the enemy seems to be winning the battle in their lives. 

Today Christ has won. And we know that in Christ we are not losers but winners. Yes, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).

Easter Vigil

Mar 16:1-7

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. 3 They worried out loud to each other, "Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?" 4 Then they looked up, saw that it had been rolled back-- it was a huge stone-- and walked right in. 5 They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished. 6 He said, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; he's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. 7 Now-- on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, exactly as he said."

Food for the thought

In the Bible, whenever God has to make an announcement of extreme importance, He sends that message through an angel. Ex. The conception of Jesus, or the birth of Jesus, were all announced by an angel. Tonight, another angel announces unbelievable news: Jesus who died, now he's risen; was crucified, he has risen, he is not in the tomb. On that first Easter morning, as dawn was breaking, this special message was delivered by a special angel to the women. Unbelievable!!

Note this: Jesus is not risen because the tomb is empty (grave robbers may have stolen the body); the tomb is empty because Jesus is risen.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He immediately disappears and appears very busy: "He is going before you to Galilee." Jesus is risen and Jesus is busy.

The angel ended his message to these women by reminding them of the Lord’s promise. They would see him again: "you will see him". This message must have lifted their hearts. They had come to the tomb that morning expecting to see a dead body, they left it with the promise that they would see the living Jesus again.

Death is not the end of the story. There is one more chapter to our story. This is the most important chapter because, as the saying goes, they who laugh last laugh best; it is the most important chapter because it is endless. And in the last chapter of the story of Jesus we see ours too; yes there's one more chapter to life.

It means that just as life does not begin at birth, but before birth, life does not end at death; it continues beyond death. It means that just as life does not begin in the womb, but goes through the womb, so too life does not end in the tomb; life goes through the tomb; just as life has to know birth, so too life has to know death. Just as we did not live in the womb for ever; some day, we came out. We don't live forever on this earth; some day we shall leave it; the same with death, we shall not stay in the tomb for ever, we shall come out on the other side of life, called heaven. Yes, we shall overcome, someday.

Holy Silence!

From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday

The Lord's descent into the underworld

Something strange is happening today – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.

God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, Adam, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.”

He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake.

I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you.

I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. 

It is finished!

Today, we followers of Christ, do something not common: we celebrate death, the death of someone, of Jesus Christ our Lord. That's why we are here this afternoon. Today, we do not come to church to cry for Jesus, we come for Jesus to cry for us, to suffer for us, to die for us. It is weird, isn't it. 
I tell you, if you live well your life, if you live your life as Jesus lived his, if we live as Jesus has shown us how to live, when we die, our death will not be lamented, our death will be celebrated, just as we celebrate today Jesus' death.
As Jesus was getting ready to die, the Gospel tells us that He made this simple statement. "It is finished!" It means that even for Jesus, death, his death, was a satisfaction. It is a satisfaction because it came at the right moment, for a right cause. Jesus died happy. It is weird, isn't it?
It is the same satisfaction a painter gets when they apply the final stroke to the paint, and make a sigh like of Jesus, It is finished! It is the same satisfaction that singers get after putting on a good performance, a good show; as they get away from the stage, they make the same sigh as of Jesus: It is finished. It is the same satisfaction that we get always after sealing a good business deal, as we sign the last page of the agreement, we get that same satisfaction of Jesus: It is finished. The deal is done. It was a win-win deal. It is finished.
When Jesus said, "It is finished", it meant that God the Father in Heaven was satisfied with what Jesus the Son had done on the cross.
Yes, when Jesus Christ said these three little words, It is finished, He was telling the world that something great had been accomplished. He was finishing a deal that had been entrusted to him to do; He had just struck a deal.
You know each one of us came into this world, into this life for a deal. That is why you came into this life as woman, and me as man; that's why you're what and who you are, that is why you were born where you were born. That is why you have the talents you have. God custom-built you for something particular, which only you can do; God created you for a deal. How happy shall we die, if at the hour of our death we too cry out loud and clear, It is finished. I mean, our deal, our mission, our task, our vocation. 

Loving to the end!

