Holy Week. 2016 - be “children of light”

22nd March

Francis rejects the world

Scripture John 12: 20-36

20 Now there were certain Greeks amongst those that went up to worship at the feast. 21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Yeshua.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Yeshua. 23 Yeshua answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But I came to this time for this cause. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Yeshua answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now is the judgement of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. 34 The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Messiah remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Yeshua therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Yeshua said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.


Reflection:

In verse 36, Jesus encourages us to be “children of light”. We can be swamped by the darkness that seems to be all around us. We can become confused into believing, and the world desperately wants to believe, that the light has been extinguished, or is very close to it. This is, of course, not true. The light has not gone out, it is still burning brightly. We see darkness when we take our eyes off the light. Look at the light, and draw strength, courage, confidence and love from its unquenchable source.

Your thoughts:

Lent 5. 2016 15th March - He who sent me is with me

15th March

(C) Br. Luke Efo 2010

Scripture John 8: 21-30

21 Yeshua said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”
22 The Judeans therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”
23 He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
25 They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”
Yeshua said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
27 They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28 Yeshua therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him.


Reflection:

“He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” (verse 29) Jesus was talking about his relationship with the Father. Are we as confident in our relationship with God? In those dark times when we may know that we should turn to, and not away from God, do we say with such surety “he has not left me alone”? Given so many stumble at that time, I suspect the answer for many of us is no. We can be confident, it is hard work, but be strong and trust.

Your thoughts:

Lent4. 2016 8th March-The sick man answered him

8^th March

(C)Br. Luke Efo 2010

Scripture John 5: 1-16

¹ After these things, there was a Jewish festival, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. ² Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches. ³ In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralysed, waiting for the moving of the water; ⁴ for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. ⁵ A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Yeshua saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”

⁸ Yeshua said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”

⁹ Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked.

Now it was the Sabbath on that day. ¹⁰ So the Judeans said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”

¹¹ He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”

¹² Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?”

¹³ But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.

¹⁴ Afterward Yeshua found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

¹⁵ The man went away, and told the Judeans that it was Yeshua who had made him well. ¹⁶ For this cause the Judeans persecuted Yeshua, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.

Reflection:

“⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” (Verse 7) Imagine how you would feel if each time you tried to do something that would heal you, someone pushed you aside and took your healing. Imagine, if you will for a moment, the frustration and hopelessness he must have felt. We could say that we would help him, and not push him aside, but would we?  If we were there for another, would we really help him or those we were with?

Your thoughts:

Lent 3. 2016 March 1st-of forgiveness and of mercy

1^st March

 

(C)Br Luke Efo 2010

Scripture: Matthew 18: 21-35

²¹ Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

²² Yeshua said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. ²³  Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. ²⁴  When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵  But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶  The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ ²⁷  The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸  “But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

²⁹  “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ ³⁰  He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. ³¹  So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done. ³²  Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. ³³  Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴  His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵  So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

Reflection:

"This parable speaks of forgiveness and of mercy. We see forgiveness given, and then forgiveness refused. We have it within ourselves to forgive - to act with mercy or not. Often what drives us to choose one over the other is our ego - our sense of self importance. If we forgive, as we are forgiven, then we set aside our self interest and our ego and we act with mercy. This is very hard to do, (especially in a world which seems to value self interest & ego above all else), but not impossible.   When we seek God’s grace to forgive, we realise that it has already been given. And what joy comes with that realisation

Your thoughts:

Lent 2. 23rd February -The greatest amongst you will be your servant

23^rd February

(C)Br. Luke Efo 2010

Scripture: Matthew 23: 1-12

¹ Then Yeshua spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, ² saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. ³ All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. ⁴ For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. ⁵ But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their tefillin broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, ⁶ and love the place of honour at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men. ⁸ But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your Rabbi, the Messiah, and all of you are brothers. ⁹ Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah. ¹¹ But he who is greatest amongst you will be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Reflection:

“The greatest amongst you will be your servant.” To be a servant requires at least 2 things: someone to serve and a willingness to serve others – to be the servant. Have a look around you, how many servants do you know? Can you see how, and who, they are serving? Are you serving with them? Is there, perhaps, someone serving you?

Your thoughts: