Sunday 26th
May, 2019. Read Acts 15:1-2.22-29,
Psalm 67, Revelation 21:10-14.22-23 and John 14:23-29
_*“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to
you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)*_
Last Sunday, Jesus gave us a new command;
to love others not just as we love ourselves but as He loved us. Today, Jesus
continues his sermon on love and prepares our minds for the Holy Spirit, the
Counsellor, the Teacher and Reminder. Jesus also announces His Peace to us; a
peace so different from what the world offers; a peace capable of settling our
minds when we are faced with trouble.
An example of this trouble is what we
find in our first reading. The early Christian community which had been founded
on love was disrupted by certain men who preached circumcision as the yardstick
of salvation. How did the disciples resolve this crisis? What lessons do we
learn from this experience? What do our readings say with regards to our present
situation today?
*Lesson One: It is Easier to Obey God when
we Love Him.*
Once upon a time, a young man noticed a
lady on jeans carrying a 50litre gallon of water and struggling with it. Without
the lady asking for his help, he immediately ran to her, took the can from her,
placed it on his head and asked where she was going. The young man did not
complain for a minute but kept smiling despite the heavy weight. When they got
to the lady’s house, she told him she can handle it from there but he insisted
he must take it to her room which was on the third floor. She continued
thanking him as they climbed the stairs.
Things quickly turned around when the
young man stepped into her room and surprisingly saw her husband who continued
the litany of thanks for being such a Good Samaritan. When this young man confirmed
that the lady he helped was actually married, he became so angry that instead
of dropping the water, he returned it to the very spot where he had picked it
from her fuming profusely. Now the question is: How did he manage to carry that
heavy load without complaining in the first place?
Jesus tells us today: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with
him. He who does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:23-24) Do you consider
God’s words as a burden to you? Are you seriously struggling with sin? It simply
means you do not love God for when we love someone, nothing is too difficult to
do for him or her and no sacrifice is beyond our capacity for him or her.
*Lesson Two: Why We Need the Holy
Spirit.*
In the letter addressed to the Gentile
community concerning the heretical doctrine of circumcision, the Apostles noted:
“For it has seemed good to the Holy
Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from
what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you
will do well.” (Acts 15:28-29). Simply,
put the Apostles were only able to resolve this crisis because of the
intervention of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus referred
to the Holy Spirit as the Counsellor meaning adviser, comforter, helper in
times of trouble, one who speaks on one’s side; an advocate, one who pleads on
one’s behalf. Secondly, the Holy Spirit is the teacher who makes us understand
all that Christ has said and gives us deeper insight into the very Word of God
and how we must apply that Word practically in our daily lives.
Thirdly, the
Holy Spirit helps us remember God’s word especially in moments of trial when
the truth is needed. For instance in Luke 12:11-12, we read: “And when they
bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be
anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy
Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Dear friends,
let us begin our novenas to the Holy Spirit that we may be found worthy to
receive a fresh outpouring once again.
*Lesson Three:
The Peace of Christ is God Dwelling in Us.*
As Jesus tells us: “if a man loves me, he
will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him.” Dear friends, what could be better than having God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit dwelling right inside you? Indeed,
when God is indwelling in us, the result we get is peace; a peace which the world
cannot offer. Do you know that the word Peace comes from the Greek word _eirene_
which means “to bind together”? To be at peace is to be bound, woven and joined
together with God.
This peace is one that makes us calm even
when we face bad circumstances and situations. Without mincing words, things
have really gone bad in our nation today. Many are now comparing us with Rwanda
just before the genocide. We hear rumours of gun licence revocation. We hear that a
radio station has been established just to serve one tribe (Fulani) in a nation
of over 400 tribes. We also hear that an alleged 100billion naira was paid to
the terrorists and armed bandits who now specialize in kidnapping people along
our highways. In every single community today, we are surrounded by herdsmen
who freely carry around sophisticated weapons enough to wipe out whole
communities at the slighted provocation.
In the midst of all these frightening
news and rumours, let us not forget the words of Jesus: “In the world you have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). To anyone who afraid, Jesus words in today’s Gospel passage
are worth repeating again and again: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither
let them be afraid.” Yes, our leaders have failed us woefully, they have surrendered
our nation and its sovereignty to a group of terrorists but as our psalmist
sings: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no
evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm
23:4) Let them gather, God will surely fight for His Children.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, come into my
heart that I may find true peace of soul despite all the troubles the world
contains. Amen
Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live
Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (6th Sunday
of Easter, Year C, Bible Study: Acts 15:1-2.22-29, Psalm 67, Revelation
21:10-14.22-23 and John 14:23-29).
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