DAILY HOMILIES #faith

Jairus believed that Jesus had the power to raise the dead to life, just as the woman suffering from the issue of blood believed that touching the fringe of Jesus’ garment could heal her. Do you believe there is a limit to what God can (or is willing) to do for you? Do you still think there are problems that prayer cannot solve? If God is our husband and we are his spouse, there is no limit to what He is willing to do to protect and provide for us.

What made the people hostile to Jesus? Was it that they did not recognise His superior wisdom? No. Their hostility was a result of their familiarity with Jesus. They took offence at Jesus because they knew him simply as the carpenter’s son; they did not recognise His Divinity. Unlike Jairus, who fell on his feet in worship before Jesus (while asking for his daughter’s healing), these people considered Jesus an impostor.

Inspired by their faith, some persons brought a paralysed man to Jesus. Matthew reports that Jesus ‘saw’ their faith. This means faith in God is visible in our actions before or after praying. A certain village experienced drought for some years. The elders met and decided the entire village would gather in the market square on a certain day to pray for rain. As they were about to begin the prayer, they noticed that only one little girl came with an umbrella. They had all come to pray for rain, but only this girl was expecting rain.

Like Thomas, there are moments when we feel like asking God to prove Himself, to show us something, to answer our prayers in a particular way, or to work some dramatic miracle to make us believe again in His power. In such moments, we must listen again to Jesus’ statement to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). God doesn’t need to prove Himself repeatedly to gain our trust or make us believe in him.

Like Thomas, there are moments when we feel like asking God to prove Himself, to show us something, to answer our prayers in a particular way, or to work some dramatic miracle to make us believe again in His power. In such moments, we must listen again to Jesus’ statement to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). God doesn’t need to prove Himself repeatedly to gain our trust or make us believe in him.

Jesus, who could see from a distance what the disciples were facing at sea and walked towards them (Cf. Matthew 14:23-26), was fully aware of the storm even though he appeared to be sleeping. When it seems as if God is sleeping, that is precisely when we need to trust Him more because, at such moments, we are just being tested.

The psalmist sings: “Let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not.” The question is – why did they forget God in the first place? Why did they worship false gods? Like the Israelites, we are fond of asking, “Where is God?” in crisis, but while enjoying peace and success, we say: “Who is God?”

History is filled with examples of people who boasted of their strength and the power of their inventions, only to regret it later. The fact that you have been successful in the past does not give you the right to challenge God. You may not believe in the power of prayers or the possibility of divine intervention but do not insult those who still believe in God.

God allows calamity in our lives because we grow spiritually through trials (difficult moments). As someone once said: “I asked for strength, and God gave me difficulties to strengthen me. I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve. I asked for courage, and God gave me dangers to overcome. I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help.”

Jesus tells us that a man scatters the seed on the ground and goes to sleep only to see the seed growing. How this happens, he does not know. In other words, it is not for us to know how the Word works; all we have to do is scatter the seed and let God do the rest.

The sad reality is that just as the Jews did not believe (even Jesus’ disciples doubted), many Christians today still cannot pick a side as to what they believe - whether the devil or God. Some of us still fear the devil more than God. We must ask ourselves: Which kingdom do I belong to? If I say I belong to God, do I live by the principles of God’s kingdom?

We must be of good cheer because we are fighting a won battle; no matter what the world does to us, it cannot undo Christ’s victory on the Cross of Calvary. We must be cheerful because our tribulations are temporary; life happens in seasons and stages. We must be of good cheer because joy is a sign of victory; our enemies are confused when they see us happy despite their plans. We must be of good cheer because joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.