Exodus 12:1–8, 11–14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year–old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. (...) the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.
This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
The Eucharist has a long history; it was foreshadowed in the Old Testament (the 1st Reading). The lamb was a symbol of Christ. It was male and without blemish. It was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, and it was slaughtered during the evening twilight. Some of its blood was taken and applied put on the two doorposts. The blood on the doorposts served a purpose. The Lord PASSED OVER the house that had blood on the doorpost. That is why the Jewish feast was named Pass-over!
You will notice that Jesus celebrated the Eucharist at the time that every body else was busy slaughtering their Pass-over lamb. It was during this feast, on the night he was handed over, that Jesus took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 
As you know, for God there's no accidents nor coincidence but Providence. So, as the traditional Passover feast was running its course, Jesus was redefining this old event, calling it NEW COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD. 
All this means that, just as in Old Testament the blood of the lamb saved the Jews from death, now and today, the blood of Jesus saves us from death. This is why Jesus said and says in every Mass: Take and drink, this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, the blood that will be shed for you and for all, for the forgiveness of sins. It means that thanks to his blood, we too are spared, are passed-over, are forgiven, are saved. (Btw. This is why we call Jesus our Saviour!)
Gospel - John 13:1–15
"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end."
Jesus knew all things had been given into his hands. He knew that his hour of humiliation was near, but he knew that his hour of glory was also near. Such a consciousness might well have filled him with pride; and yet, with the knowledge of the power and the glory that were his, he washed his disciples' feet. At that moment when he might have had supreme pride, he had supreme humility. 
Jesus knew that he had come from God and that he was going to God. He might well have had a certain contempt for men and for the things of this world. He might well have thought that he was finished with the world now, for he was on the way to God. It was just at that time when God was nearest to him that Jesus loved us to the end. The Gospel says, He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. How? 
"So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist."
You can't claim to love someone and not wash their feet. As I keep saying, love that does not translate into action, is false, in un real. 
Jesus loved "to the end". What does this mean? It means loving until the end, loving someone come what may; it means love that knows no boundaries or limits; it means that there's nothing you can not do for love's sake. It means stooping down to wash one's feet. It means love that begins from bottom up to top, from the feet to the head.
When did you last love this much? When did you last wash one another? Or you're like Peter. Peter at first refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet. Jesus told him that if he does, he will have no part in him. It is as if Jesus said: "Peter, are you going to be too proud to let me do this for you? If you so, you will lose everything." 
Today, let's wash and be washed, forgive and be forgiven, love and be loved. That's what Jesus tells us to do every time we go Mass: DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME!

30 Pieces of silver!

GOSPEL Matthew 26:14–25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

Food for thought!

For three days we have been with Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. Before we leave him, we ask, why did he do it? Why did Judas betray Jesus? Why would anyone in their right senses betray someone like Jesus? And if one decided to betray Jesus, that is, to give him away, how much would one exchange for Jesus?

What is 30 pieces of silver worth today? Well, the best was to look at it is to remember last Monday's gospel reading. In it, we read, that Mary brought her perfume, very expensive. Judas calculated it to cost 300 silver pieces. The same Judas valued Jesus to be worth 30 silver pieces. The perfume was 10x more expensive than Jesus, that is according to Judas! Judas lost all proportion of things.

How much money would you accept to deny Jesus? How much would it take for you to abandon Jesus, to never follow Jesus, to never read the Bible again, or to just say, "I'm no longer a follower of Christ"? 

As we condemn Judas, we do well to remember that there are millions and millions of former Christians out there, who gave up on Jesus, who gave Jesus in exchange of something else. All it took was getting a scholarship, or getting busy with studies, with work, with a job offer, with a family, or just getting busy with life. Now days, it is easy to trade Jesus for jogging on Sunday morning, or just for watching a movie instead of going to church. Trading off Jesus for something else is getting easier and more frequent than we may want to imagine. Jesus is getting cheaper and cheaper than 30 pieces of silver.

St. Paul intercede for us all, that we may recover the value of Jesus and say as you did one day: "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ." (Phil. 3:7-8).

Loving the unlovely!

 John 13:21–33, 36–38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

Food for thought! 

When we consider what was happening in this gospel, we can see what it means to love the unlovely people; Jesus loved Judas, and Judas hated Jesus (sounds similar?). 

