LENT SERIES DAY 29: WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT (The Easter Duty) (https://youtu.be/XETMMRIQNXI)
Perfectly United with His Father
Brethren, as we move towards Holy Week and Easter, the readings continue to reveal gradually who Jesus is gradually and more importantly why he was killed. In the eyes of Jews, Jesus was a law breaker: eating with and welcoming sinners, performing miracles on Sabbath day as we saw yesterday healing a sick man at the sheep pool of Bethesda. This was the first accusation laid on him. Today, the gospel gives us the second accusation: calling himself God by claiming authority which only belongs to God, calling himself Son of God and God his Father, and made himself equal to God.
For us dear brethren, it is easy to believe everything about Christ because we have come to the full faith in Jesus, but just imagine how mind blowing it was for the Jews and the scholars of his time. Imagine a friend of yours within your age range who grew up with you in the same neighbourhood all of sudden shows up in the Cathedral one morning and starts claiming to be God. What would be your reaction?
However, was this the only reason the Jews didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah? No, because Jesus not only made such claims, but he also showed God's power to heal and restore people to wholeness of life. He also showed the mercy of God by releasing people from their burden of sin and guilt. He even claimed to have the power to raise the dead to life as he raised Lazarus from the dead and to execute judgement on all the living and dead. His miracles were extraordinary showing the arrival of the Kingdom. But then why didn't they believe him as a Messiah? It's because Jesus didn't meet their expectations of the political Messiah and in addition to these divine claims, they decided to kill Jesus. They failed to recognize that this was God's answer to the long-awaited prayers of his people as we see in Isaiah's prophecy in the first reading: "In a time of favour I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you" (Isaiah 49:8) because "Yet even if these forget (women forgot their children), I (God) will never forget you” (Is 49:15).
In response to today's accusation of Jesus calling himself God and Son of God, Jesus explains his relationship and union between him and his Father God. John writes this in high theological explanations, but this relationship is very fundamental to our Christian faith. Briefly, the relationship that exists between them is the Father-Son relationship which includes: perfectly working together and doing the same thing, perfect love because the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does, perfect communication for the Son does what the Father does, perfect obedience for the Son works according to God's will (salvation of everyone), perfect trust for the Father entrust everything, even as a supreme judge to the Son, perfect knowledge and harmony for all know all things equally, perfectly believing what they know, and all are a source of life. What a perfect relationship. Like Father like Son, the Father is God, and the Son is God, though with different roles.
Far from focusing on this relationship as one of the reasons for killing Jesus, we should focus on how this relationship should enhance our own individual relationship with God (the Trinity) and as well as with our neighbours. Firstly, to be in a good relationship with God we need seek the mind of God, know Him, know his will for us and discern his presence and what God reveals to us in our daily experiences, so that making these our knowledge, we may respond in perfect love, humility and obedience to the Father-Child relationship between us and God as Jesus did. We are called to submit our lives to God with the same love, trust, and obedience which Jesus demonstrated for his Father. If we need to know God, do his will and love him more, then we have to follow what Jesus teaches and what he tells us to do for everything he does and says is the Father’s will.
Reflect, today, upon the unity you are called to live with the Father and the Son. It is this unity that brings fulfilment to your life. It’s what you were made for. Seeking, believing and embracing anything else is simply living by a lie. Seek the mind and will of God in all things and your whole being will be drawn into greater unity with God.
Let us Pray.
Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing me to reflect on the love that you have with the Father. You have shared with me the confidence and filial trust you share with the Father. Guide me deeper into this relationship, as only you can do. Share with me the intimacy that you have with our Father. May this intimacy be for me a model for my relationships. Amen
Be blessed.
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