Bible
Study: 1ST Timothy 1:1-2,12-14. / Luke 6:39-42.
Have you
ever seen a teacher trying to teach children a particular topic that he does
not understand? And let’s say the subject is Mathematics. If there is one word
that best describes the outcome of that class, it would be ‘frustration.’
Have you
ever seen a poor rickety looking native doctor trying to make a person rich?
You may then wonder, if he knew how to make real money, why is he living under
such pitiable conditions.
Have you
seen a government official who clearly has a record of corruption and
mismanagement of public funds come out to preach about it? Very funny. Isn’t it?
Have you
seen a person who has been married for more than five times now coming out to
lecture you on how to persevere in a marriage? How do you swallow the advice
from such a person?
Akpos
brought home his report card one day having come out last position in his
class. His father looked at it and said: “Akpos, I am disappointed in you. In
those days, I always come out tops in the class, I wonder where you got this
from?” As he spoke, Akpos’ mummy in the kitchen shouted: “Oga, tell him the
truth oh, have you forgotten we both attended the same primary and secondary
school?” Chai!
Jesus simply
tells us today: Never Try To Give What You Do Not Have. How can you say to your
brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you
yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? Luke 6:42.
With all
our modern technology, life generally has become so busy. We are on our feet,
morning till night. And even when we get little breaks in between tight
schedules, we spend ample time before a television set or before our phones. There
is hardly any time for SELF-INTROSPECTION or what we may call EXAMINATION OF
CONSCIENCE. We never take out time at the end of each day to review,
cross-check and meditate.
As a
result of the inability on our part to subject ourselves to daily examination
of conscience, we become so blind to our personal weaknesses; we become blind
to the logs of wood we are carrying and all we see is the tiny specks in other
people. There is a saying that it is often the things we are most guilty of
that we notice quickly in others and basically, it is what we know we are
capable of doing that we accuse people of.
That is to
say, we are able to see clearly the speck in our brothers’ eyes simply because
the speck resembles the log of wood inside our own eyes and we are
psychologically drawn to fight hard to remove the speck in his eyes because our
minds makes us believe that by so doing, we could cure ourselves of the log we
are carrying.
The major
sickness of our world today is SPIRITUAL SCHIZOPHRENIA, which is, living a
double life. We have split personalities; the public personality which is good,
pleasing and acceptable and then, the private personality known to ourselves
only or those closest to us which thrives on the lie of secrecy.
Being such
an excellent missionary, St. Paul was far from being a hypocrite. He was never
a pretender, instead he lived a life that matched his words. What was Paul’s
secret? He didn’t try to sweep his past under the carpet. Today’s first reading
comes from the very first chapter of his first letter to Timothy. Hear what
Paul says of himself: “I thank him who has given me strength for this, Christ
Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service, though
I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him.” 1 Timothy 1:12-13.
If Paul
could change, then anybody can change!
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, may my very life become a Gospel to my generation. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment