GOOD FRIDAY

4 Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying, while we thought of him as someone being punished and struck with affliction by God;

5 whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises.

6 We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him.

7 Ill-treated and afflicted, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep dumb before its shearers he never opened his mouth.

ISAIAH 52: 4-7

'Life's not fair' is one of those general phrases we use constantly. Sometimes life is so painful that we look up to heaven and cry 'WHERE ARE YOU????' I went through a rough patch some years ago: my friends dumped me, my boyfriend and I broke up, I had health problems, I had to drop out of college due to money problems, all of it a midst a very complicated migratory status. And I was very angry with God for letting all that happen to me. I felt like He didn't care, like He had abandoned me. My heart filled with bitterness, sadness, and anger.

So yes, I get it, life isn't fair. 

Where was God in all those dark lonely nights of despair?
Where was God when you were in physical pain?
Where was God when your life was falling apart?

He was on the cross. 

He was on the cross without having to, without deserving to be there. He was watching you suffer from the cross and crying with you and hurting with you. He was pouring out His blood for you. Water and blood came out of His side to heal you and wash you clean. By His wounds we were healed. 

Bring all your sufferings, your worries, your loneliness to the foot of the Cross. Let the Lord of Sorrows take them up to be crucified with Him. 

Behold, behold the wood of the cross  

On which is hung our salvation.  

 O come, let us adore.

HOLY THURSDAY

'You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.'

JOHN 13:13-15


Here's the thing about Jesus: you might feel like He's constantly asking for too much of his followers (us), right? But everything He asks for He follows by His own example. Look here--the King of Kings, God incarnate, washing some guys' dirty feet! Remember back then they wore sandals everywhere and they had no pavement, so imagine the state of those feet. And He washed them, physically lowering Himself in an act of humility.

And He tells us 'if you love me, you would do as I do! If I am your teacher, then learn from me!'

How many times do we lower ourselves to do such a task? And I'm speaking symbolically here--not necessarily washing another person's feet (unless required) but lowering ourselves to the state of a servant who washes feet. St. Francis of Assisi, for example, used to treat lepers' wounds and hug and kiss them--rotting flesh and all!

Yes, that makes me shudder as well (in a bad way) because we're just not used to going out of our ways to such an extreme for people. But Jesus did it for love. And St. Francis did it for love (he asked Jesus to show Himself in the lepers' faces). What is your love sacrifice?

You can start small, at home, with your friends. But don't limit yourself to those you love--after all, didn't Jesus say that there people who do bad things also just love their loved ones?

I know this is very hard! We have this tendency to wanting to receive when we give and to want to feel all dignified, but humbling yourself at the service of others does not make you less of a person!

I once served in a youth conference where my job was solely to set up chairs and take out the trash. And it was a beautifully enriching experience to know that you are doing your part in God's mission!

And speaking of practice what you preach: what other proof do you need from Jesus? He humbled himself by dying the most horrible death even though He was innocent. But He also humbled himself to become a piece of bread and little bit of wine. In all his power and majesty  He could have just said "no, these people are not worthy of my inhabiting in them". Instead, He said "this is my body, this is my blood, eat me, drink me, so that I may dwell in you!"

The mystery of it all! That the God of all the universe can be chewed on and gulped in by us!!! Not even the angels have that privilege!

Today, meditate on the gift of the Eucharist and ask the Lord to transform you through His body and blood so that you can be that servant He needs you to be. And thank Him for the sacrifice you didn't deserve, and for His love. And you know what? Make sure you don't leave the church without telling Him how much you love Him.

HOLY WEEK--WEDNESDAY

'Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple's tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple.

Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not turned away.'

ISAIAH 50: 4-5

A disciple's tongue to comfort the weary. An ear that listens to God's voice. No resistance. This is what we are supposed to do! Be the disciplines God needs us to be! But it goes further than that:

'I have offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I have not turned my face away from insult and spitting. Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me, this is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame.'

ISAIAH 50:7-8

We have to be willing to go as far as Jesus went. Our discipleship must mirror the ministry of Jesus but also his Passion. Our 'yes' to God has to be absolute, and when things get rough, we have to remember that the Lord comes to our help!! 

Because if we die with Him, we shall rise with Him! This Lent, we have learned about the Lord's love and sacrifice for us and hopefully we have accepted Him in our hearts if we hadn't done so before. The next step in our discipleship is to open our ears to what God wants to do with our lives and to follow through with that mission--all the way, regardless of the consequences. What does the Lord want from you? Open your ear to His voice.

