Read Hebrews 10:1-10, Ps. 40:2,4,7-8,10,11, Mark 3:31-35
“Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34-35)
Someone sent me a music video recently titled: Family. It was a song by Dolly Patton. It was quite inspirational. Your family members are people in your life that you did not select and yet you can’t say ‘no’ to them. They are a mirror of the worst and best in you. They will always put you to the test and you will for their sake do your best.
No matter what they do, you will always find a way to forgive them because you have no choice and then, you never stop trusting them. When it's family, you will tolerate what you’d kill others for, you find yourself even justifying their mistakes, defending their errors, and finding solutions rather than throwing stones.
Family is blood. When it comes down to nothing for us, the family still remains all we’ve got. You may choose your lovers; you pick your friends but not the family you are in. Yes, friends walk away from your life, and even your closest allies fail you but the family remains to the very end. Even when others betray and deny you, somehow you feel at peace because you know your family got your back.
Now imagine what it feels like knowing that Jesus Christ is one of your own family. However, this is not something for mere imagination, it is just reality. Jesus is family. But you may ask how come I don’t feel it? How come, Jesus, seems so far away from me?
The answer is simple: Being a member of this family depends on how much we do the will of God. When we decide to start keeping God’s commandments diligently, only then would we begin to feel Jesus in our hearts. Sin is what makes Jesus seem far away.
Even the book of Hebrews this morning speaks of how Jesus came to do the will of God in order to abolish the old and bring about the new order of things. God does not desire sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams and bulls, all wants from us is a heart that is ready at all times to obey, a heart that wants to do God’s will.
This reading reminds me of Saul. God told him to destroy the Amalekites completely but he decided to take the best things as loot and even spared the king. When Samuel met him, Saul tried to justify himself saying he took the loot to offer them as sacrifice to God. Samuel said to him:
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
In essence, that was the end of Saul. Dear friends, Obedience is better than sacrifice. Doing God’s will should be our number one guiding principle in life.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, give us the grace to always do your will. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor. Bible Study: Hebrews 10:1-10, Ps. 40:2,4,7-8,10,11, Mark 3:31-35).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus Abu