First, there were the seating arrangements at the meal. The Jews did not sit at table; they reclined. The table was a low solid block, with couches round it. It was shaped like a "U" and the place of the host was in the centre. They reclined on their left side, resting on the left elbow, thus leaving the right hand free to deal with the food. Sitting in such a way, a man's head was literally in the breast of the person reclining on his left. Jesus would be sitting in the place of the host, at the centre of the single side of the low table. The disciple whom Jesus loved (John) must have been sitting on his right, for as he lent on his elbow at the table, his head was in Jesus' breast.

But it is the place of Judas that is of special interest. It is quite clear that Jesus could speak to him privately without the others overhearing. If that be so, there is only one place Judas could have been occupying. He must have been on Jesus' left, so that, just as John's head was in Jesus' breast, Jesus' head was in Judas'. This is why Jesus was able to dip the morsel and give it to Judas; he was just next to Jesus.

The revealing thing is that by custom the place on the left of the host was the place of highest honour, kept for the most intimate friend. When that meal began, Jesus must have said to Judas: "Judas, come and sit beside me tonight; I want specially to talk to you." The very inviting of Judas to that seat was an appeal.

But there is more. For the host to offer the guest a special morsel from the dish, was again a sign of special friendship. When Jesus handed the morsel to Judas, again it was a mark of special affection. And we note that even when Jesus did this the disciples did not connect the dots. 

There is tragedy here. Again and again Jesus appealed to that dark heart, and again and again Judas remained unmoved. God save us from being completely dull to the appeal of love. Yes, sometimes we are dull to others' appeal of love. They do everything to appeal to our heart, and we do everything to hate them.

Then quite suddenly the crucial moment came, the moment when the love of Jesus admitted defeat. "Judas," he said, “What you are going to do, do quickly. Because I have given up on you!” There was no point in further delay. Why carry on this useless appeal in the mounting tension? Why insist? If it was to be done, it were better done quickly. Yes, there is always a last time, a time when we can go no further; some times, giving up on someone or some course of action is the best thing to do.

Before he went away, Judas received the morsel, and the inevitable happened; the devil entered into him, not because he received an evil thing, but because being himself evil, he received a holy bread. It is a terrible thing that what was meant to be love's appeal became hate's dynamic. That is what the devil can do. He can take the loveliest things and twist them until they become the agents of hell. He can take love and turn it into lust; he can take holiness and turn it into pride; he can take discipline and turn it into sadistic cruelty; he can take affection and turn it into spineless complacence. We must be on the watch so that in our lives the devil never turns the lovely things until he can use them for his own evil purposes.

Did you notice that when Judas went out it was night? It was night because the day was late. But there was another kind of night. It is always night when a man goes from Christ to follow his own purposes. It is always night when a man listens to the call of evil rather than the summons of good. It is always night when hate puts out the light of love. It is always night when a man turns his back on Jesus.

When we follow Christ we walk in the light; if we turn our backs on him we go into the dark. The way of light and the way of dark are set before us. May God give us wisdom to choose light over darkness, to choose love over hate, to choose humility over pride, to choose Jesus over Judas.

Six days before Easter is today!

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she has done all she could; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me. Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

Food for thought!

Six days before...! Mary brought her perfume, very expensive. Judas calculated it to cost 300 silver pieces. Now, to get an idea of this; Jesus was valued in 30 silver pieces. This perfume was 10x more expensive than Jesus, that is according to Judas. That is why this man saw it as sheer waste.

Jesus silenced him by saying that money could be given to the poor at any time, but a kindness done to him must be done now, for soon the chance could be gone forever.

How much extravagant are you with Jesus? How much are you ready to do for love of Jesus? Look at Mary's extravagancy. She took the most precious thing she possessed and spent it all on Jesus. Love is not love if it calculates the cost. Love gives its all and its only regret is that it has not still more to give.

What is most expensive to you? Consider this story.

Young married couple Della and James were very much in love with each other but could barely afford their one-room apartment due to their very bad economic situation. For Christmas, Della decides to buy Jim a chain for his prized pocket watch given to him by his father's father. To raise the funds, she has her long, beautiful hair cut off and sold to make a wig. Meanwhile, Jim decides to sell his watch to buy Della a beautiful set of combs made out of tortoiseshell and jewels for her lovely, knee-length brown hair. Although each is disappointed to find the gift they chose rendered useless (she no longer has the hair; he no longer has the watch), each is pleased with the gift that they received, because it represents their love for one another.

