In the experience of a meaningful life there is no victory without strife, there can be no successful childbirth without painful push and more importantly, no glorious crown without a sorrowful cross. Today’s liturgical readings as a whole helps us to understand our calling as disciples of Jesus and focus on our own journey to commitment in the mysteries of Christ’s passion. In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah narrated about the suffering servant who did not shy away or elude himself from the sorrows of life, but relied strongly in the help of the Heavenly Father. He said “I was not rebellious, I turned not backward, I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
For the Lord God helps me…I know that I shall not be put to shame; for he who vindicates me is near”. Dear people of God, let us be intentional in the truth that the journey of a Christian comes with great challenges of pain, rejection, insults and persecutions. Unfortunately in our world today, many pastors make different appealing advert to get members in their church by enticing them with the promise that their problems will vanish once they step into their church. Christian evangelism should not be deceptive and should not take the method of commercial product. It is evident that the idea of participating in the sufferings of Christ seems foreign and vague to many today, yet it is expedient that as Christians we should be faithful in the love of God, docile to the will of God and hopeful of God’s grace as we encounter the trials and tribulations that comes our way.
People will mock and say all sorts of things about you on account of your Christian faith and work. But our consolation is already established in the word of God that says “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you”. Dear Friends in Christ, the consistent witnessing of Christ in faith and good works can not be overemphasised or ruled out in the missionary enterprise of God’s will. It is worthwhile Imitating the dogged prophets in evangelising God’s word at all cost and at every point of our life without fear or favour. If we call ourselves Christians, it must reflect in our faith in God, the good work we do and how well we do it. In today’s Gospel reading, Christ tells us the cost of following Him and doing His will, not in abstract terms but in terms that are concrete and relevant to our daily life.
All our human activities and relationships should be viewed within the context of our eternal vocation. Hence, our principal purpose as Christians is to learn to deny ourselves so that we could be fit and ready to accept the invitation of taking our cross daily and following Him. In Pidgin English there is a word that says “follow who know road”. Indeed, when we follow Christ who is the way the truth and the life, we will never regret it nor loose our eternal reward in heaven. The essence of discipleship is being a follower of Jesus in all things. It is not a call to any form of compromise but a challenge to a consistent and great commitment to the faith we profess. Just like the early Apostles were first called Christians in Antioch as they proclaimed and lived like Jesus Christ; in the same mannerism people want to know who Jesus Christ is by our actions and words.
We live in a world that has been greatly mesmerised by immorality, ungodliness, relativism of truth, deceit and many do not examine their lives while some others are lazy to reflect on the will and word of God concerning their lives. Hence, there is a need to bring all to Christ and Christ to all. My dear people of God, our lives as Christians should reflect the unfathomable love of God to all, peace of God that vanishes all odds, the joy and wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit, the light of God that eliminates the darkness of sin and the faith that shuns the fear of evil and death. As we surrender our will in following God, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with us both now and forevermore. Amen.
