Monday 6 May 2013
Gospel
John 15:26-16:4
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’
Disciples in a Hostile World
The Jews persecuted Jesus for claiming to be Lord of the Sabbath, greater than Solomon and Jonah, for existing before Abraham who rejoiced to see his day and for being Son of the Lord God who will come on the clouds of heaven. Men will persecute his disciples because they claim that Jesus alone is the Saviour of the world, that there is no salvation without him. They do this because “they have not known the Father or me”. For the joy that lay before him, Jesus endured the Cross (Heb 12:3). Likewise, our faith in Jesus gives us confidence to suffer for his name. This will prevent us from stumbling – from losing our faith in Jesus. The strength of the Spirit within us will enable us to live as disciples in a hostile world. Have you witnessed among an unbelieving people? Do you experience the Spirit within you?
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Gospel
John 16:5-11
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.
Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”
Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I do go,
I will send him to you.
And when he comes,
he will show the world how wrong it was,
about sin,
and about who was in the right,
and about judgement:
about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;
about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;
about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’
It is Good for You that I go Away
The disciples are sad at the thought of Jesus’ departure. We too have to live in the “absence” of Jesus. We haven’t met him face to face yet. However, it is to our advantage, Jesus says, that he goes away so that the Advocate can come. The Holy Spirit is dynamically active in the world. He shows that the world is wrong not to believe in Jesus and that though Jesus was condemned as a criminal God has vindicated him and he proves that Satan will not triumph ultimately. Seemingly victorious now, Satan will be destroyed. Jesus promised that the Advocate would be ever at our side to help us. We need to claim this promise. Let the Spirit rule and guide your life and then you will experience the Salvation won for you by Christ Jesus on the Cross. Do you have fellowship with the Holy Spirit? (2 Cor.13:13)
Wednesday 8 May 2013
Gospel
John 16:12-15
Jesus said:
‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’
The Spirit of Jesus
We are a people of the Spirit. The Spirit has been active in the community from the time Jesus left us until today. In the first century, he inspired the New Testament. However, the authors of the New Testament, like authors of any age, wrote for the people of their time. The Holy Spirit is equally active today as then in guiding the community of Jesus. The Church will therefore never teach anything contrary to the Bible because the Spirit inspired the Bible as he inspires the Church today. Problems face us, which the authors of the New Testament never dreamt about. The Spirit guides the Church to tackle them in fidelity to the truth revealed in the Bible. The Spirit is our teacher as he reveals to us the message of Jesus for today’s world. Do you respect the teaching of the Church as the inspiration of the Spirit?
Thursday 9 May 2013
Gospel
John 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘In a short time you will no longer see me,
and then a short time later you will see me again.’
Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean, “In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again” and, “I am going to the Father”? What is this “short time”? We do not know what he means.’ Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, so he said, ‘You are asking one another what I meant by saying: In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.’
Experience his presence by faith
Jesus is talking to them of his death. It will be a traumatic experience for his disciples. They will be plunged into sorrow while the enemies of Jesus rejoice. However, Jesus will triumph over death and return to them. They will experience the Risen Lord. After his Ascension, they will experience his presence through their faith. Likewise, we know that Jesus is with us. We are to experience his presence today by our faith. The more faith we have, the more we will experience his presence and the more joy we will receive. We are living in the interim period. Jesus faced persecution and death. We will face difficulties in following Jesus. However, Jesus tells us that trials and difficulties will not last. Since he has overcome the world, we also look forward to victory. Does the presence of Jesus give you strength to live the Christian life?
Friday 10 May 2013
Gospel
John 16:20-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
and that joy no one shall take from you.
When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.’
Sorrow that leads to joy
The Prince of this world, Satan deceived humanity and led them into rebellion against God. God wanted to destroy the influence of Satan and save humanity from eternal death. Satan had deceived a man and God wanted a man to defeat Satan. The only human being who could do this was his Son. He became a man, like us in every way, to overcome Satan and save humankind. We can only understand Jesus’ life in terms of warfare with Satan from birth until death. Satan will have the Jesus killed on a Cross. His disciples will be distraught with grief. However, this sorrow leads to joy. Tempted in every way, Jesus was faithful in love until death. By his Cross, he defeated Satan. The Father raised him to glory. Now as his disciples, if we ask anything in his name the Father will grant it. What do you ask for?
Saturday 11 May 2013
Gospel
John 16:23-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.
I have been telling you all this in metaphors,
the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words.
When that day comes you will ask in my name;
and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you for loving me
and believing that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world
and now I leave the world to go to the Father.’
The Father Himself Loves You
Jesus revealed God as a Father who cares for us beyond anything we can ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20). If we could understand how the Father loves us and wants to share himself with us, then we would have no fears. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God and believe also in me” (John 14:1). The Father wants to bless us in every way even before we ask. We should concentrate on being worthy daughters and sons. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we unite ourselves with him. We have the same mind and intentions that he has and so we pray according to the heart of God. God wants to bless us with all the blessings of the heavenly places (Eph 1:3). When we pray in union with Jesus, can he refuse anything? Do you pray: Lord, do your will, or, Lord please do mine?
No comments:
Post a Comment