300 versus 30!

John 12:1-11

Six days before Passover (that is, today), Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them. Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always ha ve me.” Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him.

Food for thought!

Six days before Passover! Mary brought her perfume, very expensive. Judas calculated it to cost 300 silver pieces. Now, to get an idea of this, remember that Jesus was valued at 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.

This story is a carry on of yesterday, which as you remember, was about giving and getting: "Jesus Christ’s state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself." Jesus emptied himself, that is, he gave all he had and was. The donkey owner gave it all for good, never to get it back. Today, a wom an called Mary gave away for good her very expensive perfume to Jesus. Just as the donkey man, Mary gave her perfume for Jesus' sake. FOR JESUS' SAKE.

There are things we do for Jesus' sake; things we give away for the sake of Jesus. Please, do consider what you can and will give away this week for the sake of Jesus; something you would rather not give away if it was not for Jesus and because of Jesus. Our example is Jesus himself, who 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 ever broken the alabaster box of our life to spend it for the sake of Jesus. That's what Jesus does throughout this holy week. Holy week is about giving our best, doing our best, being our best, talking our best, loving our best and serving our best. Nothing but the best should come out of ourselves.

As you do your best in life for the sake of Jesus, someone like Judas will criticize you. Judas are over the place,  especially where good is done. Don't be discouraged by them. As long as Jesus is happy with your action, go ahead and do it. Jesus will defend you as well.

From Hosanna to Crucify Him!

Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord God has given me his words of wisdom so that I may know what I should say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. 5 The Lord God has spoken to me, and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. 6 I give my back to the whip, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. I do not hide from shame—they spit in my face. 7 Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know that I will triumph.

Food for thought on Palm Sunday

The Holy Week begins on a triumphant note and suddenly descends into suffering.  The gospel reading just before the Procession begins, says: "The crowds who had come up for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel, who comes in the name of the Lord.’"

And the gospel reading after the procession end by saying: "The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus on which they might pass the death sentence. But they could not find any. Several, indeed, brought false evidence against him, but their evidence was conflicting. Some stood up and submitted this false evidence against him, ‘We heard him say, “I am going to destroy this Temple made by human hands, and in three days build another, not made by human hands.”’ But even on this point their evidence was conflicting." [...] "The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead. Then Pilate spoke again. ‘But in that case,’ he said to them ‘what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Why?’ Pilate asked them ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, having ordered Jesus to be scourged, handed him over to be crucified."

One of the most frightening things about life is how quickly it can change, in an instant, in a moment. Our life can change from peaceful to problematic in just a few minutes. It can be by a phone call in the middle of the night; a police officer at your front door; a special news bulletin interrupting your TV comedy; a visit to your doctor; a call from your employer that you have been fired; an SMS from your lover that s/he has sued for a divorce. One moment Joseph was the favored son of Jacob, a teenager with great dreams and ambitions, dressed in a multicolored coat of honor, stationed in the pastures of Canaan, watching his flock and planning his future. The next moment, he was torn from his family, ripped from his father’s love, stripped of his ambitious dreams, robbed of his future, and led away in shackles, wearing the loincloth of a slave.

In the case of Jesus, life changed abruptly from ‘Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel, who comes in the name of the Lord’ to ‘Crucify him!’ Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever fallen from grace to disgrace in a matter of days, hours or moments?  If so, you're not alone. You're with Jesus and Jesus is with you. People may be shouting "crucify him" to you right now. They may be wanting to harm and hurt you.  But remember Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28.

When we take our situations, whatever they are, and place them under the redemptive blood of Christ, the sovereign workings of God’s providence are activated so as to work all things together for good, conforming them to the purposes of His will. Your enemy means it for evil, but God intends it for good. Those high priests who incited the crowds to hurt Jesus intended evil, but God redeemed the evil and made our salvation out of it.

Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.  Remember Joseph's words to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). Lord gave us Joseph in order to prepare us for Holy Week. The story of Joseph is an early case study of the overruling power of Divine Providence for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.

Genesis 50:20 shows us that God can use an unfortunate series of life-crushing blows to bring about history-changing benefits. Though Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil, God intended it for good. The Lord wasn’t surprised by the turn of events, and He was determined to work all things together for good in Joseph’s life for the benefit of others. In fact, these events that seemed to devastate were actually the tools God would use to protect Joseph’s family, preserve the Jewish people, and safeguard the messianic line.