Love is not only extravagant, it is unselfconscious. Mary wiped Jesus' feet with the hair of her head. It was a spectacle, that could only be explained by her love to Jesus. She loved him so much that it was nothing to her what others thought and said.

As we think about the sacrifice she made for the Lord, we need to ask ourselves the question: Have we? Have we done what we could for others? Have we given all there is to give? Notice the areas where she did what she could. As we do, search your heart and see if you have. Just as Jesus does this week, she has done what she could.

Yes, this is what Jesus himself did, as yesterday's second reading put it, (Phi 2:6-8)

6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [ possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, 7 But emptied Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. 8 And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!

Like the woman in the gospel reading, Jesus emptied himself completely; he broke his bottle of life for us. He too, poured every drop out for our sake. I wonder if we have broken the alabaster box of our life and poured out ourselves, every drop for someone we love? Have you ever loved someone to the point of emptying all of yourself? That's what Jesus does today and throughout this week.

He emptied himself!

Philippians 2:6-11

Jesus Christ’s state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death,

death on a cross. But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Food for thought!

In today's readings, every word is important; every word is carefully chosen to show two things, the reality of the manhood and the reality of the godhead of Jesus Christ; the humanity of Jesus and the divinity of Jesus; to show Jesus the man and to show Jesus the God. We are told that though he was in the form God, Jesus voluntarily laid aside His divine prerogatives; he emptied himself, he voluntarily gave away, he did not cling to his richness, but gave it away, so that we may be enriched by his riches. He gave so that we may get, he humbled himself so that we may be exalted, he died that we may live.

So, today we begin a week of giving; about emptying oneself for others, like Jesus did: "Jesus Christ’s state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself." In the gospel read just before the procession, we have another act of giving. What different story would we be telling today if the unnamed owners of the donkey had refused to give it up? Maybe we would have no story of the triumphal entry, at least not in the way Jesus wanted it. 

No matter how unknown a person is, he or she can still play a crucial role in the unfolding of God's plan. The Lord needs each one of us as he needed Jesus and the unnamed owners of the donkey in the reading. We are not told who these owners of the donkey are but the fact that they understood that "the Lord" refers to Jesus and voluntarily gave up the donkey, shows that they could have been his secret disciples or admirers. Otherwise one would have expected them to answer, "But who is this Lord who needs my donkey?"

A donkey was a very big thing in those days. The donkey was the equivalent of a car, a truck and a tractor all in one. It was a car because people used it to move around and do their shopping; a truck because it was used to carry load; and a tractor because it was used in cultivating the land. Add to this the fact that the donkey had never been ridden, that means it was brand new and had a very high market value. You can see that giving up the donkey just because the Lord needed it was a very big sacrifice. It was a generous and heroic act of faith.

Did you know that each of us has got a donkey that the Lord needs? Here is some one's reflection on using our donkey for the service of the Lord:

Sometimes I get the impression that God wants me to give him something and sometimes I don't give it because I don't know for sure, and then I feel bad because I've missed my chance. Other times I know he wants something but I don't give it because I'm too selfish. And other times, too few times, I hear him and I obey him and feel honoured that a gift of mine would be used to carry Jesus to another place. And still other times I wonder if my little deeds today will make a difference in the long haul.

Maybe you have those feelings, too. All of us have a donkey. You and I each has something in our lives, which, if given back to God, could, like the donkey, move Jesus and his story further down the road. Maybe you can sing or hug or program a computer or write a check, or encourage your son to become a priest. You remember Mat 25:35-36?

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me. '

Mat 25:40

Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-- you did it to me.'

Whichever, that's your donkey. So, what is the name of your donkey? The Lord has need of it.

It is better that Jesus die!

John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him, but some of them went to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all these signs’ they said ‘and what action are we taking? If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.’ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.’ He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation – and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God. From that day they were determined to kill him. So Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but left the district for a town called Ephraim, in the country bordering on the desert, and stayed there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover drew near, and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem to purify themselves looked out for Jesus, saying to one another as they stood about in the Temple, ‘What do you think? Will he come to the festival or not?’

Food for thought!

In today's gospel, we see understand why Jesus killed: it was in order for the religious authorities of the time (Pharisees and Sadducees) in order to hold on their political and social power and prestige. What they feared was that Jesus might gain a following and raise a disturbance against the roman government. Now, Rome was essentially tolerant, but, with such a vast empire to govern, it could never afford civil disorder, and always quelled it with a firm and merciless hand. If Jesus was the cause of civil disorder, Rome would descend in all her power, and, beyond a doubt the Sadducees would be dismissed from their positions of authority. 

It never even occurred to them to ask whether Jesus was right or wrong. Their only question was: "What effect will this have on our ease and comfort and authority?" They judged Jesus, not in the light of principle but in the light of their own career. Sometimes we are that mean; we set our own interests before the other's interests; we look at and judge others in light of our own interests; as long as our interests are served, we don't mind at all about what the other person goes through. Things have not changed much!

So the Sadducees insisted that Jesus must be eliminated or the Romans would come and take their authority away. Then Caiaphas, the High Priest, made his two-edged statement: "You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed." 

Here is another tremendous example of dramatic irony. Caiaphas meant that it was better that Jesus should die than that there should be trouble with the Romans. It was true that Jesus must die to save the nation. That was true--but not in the way that Caiaphas meant. It was true in a far greater and more wonderful way. God can speak through the most unlikely people; sometimes he sends his message through a man without the man being aware; he can use even the words of bad men, like on this occasion. Indeed, Jesus was to die for the nation and also for all God's people throughout the world. To him be glory and praise and majesty, for ever and ever. Amen.

Back to the beginning!

John 10:31-42

The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:

‘Is it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods? So the Law uses the word gods of those to whom the word of God was addressed, and scripture cannot be rejected. Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, “You are blaspheming,” because he says, “I am the son of God.” If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me; but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’

They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.  He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him. 

Food for thought! 

In this text, there is a small detail that is worth noting about Jesus: "He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising." 

Why did Jesus do this? Well, for Jesus the time was running out; he knew his hour was approaching but was not yet. He would not recklessly court danger and throw his life away; nor would he in cowardice avoid danger to preserve his life. Jesus desired quietness before the final struggle. He always armed himself to meet men by first meeting God. That is why he retired to the other side of Jordan. He was not running away: he was preparing himself for the final contest.

The place to which Jesus went is most significant. He went to the place where John had been baptizing, the place where he himself had been baptized. It was there that the voice of God had come to him and assured him that he had taken the right decision and was on the right way. That place was significant because that is where it all began; that is where Jesus started his ministry.

There is everything to be said about returning every now and then to the place where we had the supreme experience of our life. When Jacob was up against it, when things had gone wrong and badly wrong, he went back to Bethel (Gen.35:1-5). When he needed God, he went back to the place where he had first found him. Jesus, before the end, went back to the place where the beginning had happened. It would often do our souls good to make a visit to the place where we first found God, or where we first fell in love, or where we first met, or where we first loved. In other words, never loose touch with your beginning; it is your source of inspiration. When your life begin to fall apart, remember to go to your beginning, and start your life all over again.

But not only Jesus went back to the source, the people too went: "Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him."

Time and again, we also get discouraged; we too loose faith and begin to doubt; we too loose the initial fire of our love to the Lord and to each other. Many couples have lost the initial fire of love and passion they used to enjoy. In other words, we too need to go back to Jordan where it all started, where we started our journey, where we got the initial inspiration, initial love and passion. And if and when we do so, will be like the people in the gospel reading, they became believers in Jesus. They adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus again; they too were re-energized in their commitment.

Do you think you need to go to your Jordan again? Where's your Jordan? Where did you start? May be you need to revisit the place. May be. When things get tough, we do well to go back to our Jordan and press the Reset button.

Jesus is God!

John 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews: ‘I tell you most solemnly, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’

The Jews said, ‘Now we know for certain that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’ Jesus answered:

‘If I were to seek my own glory that would be no glory at all; my glory is conferred by the Father, by the one of whom you say, “He is our God” although you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say: I do not know him, I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves. But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to think that he would see my Day; he saw it and was glad.’ The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I Am.’

