This is about doing what we ought to do – as human beings!.

October 2, 2016, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 20th Sunday after Pentecost

 

Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9

Hebrews 1:2-3; 2:2-4

2Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Luke 17:5-10

 

Upon reading the lectionary texts and reflecting on the Gospel of Luke 17:5-10 I suddenly remember the words of my professor in seminary, “a particular text is just a part of the bigger narrative.” The gospel reading doesn’t make any sense until we read the previous verses (17:1-4).

 

Luke 17:1-10

Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a milestone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”

 

Jesus was talking about an occasion for stumbling are bound to come, an occasion that we do not exactly know. It can be an occasion of our societal struggles: war on drugs, of community demolitions in the name of development, of threatening and killing of the Lumads. It is indeed a very disgusting occasion when someone cause the little ones to stumble, these little ones are at risk. But Jesus said, rebuke the offender and if there is repentance forgive. Now it makes sense why the apostles said, “Increase our faith!” Anyone hearing Jesus at that time will definitely cry out, “Increase our faith!” Forgiving someone who causes anyone – these little ones to stumble is a very impossible challenge. But Jesus said, faith is not something that we can increase, we cannot measure faith. In fact even if you have a faith the size of a mustard seed you can uproot a mulberry tree. For me this is Jesus saying, it is not about faith! Do not be slaves of faith!

Most of us religious people have a problem acting on faith. That even we see what’s happening around us – this war on drugs, the ongoing struggle of the Lumads, and the struggles of those people who are being forced to leave their communities for the different development projects of the multinational companies – we are still after our faith. “Increase our faith!”

Drug related deaths, Increase our faith.

Lumad leaders were killed, Increase our faith.

Communities experiencing threat, bombing and militarization, Increase our faith.

How much faith do we need before acting on these occasions? How much faith do we need to rebuke the offender? How much faith do we need to forgive those who have repented? How much faith do we need to start working for justice and peace?

Rebuke is not just saying ‘you are wrong!’ Rebuke is a strong disapproval for misdeeds, for something that is unjust, cruel, and inhumane! It is denouncing the evil in our society.

And if there is repentance, forgive. Repentance is an action or process of repenting. A process of action could mean a long journey – it is a process, not a way of life but a life on itself. “If there is repentance, forgive.” Even if I am the one hearing Jesus saying this, I would say, “Increase my faith!” It is easier to hate and get angry than to be involved in this process of denouncing evil in the society and participate in the process of bringing justice and peace.

So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” We are working hand in hand for justice and peace and we are doing it not because of faith but because it is what we should do. We are not doing this because we are blessed by God and these little ones need our help. No! We are doing this to share what we have – to make everyone have a place in the Kin-dom of God. We are not doing this for self-entitlement, nor to have a higher social status in this society but merely because we seek to live in a society safe for everyone, so that all of us may have enough – equal rights, peace and just society, so that these little ones can participate in the life of our communities.

Jesus is freeing us from the beliefs that might soon enslave us –, our traditions, our institutions, even our churches. That is instead of struggling with the poor (regardless of faith, and denominations), we are becoming accomplices in leading these little ones to their death. Jesus speaks about the relational dynamics of the master and the slave after talking about faith. Who among you will call his slave on the table to eat with him? We too are like that, churches, instead of seeing the needs of these little ones, instead of calling the so called slaves on the table and invite them to eat, we cry out ‘faith, faith!’ Most of us religious people, we entitle ourselves righteous and holy, but we cannot eat with the slaves and even thank them, for we are too busy with faith. We forgot that Jesus says to his disciples (that we claim to be), ‘so you also, say, ‘We are worthless slaves;’ Jesus is actually saying this to those who think highly of themselves, who see themselves superior to others, ‘you too are slaves!’ Jesus is breaking the barriers of social status and of privilege as common to us – disciples.

We don’t need to increase our faith (because there is no such thing as that) before doing the work of justice with peace. We don’t need to increase our faith to denounce the evil in our times, to participate in the process of repentance. What we need is to feel, to see and hear, we need to become human again and act on our faith – even a faith the size of the mustard seed because a faith like this can UPROOT even a mulberry tree.

