Good day friends, it's a brand new week!
We thank the good Lord for sparing our lives to witness the beginning of yet another week. May His name be praised and adored forever, Amen.
So many lessons are embedded in today's scripture readings, but the one that is more emphatic is the declaration that we are God's "chosen" (Jn 15:16)
In today's gospel reading from John, Jesus Christ explained His relationship with the Father in an emotional fashion. He knows how wonderful it is to be chosen by God. And so, He enlightened them (His disciples) about this perfect love of God and urged them to do all they can to remain in His love.
JN 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."
We all know how hostile and harsh we can be to our subjects. We know how we treat our workers, not to talk of those orphans who look up to us to feed and survive. It certainly will be so much ridiculous to claim to love and treat them (our subjects) as our own. What do we tell our social friends if they see us eat with our subjects on the same table? We indeed have every reasons to be "gods" to those we believe can not survive without us.
The disciples were fortunate to have a great master in Jesus who calls and treat them as "friends". What else can one ask for but a great master who understands our plights and treats us well? Men of this world would find it unthinkable to reveal the secrets of their family to outsiders. Jesus in His case prided Himself in exposing how to share His father's kingdom with those he knew for barely three years. But as God, His " thoughts are not our thoughts".
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations...”Jeremiah 1:5
The disciples themselves found it difficult to unravel their master's love for them. He however went on to wrap up His teachings by reminding them that they have been chosen. All the kind gestures towards the disciples now makes sense: they have been chosen by God for a specific task.
The teachings on choice, selection, election or nomination was further displayed by the Apostles after the death of Jesus. It was about time they move on with the affairs of upholding and spreading the good news, but the seat of Judas was still vacant and needed to be occupied:
ACTS 1:15-17, 20-26
Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.
Unlike the elections we do exercise today in our world, Peter and the other disciples showed to the whole world what a true, free, fair election and choice of candidate is all about.
After highlighting the importance of filling up the space, Peter ensured to nominate two candidates who's credentials best fits the office.
The greatest example however was their decision to take it to God through prayers.
The disciples all gathered and prayed to God to assist them in their choice for the right person to occupy the vacant sit Judas left. Then they casted ballot and Mathias won the election.
Friends, we all know that life is all about choices. We are however called to reflect on the choices we make and the place of God in the process. Often times we do fail to get the results we wanted because we fail to plan and pray well about our choices.
Our world is crumbling today because we seldom call on God to assist in our choice of good leaders. Same applies to our choices of career, partners and business.
Just as the disciples, we must highlight our purpose for making our choices and pray to God to make the right choice. We must also understand that our love for God is itself not by choice as enforced in the gospel of Jn 15:16.
God has chosen us to be His own ministers. He has loved and cared for us right from our mother's womb. We unquestionably need to put Him first in all we do. He is indeed our refuge and strong hold.
He calls us this week to commit all our plans to Him in prayers. We are to hope and trust in Him for He calls us friends and not slaves.
Let us go all out to this world this new week, shining and happy with joy and faith that our friend Jesus is working on our future. With our faith in Him, we shall never be disappointed.
May God help us to always put Him first in all our plans, so that greater things would be assured for us, to the glory of God and the satisfaction of our fellow men. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Thanks for reading!