At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

Food for thought!

Jesus makes revelation after revelation, each more tremendous than the one preceding it. Here he makes it known that if anyone keeps his words, he will never know death. It is not physical life and physical death of which Jesus is thinking. He means that, for the man who fully accepts him, physical death has lost its finality; he has entered into a relationship with God which neither time nor eternity can destroy. Jesus is saying that a person who follows him goes, not from life to death, but from life to life; physical death is only the introduction to the nearer presence of God.

When we were in the womb of our mother, we were limited in space and movement. Then we came out to a more expansive life with more freedom. Jesus is saying that those who accept him die, they go into even a more expansive life. Jesus is saying that there is more to life than meets the eyes.

Then Jesus makes these revelations which are the very foundation of his life.

(i) He has unique knowledge of God. Jesus knows God as no one else ever has known him or ever will. Nor will he lower that claim, for to do so would be a lie. The only way to full knowledge of the heart and mind of God is through Jesus Christ. With our own minds we can reach fragments of knowledge about God; but only in Jesus Christ is the full orb of truth, for only in him do we see what God is like.

(ii) He has unique obedience to God. To look at Jesus is to be able to say; "This is how God wishes me to live." To look at his life is to say: "This is serving God." In Jesus alone we see what God wants us to know and what God wants us to be.

(iii) He is God. This is what he means by these words: Before Abraham was born, I AM. Here Jesus was making a revelation that He is timeless, that He is God. We must note carefully that Jesus did not say: "Before Abraham was born, I was," but, "Before Abraham was born, I am." Here is the revelation that Jesus is timeless. There never was a time when he came into being; there never will be a time when he is not in being.

What did he mean? Obviously he did not mean that he, the man Jesus, had always existed. We know that Jesus was born into this world at Bethlehem; there is more than that here. Think of it this way. There is only one person in the universe who is timeless; and that one person is God. What Jesus is saying here is nothing less than that the life in him is the life of God; he is saying, as the writer of the Hebrews put it more simply, that he is the same yesterday, today and forever. In Jesus we see, not simply a man who came and lived and died; we see the timeless God, who was before time and who will be after time, who always is. In Jesus the immortal God showed himself to mortal men. To him be glory and honour and praise. Amen.

Are you really free?

Jn 8:31-42

31 Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. 32 Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." 33 Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?" 34 Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead- end life and is, in fact, a slave. 35 A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. 38 I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father." 39 They were indignant. "Our father is Abraham!" Jesus said, "If you were Abraham's children, you would have been doing the things Abraham did. 40 And yet here you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth he got straight from God! Abraham never did that sort of thing. 41 You persist in repeating the works of your father." They said, "We're not bastards. We have a legitimate father: the one and only God." 42 "If God was your father," said Jesus, "you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn't come on my own. He sent me.

Food for thought!

In today's gospel, Jesus is speaking to a group of people who thought they were free. They believed that because they were the sons of Abraham, they enjoyed spiritual freedom, v. 33. Jesus lets them know that because they are sinners, they are slaves to sin, v. 34. This same truth is repeated by Paul in Rom 6:16

Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

Jesus wanted his audience listening then as well as now, to know that He has the power to make men truly free, v. 32. He reminds them that because they are slaves to sin, they are not truly free. You see, a person can be locked away in a prison and still be free in Jesus. Another can be out of prison and not be free. Many of us are slaves. That's the bad news. The good news, Jesus has the power to make us truly free. Regardless of our kind of prison, regardless of how long we have been imprisoned, Jesus can and does sets us free. This is the Good News that he is trying to tell the people in the gospel reading.

Another message from Jesus to the people is that holiness is not hereditary; it is not inborn; it is not automatic. It is personal. In this passage Jesus is dealing a death-blow to a claim which to the Jews was all-important. For the Jew Abraham was the greatest figure in all religious history; and the Jew considered himself safe and secure in the favour of God simply because he was a descendant of Abraham.

The attitude of the Jews is not without parallel in modern life.

(a) Even today, some people think that because they belong to a family or a church or a congregation, that they are special because of that. But belonging to a great name or family should never be an excuse for inaction; great name or family should always be an inspiration to new effort.

(b) There are those who try to live on a history and a tradition and a spiritual capital of the past; but if the capital be always drawn upon and never put up anew, the day inevitably comes when it is exhausted. No man or church or nation can live on the achievements of the past. That is what the Jews were trying to do. It is not enough to belong to a great family; it is equally important to struggle yourself. God will judge us not according to our ancestors, but according to our acceptance or refusal of Jesus.

Joseph, the silent man!

John,

I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Goodwill Community Foundation has approved a grant of $111,500 to REMAR for the following:

Completion of NOAH's ARK       $60,000

100 wooden desks and chairs     $24,000

School and sports uniforms        $6,000

Painting, renovation school and Children's house    $15,000

Xai Xai sports field     $6,500

We want to thank you for the work that you do in Mozambique.  We appreciate the partnership between REMAR Mozambique and GCF.  We ask that you incorporate the GCF trademark in those ventures funded by us.  

We are looking forward to our visit next month.

Sincerely

Reverend Dennis McLain

President

Goodwill Community Foundation

Anyone who follows Jesus walks in life!

John 8:12-20

Jesus said to the people: ‘I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life.’ At this the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus replied: ‘It is true that I am testifying on my own behalf, but my testimony is still valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one, but if I judge, my judgement will be sound, because I am not alone: the one who sent me is with me; and in your Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I may be testifying on my own behalf, but the Father who sent me is my witness too.’ They asked him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered: ‘You do not know me, nor do you know my Father; if you did know me, you would know my Father as well.’ He spoke these words in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.

Food for thought!

In this passage Jesus talks of following himself. We often speak of following Jesus; we often urge others to do so. What do we mean? Well, it means at least the following:

(i) It is often used of a soldier following his captain. On the long route marches, into battle, in campaigns in strange lands, the soldier follows wherever the captain may lead. The Christian is the soldier whose commander is Christ. Anyone who follows Jesus will not be walking in the dark; he will have the light of life.

(ii) It is often used of a slave accompanying his master. Wherever the master goes the slave is in attendance upon him, always ready to spring to his service and to carry out the tasks he gives him to do. He is literally at his master's beck and call. The Christian is the slave whose joy it is always to serve Christ. This is why we call Jesus Lord!

(iii) It is often used of accepting a wise counsellor's opinion. When a man is in doubt he goes to the expert, and if he is wise he accepts the judgment he receives. The Christian is the man who guides his life and conduct by the counsel of Christ. What Jesus tells us is good, and we do well to follow it whole heartedly.

(iv) It is often used of giving obedience to the laws of a city or a state. If a man is to be a useful member of any society or citizen of any community, he must agree to abide by its laws. The Christian, being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, accepts the law of the kingdom and of Christ as the law which governs his life.

(v) It is often used of following a teacher's line of argument, or of following the gist of someone's speech. The Christian is the man who has understood the meaning of the teaching of Christ. He has not listened in dull incomprehension or with slack inattention. He takes the message into his mind and understands, receives the words into his memory and remembers, and hides them in his heart and obeys.

To be a follower of Christ is to give oneself body, soul and spirit into the obedience of the Master; and to enter upon that following is to walk in the light. When we walk alone we are bound to stumble and grope, for so many of life's problems are beyond our solution. When we walk alone we are bound to take the wrong way, because we have no secure map of life. We need the heavenly wisdom to walk the earthly way. The man who has a sure guide and an accurate map is the man who is bound to come in safety to his journey's end. Jesus Christ is that guide; he alone possesses the map to life. To follow him is to walk in safety through life and afterwards to enter into glory.

Do you throw stones at sinners?

John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then be bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’

Food for thought!

Divine providence has given us this story for our spiritual nourishment on the last Sunday before Palm Sunday. This story is a fitting preparation for Holy Week when we see Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice to grant us clemency, we who are already sentenced to death by our sins. As we prepare for Holy Week, let us take this day to learn some lessons.

