We be like fishermen!

Matthew 4:18-22

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.

Food for thought!

It is interesting to note what kind of men Jesus called. They were not men of great scholarship, or influence, or wealth, or social background; the men Jesus called were not rich. They were not poor either; they were simple working people with no great background, and certainly, with no great future.

It was the ordinary men whom Jesus chose. What Jesus needs is ordinary folk who will give him themselves. He can do anything with people like that. Further these men were fishermen. Why did Jesus choose fishermen?

(i) A fisherman has patience. He must learn to wait patiently until the fish will take the bait. If one is restless or quick to move he cannot catch any fish. As good fishers of men they will need to have patience. We must learn to wait; we must learn patience.

Patience is that powerful attitude of mind that is often characterized by poise, serenity, inner calmness, and quiet endurance — especially in the face of trying or upsetting conditions. The gift of patience has its foundation in faith. “Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue.” (James 1:3).

(ii) A fisherman has perseverance. He must learn never to be discouraged, but always to try again; he must not be discouraged when nothing seems to happen. He must always be ready to try again.

(iii) A fisherman has courage. He must be ready to risk and to face the fury of the sea and of the gale. Whatever you do in life, you need courage. Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a fisherman needs.

As we know, the world’s best work, or at least the work of many of the world’s great men, has been done in the midst of opposition, in the very teeth of criticism, in spite of discouragement.

(iv) A fisherman has an eye for the right moment. The wise fisherman knows well when to act; he knows when to cast and when not to cast. The good fisherman chooses his moment.

(v) The wise fisherman keeps himself out of sight. If he shows his own presence, even his own shadow, the fish will certainly not bite. His aim is to fix men's eyes, not on himself, but on that figure beyond. Christ!

The end is heaven!

Luke 21:29-33

He told them a story. "Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here-- when you see these things happen, you know God's kingdom is about here. Don't brush this off: I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too-- these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out.

Food for Thought

There are two main considerations in this reading.

(i) There is the conception of the second coming of Jesus Christ. There has always been much useless argument and speculation about the second coming. When it will be and what it will be like, are not ours to know. But the one great truth it enshrines is this: that history is going somewhere; that each one of us is en route; that we are not to stay on this earth forever; that there is an end; there is death. The Christian conception of history is that it has a goal and at that goal Jesus Christ will be Lord of all. That is all we know, and all we need to know.

(ii) There is the need to be upon the watch; to be ready; to be on standby. The Christian must never come to think that he is living in a settled situation. A Christian must be a person who lives in a permanent state of expectation. We must live forever in the shadow of eternity, in the certainty that we are people who are fitting or unfitting ourselves to appear in the presence of God. 

Because we're passing by, we must take each day as it comes. Live each day to the maximum; live each day to the best and fullness. Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today; don't procrastinate. Live in the present and presence of God. Don't neglect  prayer; it is a rehearsal of our appearance before God. At the end of our earthly journey, there is Jesus.

Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, recommends that we “begin (planning) with the end in mind.” The best planning encompasses what we want to accomplish and where we want to end up. Whether it is a special project or a simple daily routine, or our earthly journey, let us begin by the end and the steps needed to reach it.

If our end is heaven, let us leave a life befitting heaven. "Our final end is heaven, and from it we await to meet the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)

Not to scare us, but to care for us!

Luke 21:20-28

20 Jesus said to his disciples: “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. 22 For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. 23 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. 24 They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. 25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!

Food for thought!

Don't be afraid. Jesus is not scaring us; he is caring for us. He loves us so much that he warns us of the coming danger; Jesus does not only prepare us for heaven but for earth as well; he does not only tell us what to expect then, he tells us what will happen now. "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived."

In all these seemingly terrifying events, there is good news at the end: "So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near! Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory." Jesus is saying that in the chaos, in the crisis, in the difficulty there is always something good; there is good news. After the darkest night, the sun always rises. The darkness of night prepares us for the rising of the sun. Or as someone once said, “Crises and deadlocks, when they occur, have at least this advantage: that they force us to think.”

The Chinese character for crisis consists of two characters, one for danger, and the other for opportunity. When you experience crisis or problem, remember that it may be only a cloud hiding the face of the sun and opportunity. That is why Jesus is saying, "So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" Let the power and warmth of the sun within you burn away the cloud that may attempt to dim your inner light. Let the sun of belief in life energize you as you climb to the pinnacle of overcoming. “Every man is two men; one is awake in the darkness, the other asleep in the light.