A mustard seed according to John Dominic Crossan when planted will grow and become a disruptive weed/tree that birds can nest and live on it. The mustard tree can even destroy the garden where it is planted, it can kill off the other plants surrounding it. It is called a biological misfit, it is unfit to be planted freely in a well-put, orderly garden.

So let us stop saying “Increase our faith!” as an excuse for our inaction. Because our faith, the size of the mustard seed can and UPROOT the evils in our society. As a church, as disciples, let us together create a community, a country, a nation with justice, peace and equality among people.

Remember, this is not about faith. This is not about being a Christian.

This is about doing what we ought to do – as human beings!.

For occasions for stumbling are bound to come. Be on your guard!##

 

 

CARLEEN NOMOROSA

Fairview Park United Methodist Church

Associate Pastor

 

Photo grab from:http://www.clipartkid.com/illuminations-faith-parable-of-the-mustard-seed-xXiJs4-clipart/

The Rich Man and Lazarus

September 25,2016

Gospel Reflection 26th Sunday

Psalm 146:7-10
Amos 6:1, 4-7
1Timothy 6:11-16
Lk.16:19-31

Lk.16:19-31 (NRS)

19. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21. who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. {Gk [to Abraham’s bosom]} The rich man also died and was buried. 23. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. {Gk [in his bosom]} 24. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25. But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27. He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house– 28. for I have five brothers–that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29. Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30. He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31. He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ “
The Rich Man and Lazarus

This parable was addressed to the Pharisees, some of whom were super rich; the majority, of modest economic status. Almost all had a low regard, mata pobre, for the common people, especially the poor, who could not follow strictly the letter of the Mosaic law. Today it is addressed to us to enable us to look into ourselves, our communities and institutions and assess the quality of our personal and social righteousness with regard to the good of neighbor.

The characters are the rich man (“Dives” in Latin), Lazarus (“God is my help”), unnamed servants, guests, street dogs, Abraham, five brothers, angels, Moses and the prophets, you and I. They interact to open us to various meanings for sound social living. Where am I, where are you in the story? With whom does one identify?
Dives, dressed in purple and fine linen, is either a Pharisee or a temple priest, who lives in a mansion and given to feasting, kamayan style, on exotic food and drink. He (with guests if any) would wipe his fingers on hunks of bread (napkins not used then), and throw these on the floor. The servants would sweep the pieces of bread and give these to beggars at the gate. Lazarus got little (“he longed to satisfy his hunger”). Weak Lazarus could not fend off street dogs competing for the pieces of bread and his sores. The guests and the household witness the daily happenings; we hear no comment from them. What say we?
In the next life, angels carry away Lazarus to be with Abraham. What angels bring Dives to the torments of Hades? No water, no drop of mercy but flames for Dives. He prays that Lazarus be sent to teach and warn his five brothers, seemingly, like Dives himself, given to indecent luxurious living and unconcerned with the needy. If they do not heed Moses and the prophets’ call to repentance and conversion, neither will they listen to Lazarus from the dead, says Abraham.
What sin deserving of hell fire did Dives commit? Surely he noticed Lazarus and the dogs daily at the gates. Was it not enough that his servants fed Lazarus with bread from the floor? Being an educated Pharisee (or a rich priest) and a regular synagogue / devotee, he knew the Mosaic law and the reminders of the prophets to be good to the poor, the orphan, the widow, the orphan, but cared not to obey them. In the bank of his mind for withdrawal was Proverbs14:31, “Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker but those who are kind to the needy honor him.” And, 29:7, “The righteous know the rights of the poor; the wicked have no such understanding.” Surely he knew Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?”

Between God and Mammon , Dives chose Mammon, the love of money, the root of evil. Mammon blinded him to the plight of the poor, prevented him from performing economic, political, cultural and spiritual works of mercy, prevented him from putting even a little love to a piece of bread from the floor. Dives’ was a mortal sin of disobedience, gluttony in food, drink, and money, and indifference to the presence of Lazarus and street dogs as part of the landscape of life.

The characters of the parable are present in today’s world. They are individuals, families, communities, nations, institutions, and even churches in globalized capitalism. Types of Dives are many. Unconcerned that the all the earth belongs to all the people, they wallow in wealth at the expense of poor, deprived, oppressed and marginalized at the margins of society. Valuable minerals are extracted by foreign corporations from our mountains and seas and exported with little profit for the country. Greedy capitalists feast on surplus value of workers and throw subsistence minimum (or less) wages to the floor for distribution. Indolent landlords pay little in cash or produce to agricultural workers and peasants while keeping much wealth from the land for selfish purposes. Public servants use their position as capital and manipulate legal processes to plunder public coffers for their vested interests, ignoring people in need of the basics of food, clothing and shelter. Lending institutions flourish for which usury makes for profit they dub “reasonable”. There are feasting governments for whom war is big business, and genocide, forced immigration and exile, destruction of property are considered collateral damage.

The Divites (plural) of today able to dress in purple and fine linen and feast sumptuously every day. The parable calls to repentance and conversion and to works of mercy at the minimum, to wit: to feed the hungry; to give drink to the thirsty; to clothe the naked; to harbor the harborless; to visit the sick; to ransom the captive; to bury the dead. To care for Lazarus. The consequence of disobedience to Gospel values and/or protocols of human rights is the hell of bankruptcy, public dishonor and mistrust, social media insults, prophetic legal and para-legal public denunciations, incarceration, and spiritual desolation as well. Would that they repent and be spared the fires of afterlife!

And what of the servants and guests of modern-day Dives? Are they simply an amused sector? Dives in their own way in a similar scenario? Will any of the guests by-pass Lazarus at the gate, give alms, or bring him to the Department of Social Welfare or to a hospice? Are they a “silent majority” waiting for patience to run out? A mere embarrassed lot? Friendly reminders at an opportune time of what ought to be done?

What shall convert the hearts of stone of today’s Dives and his brothers to hearts of flesh (Ez. 11:19) filled with love and mercy for Lazarus at the gate? Moses and the prophets? The UN International Declaration of Human Rights?

The dead rising from Libingan ng mga Bayani? #
— Rev. Fr. Francisco R. Albano
Diocese of Ilagan

 

Photo Grab from:https://endlessfalling.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/2010-04-05-the-paradox-of-dives-and-lazarus.jpg

Ang Tusong Katiwala

Set. 18,2016

Amos 8:4-7
Awit113:1-2, 4-8
1Timoteo 2:1-8
Lukas 16:1-13
Si Hesus at ang Kanyang kwento sa tusong katiwala. Tunghayan natin ang isa sa mga kwento ni Hesus patungkol sa isang mayaman na may katiwalang tuso. Ang katiwalang tuso ay maaaring pinapatungkulan pangunahin ang mga paraseo at eskriba . Nunit sa pagkakataon ding ito ay pinatutunguhan din ang mga disipulo sapagkat sila man ay maaaring tawaging “katiwala” at marapat din silang mag sulit sa kanilang mga ginagawa. At kung sino man ang pinagkatiwalaan ng Diyos ng mga pag-papala sa mundong ito ay marapat din na may matapat na pagsusulit na gagawin sa harapan ng DIyos at sa tao.

 
Si Hesus ay guro na may nais na maipunto at ituro sa kasalukyung nangyayari sa pamumuhay na kagaya ng “tusong katiwala.” Nais niyang maipabatid ang masamang ugali nito bunga ng kanyang posisyon. Iniisip ay ang kanyang sariling ganansya. Tusong kinausap ang mga nagkakautang sa kanyang amo at ipinalabas na dahil sa kanyang pag “babawas” ng utang ay mabait pa siyang tingnan ngunit ang katotohanan, ginagamit niya ang pagkakataon na sila ay magkaroon ng maling pang-unawa sa salitang “utang na loob”. Sapagkat babalikan niya ang mga ito sa oras na siya ay palayasin ng kanyang amo, “siguristang tuso”, mapanlinlang sa kapwa at hindi kailanman magiging mabuting katiwala.

Ang Tuso sa Kasalukuyang Panahon.

Maraming tuso ngayon. Sa halos lahat ng ahensya ng pamahalaan, negosyo, at mga malalaking insitusyon. Ang puno’t dulo ay ang ganid na kapangyarihan upang manatili sa posisyon, at pag kamkam ng salapi.

