Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Thursday

Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter

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Some of us seem to take offense over issues which we think are big or serious, but sometimes the issue at hand may not necessarily be that big or serious after all, but our minds are sometimes too fixated or closed to see the bigger picture. We begin to squabble over petty things when there are more serious matters to be discussed and addressed. When we are like this, we lose sight of our true purpose as Christians and end up wasting much time and energy over trivial matters.

This was the problem that the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees had with Paul. Just as they were obstinate and refused to change when Jesus was around, they were also equally obstinate with Paul. So Paul decided to shake things up a bit and distract them from their narrow-mindedness. Using a bit of guile, Paul pitted the scribes and Pharisees against the Sadducees by exclaiming: “Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” When he said this, the scribes and the Pharisees ganged up against the Sadducees and a big argument broke over differences of opinion which had nothing to do with the reason why Paul was being arrested and put on trial in the first place. This shows that, the core issue which the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees had against Paul, was actually not really a big deal after all, since they could be so easily distracted with other things.

What about us? Have we become so consumed, so obstinate or so insistent with our ways or our ideas, that we have become like the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees? Have we forgotten our primary duty as Christians to proclaim the Good News to all? Ultimately, we need to take a good, hard look at ourselves and realise that the universe does not revolve only around us, and that we have more important tasks or matters at hand for the greater glory of God.

Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter

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Meetings and discussions can sometimes turn out to be quite a frustrating activity. This is especially so when people begin to talk and argue over a topic which is essentially not a big deal. At times, such meetings and discussions could turn out to be quite a rowdy affair, especially when people begin to lose their cool and start behaving like only their opinion or point of view matters. In the midst of all these monkeying around, with some clashes of the gong and thundering voices here and there, we need someone to snap us out of our “temporary insanity” and get us back on our true purpose. That someone is what we call a moderator.

In today’s reading, we have Peter who ended up being the moderator. The apostles and elders had been discussing about an issue which so incensed and consumed them (they were Jews and it was part of their upbringing). What was the issue all about? It was about whether the gentile Christians should be circumcised as part of the “salvation package,” so to speak. Peter finally had had enough and he told all present: “In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God’s anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.” After Peter had said this, there was silence. You could almost hear a pin drop (if there was one at that time). It was clear to all present that they had been arguing about something which was really not big deal.

Then, to further strengthen Peter’s argument, James added: “I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath.” Wonderful! Case closed.

Just like the apostles and elders, we too sometimes end up arguing over the smallest matters concerning our faith, and we forget the bigger picture and the more important issues that we should be addressing instead. Let us learn from this dramatic episode and open our eyes, ears and hearts, so that we could learn to love and serve others better, while giving glory to God.

Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter

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It is interesting to see how some people try so hard to show how talented, how smart, how great, how clever or how resourceful they are. Such people do so to gain recognition, get the attention of others, perhaps rub shoulders with people who could be of use to them, and also to feed their pride and ego. But if we ponder for a moment: Why do we need to try so hard to show off? What are we trying to prove? Who are we really serving?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater than the man who sent him. Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly.” Jesus is inviting us to question our motives in serving others. Sometimes, in our zeal and efforts to serve, we may actually be serving ourselves. This happens when we try to gain glory for what we do, and try to lord it over others, thinking that they are not up to our standards or our expectations.

Let us be mindful of who we are, for we are merely servants and Jesus is the Master. When we acknowledge this fact and do our duty for the glory of God, then happiness will be ours, since we do not need to worry about losing our popularity or prestige. If we really are skillful, talented or capable, we do not need others to praise us or tell us how good we are, since these are gifts from God and we should thank and give praise to God for such gifts.

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Easter

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If you are given the opportunity to do something to your life which would enable you to live forever, would you seize such an opportunity? Some people in the past had turned to different sorts of medicine, elixers, and meditation techniques, in an attempt to live forever. But the fact of the matter is, our bodies are not designed to live indefinitely. Humanly speaking, it does not matter what we try to do, we will die one day. Seeing that physical death is inevitable, what sort of death should we focus on instead?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” When we eat this living bread, we are actually nourishing our souls and letting God sustain our spiritual lives. It is this spiritual life which we should watch out for, since our bodies will perish but our soul will live on. Are we neglecting our souls and heading towards a spiritual death away from God? Or have we been doing our part to receive the living bread that Jesus is offering us, and giving us spiritual life that lives forever?

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

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Have you experienced extreme anger or even rage before? There are many reasons why a person may experience such extreme anger or even rage, but one reason that is especially difficult is when a person is confronted with the truth or exposed for who he or she really is. In reaction to facing the truth or being exposed, such persons may resort to extreme anger or even rage to try and cover up, or divert attention with the hope that people would become confused or afraid to pursue the matter further, or in some cases such persons may even resort to greater crimes to get rid of any evidence, witnesses or any other means, thinking that by doing so, they would not be exposed further or “lose face.” But the fact is, the truth will prevail, and the truth will come back to haunt such persons in one way or another at a different time.

This reaction of extreme anger or rage was evident among the officials, members of the Sanhedrin and the high priest in today’s reading. They knew that what the apostles were preaching about Jesus and about what these people had done is the truth. But due to their pride, their arrogance, their refusal to admit their wrongdoing, their determination to “save face” and because they were more interested in preserving their status quo, these officials, members of the Sanhedrin and the high priest became so infuriated when confronted with the truth that they wanted to put the apostles to death. But these apostles remained unflinched in their commitment to the truth and even said: “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men.” The apostles were prepared to die rather than keep quiet or hide the truth, since it is a duty and a privilege to preach the Good News to all.

What about us? Are we more interested in saving our skin and keeping quiet, even though it is obvious that the truth must be known? Who are we trying to serve? Do we value only things here on earth, or are we willing to sacrifice even our lives, so that we would gain eternal rewards?

Easter Thursday

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It is tempting for some of us to take all the credit for a job well done or when a task has been completed successfully. Sometimes the task at hand could have been near completion and before you know it, the original person or persons who had toiled at it have moved on, and another person or other persons get the opportunity to finish it. If we are honest and grateful about our duties and efforts as well as the efforts of those before us, we would give recognition and credit where it is due, but some may try to grab the glory all for himself, herself or themselves. A Malay proverb comes to mind: “Lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama,” which roughly translated means: “it is the milk from the cow, but the bull takes the credit.”

In today’s reading: “Everyone came running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John. When Peter saw the people he addressed them, ‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.”

Notice that in the reading, Peter and John had healed the man, but they did not take credit for it. Instead, they gave credit to Jesus because the power to heal comes from Jesus. Peter and John shows us that as Christians, we should not try to exalt ourselves or think that we can do all things through our own efforts. It is Jesus who uses us as His instruments to help and to heal. We ought to think of ourselves as merely servants, doing God’s will and not our own. In a world where some people would try to take credit and show how great they are, we should show example and give glory to God, for all things are made possible through God’s love and providence.

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Whenever we make a business contract with another person, we are actually coming up with an agreement of a list of services being offered, certain terms and conditions to be met, the kind of compensation to be received such as money or goods in exchange, and the consequences to be faced if the contract is not fulfilled. Such a contract could be broken by either party for a variety of reasons, and should that happen, legal or other measures may be taken. More often than not, the parties involved would prefer to see the contract carried out until such a time the conditions have been completed or the contract is no longer relevant and the parties involved agree to terminate mutually.

However, when God deals with us humans, He does not make contracts with us, but a covenant. The terms are stipulated by God and fulfillment of the covenant are carried out by God in His time. In today’s reading, God made a covenant with Abraham, where Abraham “shall become the father of a multitude of nations.” This covenant is not for a limited period, but in perpetuity. Naturally, Abraham would not get to see the covenant fulfilled completely in his life time. It is something which would go beyond the present and we see the covenant continuing even today. When God makes a covenant, He keeps His word and He is faithful, even though we may not be so faithful to Him at times. Even though God is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He is still willing to make a covenant with us humans, and keep His end of the bargain. We are invited to remain faithful to Him, but we are not forced to. We can choose to remain in His providence, or we could choose to go our own way, but we know from our history that remaining in His providence is the way to go.

Today, God is inviting us to remain with Him, so that we may continue to prosper. Even though there are times we may have gone astray, God is always beckoning us to come back to Him. Let us make every effort to remain in His love, so that we may live and be happy.

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Pride can be the downfall of many. When a person becomes proud, he or she slowly begins to lose the ability to reason, to accept mistakes and correction, to change, to forgive and seek forgiveness, and even to love unconditionally. People who gradually become proud begin to think that only their ways or thoughts matter, and others are perceived as a threat or unwanted competition. Such people may begin to find ways and means to put others down, or belittle them, or in some cases even to the point of committing ‘assassination’ of character or taken to the extreme, having the other killed so as to protect one’s interest. Such is the danger of being consumed with pride, that other sins and vile acts could begin to occur.

In today’s Gospel, we come across some people who have become so proud of themselves, their ways, and their capabilities, that Jesus was seen as a threat to them. They just could not accept Jesus or His teachings and everything Jesus did was seen as bad or threatening to them. Such people even went to the extent of saying: “It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.” A normal, sane, and thinking person would not associate the devil casting our devils, since such utterance is illogical, absurd and makes one look and sound foolish. But herein lies the problem: when a person is proud; jealousy and anger creeps in when one believes that one’s status or ability is being challenged. In response to their silly statements, Jesus admonished these people, saying: “Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you.” But were these people willing to see error in their ways? No, pride had already coloured their vision, and they preferred to remain in their comfort zone and carry on merrily in their ways instead of changing and returning to God’s ways.

We too could fall into the same trap as these people, if we allow ourselves to dwell in pride, since pride could rear its ugly head in many ways and forms. May we be watchful and learn to grow in humility, so that we could grow closer in relationship with our loving God.

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

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There are some people in this world who think that riches is a blessing from God.  They begin to think that just because they are rich or someone is rich, they or that someone can do whatever they like and possibly get away with it. For example, we have come across people who are rich in material wealth and property, and think that they can buy their way to privileges and perks, or they think they are entitled to certain benefits reserved only for those who have the means. Some even become conceited and boastful, thinking that money, wealth and property are all that matters. So does this mean that being rich is wrong or sinful? No. It depends on one’s attitude and behaviour, since we do come across people who are rich, but they live lives quite detached from the riches they have. In fact, some of these rich people use their riches not for themselves, but for charity and the benefit of mankind. Some even end up penniless at the end of their lives, because they had used up their riches to be of service to others less fortunate. If you are wealthy, what sort of person have you become?

In today’s Gospel, we come across the story of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man ended up in Hades not because he was a rich man per se, but because of his attitude or behaviour. The rich man was rich only for himself, since as the Gospel tells us, he: “used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.” He knew that Lazarus was there, but he refused to take notice, he was only concerned about himself, and he did not lift a finger or at the very least get someone to help Lazarus out. After all, the rich man was enjoying himself to the fullest, and he did not want to have anything to do with others. It is only when the rich man ended up in Hades that he realised his folly, but by then it is too late.

What about us? Have we become like the rich man in one way or another? We may have wealth, some of us may be rich in other ways, such as riches in intellect, riches in talent, riches in abilities, but are we keeping such riches only for ourselves? Let us not become complacent, indifferent or have a “tidak apa” or “tidak peduli” attitude (roughly translated from Malay as “don’t care” or “doesn’t matter to me” attitude), but use our “riches” for the greater glory of God.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

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There are times in life we may have bitten off more than we could chew. We think we can handle such things or situations, thinking that we are more than capable and do not need any help, even help from God. However, we sometimes get ourselves into a sticky, challenging or dangerous situation which we may find it difficult to get out of. When this happens, are we still going to stick to our guns, remain proud and try to work things out on our own? Or are we willing to humble ourselves and seek help from others and from God?

In today’s reading, we come across Queen Esther who “took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel…” Despite facing great danger or peril, Queen Esther was humble and willing to seek God’s help and leave her fate in God’s hands. What about us? Are we willing to follow Queen Esther’s example and leave it in the hands of the Lord? Are we able to set aside our pride and let God be in control?