Spirit + Body

Where did we come from?

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all]. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift[a] of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.-John3:31-36

Some say that each person is gifted with a body and a spirit. The wisdom evolved. They say we have a spirited body, meaning - a body with a spirit. Then the wisdom still evolved. They say we have a bodied spirit, meaning - a spirit with a body. With these premises, we acknowledge that before we are born, a Mighty Hand was behind our creation. Whether we were created as a spirit first or a body first, one thing is certain, God has given us both body and spirit. Therefore, we are never created primarily to be earthly beings. Rather, beings on a pilgrimage here on earth. It is so sad that the path to our true Home - Jesus Himself - is so taken for granted or twisted to satisfy our earthly needs. But all is not lost for Jesus never gives up to search and find His sheep.

Image courtesy: artist

Find your way home

The Lost was found.

1 [a]The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, 2 but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So to them he addressed this parable. 4 “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy 6 and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.8 “Or what woman having ten coins[b] and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 10 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”11 Then he said, “A man had two sons, 12 and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16 And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 17 Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18 I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. 25 Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ 31 He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. 32 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”-Luke15:1-32

The Gospel reading is very rich in meaning both in a spiritual and personal level. It has clearly shown the endless and overflowing love and mercy of God to us all. If God is merciful, why can't we? If God is forgiving, why can't we? If God is generous in giving second, third, endless chances for us to start over and over again, why can't we give others a chance to start all over again? Why have we become a vengeful and stone-hearted people?

Image courtesy: Mitchelle Tolle 

I found it!

God loves us all. He never wanted us to be lost.

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.-Matthew18:12-14

Some considered the shepherd foolish. Why leave the 99 on the hills and look for one stray sheep? What is one compared to ninety-nine? Such is God. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. He makes crooked paths straight.

Our human tendency is always dictating us to favor the majority over the minority. We choose the best, strongest, most intelligent over the last, the weak and the dull. We prefer the sinless, the perfect, the flawless, the saint, the good ones. Good choices actually. Who in his/her right mind would prefer the sinner, the imperfect, the flawed, the unrighteous, and the bad lot? Normally, none would prefer it. And even if the sinner says, "I have repented," none would take heed. If the flawed says, "I am beautiful," no one would bother. And even if the worst of mankind says, "I am converted," still it is difficult to trust. It is easy to judge, to condemn and to cold-shoulder if we are not the one being judged, condemned and/or cold-shouldered.

Each of us is much loved by God. He doesn't love us because we are good only, but He continues to love us with our imperfections, character flaws, weaknesses and despite our sinfulness. He has long accepted us in both our strengths and weaknesses. The more that we get lost, the more He would find us and embrace us for "your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

But how do we return God's love? Is it by continuing to sin? Do we return God's love by tolerating our wrongs because we are confident that we are forgiven still at the end of the day?

Image courtesy: Mitchell Tolle (Lost Sheep), 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