Do ordinary things extraordinarily well!

Luke 17:26 - 37

Jesus said: “When I return the world will be as indifferent to the things of God as the people were in Noah’s day. They ate and drank and married—everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot: people went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the hour of my return.


“Those away from home that day must not return to pack; those in the fields must not return to town— remember what happened to Lot’s wife! Whoever clings to his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall save it. That night two men will be asleep in the same room, and one will be taken away, the other left. Two women will be working together at household tasks; one will be taken, the other left; and so it will be with men working side by side in the fields.”


“Lord, where will they be taken?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Where the body is, the vultures gather!”

Food for thought!

Our reading speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus. Out of this difficult passage we can pick only a few things which are certain--and in truth they are all we need.

First of all, the coming of Christ is certain, but its time is uncertain; the end of the world as we know it is certain, but uncertain is when it will end; our death is certain, but when it will happen is uncertain. Our friend Jesus prepares us by saying that we be faithful, humbly and watchfully doing our daily duties. The best way to prepare for the Lord, and by extension our death, is to carry our ordinary duties extraordinarily well. Just be and do your best in everything. Whatever you do, do it for the last time. Remember what Jesus said a few days ago: “Blessed is that servant whom the master finds at work when he comes.” (Matthew 24:46)

Another lesson to note is that when that day comes the judgments of God will operate on a personal level, and of two people, who all their lives lived side by side, will be dealt with individually: "two men will be asleep in the same room, and one will be taken away, the other left. Two women will be working together at household tasks; one will be taken, the other left; and so it will be with men working side by side in the fields."

There is a warning here. Intimacy with a good person does not necessarily guarantee our own salvation; being a good friend of a good person is no guarantee of our own goodness. Goodness and holiness is like our ID; it is intransmissible; we can neither borrow nor lend goodness! Living with a righteous or holy person is no guarantee for your own salvation. As St. Paul says (Phillipians. 2:12),

"What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was there with you, you were always so careful to follow my instructions. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to do the good things that result from being saved, obeying God with deep reverence, shrinking back from all that might displease him.

The judgment of God is an individual matter. (2Corinthians 5:10), "For we must all stand before Christ to be judged and have our lives laid bare—before him. Each of us will receive whatever he deserves for the good or bad things he has done in his earthly body."

It is already in you!

Luke 17:20-25

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God begin?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God isn’t ushered in with visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘It has begun here in this place or there in that part of the country.’ For the Kingdom of God is within you.”

Later he talked again about this with his disciples. “The time is coming when you will long for me to be with you even for a single day, but I won’t be here,” he said. “Reports will reach you that I have returned and that I am in this place or that; don’t believe it or go out to look for me. For when I return, you will know it beyond all doubt. It will be as evident as the lightning that flashes across the skies. But first I must suffer terribly and be rejected by this whole nation.

Food for Thought!

For the Kingdom of God is within you!

What did Jesus mean by this statement? It is difficult to interpret but if we compare it to what is said in Deuteronomy 30, we come closer to understanding it. "Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can’t hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand—in your hearts and on your lips—so obey them."

From this text we come to know that it is all in us; that in us there's godliness and goodness and holiness. In other words, we are godly, we are good and we are holy people. This is what makes us humans to be distinct; we are honourable and glorious because of what is in us. We are not great because of what is on us, not because of what we have acquired in this life; we are great because of what is IN us. 

This godly thing within us, the reign of God, is due to the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Or better, the image and likeness of God in human beings is the godly capacity in them. Thanks to this godly capacity in humans, they are capable of doing many godly things, like good deeds, inventions of all kind. Indeed, it is this godly capacity in humans that differentiates humans from other animals. This means further that the more godly we are the more human we are; and the more human we are the more godly we are.

This is what Jesus taught us this week, that doing good, mastering evil, is within us. "It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." (Eph. 2:10)

Christ also taught us this week that the faith we have is a tremendous force. He is saying the same thing today. The kingdom of God is not out there but in there; it is not to be sought from without but from within us, in our hearts. And if this is so, as it is, it means that no one should ever deceive us to look for it beyond us, because it is already within us! Just as the very Son of God was among us, as one of us, so is the power of God (the kingdom of God) within us. We all have it, and so we thank God for it. To Him be praise and glory and honour, both now and forever.

Where are the nine?

Luke 17:11-19

11 It happened that as Jesus made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance 13 but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." They went, and while still on their way, became clean. 15 One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. 16 He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough--and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? 18 Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" 19 Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you." 

Food for thought!

The lepers kept their distance.