Don't forget the story of Joseph as you follow both your own story and the story of Jesus's Passion, Death and Resurrection. Remember that even the smallest details of our lives—the inconveniences, the trials and tribulations, the suffering, and struggles—become nothing more nor less than ingredients in the cake of God’s providence.

The world and the Devil may spoil our comforts, our dreams, our wherewithal, and our apparent well-being. But they can’t pry us from the invisible hand of God’s constant care. Now, what are your problems today? What are you going through? Who’s in your way? What failures are dogging your step? The people may mean it for evil, and the Devil may want to harm you, but God intends to use it for good.

Jesus no longer went about openly!

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 understand why Jesus was killed: it was in order for the religious authorities of the time (Pharisees and Sadducees) 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 crushed whatever disturbance with a firm and merciless hand. If Jesus was the cause of civil disorder, R ome 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 destroye d." 

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.

It’s God’s darkroom in which negatives become positives. It’s His situation-reversal machine in which heartaches are changed into hallelujahs. It is the foundation of hope and a fountainhead of confidence. Even our failures can become enriching and our sins can be redeemed. Even death itself becomes a blessing for the child of God. So why stay depresse d? Why mope around discouraged or moody? Sometimes we act as though God forgot to insert verse 28 into the eighth chapter of Letter to the Romans.  

Jesus went back again 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 something worth noting that Jesus did: *"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 where he had started his ministry (****Matthew 3:13********** **Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the** **Jordan** **to be baptized by him... From that timeJesus began to preach (Matthew 4:12-25)****. 

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 or where we first met Jesus, etc. 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.

Whoever keeps the word of Jesus will never see death!

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 years old 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 death 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 our 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. And he 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 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.

Greetings, favoured one, the Lord is with you too!

Luke 1:26-38 The following month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin, Mary, engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, Gabriel appeared to her and said, **"Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"!** Very soon now, **you will become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name him ‘Jesus.**’ He shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he shall reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom shall never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy—the Son of God. Furthermore, six months ago your Aunt Elizabeth—‘the barren one,’ they called her—became pregnant in her old age! For every promise from God shall surely come true.” Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared. Food for thought Webster’s Dictionary defines the words “favor” as the “preference for one person over another.” Mary was favoured by God over all other women. The question is, why was Mary favoured? She was favoured for a reason: “You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.” Mary was favoured so that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. You may have found in your life that there is a supernatural favor which seems to follow you wherever you go that cannot be explained. This favour or grace does not depend on circumstances surrounding you. You're blessed regardless of your knowledge. Did you notice that Mary carried the blessing without knowing? The angel told her, “Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord is with you!” Mary had no idea of her blessing. Just many of us do; We're blessed without knowing. We are like Jacob, who said, "Surely, the Lord is in this Place" (28:16-17). He didn't know that he was standing in a blessed place. Let us receive our blessing like Mary did: “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants.” Walking in God's favor is not arrogance as long as you recognize it as GOD’S favor. There is nothing wrong with realizing that God has marked you with something special, something extraordinary. By receiving this favor, you are proclaiming the goodness of your heavenly Father! So, if you're good in something, and all of us are, be grateful to the Lord. Are you walking in the fullness of the favor God has for you? Take some time to evaluate the favor or favors you have already seen in your life. Thank Him for the doors He has opened and allowed you to walk through. Prayer: Thank you, God, for all that you have done for me in my journey thus far. You have truly shown your faithfulness and grace in my life when it seems like it was the last thing I deserved. Continue to lead me in the paths you have for me and help me lead with confidence and humility in the favor you have given me. Amen. 

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John 5:17-30

Jesus answered the people: My Father is still working even now, and so I am working. 18For this cause the Jews had an even greater desire to put Jesus to death, because not only did he not keep the Sabbath but he said God was his Father, so making himself equal with God. 19So Jesus made answer and said, Truly I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything himself; he is able to do only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does the Son does it in the same way. 20For the Father has love for the Son and lets him see everything which he does: and he will let him see greater works than these so that you may be full of wonder. 21In the same way, as the Father gives life to the dead, even so the Son gives life to those to whom he is pleased to give it. 22The Father is not the judge of men, but he has given all decisions into the hands of the Son; 23So that all men may give honour to the Son even as they give honour to the Father. He who gives no honour to the Son gives no honour to the Father who sent him. 24Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life. 25Truly I say to you, The time is coming, it has even now come, when the voice of the Son of God will come to the ears of the dead, and those hearing it will have life. 26For even as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to be judge because he is the Son of man. 28Do not be surprised at this: for the time is coming when his voice will come to all who are in the place of the dead, 29And they will come out; those who have done good, into the new life; and those who have done evil, to be judged. 30Of myself I am unable to do anything: as the voice comes to me so I give a decision: and my decision is right because I have no desire to do what is pleasing to myself, but only what is pleasing to him who sent me.

Food for thought

Today's Gospel is about Jesus' answer to the Jews' charge that he was making himself equal to God. He lays down three things about his relationship with God.
(i) He lays down his identity with God. The salient truth about Jesus is that in him we see God. If we wish to see how God feels to men, to women, to children, to the young, to the old, if we wish to see how God reacts to sin, if we wish to see how God regards the human situation, we must look at Jesus. The mind of Jesus is the mind of God; the words of Jesus are the words of God; the actions of Jesus are the actions of God. Jesus is God in human flesh; He is Emmanuel, God with us.
(ii) This identity is not so much based on equality as on complete obedience. Jesus never did what he wanted to do but always what God wanted him to do. It is because his will was completely submitted to God's will that we see God in him. Jesus is to God as we must be to Jesus.

(iii) This obedience is not based on submission to power; it is based on love. The unity between Jesus and God is a unity of love. We speak of two minds having only a single thought and two hearts beating as one. In human terms that is a perfect description of the relationship between Jesus and God. There is such complete identity of mind and will and heart that Father and Son are one.

But this passage has something still more to tell us about Jesus.
(i) It tells us of his complete confidence. Jesus is quite sure that what men were seeing then was only a beginning. On purely human grounds the one thing Jesus might reasonably expect was death. The forces of Jewish orthodoxy were gathering against him and the end was already sure. But Jesus was quite certain that the future was in the hands of God and that men could not stop what God had sent him to do. That is what we must know: God has a plan for each one of us; we do well to let him lead us where he wills.

(ii) It tells of his complete fearlessness. That Jesus would be misunderstood was certain. That his words would inflame the minds of his hearers and endanger his own life was beyond argument. There was no human situation in which Jesus would lower his claims or adulterate the truth. He would make his claim and speak his truth no matter what men might threaten to do. To him it was much more important to be true to God than to fear men. We need this kind of confidence and determination Jesus had because many times we follow and fear men than God; we sacrifice our God-given convictions and vocations because we fear what men will say and do to us; we respect more the people than God!!

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No one ever speaks like Jesus!

John 7:40-53

When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the prophet who will come just before the Messiah.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where David was born.” So the crowd was divided about him. And some wanted him arrested, but no one touched him. The Temple police who had been sent to arrest him returned to the chief priests and Pharisees. “Why didn’t you bring him in?” they demanded. “He says such wonderful things!” they mumbled. “We’ve never heard anything like it.” “So you also have been led astray?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us Jewish rulers or Pharisees who believes he is the Messiah? These stupid crowds do, yes; but what do they know about it? A curse upon them anyway!” Then Nicodemus spoke up. (Remember him? He was the Jewish leader who came secretly to interview Jesus.) “Is it legal to convict a man before he is even tried?” he asked. They replied, “Are you a wretched Galilean too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophets will come from Galilee!”

Food for thought!

Something consistent happens throughout this gospel: the people who heard Jesus talk always end, some impressed others depressed; some end liking him even more, others hating him even more. After hearing Jesus, some people thought that he was the Christ, others not; and there followed a wrangle about whether or not any Christ could ever come from Bethlehem.

Here is tragedy. A great religious experience has ended as a theological wrangle; a great sermon has done more harm than good. It is not uncommon even among us, to like the preaching and hate the preacher; to like the message and hate the messenger. Things have not changed much.

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 our 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, "He says such wonderful things!” they mumbled. “We’ve never heard anything like it." They had gone out to arrest Jesus and had come back arrested by Jesus' message, because never in their lives had they heard anyone speak as he did. 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 the people who should have known better, the high priests and Pharisees. Sometimes, even today, those people that should know better, people in our churches and communities and families, are sometimes missing the point. Their argument was "Is there a single one of us Jewish rulers or Pharisees who believes he is the Messiah? These stupid crowds do, yes; but what do they know about it? A curse upon them anyway!" It is indeed a terrible thing when a man thinks himself either too clever or too good to need Jesus Christ--and it happens still.

God's time is the best time!

John 7:1-2,10,25-30

Jesus stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him. As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from. Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:

‘Yes, you know me and you know where I came from. Yet I have not come of myself: no, there is one who sent me and I really come from him, and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him and it was he who sent me.’ They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

Food for thought: Without drawing attention to himself!

This sentence is very important. Jesus kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself because his time had not yet come. And the Jews too were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn't yet God's time.

All this means that there is God's time and our time. And Jesus knew it. He knew how and when to wait for God's time to come. In this particular instance Jesus' opportunity had not come. Literally this means that the best time for Jesus to act, the moment when circumstances were most suitable, the psychological moment was not yet; the moment which would give him the chance for which he was waiting had not yet arrived. For that reason, Jesus kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself because his time had not yet come. And the Jews too were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn't yet God's time.

From this passage we learn one thing that, we too must learn to wait on God's time because God's time is the best time. Anything done out of its time is disastrous. Many of us don't know how and when to wait, and that is why we crush and get crushed. We don't want to stay in God's waiting room. The enemy fills us with the lies that we must take action . . . take matters into our own hands. The enemy whispers, “God’s Word can’t be relied upon, He can’t be trusted . . . you have to do something! You've waited long enough! God isn’t going to show up!” But God’s strong, still, small voice replies, “Wait on Me . . . I will save you . . . I will deliver you . . . I hold your life (every detail) in the palms of My hands.”

You see, there’s a BIG difference between “being still” and “doing nothing.” When God appears to have escorted you into His “waiting room,” you can be certain that He doesn’t want you “doing nothing” . . . He wants you “being still.” We must remember in our most desperate moments in life that it is God who has often led us to the very place we cry out from . . . the “waiting place” . . . the place where we face impossibilities.

We must know that God has led us to this place and moment to teach us a much needed lesson in our walk of faith—we cannot deliver ourselves from a crisis that God himself has orchestrated. Too often, it is by His design that we are in the “waiting place” . . . in the midst of an overwhelming situation. Whatever you’re going through, God is in it. He has allowed the circumstances that have brought you to this “waiting place."

While you’re waiting, God wants you praying, drawing nearer to Him, and resting in the peace that He provides in the midst of a raging storm.

Joseph, the master of silence!

Luke 2:41-51

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’ ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant. He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.

Food for thought!

Today we remember and celebrate St. Joseph, the patron of silence and silent people. In all the Gospels we don't find any word ever spoken by Joseph; he speaks by his silence. St. Joseph reminds us of the gift of silence, the importance of silence, the use of silence. Yes, even silent people can talk to us, not by mouth and words but by their silence.

In today's Gospel reading, who does the talking is the woman, Mary. The gospel says, "When his parents saw him, they were astonished." Both Joseph and Mary were astonished; both wondered, but only Mary spoke out. Yes, Mary was an outspoken lady. Women, don't be afraid to talk; men, don't be afraid not to talk. Let your Mary do the talking because many times she knows better. Jesus' mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." Your father and I! Isn't this amazing? That Mary talks in the name and on behalf of Joseph!

Back to silence and silent people. Joseph should remind us that sometimes the best response is silence; that sometimes we do well to stay silent; that we don't have to open our mouth all the time. In fact, the lesss you say, the more profound and mysterious you appear. You have more power when you shut up.

By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning and power. Also, the less you say, the less risk you run of saying something foolish, even dangerous. Learn the lesson: once the words are out, you cannot take them back. So like Joseph, keep your words under control.

Those who are attentive enough, like Mary was attentive to Joseph, can understand our words of silence and our silent words and our silent suffering and our silent anxiety. St. Joseph, patron of silence and of silent people, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. St. Joseph is also the patron of the dying!