HOLY WEEK--TUESDAY

Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.'

 Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.'

'Lay down your life for me?' answered Jesus. 'In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.'

JOHN 13: 36-38

Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal. You would think this is a soap opera. Today's Gospel reading features Jesus and a bunch of traitors--a.k.a. his disciples.

Yes, I am being really harsh. But you know what, these men knew Jesus, they lived with him, ate with him, witnessed all the marvels and miracles he did. And at the end of the day, they all turned their backs on Him.

and Peter, PETER!! The rock, the one upon whom the Church would be built-- He's all talk, telling Jesus that he's willing to die for Him. But Jesus knows what will happen: Peter, the coward, will deny Him three times.

Well, let me tell you... I am Peter. I am a traitor, a coward. I have a personal relationship with Christ yet constantly find myself denying Him through my actions (and sometimes even by my words). I tell Jesus that I love Him and that I surrender my life to Him but when the time comes, I chicken out. And so do you. If the apostles, who were to become the representatives of Christ on earth, were weak enough to leave him and flee when the time of hardness came, imagine how much at a disadvantage we are!!

We make such a big deal about Judas being such a traitor and we just hate on the guy all the time. Of course we have reason to be mad at him--but what is the difference between Judas and Peter, after all? Moreover.... what is the difference between Judas and I? At first, nothing really. BUT--

What Peter did that Judas didn't was to believe that the Jesus he had betrayed was the God of love and mercy and could forgive him if he repented from the heart. Judas, meanwhile, doubted that he could be forgiven, thus rejecting God's grace and separating himself eternally from God. 

Peter, the coward, the traitor, the broken man who had sworn and cursed when confronted about being a follower of Jesus, wept bitterly in contrition. And you know what? Ultimately, Peter (and the rest of the disciples) left all his fear and his doubts behind and surrendered himself to God to the point of losing his life for the Gospel.

So are you a Peter? Or a Judas?

Lord, I know I am like Peter: fearful, doubting, stubborn, and flawed. But You still love me and forgive me. I am so sorry for constantly denying you and for constantly crucifying you with my inequity. Wash me with Your most precious blood. Give me the grace and strength to offer my life up to you fully. Please put my weak heart inside your Sacred Heart. 

You're Peter, so? He can work with that. May you hear His voice in the silence of your heart, may you be forgiven, healed, and strengthened in Him.

HOLY WEEK--MONDAY

'Yahweh is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? Yahweh is the fortress of my life, whom should I dread?

 When the wicked advance against me to eat me up, they, my opponents, my enemies, are the ones who stumble and fall.

Though an army pitch camp against me, my heart will not fear, though war break out against me, my trust will never be shaken.'

PSALM 27: 1-3

Do you at times feel crippled by fear and uncertainty? Do you feel like you are staring in the darkness and the void of tomorrow? Do you feel weak, tired, helpless about certain situations in your life? Yes, me too! But read this psalm aloud: tell yourself that the Lord is your rock, your fortress, your stronghold. Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed by school, or work, or family problems, all there is left in me to say is: Jesus, I trust in You. Repeatedly. And you might feel like 'well, why would I say that if at that moment I don't feel it?!?!?!' Well, that small phrase is an act of surrender to the Lord--you are telling him that you trust in his promise and his plan for you and that it is He (and not yourself) who will get you through this difficult time. And, perhaps more importantly, you are reassuring yourself that there is a God who you trust and who you can rely on! You might be doubtful when you first say this, but, trust me, after repeating it to yourself several times, you will start believing it! The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and grant you peace in the midst of chaos.

Fear is a very human reaction. But we must not be crippled by it! Don't let the devil get a hold of you through fear. Ask Jesus to put your heart inside his heart and shelter it, to grant you strength, or patience, or joy, or whatever it is you need to get through the trial. He will not leave your side. In those difficult moments, Jesus is present and willing to help!  Cry out to Jesus!

DAY 40--PALM SUNDAY

'But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. And for this God raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names; so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'

PHILIPPIANS 2:7-11

It is the fortieth day of our countdown--but guess what? Lent ain't over yet! The best is yet to come! 

Today is Palm Sunday, also known as the mass with the longest Gospel reading ever. But in all seriousness, today we had the pleasure of living through Jesus' triumphant entrance to Jerusalem, being hailed as a king, only to be murdered a few days later in the most horrifying way, alone and forsaken by His followers. It is absolutely heart-wrenching, especially if you consider that the Christ is, throughout His passion, paying off for those sins we've committed. I sit there and think... 'Lord, when you were being spitted on, it was to pay off for my arrogance, and when you were being scourged it was because of all the times I've heard others with my words...' If we take a moment and analyse the passion we can see the punishment for our own personal sins being taken on by Jesus.

Since we will have another opportunity to meditate on the passion on Good Friday, I would like to concentrate instead on today's second reading (see above). Let's see if you can grasp the reality that God the Son, Jesus, chose to leave his comfortable spot to the right of the Father to become a human and therefore a slave to his own humanity (minus sin). This means that everything Jesus experienced in His passion hurt Him as much as it would have hurt us regular human beings. He LOWERED Himself not only to be human but to die on a cross (which, as we've said before, was the most humiliating and excruciating method of torture of the time). He didn't have to do it. Did He do it because we deserve it? Heck no. Now way. He did it because---drum-roll---He. Loves. Us. That. Much.

'God raised Him on high'---yes He did... high up in that cross. It is in that cross that Jesus wins the victory for us, so that's why at the name of JESUS every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld (because even demons must bow down to Jesus) and declare that HE IS LORD!!!!!!

Is Jesus lord of your life?

If He is not... then you're missing out on the greatest love story there is. May He always sit on the throne of our hearts.

Day 39--The Blood of the Covenant

'They will no longer defile themselves with their foul idols, their horrors and any of their crimes. I shall save them from the acts of infidelity which they have committed and shall cleanse them; they will be my people and I shall be their God.'

EZEKIEL 37:23

The history of salvation consists on God making covenants with His people and His people going around and screwing up, only to suffer the consequences of their wrongs and ultimately turn back to God, who then establishes a new covenant. It's the same old, same old throughout the whole of the Old Testament. But here, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, is promising a kingdom in which His people will be cleansed and well, his once again... but this time forever. 

God would establish these covenants with men like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, etc. But every time, His people would eventually turn away and break the alliance. So what did He do? Well, He became man. 

Jesus' blood is the new covenant, as we hear in mass everyday. His sacrifice is the covenant of covenants and we don't need another contract/agreement with God after this because His is the ultimate sacrifice. It is through the passion and resurrection that we may be God's people again, that we are purified, forgiven, brought back to life. 

Yet, isn't it confusing that, even after Jesus' sacrifice, we still sin, we still have idols (money, friends, fame, drugs) and we are still unfaithful to God? Yup, that's pretty messed up. But remember that God doesn't force us to anything. He might have died on the cross to redeem us, but sometimes we reject this redemption, this grace, by committing sins and putting other things before God. We still have our free-will, so the ultimate decision to be God's people is ours. God's invitation is there: 'Be mine, I love you, look what I've done so that we may be together'. How will you respond?

Our lives are a struggle to live up to the covenant--and we will fail every single day. But it's all about truly trying to be that holy people of God. Ask the Lord to give you a pure heart and to help you sin no more! We are all in this together, remember that. 

Day 38--Praise Him in the Storm!

'Sing to Yahweh, praise Yahweh, for he has delivered the soul of one in need from the clutches of evil doers.'

JEREMIAH 20:13

The world won't like it when you follow the Lord, when you refuse to do things that everyone else seems to be doing. But take courage! You have your own personal superhero: God himself. When people want to harm you, when you are persecuted because of the Gospel, remember that the Lord won't give you more than you can take--and yes, He will allow these things to happen--such is life--but hang on to Him with all your strength and He will get you through. He will deliver you in His own time. DO NOT LET GO. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier and more convenient to just forget about God and live a 'normal' life in the world. In fact, there are 'Christians' out there that will tell you God wants you to have everything you ever wanted--money, prestige, fame--and that if you don't have it then you must be doing something wrong or your relationship with Christ is not real. Well, newsflash: that's not what Jesus said. Jesus said to us 'if you want to follow me, you must take up your cross!' Now, who wants to do that when the world is so much more luring and comfortable (at first glance)? Who wants to take on unnecessary suffering just to be in the way with Christ? 

Well, no one does it out of sheer pleasure. Do you really think Jesus thought 'YAAAAAAAY, CRUCIFIXION!!!'? He went through with it out of love for us, not because it seemed fun or awesome to do it. And the thing is, once you have a profound experience of the love of Christ and initiate a relationship with Him, you can't help but to love Him and you can't see a life without Him. So you will take up your cross and follow. It might not be the path to riches and fame, but it will be the path that will satisfy the deepest desires of your soul. Besides, life will have challenges anyway, so why not go through it with the hope that at the end of it you get to be welcomed into heaven by your lover, your best friend, Jesus.