Many ancient people thought that the earth was flat, and, if one ventured too close to the edge, he would fall off. The phrase “the end of the world” became representative of a place where all solid ground to stand on ended. It was as if the earth ended at a particular point, and only emptiness lay beyond. Many of us have times when there seems to be no solid support on which we can walk, stand, or even rest. Jesus is training us how to survive and thrive in such end of the world times: "when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"

The optimist recognizes opportunity in every crisis; the pessimist sees a crisis in every opportunity. So let us remain positive. For positive thinking is not always about being happy all the time but it is about creating resilience and an inner strength that will guide you through the good and the bad times.

Things will get worse before they get better!

Luke 21:12-19

“But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters.

“You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.

Food for thought!

The disciples are warned that they will be delivered up to court and jail. This is a reference to the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was their version of the Supreme Court. They would also stand before “rulers and kings”, who would interrogate them concerning their preaching and doctrine. They would be hunted, hounded, beaten, and some would even die, for the faith they preached.

This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the book of Acts.

·         Acts 4 – Peter and John face the Sanhedrin and give an account of the healing of the lame man at the Temple.

·         Acts 7 – Stephen is tried by the Sanhedrin and is condemned to die.

·         Acts 9:22-25 – The Jews want to kill Paul for His preaching.

·         Acts 12 – James and Peter are arrested by King Herod. They are imprisoned and scheduled to be executed. James is beheaded, but Peter is delivered by a divine miracle.

·         Acts 14:19 – Paul is stoned and left for dead at Lystra.

·         Acts 16:19-24 – Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi.

·         Acts 18:12-17 – Paul is persecuted in Macedonia.

·         Acts 19 – Paul is arrested and tried in Ephesus.

·         Acts 21 – Paul is arrested and held for trial in Jerusalem.

·         Acts 24 – Paul is tried before Felix.

·         Acts 26 – Paul is tried before Festus and King Agrippa.

·         Acts 27-28 – Paul is kept under arrest and sent by ship to stand trial before Caesar. Paul remains a prisoner in Rome until he is executed by the Romans.

        

That is but a brief sampling of the kind of persecution that rocked the early church. Here is Paul’s own testimony concerning the things he suffered for Jesus, 2 Cor. 11:23-27.

I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.

Like the disciples of Jesus of yesterday, today's disciples, you and me, have our own suffering that we must undergo. As Helen Keller put it, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambitions inspired, and success achieved.”

Be calm and carry on!

Luke 21:5-11

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

Food for thought!

Jesus loves us. He is warning us not to be carried away by rumours: take care, he says, not to be deceived by those who use Jesus' name. In other words, because someone is always using Jesus' name does not mean that he genuine.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (Mt 7:21-23)

Jesus continues to say: take care not to be deceived that the time is near at hand; refuse to join such rumours.

And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. Be calm and carry on:

·         Right Belief (Views) — that Truth is the guide of each person.

·         Right Resolve (Thought) — to be calm at all times and not to harm any living creature.

·         Right Speech — never to lie, never to slander anyone, and never to use coarse or harsh language.

·         Right Behavior (Action) — never to steal, never to kill, and never to do anything one may later regret or be ashamed of.

·         Right Occupation (Livelihood) — never to choose an occupation that is considered bad.

·         Right Effort — always to strive for that which is good and avoid that which is evil.

·         Right Contemplation (Mindfulness) — of the Noble Truths, in calmness and detachment.

·         Right Concentration (Meditation) — will then follow and lead to the path of perfect peace. (Cf. JM, Templeton).

Love what you do and do what you love!

Luke 21:1-4

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."

Food for thought!

Under the powerful watch of Jesus!

As we begin our work week, providence has given us this gospel reading. I suggest to take for our meditation the part that says that Jesus watched! He watched those men and women as they carried out their Temple duty of donating. I am sure the people did not know that they were being watched by Jesus.

The idea of being watched by God is not really new. In Mark 6:46-48, after telling everyone good-bye, Jesus went up into the hills by himself to pray. Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. HE SAW that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves.