Sa mga nakapwesto sa pamahalaan, sila man din ay tusong katiwala . Bagamat sila ay naluklok sa posisyon upang maglingkod sana sa interes ng mamamayan. ngunit ang katotohanan ay nagagamit sa mga pandaraya ang kanilang mga kapangyarihan. Apektado ang mga maliliit na tao, lalo silang nagigipit sa sitwasyong kanilang nasadlakan dahil sa lugmok nilang sitwasyon, dahil sa di tinitiyak ng mga may posisyon ang pangako nilang magandang buhay, kung di, dinadaya nila ito sa pangakong napapako.

Kung sila lamang ay naging mabuting katiwala sa posisyong merun sila, iniisip nila ang na ipagsusulit nila ang kanilang ginagawa disin sanay papahalagan nila ito sa pamamangitan ng paglilingkod sa mga aba.

Baliktarin ang Tatsulok.
Sa kasalukuyang pag-aaral ng ating kalagayan sa ating bansa ay hayag ang kasakiman ng iilan at patuloy na nagpapahirap sa madami nating kababayan sa ating bansa.

1% – pinaka-mayayaman sa bansa
9% – middle class
15% – regular at contractual

75% – farmer at workers

Kung tayo’y mulat na Kristiano sa kalagayan ng ating bansa, pwede nating baguhin sama-sama ang kasalukuyang kalagayan natin. Mahaba at proletaryadong pagkilos ang dapat nating paghandaan bilang mga taga-sunod ni Kristo, bilang mabuting katiwala at HINDI kailan man dapat “tusong katiwala”.

9 At nagpatuloy si Jesus sa pagsasalita, “Kaya’t sinasabi ko sa inyo, gamitin ninyo ang kayamanan ng mundong ito sa paggawa ng mabuti sa inyong mga kapwa upang kung maubos na iyon ay tanggapin naman kayo sa tahanang walang hanggan. 10Ang mapagkakatiwalaan sa maliit na bagay ay mapagkakatiwalaan din sa malaking bagay; ang mandaraya sa maliit na bagay ay mandaraya rin sa malaking bagay.

Ano man ang antas ng ating kamulutan, kung meron tayong mataas na pagkakilala sa ating Diyos, magiging tayong mabuting katiwala ng buhay at material na pag-papala at masusukat ito sa pamamagitan ng pagkikipag kapwa tao natin. Ang pagiging mabuting katiwala ay pagbabalik sa nagpagal ang kayamanan, o kaya naman ay pagbabalik ang pandarayang nagding sanhi ng pagkakabaon sa utang o kahirapan. Ito’y mabuting gawi.

Ang Diyos o si mammon?

13“Walang aliping maaaring maglingkod ng sabay sa dalawang panginoon sapagkat kamumuhian niya ang isa at iibigin ang ikalawa, paglilingkuran nang tapat ang isa at hahamakin ang ikalawa. Hindi kayo maaaring maglingkod ng sabay sa Diyos at sa kayamanan.”

Ang punto natin, hindi pera ang dapat kumontrol sa atin. Hindi sa pera tayo dapat paalipin. Hindi pera ang dapat nating paglingkuran. Tayo ang dapat kumontrol sa pera. Tayo ang dapat umalipin sa pera. Ang pera dapat ang naglilingkod sa tin. Tayo dapat ang magsasabi kung para saan ang pera—pansarili o para ipaglingkod sa mga dukha at ipantugon sa pangangailangan nilang lahat. Pagtitiyak sa maayos nilang buhay sa kasalukuyan at maging sagana sa hinaharap.
Kanino ba tayo maglilingkod?
Sa pagdaloy ng panahon, sa ngalang ng pagbabago at modernasisyon mabilis na naging negatibo ang pakahulugan at konotasyon ng “mammon”—naging tubo at pakinabang na nakukuha ng tao sa isang transaksyon sa pamamagitan ng pananamantala sa kagipitan ng kapwa.

8b. Sapagkat ang mga makasanlibutan ay mas mahusay gumawa ng paraan kaysa mga maka-Diyos sa paggamit ng mga bagay ng mundong ito.”