So, if you are in a very difficult situation at the moment, trust that He will get you through, sing and exalt His name for He is good.

Day 37-- THE GREAT I AM!

'Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I AM.'

JOHN 8:58

If you have ever heard a 'Christian' say that Jesus was the son of God but was not actually God, this is the Bible verse you should have thrown at their face (figuratively). 

This blog is usually a space to talk about the love of God and turning to Jesus and all that, but today I want to address this issue because I've encounter endless numbers of people who claim to believe in Jesus but don't believe in his divinity. Look, in this passage, Jesus tells the Jews, firstly, that before Abraham ever existed, He was already around. Secondly, Jesus calls himself 'I AM', which is the name of God himself as revealed to Moses in the burning bush-- YAHWEH,  the holy name of God, which translates into 'I AM'. So Jesus is telling the Jews He existed before Abraham because He himself is God--no room for discussion. And if you think Jesus was just using symbolism, take a look at the Jews' reaction: they almost stone Him because to them this was a great blasphemy.

So if you ever had a question about the divinity of Jesus, please do yourself a favor and study Scripture. It's all in there. 100% God. 100% man. How? Just because God can do it. Is the offspring of a horse a horse? Yes. Is the son of a man a man? Duh. So what is the Son of God? Bingo. If he were just a simple human, why would we think that his sacrifice in the cross would have the power to redeem the whole world? So when Jesus says I AM, imagine the split reaction: some people tore their garments in indignation, but others must have been like: 

May we be like the latter!! May the name of Jesus  make our hearts tremble!!

'that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth' (Phil 2:10).

Day 36--The truth will set you free!!

'To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free'.

JOHN 8:31-32

The truth will set you free, Jesus says. But what is 'the truth'? Well, Jesus himself! He is the truth, the way, and the life. And we believe in Him, if we make His word our home, we will be free. Because freedom is not about being able to do whatever we want whenever we want. True freedom is about being unchained from sin and dwelling in the love of God, who is all goodness and who want to give us life in abundance! 

The world will tell you that freedom is living life on your own terms. But what the world fails to tell you is that this so-called freedom will fail to satisfy you. Because we were created by God and we will not rest until we rest in Him. Jesus is our true freedom simply because he lifts up the burden of our sins and takes it upon Him and to the cross. He loves us unconditionally. But He doesn't force anyone to follow Him. He waits patiently for us--and boy, some of us take a very long time! Some of us go our lives looking for something to fill up that hole in our hearts and souls, and we use all kinds of things to fulfill that need--other people, careers, money, drugs, alcohol, food, etc. But seriously, that is a hole designated to be filled exclusively by God, so nothing else will work. 

If you are seeking with all your heart to fill that void, don't despair. Those who seek with an open heart and who truly desire to find the truth will find Him. Ask God to help you find Him, ask Him to show himself to you! He won't relent until He has you. 

Day 35--the Bronze Serpent

'Moses then made a serpent out of bronze and raised it as a standard, and anyone who was bitten by a serpent and looked at the bronze serpent survived.'

NUMBERS 21:9

Yes, this one is pretty odd. So the Jews were walking around the desert for a very long time after Moses got them out of Egypt, and they became impatient and began speaking against God, so God sent snakes to them and many died. So the Jews tell God 'oh no, we're really sorry, please stop this!' and what does God do? He commissions Moses to make a bronze serpent, just like the ones that were biting the people, and lift it up on a pole, and those who looked at it were healed.

Symbolism much? Just to give you an idea...

Does it look familiar? Ringing any bells? Anyone? Anyone?

LET ME GIVE YOU A HINT--

BOOM!

The bronze snake is lifted up so the people  could be healed of the attack of the snake. The Son of God, Jesus, is lifted up on a cross so that we can be healed of the attack of the snake--the devil, sin. And why is a snake the cure for snake bite? Well, it's not that the snake is the cure--it's that the snake up in the pole is rendered powerless. And our sins, nailed up in that cross, are rendered  powerless!! Jesus, the Lamb, the blameless victim, is covered in our sins--he rips them away from us and takes them up on his shoulders and up to be crucified with Him. 