Another time, reported in Matthew 9:9, Jesus was walking along, HE SAW a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

As Phillip and Nathanael approached Jesus, he said, "Now here is a genuine son of Israel-a man of complete integrity." "How do you know about me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, "I SAW YOU under the fig tree before Philip found you." (Jn 2:47-48).

These and others instances, show that Jesus shows up at our places or work; that he sees us as we discharge our daily duties at the place of work. Matthew the evangelist and apostle was even called from his desk, at work!

That the widow put in all she had means that she put all of herself into what she was doing; she put all of herself into the giving. This is what made her excel the rich in the eyes of Jesus. It is always the case. We always excel when we put ourselves into whatever we are doing. If you're driving a car absent mindedly, that is, if you don't put yourself into the driving, you easily can cause accident. 

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, BE ALL IN IT; put yourself into what you're doing; if you're eating, if you're in the office, if you're shopping, if you're reading, if you're praying or playing... be all in it. And, as Steve Jobs told us, love what you're doing, and do what you love. This is the formula for success. 

Watched, Jeered, Mocked, Abused!

Luke 23:35-43

The people stayed there before the cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

  One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’

Food for thought!

Have you ever felt like Jesus was on the cross on that Friday: watched by the people; jeered at by the leaders; mocked by the soldiers; and abused by a criminal? This was too much on one person; everybody mentioned in the gospel reading, except one, was against Jesus.

Sometimes we are like this Jesus. Or better, many times Jesus lives in us. This is what St. Paul says in 2Cor 4:8-10

You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us — trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us —he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us.

What St. Paul is saying is that sometimes there is advantages in disadvantages (and the disadvantages of advantages). As the Bible says, "Some pretend to be rich, yet have nothing; others pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth." Proverbs 13: 7

Sometimes being the underdog is good; being the David is better than being the Goliath, because all the time the underdog wins; David wins Goliath; Jesus always wins. In the midst of the watching, the jeering, the mocking and the abuses, Jesus was focusing on his ultimate victory! In the midst of insults Jesus said to the only man that was not insulting him, "Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Nelson Mandela was confined to a prison cell for 26 years because of his outspoken views against apartheid. During this time, Mandela’s focus was beyond the prison; his focus was on South Africa free from apartheid. As we all know, Mandela ultimately triumphed and went on to be elected to his country’s highest office.

In today's gospel reading, the only man that did not insult Jesus said, "Have you no fear of God at all?" he said. "You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." When this man said these words, he was looking beyond his present moment of agony; he was seeing beyond his present problems into the future. Remember me, he said, when you come into your kingdom.

Like Jesus, like Mandela, like the bandit on the cross, we need to learn to put our faith to work. Faith is a “leap.” Faith is leaping across the gaps between the known and the unknown, the proven and the unproven, the actual and the possible, the grasp and the reach. There is always a chasm between where you are right now and where you want to be — by faith make the leap forward! What lies ahead? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year? Beyond this life? Believe in faith! Believe in God! Believe in tomorrow! Take the leap of faith!

There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.

We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Rom 8:36-39)

Q&A!

Luke 20:27-40

27-33 Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her and died, then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. After all that, the wife died. That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her.”

34-38 Jesus said, “Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, ‘God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!’ God isn’t the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive.”

39-40 Some of the religion scholars said, “Teacher, that’s a great answer!” For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him.

Food for thought!

This gospel reading has recently appeared more than once. So, this time we will concentrate on verses 39-40, especially the remark: "Teacher, that's a great answer!"

Some people had taken a question to Jesus, "in the resurrection whose wife is she?" They made the question, they waited for an answer. Questions are important in our life. If and when we ask questions to clarify a misunderstanding instead of summoning arguments to protect our position, we often find that what the other person is saying is after all good, that is, if and when we listen. Some of us don't give our listeners time to speak their opinion; our opinion is the right one. The husband, the wife, the boss, the subordinate, the son or daughter is simply wrong.

But whether or not another’s argument or criticism is valid, we will always be better off asking questions to Jesus and letting him answer us. In that way we learn about ourselves, and, at the same time, we honor our Saviour and only teacher: "You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven." (Mt 23:8-9). 