This was in accordance to Lev.13:45-46 that stated “Any person with a serious skin disease must wear torn clothes, leave his hair loose and unbrushed, cover his upper lip, and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as anyone has the sores, that one continues to be ritually unclean. That person must live alone; he or she must live outside the camp''.  

Another injunction was in Num. 5:2 that banned from the community anyone who has an infectious skin disease. It was because of these Old Testament commands that made the lepers stand at a distance, lest they contaminated Jesus and his disciples. In other words, Jesus's healing was not only of the disease; it was of the isolation, discrimination and separation as well. Sounds familiar? Leprosy was then what Ebola is today. 

No story in all the gospels so poignantly shows man's ingratitude. The lepers came to Jesus with desperate longing; he cured them; and nine never came back to give thanks. So often, once we get what we wanted, we never come back. It means that nine out of ten people are ungrateful. It means still in every ten times we express our gratitude only once; most of the time most people don't express their gratitude. We take most of the things for granted.

(i) Often we are ungrateful to our parents. There was a time in our lives when a mother's neglect would have killed us. Of all living creatures man requires longest to become able to meet the needs essential for life. There were years when we were dependent on our parents for literally everything. Yet the day often comes when an aged parent is a nuisance; and many young people are unwilling to repay the debt they owe. As someone once said: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"

(ii) Often we are ungrateful to our fellow-men. For all of us, there's somebody who did something for us which we could not afford to do ourselves; but the tragedy is that we often do forget those people and their help. 

(iii) Often we are ungrateful to God. In some time of bitter need we prayed with desperate intensity; we got what we prayed for and we forgot God. Many of us never even offer a grace before meal, let alone after meal. God gave us life and all its compliments, and we forget to say thank you!  Next time you take a shower, before you leave the bathroom, thank the Lord for the gift of water that cleanses  your body and restores your freshness.  There's a lot happening around us that we should be thankful for.

Take a look at your life and count your blessings. Even in situations that at first appear difficult or unpleasant, bless the Lord who can transform everything into good. Remember Romans 8:28 (And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans). So, despite what's happening, give thanks ahead of time for whatever good you desire in your life. This is what the Samaritan did. And this is why Jesus told him: "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you." This man was healed in both the body and the Soul. The other nine were healed in only their body.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." (Psalm 103:2)

For you have simply done your duty!

Luke 17:7-10

When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, he doesn’t just sit down and eat, but first prepares his master’s meal and serves him his supper before he eats his own. And he is not even thanked, for he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. Just so, if you merely obey me, you should not consider yourselves worthy of praise. For you have simply done your duty!

Food for thought!

Jesus is teaching us something we so often forget: we can never put God in our debt and can never have any claim on Him. When we have done our best, we have done only our duty; and a man who has done his duty has done only what, in any event, he is expected to do. What this means is that, God made us not only good but also capable of doing good; being and doing good is human. And whenever we do or be good, we are only doing what we were made to do and be; we only fulfill our duty. In other words, when we have done our best, we have done only our duty. God made each one of us the best he could make. We are inherently good, very good: "Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Gen. 1:31)

This is why God told Cain, when this man was failing in his duty to do and be good to his brother Abel: "If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it." (Gen. 4:7). God was only reminding Cain that he can master sin, because was made to master sin and do well. 

This is the reason why, a successful life is the life that ends well; a failed life is the life that fails at doing good. When we do good, we only do what God expects us to do. For this reason, when and if we say, I cannot change, or that, I cannot do better, or that, I cannot stop doing evil, we only insult God, because He made us good and not evil. And if and when we do or be good, we don't deserve a credit as such, because we have simply done our duty. Our duty is to obey the Lord, and do what he tells us to do. To him be praise and glory and honour, both now and forever.

If and when you have faith...!

Luke 17:1-6

1 Jesus said to His disciples, Temptations (snares, traps set to entice to sin) are sure to come, but woe to him by or through whom they come! 2 It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones [ lowly in rank or influence]. 3 Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him. 4 And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled).

5 The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God). 6 And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.

Food for thought!

Two things stand out in this passage: temptations to sin are sure to happen; this world is not heaven; but none of Jesus' disciples should be the cause of others' sinning. What Jesus says is that it is impossible to construct a world with no temptations, no trials, no hardships; there's nothing like a temptation free world, but woe to that man or women who teaches another to sin or who takes away another's innocence. Sinning is bad enough and should be avoided. But teaching others to sin, should doubly be avoided.

A story. An old man was dying. Something was obviously worrying him. At last he said what it was. "When I was a young boy," he said, "I often played at a road junction. Nearby was sign-post indicating the directions from the junction. I remember one day twisting it round in its socket, thus altering the arms and making them point in the wrong direction; and I've been wondering ever since how many travellers I sent on the wrong road."

