(Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 66 and John 6:44-51
“He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’” (Acts 8:27-29)
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44). That means it is God who draws us to Himself. In the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, we see this play out perfectly; God had already prepared the heart of the Ethiopian Eunuch to receive the Good News. God also drew Philip to his chariot to explain more details and offer him the sacrament of baptism.
It wasn’t just by coincidence that Philip met the Ethiopian Eunuch. There was a divine hand at work. It is not by coincidence that you are Christian today, neither is it by coincidence that you are reading this right now. God is the Master planner who never stops drawing us to himself in our day to day activities.
All we have to do is to say “Yes” to God like the Ethiopian Eunuch who gladly accepted Philip into his chariot. In fact, his “Yes” to God began with his decision to read the Bible that day. The Ethiopian Eunuch was ready for God and God actually showed up. Truly, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
The question is: “Am I really ready for God?” In other words, am I ready to get closer to God more than ever before? Am I willing to break free from my addictions and old ways? Like the Ethiopian Eunuch, have I decided from this day to start flipping through the pages of the Bible? Do I even have a Bible plan? And when I read, do I ask God for understanding? Dear friends, if we are ready for God, God will immediately be ready us. All we have to do is to open the door because he is standing at the door of our hearts knocking. (Revelations 3:20)
Finally, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus drops a bombshell by reveal to the crowd in clear terms that He himself is the bread that comes down from heaven; that for us to have life, we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus did not say: “it is like my flesh” nor “symbolic of my flesh.” No, Jesus meant in unequivocal terms that he was going to give us His very flesh to eat and His blood to drink.
Furthermore, Jesus adds that anyone who eats his flesh will never die. “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:50-51). Do you believe that by eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking His blood, you will live forever? Do you still believe that it is Jesus’ flesh and blood you receive in Holy Communion?
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I am ready; come fill my heart and draw me closer to you. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.