SOME SAYS THAT JESUS IS PROUD

Thursday, May 4, 2023

4th Week of Easter

First Reading. Acts 13: 13-25
Psalm. 89: 2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27 (R. 2a)
Gospel. John 13: 16-20

TOPIC FOR REFLECTION

A HUMBLE PERSON ACCEPTS JESUS, WHILE A PROUD PERSON REJECTS JESUS.

Hmm, can you imagine if you are a good and gentle person, but your child, a notorious criminal, how will you feel?

Will you not feel sad that your child did not take after you?

If you and your wife or hubby are good and humble persons, but your children are bad and proud individuals, how will you feel? Will you be proud of those your children?

Now, apply the above scenarios to your relationship with Jesus, I guess the answer should be peculiar to you and not generic.

Do you know that in heaven, there are no high, middle, or low classes? All of those classes exist here on Earth.
Therefore, your status in life does not determine your friendship with Jesus, but what determines your friendship with Jesus is your character, attitude, and behavior.

A true friend of Jesus must behave like Him, must act in character like Him, and must have the right attitude like Him.

We all know the saying, show me your friend, and I will tell you who you are.
It's either you influence your friend or your friend influences you.
However, in our case with the divine, I suppose that the Divine Jesus must influence any of His friends. I believe if He influences us, it will help us to know God the Father more and to see Him (God) as He is after death here on earth.

Therefore, our friendship with Jesus is not all about...
1. Fasting and Prayer without behaving like Jesus. Remember that Fasting is mortifying the flesh, while prayer is communicating with God. So, if in all of this, love towards the other is lacking, then fasting and prayer are useless.
Anybody who is rooted in fasting and prayer but lacks love, always feels he or she is closer to Jesus than any other person, they even think they are closer to God than Jesus 😆.
This is the pride of the highest order.

2. Preaching without precept. A good preacher contextualizes all he preaches for people to read the contents of his preaching in his character. Those who preach without precept are full of themselves, hence they are proud.

3. Being a philanthropist without charity.
Any good deeds that are done should be done out of love and not for reward or to show off to attract all praises to oneself. Those who act this way are not Jesus' true friends. They are poor proud people.

We could continue listing endlessly. Today in the Gospel, Jesus showed us an example by washing the legs of the disciples. Hence, He commands them to do the same act of humility.

Imagine Jesus saying a servant is not greater than His master, and He as a master is washing the legs of his disciples, the servants. This simply means that the totality of our friendship with Him, Jesus should be wrapped in humility.

Finally, if you feel that Jesus had chosen you, congratulations, live and sustain it with humility. Pride is to destroy you and make you an enemy.
Jesus said: I say to you, he who receives anyone whom I send receives Me, and he who receives me receives Him who sent me.”

Peace ✌️ be with you.

Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.

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