Bible
Study: 1st John 5, 5 to 13 and Mark 1, 7 to 11.
“Who is it
that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
To conquer a thing is to gain superior power over it. To conquer is to rule and
be in charge rather than being a slave of something. To conquer is to put
oneself in a position where one can no longer be conditioned by that thing. To conquer
something is to become fearless of that thing and to control it instead of
letting it control you.
Today, St.
John gives us the secret of conquering not only ourselves or even others but
the entire world as a whole. How can be become victors rather than victims of
the vicissitudes that abound in our world? How can be gain control of the world
and live as fearless persons in the world? The answer is FAITH. The man who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God is the one who has conquered the world.
Faith in
God and in his Son Jesus makes us Masters rather than slaves. How? Faith makes
us fearless. When we place our trust completely in God, we can no longer be
threatened by hardships, disappointments or failures in life. While the people
of world begin to panic and start running from pillar to post, we remain calm. It
was for his faith that Job refused to curse God and die when he was being put
to test. When we have faith, not even death can threaten us because as John
says, our faith gives us an assurance of eternal life; that is, a life without
end. No wonder in Ephesians 6:6, Paul speaks of Faith as a shield with which we
use to quench the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith and
fear are like water and oil. When we are so scared of people, scared of our
future or even of the world, it simply means we need to pray for an increase of
faith. To have faith is to have a calm mind and an assurance that with Jesus,
we are conquerors.
In our
Gospel passage today, Mark describes how John the Baptist came to identify Jesus
Christ. Just after his baptism, John saw the heavens open the Holy Spirit
descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove. He also heard the voice from heaven
saying: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” John the
Baptist saw and heard these things because he was attentive to the Holy Spirit.
There is no limit to what God can reveal to us when we allow space for the Holy
Spirit in our hearts.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, increase my faith and open my spiritual eyes. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu.
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