Signs

Today’s Gospel Text:  So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:30-35

Reflection: God speaks to us through signs and wonders

If God speaks to us through signs and wonders then what was wrong when the disciples asked him for signs in order to believe in Jesus?

So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?”  (vs. 30)

I am confident that if there was a survey done then there would be quite a few who would expect a sign or a wonder in order to believe in God or increase their level of their faith.

Yet he who sits in the highest heaven knows the secret of men’s heart: he knows what even we may not know about ourselves unless it is pointed out to us and even here some will acknowledge and the many may not:

What we think we will do or accomplish is not always the fact of human life and thinking. One thinks that they will believe after seeing a sign but may still harden their hearts because the heart is still a seat of evil.

One does not really require a sign, as in a miracle, in order to believe, there is a greater quality in humans in which if they are sincere, humble and honest with themselves and with others then it does not take much to believe in the truth of faith.

Belief is an assertion of a heart that wants to trust and the sincere words of Jesus, his life style are more than enough for any honest seeker to believe in him and be saved.

Hence the cross of Christ is the greatest sign for generations to come and the church that was born from his side, burst open on the cross, is the sign for the world and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The primary way in which the church accomplishes this mission of being a sign to the world is through the Proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, to which men respond and believe.

Prayer:  Lord, make me an instrument of your power, so that men may believe that you are God in heaven and on earth.

   

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Attitude Required

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." 29 And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Tal'itha cu'mi"; which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:21-43

Reflection: O yea! How we love to see wonderful and magical happenings and we may go out of our way to see such phenomenons and yet there could a better one in our own neighborhood which we may never observe or miss out on. 

The dramatic appearance of Jairus and his falling at Jesus’ feet and beseeching him to come and heal his daughter may have drawn the attention of the many that were there and this may have attracted a great crowd to follow Jesus to the house of Jairus to see another of the miracle performed by Jesus.

But in the meanwhile, while Jesus was on his way, there was another more marvelous miracle, concerning an ordinary lady, about to take place. This woman appears to have been unassumingly simple and ordinary. 

The crowd almost missed it and we too could miss out on the great beauty of this miracle. 

There are many factors which makes this miracle a marvel:

She had gone to many physicians and was treated by many, and what is more, she had spent all her life savings in getting herself treated.  There was no question of losing hope as she had not lost her grits.

Modern medical science would immediately discern that she must have been anemic and weak. She may have been at her daily work with great determination despite the many aches and pains due to lack of quality blood in her system.

Such faith is not possible unless it is received in faith from above. Did she pray for the many years and now, more so, since her coffers were empty?  She seems to have shown a rock solid faith and trust in God; the only hope for this woman?

If there is anything we can learn from this woman then it is this: do not wait for sickness to trust God and do not seek to see the signs and wonders but be practical and active in believing in the one who is able to save us.

Rest is history as she touches the hem of his garment!

Prayer:  Lord, increase our faith that we may trust you in all situations and circumstances.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Need to Know Jesus

Today’s Gospel Text:   "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Mark 13:24-32

Reflection: Shall we believe what the Lord has to tell us or is it just a threatening message and threat method for us to submit?

The debate can go on endlessly, whom to believe and what to believe: 

It is not fare that a discussion that has begun on a sound premise and following every rule of procedures and at the end of a long deliberation and discussion and then having arrived at a conclusion one should question its conclusions. 

Similarly, one would only be foolish to analyze only particular words and actions of Jesus without knowing who he is and why he is here.

He has given every human being the freedom to come to him and know him and his purpose and mission.  In this, the most unfortunate element has been that some with intellectual knowledge about him think that they now know him.  

He who really knows Christ and encounters him to be the living God and experiences his power and presence in daily life does not need an expert to tell him now what to believe of Christ and what words and actions of his need to be believed and how much. 

The only expert one requires is another who has gone ahead of us in this walk with Christ. 

They know that in Jesus they have found the pearl of great price which is not worth exchanging for anything. One needs to renounce all that they have ever possessed for him.

Hence, they would thus also value every word that has proceeded from the mouth of Jesus because they know and value and thus trust him.

This kind of faith will carry them in life here on earth and into the eternity of freedom which Christ assures those who trust in his word.

Prayer: Lord, to whom shall we go? you alone have the words of eternal life.(cfr. Jn. 6:68) 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

In God we Trust

Scripture/Bible:   He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

Reflection: I thought you either only trust God or don’t trust him, but there is a thing called trusting in ourselves.

If you think it is a passing statement and holds true only for the scribes and the Pharisees in the gospel text here then you are absolutely wrong. 

The very survival of humanity is trust. Trust is the foundation on which humanity survives and moves on.  But this trust could be in God or in others or in oneself.

He who boasts that they don’t trust God are in way saying that they either trust themselves or trust others or trust both.  In other words they are putting themselves in God’s place and would even expect others to treat them like gods, with them dispensing their reason why we should also be like them. 

They expect trust from us but would not trust God. They may entrust us with things but will not trust us in matters of God and religion.

What do they have besides a little extra sharper intellect for arguments; they do have pride, in abundant and many a times in humble measure too.

On the other hand, when it is a trust avowed in God it could be a verbal assertion, even constant and consistently so, but with no visible impact in their day to day living.  For example, if you trust God then one practical and automatic outcome would be the absence of worry, because you trust in a God who is a provident God.

Prayer:  May I Lord trust you just the way you need to be trusted.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Weathering the storms of Life

Today’s Scripture: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" 41 And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" Mark 4:35-41

Reflection:  Did Jesus have an inkling that a storm was brewing up and that they were in danger? But what he does in the boat is still worse; He takes a comfortable place in the stern, with a cushion for his head to rest on.

It doesn’t matter whether he knew or not about the coming storm nor does it matter where he slept and with what kind of a cushion.  A man of faith need not know all this, because he knows that his heavenly Father has his hand of protection on him. 

Such is the nature of faith, to his chosen ones, that nothing happens unless the Lord has allowed it to happen and he will make it work for his greater glory and you will be an instrument which God will use.  But be ready and willing to face the storms of life and do not be perturbed when it comes as the disciples were. Like Jesus you can sleep peacefully in the face of the oncoming storms of life.

Prayer:  Lord, grant me the faith to believe that you are in control of my life and that you have allowed the storm for a purpose.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us