Sa Diyos na Siyang pinag-mulan ng lahat maliban sa kasakiman at mammon.
Siya nawa.##

Rev. Bong Estayo
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
(UCCP)

 

Larawan mula sa http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/sabbatical-year-and-jubilee-in-twenty-first-century-america

WHEN MERCY IS LOST AND FOUND

September 11, 2016, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday after Pentecost

 

Ex. 32:7-11, 13-14: Moses implored the mercy of God

Ps 51: “I will rise and go to my father”

1 Tm. 1:12-17: Paul was treated with mercy

Lk. 15: 1-32: The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son

 

“Then I will make of you a great nation.” This was the promise of God to the people of Israel when Moses led them out of Egypt. However, this promise of a “great nation” is premised on a threat: “that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.” God was so angry and disappointed at the people of Israel for “they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them.” God addressed his anger and threat to Moses but Moses reminded God of his mercy toward his own people: “Why O Lord, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel…?” Moses’ response to an impending danger or punishment is that of an appeal to mercy. He did this by invoking the experience of mercy of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Israel. The call to mercy of Moses worked wonders: “So the Lord relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.” And the people of Israel, under the merciful watch of God, became a great nation.

The promise of a great nation, that is, peaceful and orderly, free of illegal drugs, crimes and corruptions catapulted Rodrigo Duterte into the presidency. He even promised to do this in three to six months. He threatened to apply the full force of the law against criminals, corrupt government officials, drug lords and those engage in the trading, and  the users.  Then there were spate of killings. The due process was almost forgotten. Innocent lives were also sacrificed.

Many individuals, organizations and institutions, like Moses, appealed for him to follow the path of mercy rather than that of wrath. So far, the wrath overshadows mercy.

But let us not give up. The road to mercy entails pain and sacrifice.  The sacrifice  of  Jesus  has awakened followers , building up a movement of believers , thus  the church is still existing until today. Jesus Christ suffered a lot so that humanity may find mercy that was once lost. A mercy that was lost and found was experienced by Paul. This is what he shared to Timothy in his letter: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.” What a beautiful experience of being found in and with mercy! Christ who suffered a lot and still share the mercy and grace  on a sinner who persecuted Him. And the beautiful twist is that the sinner became a preacher of mercy. Indeed, after being treated with mercy, he can finally say: “I will rise and go to my father.” The sinner-turned-preacher Paul experienced first-hand what the people of Israel underwent: from threatened with wrath of punishment to treated with mercy. This beautiful experience brought joy to the people of Israel and also to Paul. That experience of being lost and found with mercy became the foundation of a great nation or community. The experience of being lost and found with mercy brought peace to the people of Israel. The experience of being lost and found with mercy brought joy to Paul and made him kneel and say: “To the King of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever!”  The Israel must be reminded though that their greatness as a  nation is not founded in reliance to the empire  but loyalty to God of justice and peace. A great nation is a nation that builds its foundation on the solid rock of Justice, Righteousness and Peace.

The parables of the lost and found sheep, the lost and found coin and the lost and found son in the Gospel all point to the mercy of God the Father as experienced by the people of Israel and the apostle Paul. The experience of being lost and found does not end in one’s self. Rather, it must be shared to other people. This was very clear in the parables. When the man found his lost sheep, “he sets it on his shoulders with great joy 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.” When the woman found her lost coin, “she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me for I have found the coin that I lost.” When the father caught sight of his lost son, “he was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him…Let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life again, he was lost and has been found.” Then he said to his other son: “we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” The essence and spirit of sharing that joy after finding something important and valuable is mercy.

The parable of the lost is of particular significance and relevance in our time today. Many of our brothers and sisters have lost their peace of mind because of poverty, drugs and the incompetence of public officials. However, just like the lost and found son, what they need is treatment and not punishment. In the context of wider society the least , the  lost and the last need  peace, social justice, social services and inclusive development, not summary judgments, summary executions and extra-judicial killings. Our lost brothers and sisters deserve to be treated with all the human rights attributed to them. The lost son admitted that he does not deserve to be called a son and he wanted to be treated like a slave but his father treated him with compassion. If we treat our lost brothers and sisters with mercy and compassion, then we could become a great nation. If we treat the ongoing peace talks with a listening, discerning and compassionate heart, with the welfare of the people as our main consideration, then KABUNYAN will surely say: “I will make of you a great nation.”  ##

Bro.  JONEL DALIMAG, CICM

 

 

 

 

Leaning on the Lord’s Side

Sept 4, 2016 ,  23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 17th Sunday after Pentecost

Psalm 90:3-6, 12-17

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Philemon 9-10, 12-17

Luke 14:25-33

———————–

 

There’s an action song joyfully sang especially by young people titled “I Lean”. In part it goes,

Tell me, “Whose side are you leaning on?” (Asks one group)

            “I’m leaning on the Lord’s side,” (Replies the other)

We ask, “What does it mean to lean on the Lord’s side?”