This is why, in today's gospel, Jesus tells the Jews 'When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He' (John 8:28). When we look up at the crucified Christ, lifted up in humiliation, we see how great is His love! A symbol of death,  the most horrible method of torture and humiliation became to us the biggest demonstration of the most pure, beautiful, overwhelming love of God, stretching up His arms towards us, shedding every drop of His blood for us, who can never possibly deserve it. Breaking our chains, setting us free, healing our wounds, giving us the peace we so long for. That is the awful and awe-striking truth of the cross.

Day 34--Oh, Susanna, don't you cry for me!

42 She cried out as loud as she could, 'Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens;

43 you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now I must die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me!'

DANIEL 13: 42-43

What a power story we read today (and what a long first reading!!). Susanna had been accused of adultery by two nasty old men who were lusting after her and were resentful because she declined their advances. She chose death over offending God! What an example for us, huh? She clamors to the Lord for justice and she is heard: God, through the prophet Daniel, saves Susanna from execution and punishes the two men. Susanna's faith is truly inspiring!

Oh, don't we all wish we were righteous and faithful like Susanna? Yet it's so easy for us to sin!!!! We don't even need to be coerced into sin by two creepy men--we manage just fine on our own, huh? Sometimes it looks easier to do bad than good things. Heck, some of us might even be like the creepy old men--peer-pressuring and manipulating and doing all kinds of things to bring people to sin! And the worst part of it all is that these 'elders' were men of authority and good standing in society, so they abused their power to get their way. Haven't we met people like that before? Yeah!! 

But do not despair--if you read today's gospel, there's also another bunch of weird old dudes, but this time actually trying to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery. These men take the woman to Jesus and--in order to put him to the test--ask him 'hey, what should we do? Moses said we should stone adulterers, but what do you think?' Notice how these guys, all in apparent good moral standing, want to catch Jesus contradicting the Law. But Jesus can outsmart anyone any day of the week--even on Monday!

Jesus says 'well, that's all right. But let someone who is sinless take the first shot'. PWNED. Yeah, these men might be a bunch of self-righteous men, but they don't dare to make the affirmation that they are sinless... so they all leave the woman alone, with Jesus. 

10 Jesus again straightened up and said, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

11 'No one, sir,' she replied. 'Neither do I condemn you,' said Jesus. 'Go away, and from this moment sin no more.'

JOHN 8: 10-11

That's right, you got two bible quotes today--you lucky you. In all seriousness, though... look at that! Jesus tells the woman, who was guilty as charged, that He won't condemn her!! See, that's the beauty of our Lord-- whether you are Susanna or the adulteress, God hears your cry! That's why Jesus died on the cross, not because of who we are, but because He is God and He loves us!God's justice is for all!! He saves Susanna for her faith and righteousness, but He also saves the adulteress out of pure love, to give her a second chance. The only condition? 'Go and sin no more, change your ways, convert, turn to me!' God has love for both the good and the bad, but in order to abide in that love we--the bad--must recognize that we are sinners and be contrite of heart. 

And yes, there are people in positions of power--even within the Church--that sin horribly and lead others to sin. And yes, one of the biggest illnesses attacking our Church is self-righteousness and hypocrisy (like the men in both these stories). But God is also waiting for them to turn around and truly follow Him. And look, if they don't convert, don't you worry about them and don't make them your excuse to stay away from Jesus' church because, as we saw with those two creepers, God will take care of it--on His own time and terms, but He will.

Lord, thank you for your love and forgiveness! Praise and glory to You forever!

Day 33--Fist Pumping for Jesus!

24 Martha said, 'I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.'

25 Jesus said: I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live,

26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

27 'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.'

JOHN 11:24-27

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singing 'HE'SSSSSSS DA RESURREC--TIONNNN!' Guys, this is one of those times in scripture when Jesus is very blunt about his identity and I'm just like WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! Jesus is the resurrection, our source of eternal life!!!

And I love Martha in this. You see, there were hundreds of women following Jesus, and Martha is one of the few that gets named in the Bible, but for all the wrong reasons. The first time we encounter Martha, Jesus scolds her for worrying too much about other things (cleaning and cooking, etc) that have nothing to do with Him. But this time Martha makes up for it as she makes a huge declaration of faith--just like when Peter tells Jesus 'you are the Christ!'. 

