Back to the basics of faith!

Acts 17:16-21

Paul stood up in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that in all things you are as superstitious as possible. As I came through your city and as I saw the objects of your worship. I found amongst them an altar with the inscription, `To the Unknown God.' So then, what you worship and do not know, this I preach to you. God, who made the universe and everything in it, this God is Lord of heaven and earth and does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is he served by the hands of men, as if he needed anything, but he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. He made of one every race of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and he fixed the appointed times and boundaries of their habitations. He made men so that they might search for God, if they might perchance feel after him and find him; and indeed he is not far from any one of us. For by him we live and move and are. As some of your own poets have said, `We too are his offspring.' Since then we are the offspring of God we should not think that the Divine is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by the art and design of man. So then God overlooked the times of ignorance but now he gives orders to men that all men everywhere should repent. Thus he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he ordained for that task, and he has given proof of this by raising him from the dead."

Food for thought!

Paul stood up and started to teach the people the basics of faith:

1. God is not the made but the maker; and he who made all things cannot be worshiped by anything made by the hands of man. However, it is all too true that we often worship unknown gods made by ourselves. That is always the case when we dedicate all our energy, all our mind, all our heart and all our time to something or someone other than God. Only God must occupy all of us: «Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.» (Deuteronomy 6:5; Luke 10:27).

2. God guides history. Sometimes we tend to think that God is no longer in control, that world events happen by chance, that our life is «our» life; we are in charge and no one else. This is wrong. God is still in charge of all things and people. As Paul teaches us God «gives to all life and breath and all things; He made of one every race of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and he fixed the appointed times and boundaries of their habitations. He made men so that they might search for God; and indeed he is not far from any one of us. For by him we live and move and are.»

3. God made man in such a way that instinctively he longs for God and gropes after Him. As St. Augustine put it: «Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.» The days of longing and searching are past. In the past, we used to search in the shadows and traditions of old, and God used to excuse our follies and our ignorance; but now that we have come to know Christ, excuses are past. «In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times. He spoke in different ways. But in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one whom God appointed to receive all things. God made everything through him.» (Heb 1:1-2)

4. The day of judgment is coming. Life is neither a progress to extinction, nor stagnant; it is a journey to the judgment seat of God where Jesus Christ is Judge. History is going somewhere; all of us are moving towards Christ.

As the Book of Revelation says, «Every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him will see him.» (Rev. 1:7)

5. We have moved away from unknown gods to Known God (?) Have we? Have we moved away from the unknown gods to the Known God, as Jesus has revealed him? Are we still moving back and forth between unknown gods and Known God? Are we still going to traditions and to witch doctors? We should not because Jesus has shown us, has revealed to us, has made known us the unknown God; God is no longer unknown, as Jesus said last week:

«If you really knew me, you would know my Father also. From now on, you do know him. And you have seen him.» Philip said, «Lord, show us the Father. That will be enough for us.» Jesus answered, «Don't you know me, Philip? I have been among you such a long time! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? «Don't you believe that I am in the Father? Don't you believe that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. The Father lives in me. He is the One who is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father. Also believe that the Father is in me. Or at least believe what the miracles show about me.» (John 14:7-11).

Ac.17:32-34

When they heard of a resurrection of dead men, some mocked and some said, «We will hear about this again»; but some attached themselves to him and believed. Amongst these were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris. together with others.

From Paul's catechism class, there were three main reactions.

(i) Some mocked. They were amused by the passionate earnestness of this strange Jew. It is possible to make a jest of life; but those who do so will find that what began as comedy must end in tragedy.

(ii) Some put off their decision. The most dangerous of all days is when a man discovers how easy it is to talk about tomorrow.

(iii) Some believed. The wise man knows that only the fool will reject God's offer.