This said, listening to a different point of view shows openness that helps deepen our receptivity. Don't be afraid to ask; and don't be afraid to get a different opinion from yours; don't be afraid to tell your husband or wife, your son or daughter, your boss or your subordinate or friend: "that's a great answer!

Jesus also made questions. Here are some of them.

·         "Why were you searching for me? ... Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (his first recorded words, Luke 2:49).

·         "What do you want?" (John 1:38).

·         "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" (John 2:4).

·         "You are Israel's teacher .... and do you not understand these things?" (John 3:10).

·         "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" (John 3:12).

·         "Do you not say, `Four months more and then the harvest'?" (John 4:35). "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up and walk'?" (Luke 5:22-23).

·         "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4).

·         "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6).

·         "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).

·         "But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:47).

·         "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?" (Mark 2:25).

·         "Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?" (Matthew 12:5).

·         "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4).

·         "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?" (Matthew 12:11).

·         "But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?" (Matthew 5:13).

·         "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?"(Matthew 5:46).

·         "Is not life more important than food?" (Matthew 6:25).

·         "Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26).

·         "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27).

·         "And why do you worry about clothes?" (Matthew 6:28).

·         "Will he not much more clothe you, 0 you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30).

·         "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye?" (Matthew 7:3).

·         "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" (Matthew 7:9).

·         "Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7:16).

·         "What did you go out into the desert to see?" (Matthew 11:7).

·         "To what can I compare this generation?" (Matthew 11:16).

·         "Now which of them will love him more?" (Luke 7:42).

·         "Do you see this woman?" (Luke 7:44).

·         "How can Satan drive out Satan?" (Mark 3:23).

·         "And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out?" (Matthew 12:27).

·         "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?" (Matthew 12:29).

·         "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?" (Matthew 12:34).

·         "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" (Matthew 12:48).

And Jesus knew how to acknowledge those who give him good answers:

“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.” (Luke 10:28)

Bitter & Sweet at the same time!

Luke 19:45-48

Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” 47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Revelation 10:8-10

Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” 10 So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach..”

Food for thought

Did you notice how twice John is told to take the roll? It is not handed to him; even when he asks the angel to give it to him, the answer is that he must take it himself. The meaning is that God's word is never forced on any man; he must take it. It is a personal decision; God does not force himself on us. If we wish, we can take God's message into our very life and being.

In the Gospel Jesus goes into the Temple to pray, but what he finds in there is all but sweet; the Temple had turned into a den of thieves, full of business dealings. This is the irony in the Reading from Revelation: what is supposed to be sweet has turned into something else; what is supposed to be house of prayer is now house of business; what is supposed to be holy place is now profane place; what is supposed to be a peaceful family is now a warring family; what is supposed to be a lovely person is now terrible; what is supposed to be happy is now sad…!

There is something almost incredibly audacious in the action of Jesus in teaching in the Temple courts when there was a price on his head. This was sheer defiance. At the moment the authorities could not arrest him, for the people hung upon his every word. But every time he spoke he took his life in his hands and he knew well that it was only a matter of time until the end should come.

The courage of the Christian should match the courage of his Lord. He left us an example that we should never be ashamed to show whose we are and whom we serve. As we know, the world’s best work, or at least the work of many of the world’s great men, has been done in the midst of opposition, in the very teeth of criticism, in spite of discouragement.

The choices we make make us!

Luke 19:41-44

As Jesus came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Food for thought!

Jesus' lament!

As Jesus came to a turn in the road and got sight of Jerusalem with the whole city fully displayed ahead of him, he suddenly stopped and started to weep over Jerusalem. He knew what was going to happen to the city that he was seeing. The Jews had embarked upon a path, which could only end in the destruction of Jerusalem. This happened in the year A.D. 70. The tragedy was that if only they had abandoned their ways and taken the way of Christ it need never have happened.

This means that the choices we make make us; it means that we are where we are because of our choices. Like the Jews, we are what we are because of the choices we made in the past. This is why Jesus is lamenting: because the Jews chose not to accept the opportunity for salvation. Yes, the choices we make in the end make us, and if those choices are bad, they make Jesus cry, because he sees already their future consequences.

Wherever you’re at in your spiritual life, family life, or financial life is the result of choices you’ve made in the past. To get to a better place in the future you must begin making better choices now. Try it.