I always identify myself with Martha--in fact, my friends started calling me "Martha, Martha" for a while because the Lord kept telling me to stop being so much like Martha and be more like Mary (her sister) and just rest in His presence. Yes, I've tried to be less Martha and more Mary, but I've also learned to embrace my marthaness, particularly because of this passage. Martha is strong and a doer and a go-getter, and she tells Jesus straight up 'look, I'm unhappy about this and I wish you would have done this, but I trust you because you are God!' We see Martha grow in faith.

So yeah, I am a Martha. I believe, Lord! And when my faith is assaulted by doubt, help my unbelief! We are all in a process of growing in our faith, but the Lord reaches out to us and meets us where we're at, no matter if we are like Mary or like Martha.

And to hear Jesus say 'I am the resurrection' is so comforting because we have the hope of an eternity with Him in heaven, because, by his sacrifice, we live! He saves us from our spiritual death, from our sin, our dirtiness, our darkness, our tomb and gives us life everlasting! Thank you Lord for being my resurrection. Because of You, I am alive again.

Day 32--Follow through!

44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one actually laid a hand on him.

45 The guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, 'Why haven't you brought him?'

46 The guards replied, 'No one has ever spoken like this man.'

JOHN 7:44-46

The pharisees had sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but when they heard Him speak, they just couldn't do it. They felt in their hearts that Jesus was truly a prophet--and could possibly be the messiah! However, they ultimately follow through with their orders when they apprehend Jesus and take Him to the chief priests. What on earth makes them change their minds? Is it their sense of duty? Is it the pressure exerted by the pharisees? Do they fear losing their jobs for becoming followers of Jesus?

We are not strangers to this type of thing. Those who follow Christ are persecuted today as they were almost 2000 years ago. I've seen people lose friends, become estranged from family members, pass on job opportunities, success, money, and fame all because of Jesus. Yes, of course it's hard, but Jesus himself rewards us for it! Don't be afraid to follow Him!! At the end of the day, if you leave Jesus to chase something else, you won't be as happy. That's the bottom line. If only these guards would have followed through. But who knows, maybe they did... maybe seeing that innocent holy man crucified changed their hearts. That's between them and God now. 

Choose Christ, first and foremost, once and for all. Seeking His Kingdom first and everything else shall be given to you! If a promotion, a relationship, or a friendship is going to put your relationship with the Lord in jeopardy, then that's indicative enough that you should drop everything and run, run to Jesus! Don't allow anything to come between you and God. Remember that you are His and everything you have is His. Keep your eyes on the cross.

Day 31---YOLO?

1 And this is the false argument they use, 'Our life is short and dreary, there is no remedy when our end comes, no one is known to have come back from Hades.

12 Let us lay traps for the upright man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our sins against the Law, and accuses us of sins against our upbringing.

WISDOM 2: 1,12

You never thought the Bible will talk about YOLO, did you? Well, look at that! The book of Wisdom still applies to us today! The men being talked about falsely reasoned that life is 'short and hard, so let's do whatever we want and then punish those who try to tell us we are wrong and who oppose our way of life!' You only live once. Yes, this is true. Except your soul is immortal... so it's more like... 

YOLFAYDIYWTEUIHOH: You only live forever and you decide if you want to end up in Heaven or Hell.

And if you think, 'oh well, I'm a good person, I wouldn't go to hell' well, let me tell you that hell is not only the place for thieves, murderers, and rapists, but for those who willfully reject God and His grace. Like, for example, when we say 'look God, I know this is what you ask me to do, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to do this instead' or when we have an encounter with God, He shows us His love and mercy, and we still choose our sinful life rather than to repent and be healed. 

In the words of Stephen Colbert: Yahweh or No way! Heaven will always be unattainable if it weren't for Christ's sacrifice on the cross--so it's not like only those who are absolutely perfect go there. But, like we've said before, you gotta want it, you gotta strive for it, you gotta attempt to earn it.

And look, here the book of Wisdom is telling us that those who follow the way of the Lord can expect much persecution because people are just not going to like to be reminded of what they are supposed to do. Yeah, you might lose friends over it, even family members might stop talking to you or treat you badly.   And it's going to be hard. And sometimes people will lay traps for you and will try to make you fall so they can say 'see, not so holy after all, huh?' But always keep in mind that Jesus had to go through the same thing: they tested him and couldn't make him fall, so they ended up arresting him, torturing him, and killing him. 

So when it gets rough, just remember: God is on your side! Don't be afraid! Keep your eyes on the Lord! When you are being persecuted, then remind yourself that you must be on the right track. Yours is the kingdom of Heaven! Don't believe me? Then believe Jesus, because he literally said the exact same thing:

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10).