For this reflection, I propose we borrow the line “… leaning on the Lord’s side” to emphasize commonly used theme for our Gospel reading, “The Cost of Discipleship.” Leaning on the Lord’s side should mean complete love, obedience and loyalty to him (Lord Jesus) who came to serve and not to be served and offered his very life to save others (Mark 10:45).

What does it take to lean on him?  It would mean that our  work will expand  the concept of family, thus  having a family who is not necessarily a blood-ties  family. This family means  the community, the people who share the common mission and vision.  Likewise  as we  share this ministry, we let our family  share with us  the  understanding  on the nature of our work, thus, they themselves become participant in the endeavor.   Verses from our Gospel reading say, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)

Jesus words, by the way, should not be understood to mean we hate people who should are dear to us like our father, mother, wife and children. Jeannine K. Brown has this to say in her commentary of Luke 14:25-33, “Jesus is not calling his followers to hate their families in terms of emotional response; instead, he calls for undivided loyalty to himself above family loyalties… In this passage, Luke’s Jesus calls people to a kind of discipleship that is not cheap (akin to Bonhoeffer’s aversion toward “cheap grace”), not easy, and not to be entered into without deep consideration of the consequences and costs. This passage speaks to the importance of loyalty and allegiance to Jesus over all other competing loyalties, including family, self-interest, and possessions.” However  to follow Jesus is not to abandon the family, but to fulfill the work entrusted upon us. The family  could be the best ally for the endeavor.

Leaning on the Lord’s side should mean readiness to offer even our very lives as we “carry the cross” each day which implies forgetting about self-interest. Such was the case of many social workers and activists tortured and killed during the dark and painful years of Martial Law and even today when persecution has not stopped. We honor them, they who are  “others centered”.

Today, there are hundreds, thousands and millions of people, and still counting, who have  overcome the threat of self-preservation, the “lust” (self). Selflessness, which is an imperative to discipleship, is what Christians and faithful ought to live out in this time and context.  This is also an expression of leaning on Jesus.  Concretely it entails a  deep commitment  to be servants of the people, especially those who are relegated to the margins of society.

Moreover, leaning on the Lord’s side entails sacrifice from among us who confess we are followers of Jesus. It is said that one important thing in our lives which we are challenged to sacrifice is our time. Jesus spent time with and among the blessed of society, the economically poor (Luke) and the poor in spirit (Matthew).

A transformational development worker once said in his lecture, “Love should be spelled T.I.M.E. No one can claim he or she truly loves if he/she has no time.” Agents of change have to spend time in solidarity with the people to prove love of them. Such an act of being in solidarity with the people means also leaning or trusting on the prowess of the people to win battles for new order of things with God’s blessing and inspiration.

Some more thoughts from our readings. Our Psalm reading, 90:3-6, 12-17, reminds us of  the fragility of life on earth. It reminds us also of the beauty of trusting our life and future to God who wills that human beings live in freedom and prosperity. Hence, our life and work for the people, especially the poor, manifests our trust and loyalty to God.

Our first reading, Jeremiah 18:1-11, tells us of the truth that even amidst the frailties and injustices proliferating in our society and around the world, there is a glimmering hope with the transforming God, the clay potter.

Our second reading, Philemon 9-10, 12-17, calls us to love and honor each other as fellows and partners in Christ. It prompts us of our role as enablers and partners with people in their enduring quest and fight for emancipation from all forms of oppression.

Be with the people and be of service to them as Christ’s disciples. Amen!##

 

Rev. Nonie Aviso

United Church of Christ in the Philippines

 

Photo grab from  :http://www.acatholic.org/jesus-knew-his-disciples-didnt-understand-the-bigger-picture/