1 Cor. 7:25-31, Ps. 45:11-12,14-17, Luke 6:20-26
“Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!” (Luke 6:22)
Whether we like to admit it or not, to be a Christian is to carry a cross. It is following Jesus along a narrow path, living in the world, yet, not being of the world. One of the ways to know the genuineness of your Christian commitment is the level of hatred you suffer from unbelievers. As the saying goes, “if the devil is not fighting you, it is probably because you are not a threat to him.”
Jesus wants us to consider it a blessing when we suffer hatred or are ridiculed just for the sake of our faith. Do not become discouraged when the going becomes tough. Just get going. Never forget that your reward is in heaven. Like a farmer who waits patiently till the day of harvest, do not give up on your goodness before the day of harvest.
Jesus added: “Woe to you that are rich… woe to you that are full now… woe to you when all men speak well of you.” When we look carefully at these three statements, we discover that Jesus punctures the three pillars of the Gospel of prosperity; riches, pleasure, and power. These are the very things the world aspires for and Jesus is asking us to turn the other way; to direct our gaze to higher values; such as love for our neighbors, longing for heaven, contentment, holiness, truthfulness, forgiveness, etc.
Jesus is not saying riches are sinful, rather, he wants us to consider riches as the lowest of all our priorities. This is the point St. Paul seeks to drive home when he said: “let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).
Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, deepen my love for heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of week 23 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Cor. 7:25-31, Ps. 45:11-12,14-17, Luke 6:20-26).
© Rev. Fr. Evaristus Abu