First and foremost, like this woman we all deserve death, “for the wages of sin is death”. (Romans 6:23). Thanks to Jesus who came and comes to overturn our death sentence, to set us free. He sets us free with his words of absolution: “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and sin no more” (John 8:11). The story shows how Jesus stands up for sinners before the law. In so doing he draws upon himself the hostility of the hard-line officers, who will eventually arrest him and give him a taste of their justice. We have this story before us today so that we can see ourselves in this sinner woman whom Jesus saves from sure death at the risk of attracting death to himself.

Secondly, according to justice and law, this woman deserved death. just this week, we heard over BBC a soldier who was stoned to death near the Pakistan - Afghanistan boarder, because he was suspected to be in love with some woman; he was summarily executed. 2000 years after the incident in the Gospel happened, similar incidents do happen.

We don't have to go to Afghanistan to see this gospel incident in action. This gospel is about justice and mercy. In justice this woman deserved death. But also in justice this woman had to be accused with some man, for no woman can commit adultery alone; where was the man? Why was he not accused together with the woman? What kind of justice is this that condemns one and frees the other?

The accusers had mercy on the man but condemned the woman. Jesus had mercy on the woman and on the man and on the men; he had and has mercy on all of us. The accusers of the woman caught her red handed, and Jesus caught accusers of the woman red handed too. We are all sinners, those we accuse and those who accuse us. This is the point Jesus was making when he said: "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." At this, they all began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

The older ones left first. Why? Well, they had been around longest, and had sinned longest. Thanks to Jesus, these men had to look at themselves for the first time through the eyes of Jesus; they saw themselves as Jesus saw them. Yes, if and when we see ourselves as Jesus sees us, we see the truth in each one of us. Yes, if and when we see others as Jesus sees them, we see the truth in them, we see that they indeed don't deserve death but salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, to him be glory and praise and honour, both now and for ever. Amen.

No man ever spoke as Jesus!

John 7:40-53

40 Those in the crowd who heard listened to Jesus were saying, "This has to be the Prophet." 41 Others said, "He is the Messiah!" But others were saying, "The Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does he? 42 Don't the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David's line and from Bethlehem, David's village?" 43 So there was a split in the crowd over him. 44 Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

45 That's when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, "Why didn't you bring him with you?" 46 The police answered, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man." 47 The Pharisees said, "Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? 48 You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? 49 It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him-- and damned."

50 Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. 51 "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?" 52 But they cut him off. "Are you also campaigning for Jesus? 53 Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee."

Food for thought!

Something consistent happened throughout Jesus' life: the people who listened to him end, some impressed others depressed; some end liking him even more, others hating him even more. Some thought that he was the Anointed One of God but others argued about whether or not the Anointed One of God must come from Bethlehem. Simeon told Mary and Joseph: mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against." (Luke 2:34); Peter puts it this way: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do." (1Pt. 2:7-8);

Here is tragedy. A great religious experience ended in the aridity of a theological wrangle; a great sermon had done more harm than good. It is not uncommon even among us, to like the preaching and hate the preacher.

That is what above all we must avoid. Jesus is not someone about whom to argue; he is someone to know and love and enjoy. If we have one view of him and someone else has another, it does not matter so long as both of us find him Saviour and accept him as Lord. Even if we explain our religious experience in different ways as we do, that should never divide us, for it is the experience that is important, and not our explanation of it. 

This is what the Policemen were saying, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man." They had gone out to arrest Jesus and had come back arrested by Jesus, because never in their lives had they heard anyone speak as Jesus. Really to listen to Jesus is an unparalleled experience for any man.

This is what Nicodemus was saying, "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him?" He was telling us all, not to condemn anyone without first listening to his or her story.

I once read this from a book:

Someone's wife, Rhonda, was struggling to get answers concerning her credit card account, the customer service representative at the bank helping her made promises to respond to her inquiries but then failed to do so. Exasperated by the lack of communication, Rhonda left a pointed voice mail message expressing her displeasure with the unprofessional treatment she had received. The next day, the rep called to humbly apologize and explained that she had been out of the office for several days due to her young daughter’s sudden death and subsequent funeral. Rhonda felt awful and learned a powerful lesson against condemning people without first listening to their story. To this day she will reply, “You don’t know what they might be going through today,” when someone cuts her off in traffic or fails to deliver on a deadline.