Bible Study: Malachi 3, 1
to 4. Hebrews 2, 14 to 18. And Luke 2, 22 to 40.
We live in a reward-oriented world.
It is almost impossible to get people today who will volunteer to work for
free. The moment you ask somebody to do anything, the next thing you hear is:
“How much are you going to pay me?” “What’s in it for me?” “What am I going to
get at the end of the day?” And should it happen that your response is not
positive, you are sure of not getting any help.
Now, let us put ourselves in the
shoes of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Here comes this beautiful young lady
dreaming of getting married to her betrothed and having a family of her own
someday. She is already engaged to Joseph and their wedding has been fixed. One
day, God comes along and tells her, “Mary, I have an assignment for you. You
are to conceive and be my mother.” She accepts. Now she becomes pregnant and
Joseph almost divorces her but an Angel appears to him in a dream telling him
the meaning of her pregnancy and the role he is to play. Without complaining he
wakes up, accepts to marry Mary and they both give up conjugal satisfaction.
But for her acceptance of God’s special assignment, she wouldn’t have remained
a virgin for life.
Soon Mary gives birth to Jesus. The
circumstances of this delivery are quite painful to say the least. She travels
all the way for a census and upon arriving at their destination, she is being
turned away from one inn after another. She gives birth eventually, not a five
star hospital, not surrounded by the best doctors in the world, but in stable
where animals are kept. All the while, she is silent. God says nothing to her.
Now, so many days have passed since
the child was born, and still it doesn’t seem like there is any reward in store
for her. Instead, what do we see, she and Joseph present the child in the
temple in obedience to the law and according to their meagre financial state
and behold a Prophet tells her to her face: “a sword will pierce through your
own soul also.” Simeon does not announce an abundance of wealth in gold and
silver coming as her reward, he does not announce pleasure or happiness, but
the fact that a sword shall pierce her soul. That is the reward she gets for
accepting to be God’s mother.
Do you sometimes get disappointed at
God for not granting you the best of enjoyment? Have you ever caught yourself
asking, what exactly is your reward for being a Christian? Consider the fact that
the book of Hebrews says to us in our second reading this morning; Jesus
himself was born not to enjoy but to die and become an expiation for the sins
of the people. Consider the fact that the prophet Malachi instructs us in the
first reading; God carries out a process of purification on us similar to that
of the refiner who purifies silver with fire. This purification of fire is
nothing short of the suffering that becomes our reward for accepting to do
God’s will.
The presentation of Jesus in the
temple is a moment of revelation, a moment of truth, a moment of prophecy.
Simeon was told he would not see death until he sets his eyes on the Messiah.
At that very moment, the Holy Spirit enabled him to identify the child. Also
there was Anna, she had virtually spent all her life in the temple seeing
babies every now and then as their parents presented them to the temple but it
was only when Jesus was presented her mouth opened and she spoke well of him to
all.
We would never really know who we are
or what we should be until we present ourselves to God. Every hour we spend in
prayer is a presentation. We must learn to enter into prayer fully and
attentive because we do not simply talk to God, we also listen to the voice of
the Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit that opened the eyes of Simeon and Anna
will open your eyes to see beyond the ordinary and enable you understand
certain deep truths. One of which is the bitter truth that the reward of being
a Christian is not to enjoy the good things of this life but to carry a cross
that pierces your heart like a sword.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, I present myself to you
today, accept the gift of my life and cleanse me from the tendency of seeking
earthly rewards for my faithfulness to you. Amen.
God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is
well with you.
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