God will not hold anyone guiltless, who, on the road of life, sends others on the wrong way.

On the contrary, we must always do our best to rescue all those who are going down the wrong path. Never tire to help them get on the right track. So, if anyone comes to us and asks us to forgive them, don't hesitate to do so. When you do so, you save yourself and the person from going on the wrong road.

Lk 17:5-6 tell us that faith is the greatest force in the world. The saying, "If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you" means that even that which looks completely impossible to humans, becomes possible, if it is approached with faith.

Many of us have faith but we don't put it to use. Faith is a force. If we approach a thing saying, "It can't be done," it will not; if we approach it saying, "It must be done," the chances are that it will. We must always remember that we approach no task alone, but that with us there is God and all his power. This is what Paul teaches us:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!

John 2:13-22

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” 17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” 18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.” 19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

Food for thought!

Jesus' anger is a terrifying thing; the picture of Jesus with the whip is an awe-inspiring sight. Yes, we too sometimes can, and maybe must, show anger. What enraged Jesus was turning the holy place into a marketplace. He acted as he did because God's house was being desecrated. In the Temple there was worship without reverence.

Reverence is an instinctive thing. Worship without reverence can be a terrible thing. It may be worship which is formalized and pushed through anyhow; the most dignified prayers on earth can be read like a passage from an auctioneer's catalogue.

It may be worship which does not realize the holiness of God; it may be worship in which priest or congregation are completely unprepared; it may be the use of the house of God for purposes and in a way where reverence and the true function of God's house are forgotten.

In that God's house at Jerusalem there would be arguments about price and bargains and all marketplace stuff. Business had hijacked worship; the secular overtook the holy; doing business had become more important than prayer.

But there is still another reason why Jesus acted as he did. The Temple traders were making praying impossible. The lowing of the oxen, the bleating of the sheep, the cooing of the doves, the shouts of the hucksters, the rattle of the coins, the voices raised in bargaining disputes—all these combined to make the Temple a place where nobody could worship.

Jesus was moved to the depths of his heart because seeking people were being shut out from the presence of God; because of the trade, it was just impossible to pray in that temple; some people had made it impossible for others to pray. The first people were in the that temple that day not for prayer but for trade. Those who wanted to pray, like Jesus and his followers, could not pray even if they so wanted. Even today, there are people who do not pray and who don't let others pray; people who don't go to church on Sunday and who don't let others go. People who have abandoned goodness and who don't let others do and be good; people who don't help and who don't let others help anyone in need. These are the people Jesus expelt and expels from his presence.

Let us remember the wrath of Jesus against those who made it difficult and even impossible for others to make contact with God, and learn to respect holy places, holy times, holy objects and holy people. Let us avoid being the cause of others falls and failures. Remember the words of Jesus:

"But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck." (Mark 9:42)

Be & do your best in everything, even small ones!

Luke 16:9-15

“The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more clever in dishonesty than the godly are. But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven? No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own? “For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around—you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this. Then he said to them, “You wear a noble, pious expression in public, but God knows your evil hearts. Your pretense brings you honor from the people, but it is an abomination in the sight of God.

Food for thought!

The way we carry out our daily duties says much about us. The way we conduct small tasks is the best proof of our fitness or unfitness to conduct big tasks. Some of us wonder why we are always skipped while others are promoted. Well, Jesus knows why.

"For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities."

No person will be advanced to higher office until he has given proof of his honesty and ability in a smaller position. Before we swim in a big pond we have to master a smaller one. If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; if you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. For that reason, let us always be and do our best in everything we do, big or small; let us be our best at home and away from home.

But Jesus extends the principle to eternity. He says, upon earth we are in charge of things which are not really ours, for we cannot take them with us when we die. They are only lent to us. We are only a steward over them. They cannot, in the nature of things, be permanently ours. On the other hand, in heaven we will get what is really and eternally ours. And what we get in heaven depends on how we use the things of earth. What we will be given as our very own will depend on how we use the things of which we are only steward.

Let's use our brains as much!

Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.” ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.

Food for thought!

Jesus states that the sons of this world are wiser and smarter than the sons of light. He is commenting on the story of a dishonesty manager. What Jesus is saying is that, if only the Christian was as thoughtful in his attempt to attain goodness as the man of the world is in his attempt to attain money and comfort, he would be a much better man. If only we would use our brains as much for the things which concern our souls as we do to the things which concern our profession and business, we would be much better people. 

The man's ability to think and rethink about his challenge is what Jesus is praising. If you are facing a challenge, a problem and crisis, your greatest value comes not from your hands but from your mind. Use your head to think. The mind that is willing to think will enjoy the greatest opportunities for positive change and growth.

Jesus is saying that we use for our spiritual affairs the same faculties and expertise we use in managing our earthly affairs. Business people actively stretch their brains in ways that allow them to easily identify new and unique answers to challenges; they use their creative muscles in a very special way to create more breakthroughs, insights and promising new solutions. Why don't we do the same with spiritual things? Why do we keep giving old answers to new questions, despite the changing of times? Why do we put new wine into old wine skins when Jesus told us "new wine is to be poured into fresh skins"? (Luke 5:38). 

When the manager in today's reading was told "you are not to be my steward any longer" he did not give up; he immediately worked out ways to be back on his feet even more determined. And Jesus says, this is how we ought to do in spiritual matters. When we fall, when we fail, when we are knocked down, we are to rise up as soon as possible. Do you remember the song by Chumbawumba that says:

I get knocked down, but I get up again. You’re never going to keep me down?

God made only one of us!

Luke 15:1-10

Dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus’ sermons; but this caused complaints from the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law because he was associating with such despicable people—even eating with them!So Jesus used this illustration: “If you had a hundred sheep and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. “Well, in the same way heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who haven’t strayed away!“Or take another illustration: A woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it? And then won’t she call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her? In the same way there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner repents.”

Food for thought!

The parables of the lost sheep and of lost coin are a clear indication that in God's economy everybody counts. It means that one is as good as many and many are as good as one. Why this? Because there's none of us somewhere else; if any of us is lost there's no more of us living somewhere. It means there's is only one of you, only one of me; you're not repeated and are not repeatable. When we're lost we're lost because they is no substitute. This is why the shepherd left the ninety nine to go after one, or the woman lit a lamp and looked in every corner of the house until she found it. This is why God does not want to lose even the little ones.

What does this mean in practice? It means that we're special; that all of us and each one of us is special; it means that there is none like you, there is none like me; that God custom made each one of us different; that each one of us is a different story, a unique story. It means that though there may be similarities in our individual stories, we're completely different. It means that each one's story will have a different ending, because it had a different beginning. Your story will end different and uniquely; my story will end differently and uniquely. It is my story; it is your story.

So, mind your story. As important as it is to understand the story of others, our own behavior is the only behavior we can change. When we analyze deeply our own story, we recognize our own faults, and no longer feel the need to stand in judgment of others. Judgment only condemns and separates people. It places one person or group against another, whereas compassion and empathy can bring people together and promote clearer communication.

If God made us DIFFERENT and UNIQUE, why do we look down at other people? Why do we behave like the Jewish religious leaders and the legal experts in today's gospel reading? When they saw men and women of doubtful reputation hanging around Jesus, they were not pleased at all. We need to learn to mind our own business, our own life, our own story.

Quit looking at the behavior of another believer and assessing him or her as unacceptable when God himself has accepted him or her. Instead, look at your own behavior and do the loving thing toward your fellow Christian. Be happy with what the Lord is doing in other people's lives, and pray that more people hang around Jesus!

No pain, no gain! No prize without a price!

Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were following him. He turned around and addressed them as follows: “Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—yes, more than his own life—otherwise he cannot be my disciple. And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise he might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh! “‘See that fellow there?’ they would mock. ‘He started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!’ “Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of 10,000 is strong enough to defeat the 20,000 men who are marching against him? “If the decision is negative, then while the enemy troops are still far away, he will send a truce team to discuss terms of peace. So no one can become my disciple unless he first sits down and counts his blessings—and then renounces them all for me.

Food for thought!

When Jesus said this he was on the road to Jerusalem. He knew that he was on his way to the cross; the crowds who were with him thought that he was on his way to an empire. That is why he spoke to them like this (sometimes it is necessary to call things by their names). In the most vivid way possible he told them that following him is not fun. Many of us think that because we follow Jesus we are not to have problems in our life. Sometimes we have problems exactly because we follow Jesus. 

Another lesson: It is easy to follow Jesus as the great crowds in the gospel did and not be a disciple of Jesus. All can follow Jesus; few can be his disciple. To be a disciple of Jesus means: 1) loving Jesus far more than we do love our own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—yes, more than we do love our own life; 2) carrying one's burdens / cross. 

Did you notice? Jesus does not say, "If you have a cross...;" he says, "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." In other words, Jesus knows that we all have some cross / burden to carry. Instead of being carried away by our burdens, Jesus tells us to carry our burdens and follow him. Our burden is the price we will pay for our prize. 

In other words, if we're not willing to pay the price, then we don't know what we want; there is no prize without price. Behind everything we want in life, behind every achievement, there's a cost to pay; there's a cross. Without the cross there's no salvation because in life, no pain no gain.