DAILY HOMILIES #truth

Courage is not merely the absence of fear; it is the knowledge that God is alive and He is with you always. Jesus knew that achieving salvation for mankind was not going to happen on a platter of gold, hence He said: “The Son of man MUST SUFFER many things, and be REJECTED by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be KILLED, and on the third day be RAISED.” (Luke 9:23).

Be a good person; forget about trying to please human beings (avoid hypocrisy). Just as God fought for Joseph and many others like him, God will fight for you. Those who try to kill you by giving you a bad name will start speaking in your favour.

So long as the Jews failed to recognise Jesus as God in human flesh, Jesus seemed to them as a law-breaker. To this day, the world continues to grapple with this truth. Did God really take our human flesh? How could Jesus be fully human and fully God at the same time? Surprisingly, even amongst Christians today, many seem more comfortable addressing Jesus as the Son of God but not as God Himself.

The simple truth is that even though many of us are frequent at Holy Communion, we have no real connection with God. At the gate of heaven, God will deny knowing us because we refused to take our hands off evil. We tried eating our cake and having it; we thought we could serve two masters. We pretended to be good externally, but we soaked ourselves in sin in secret. On the last day, it is those things we did secretly that will count.

During the marriage feast, the King discovered there was one who came into the feast without a wedding garment. Not only was this man bound hand and foot, but he was also cast into the outer darkness, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Just as no one forced Jephthah to make a vow, no one forced this man into the marriage feast. He came on his own. He was supposed to do just one thing: put on a wedding garment like all the others who were invited freely. But in the end, he got what he deserved.

No one is an island. Even God is a community of three persons. Always consult with others before making any decisions. As a Christian community, we can only remain united when we regularly communicate with one another and discuss our plans. Staying away from zonal meetings or societal gatherings out of malice is detrimental to our progress as a people.

We live in a world where it is difficult to find honest people. Never trust anyone who tells lies; they don’t know God. Are you in the habit of telling lies? It is time to ask the Holy Spirit’s help. If someone knows the truth and decides to twist it, that person can efficiently work for the devil. You may have heard the saying: “Say the truth and shame the devil.” Lies glorify the devil because it is his nature to deceive and destroy.

Do you believe you can do greater things than what Jesus did on earth? Do you trust God will do whatever you ask in Jesus’ Name? Praying without faith is like running on the spot; you exert much energy but no movement. Let us strengthen our belief in the power of prayer, for it is through faith that we truly connect with God.

Be careful with those you argue with. Like these men who disputed with Stephen, some people may use arguments as a mask to unleash their demonic agenda. Don’t try to win every argument. Some people want to be heard. Listen to them. Do not make enemies over matters of doctrine. Otherwise, the only person who gains is the devil.

After listening to Peter, the crowd asked: “What are we to do?” This crowd remains a model of how we listen to God’s Words. They did not ask Peter about his degrees or qualifications. They were not concerned about where he came from or his profession. Although most of them were Jews who had come from different parts of the world to celebrate Pentecost, they did not ask Peter to work signs. Do not be distracted by the messenger when listening to God’s Word. Instead, allow the message to work in you by asking important questions such as: “What must I do? What needs to change in my life? What can I improve?”

When the truth hits us hard, we immediately resist it because it opposes what we are used to; it challenges our pride and sense of security. Like the audience in today’s Gospel passage, we may assume we are being insulted if we don’t reflect on it. Avoid praise singers; they are like that rat that blows air on its victim before feasting on its flesh.

Jonah did not work miracles. Like the crowd in our Gospel passage, many Christians today have reduced their worship of God to a quest for miracles. Jesus referred to such persons as an “evil generation.” Those looking for miracles are only interested in “using” God. Should they get the miracles they seek, it never translates to repentance.