Futuristic people

We are God's gift to Jesus.

20 “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am[a] they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. 26 I made known to them your name and I will make it known,[b] that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”-John17:20-26

Jesus specifically prays for us and for those yet to come. We belong to Him. We are God's gift to Jesus. And where Jesus is, there we must be. It is just so sad that despite this privilege of having a happy and fulfilling life with Him, some people walk away and prefer to live a life where they are in control - as if we can be in control (sic). As Jesus prays for us, we also should pray for one another that we are all finally one in walking towards our true home in Jesus. Earth will be a happy place to be in if we are all one with God.

Image courtesy: artist

Home to Jesus

Jesus is calling us.

21 He said to them again, “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin.[a] Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 [b]So the Jews said, “He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. 24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM,[c] you will die in your sins.” 25 [d]So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world.” 27 They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. 28 So Jesus said [to them], “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30 Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.-John8:21-30

Sincere words can move the hardest of hearts. Here, Jesus' sincere words touched the hearts of the people that 'many came to believe in him.' Jesus is continually inviting us to come to Him. However, the hardness of our hearts do prevent us from going home to Him. But, all is not lost. I do believe that Jesus has faith in us too that we can find our way home to Him. Jesus is inviting us to accompany Him on His way to Calvary through prayer and meditation.

Image courtesy: S. Dewey (Praying Jesus)

Do not Judge

Do we live in a judgmental world?

1 He departed from there and came to his native place,[a] accompanied by his disciples. 2 [b]When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter,[c] the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 [d]Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,[e] apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.-Mark6:1-6

Last Christmas, my mother and sister accompanied me to my godmother. The visit is not only to bring her our gift and to greet her, but also to ask her a favor to give me an evaluation. Though I can choose my other friends for this task, I preferred my godmother because of her seniority and involvement with the Church. As we continued with the evaluation, my sister keeps on refuting, denying, disapproving and contradicting every good word given to me. She's always making a face, always grumbling whenever a good comment is uttered. I was fed up and mouthed to her to shut up because the one giving the evaluation is my godmother and not her. I gently told her that every person has a different way of seeing another person, if I am a bad person in the eyes of my sister then so shall it be, but what's wrong if my godmother thought that I am a good person? What's wrong if others think well of me? I asked her, "Do your friends all think the same way when they evaluate you?" I believe Jesus' invitation to us all is to be slow or to not judge hastily other people. There is such a thing as CHANGE and CONVERSION. Life can be better for some. God can bestow the best gift there is to anybody even if that person seems to be unfit to our judgment. Life is much better if we rejoice in our own blessings and to rejoice as well in other people's blessings.

Image courtesy: artist