Margaret Jansen once said, "Our character today is a result of our choices yesterday. Our character tomorrow will be a result of our choices today. To change your character, change your choices. Day by day, what you think, what you choose, and what you do is who you become.”

I like John Maxwell's advice: Write down the incidents, circumstances, choices, and habits that have helped to create your character until now. Try to list everything you can think of. How many of the things on the list are beyond your control, and how many are the result of actions you took or choices you made? If many of the things you list are due to circumstances and other things beyond your control, then you need to take greater control of your life. Start by making a choice every day that will strengthen your character, your family, your finances. (Note: these kinds of choices usually involve doing things you would rather not do.)

Fwd: Do you know the gifts God gave you?

Luke 19:11-28
While Jesus had the people's attention, and because they were getting close to Jerusalem by this time and expectation was building that God's kingdom would appear any minute, he told this story: 12 "There was once a man descended from a royal house who needed to make a long trip back to headquarters to get authorization for his rule and then return. 13 But first he called ten servants together, gave them each a sum of money, and instructed them, 'Operate with this until I return.' 14 "But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: 'We don't want this man to rule us.' 15 "When he came back bringing the authorization of his rule, he called those ten servants to whom he had given the money to find out how they had done.16 "The first said, 'Master, I doubled your money.' 17 "He said, 'Good servant! Great work! Because you've been trustworthy in this small job, I'm making you governor of ten towns.' 18 "The second said, 'Master, I made a fifty percent profit on your money.' 19 "He said, 'I'm putting you in charge of five towns.' 20 "The next servant said, 'Master, here's your money safe and sound. I kept it hidden in the cellar. 21 To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid. I know you have high standards and hate sloppiness, and don't suffer fools gladly.' 22 "He said, 'You're right that I don't suffer fools gladly--and you've acted the fool! 23 Why didn't you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?'24 "Then he said to those standing there, 'Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.' 25 "They said, 'But Master, he already has double . . .' 26 "He said, 'That's what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag. 27 "'As for these enemies of mine who petitioned against my rule, clear them out of here. I don't want to see their faces around here again.'" 28 After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem.
Food for thought!
The parable of the king and his servants illustrates certain great facts of life.
(i) It tells of God's trust. He gave his servants the money and then went away and left them to use it as they could and as they thought best. He did not in any way interfere with them, or stand over them, like a big brother. He left them entirely to their own devices. That is the way in which God trusts us, all of us. Someone has said, "The nicest thing about God is that he trusts us to do so much by ourselves."
(ii) It tells of God's test. As always, this trust was a test, of whether or not a man was faithful and reliable in little things. Sometimes we under estimate the importance of being faithful in the ordinary things of life. God has not. It is precisely in these routine duties that God is testing us. There is no example of this like Jesus himself. Of his thirty-three years of life Jesus spent thirty in Nazareth. Had he not discharged with absolute fidelity the tasks of the carpenter's shop in Nazareth and the obligation of being the breadwinner of the family, God could never have given him the supreme task of being the Saviour of the world.
The confidence to achieve great things springs from successful achievement of smaller tasks. What thus means is that we must begin with small successes before we get big ones. We must learn to swim in bigger ponds by mastering small ones first. Don't to succeed at work if at home you are a failure; normally a bad husband or wife is always a bad executive at work. Success begins at home.
(iii) It tells us of God's reward. The reward that the faithful servants received was not one which they could enjoy by sitting down and folding their hands and doing nothing. One was put over ten cities and the other over five. The reward of work well done is more work to do. The greatest compliment we can pay a faithful person is to give him or her ever greater and harder tasks to do.
(iv) The parable concludes with one of the inexorable laws of life. To him who has, more will be given; from him who has not, what he has will be taken away. If a man plays a game and goes on practising at it, he will play it with ever greater efficiency; if he does not practise, he will lose much of whatever ability he had. If we discipline and train our bodies, they will grow ever fitter and stronger; if we do not, they will grow flabby and lose much of the strength we have. If we really strive after goodness and master this and that temptation, new heights of goodness will open to us; if we give up the battle and take the easy way, much of the resistance power we once possessed will be lost and we will slip from whatever height we had attained.

There is no such thing as standing still in life. We either get more or lose more of what we have. In life, we either go forward or go backwards; we either go up or we go down.