|
2nd Sunday before Lent
19thth.February
2006
email: fvamw@tm.net.my
Dear Friends
Greetings in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
an expert of the Law asked Jesus.
All of us without exception desire to live as
long as possible or for ever. Death was not in God’s plan. He
created us in his image to worship him and have fellowship with him
for ever. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat the
fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil; death came into
the experience of human existence. Human beings ever since that day
have desired eternal life.
When the expert of the Law
asked Jesus the above question, Jesus asked him, "What is written in
the Law? How do
you read it? The
expert answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all mind and
"Love your neighbor as yourself. To this Jesus said, "You have
answered correctly, "Do this and you will live"
We read in the bible the expert’s response to this direction of
Jesus, that he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus "And who
is my neighbor?" Then Jesus tells him the Parable of the Good
Samaritan, which is well known to us. We can read it in Luke
10:28-37
When Jesus asked the
expert, who was the neighbor to the man, who fell into the hands of
the robbers. The expert says, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus then tells the expert, "Go and do likewise".
When we reflect on what the Samaritan has done,
we see that when he saw the man in need he had pity on him and did
what was needful. Human life is a life of relationships and
interaction with others. As a Christian, we are aware that God is in
control and in His love, grace and mercy meets our needs and has
called us to meet the needs of others according to the abilities He
has given us.
Jesus says in Matt.25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on the right,
‘Come, you who
are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when
did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in
or needing clothes and cloth you? When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to visit you?
The King will reply, I will
you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did for me."
Read the words of Jesus a few times to be clear
of what Jesus is saying to us. Then reflect on these words in the
light of your experience. The following questions may be of help to
you.
1. What is my first response when I see some one
in need?
2. What motivates me to
act?
3. Am I working with God or
am I alone.
(This is sent out by email once a week. If you
have just come across this for the first time, and would like to
receive it, please send email. Your comments and views on this are
most welcome. If this sharing could be of help to a friend of yours,
you are welcome to pass it on.)
With regards,
Fred.
|