Grab the opportunity

Everything started in the grace of God.

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. 47 On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” 50 He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51 Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” 52 Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.-Mark10:46-52

It all began with the grace of God. Without grace, Bartimaeus would not have asked for Jesus' mercy. Bartimaeus knew and felt that 'this is it,' the moment that he was waiting for, this is the day that God's mercy is upon him. And he knew it because of God's grace. The grace of God not only made him realize that that day is a day of mercy, but also a chance to ask God for anything. If he ignored that moment, I don't think he received his sight for God sometimes would like us to articulate to Him what we want even though it is too obvious.

So many chances come our way. The chance to find love. The chance to make it big time. The chance to be free. The chance to make a difference. Sometimes we grab it, and sometimes we don't much to our regret. Today, Jesus is teaching us to be unafraid to voice out what we want to Him. If we want a miracle, let's ask for it. If we want to find love, let's ask for it. If we need His help, let's ask for it. And when the help comes, let us all be ready to accept and embrace it, otherwise, regret will eat us for the rest of our lives.

Image courtesy: artist

Fear Not!

Do not be afraid!

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’-Matthew25:14-30

The Gospel reading is enough to make one ask himself/herself, "What have I done with the talents and gifts entrusted to me by God?" Our town is the host of this year's District 1 inter-school games. For several days, we keep on hearing cheers, folk dance songs, original compositions, music, oration, declamation and so forth. This week is indeed a showcase of talents. My mother narrated her days as an archer. Well, it made me wonder about my own gifts and clubs.

For me, the main fault of the third servant is not because he hid the money, but because he was afraid. He was afraid of his demanding master. He was afraid of failure. He was afraid that when the master returns to hear their accounting, he has nothing to report because he failed. He was afraid to risk. He was afraid to commit mistakes. He was afraid to give it a try. He was afraid to get out of his comfort zone. He had a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the "master" but he cannot let go of his identity as a servant. He was given the chance to shine, to make it to the top, to be the master, to be above the rest, but he chose to swim instead in his limitations and boxed self. Aren't we like him sometimes?

Today, Jesus is encouraging us to be unafraid. Jesus is inviting us to risk for Him sometimes. Jesus is inviting us to leave our comfort zones and allow Him to lead us to places far beyond our understanding. Let's give it a try! Besides, we have nothing to lose since He is with us every step of the way.

Image courtesy: Willem de Poorter (Parable of the Talents), artists

How I wish...

There is rejoicing if a sinner repents!

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”-Luke15:1-10

Two weeks ago, I wrote my experience of being a victim of an online fraud. I never used my debit card to any online transactions yet somebody got hold of my debit card number and made three separate online purchases illegally. I filed a dispute already to my bank account but it will take a maximum of three months for the lost funds to be reimbursed (sic). Supposing the lost fund is returned to me today, I would definitely rejoice and jump about. If I am capable of much rejoicing because something lost is returned back to me, I believe everybody and anybody is capable of rejoicing, too, when something they lost is found once again. Any sinner that repents cause much rejoicing, feasting and celebration in heaven and also here on earth.

But sometimes the world we live in is cruel. Sometimes, people do not rejoice that a repentant sinner returns. Families shoo away a pardoned loved-one who happened to be a former inmate. Sometimes people prevent themselves and their loved ones from befriending a former prostitute, a former alcoholic, a former addict, an ex-convict, a former inmate, a person with dishonorable past, or a child sired out of wedlock. Sometimes no matter how hard we say, "Sorry," we are forgiven superficially, but not internally. Sometimes no matter how hard we clean ourselves, people only see the stain. Sometimes no matter how we sober and help ourselves, people only wait the time we go down again and believe their conviction that there was never a change or any attempt at all. Some people thought that bad persons will always be bad.

How I wish we are Christ-like always. Jesus never judged nor condemned anybody. The shepherd did not judge, condemn, beat or yell at the lost sheep. The woman only felt pure joy that the lost coin was finally found.

In the story of the adulterous woman in John8:1-11, Jesus did not judge nor condemn the woman despite already caught in the very act. He did not ask, "Why aren't you careful?" or "Why aren't you discreet?" Jesus only felt compassion and mercy for the woman as He said, "Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?... Neither do I. Go and sin no more." Not only Jesus forgives our sins, but He erases them all. Not only are our sins erased, we are made brand new once again - pure and clean as if nothing happened. If Jesus forgives and makes us brand new again, we should be forgiving towards others too. We should strive to give others a chance to start all over again. After all, it is much better to live in a world where there is peace and love.

Image courtesy: Godfried Schalcken (The Parable of the Lost Piece of Silver); Passion of the Christ; artist