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SCRIPTURE READINGS:

ISAIAH 58:1-12

1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12

MATTHEW 5:13-20

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is the true way of life. The true way of life means living a life that pleases God. In other words, following God’s will for our lives. In reflecting on the theme “the true way of life”, we shall consider the following facts”

1. Jesus is the true way of life
2. The true way of life must not be superficial but impactful or fruitful.

Firstly, it is important for every believer to understand that Jesus is the true way of life. Our repentance and faith in Him must lead us to follow His perfect example as the true way of life. Without Jesus, we cannot discover the true way of life that pleases God. Paul, before he met Jesus was used to a certain way of life that pleased the Jewish authorities. He led the persecution of Christians. But when Paul encountered Jesus on the way to Damascus to persecute Christians, he experienced Jesus as the true way of life and since then his entire life was dedicated to preaching Christ as the true way of life. It was for this purpose Paul revealed to the Corinthian Christians that “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) In other words, when we encounter Jesus as the true way of life through the Gospel, our faith is empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are able to then live the true way of life through faith in Jesus and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and not through human wisdom. Without Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we cannot live the true way of life. Jesus assures us that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”( John 14:6) When we make Jesus our Lord and Saviour, we shall discover the true way of life that pleases God.

Second, our true way of life must not be superficial but must be impactful or fruitful. A superficial life is one that exists at the surface or appears to be true but when examined closely it is not the true way of life. God made known this fact to the Israelites through Prophet Isaiah that their fasting and spirituality were superficial. In other words, their Spirituality was fake and not the true way of life. “ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood”? (Isaiah 58:3-7). Dear friend, going to church or undergoing spiritual exercises such as fasting and prayers is good for our spiritual development but a true way of life must be impactful or fruitful. It must lead to our demonstration of God’s love or Jesus’ nature in us in such a way that our neighbours will experience transformation through us. Our true way of life must uphold justice and human dignity. We cannot claim to live the true way of life when we oppress people and continue to be the cause of their physical, emotional and financial challenges. How will the world know that we are the children of God or the disciples of Jesus if our true way of life is not impactful? It was for this reason Jesus admonishes us that “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16). Beloved in the Lord for a true way of life to be impactful and fruitful we must be the salt and light of the world so that the world will experience our good deeds and glorify God. As a Christian boss, director or manager at your workplace, how do you treat your subordinates at work? As a Christian spouse, how do you treat your husband or wife, As a Christian politician or civil servant how seriously and truthfully do you approach your duties to contribute to the development of the country? As a church, what are our contributions to nation-building and our ministry to the poor and less privileged? Jame admonishes us that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27). In a nutshell, is our true way of life beneficial to others? Is the world experiencing transformation through those of us who are living the true way of life? Until our true way of life begins to transform and make an impact in the world we live in, our spirituality and discipleship will remain incomplete and we will not represent the true way of life as the salt and light of the world!

In summary, the theme for our reflection is “the true way of life” We have espoused two important facts: first, Jesus is the true way of life and second, the true way of life must not be superficial but must be impactful or fruitful. May the Holy Spirit empower us to follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ even as we avail ourselves as agents of transformation in living the true way of life that pleases God. Amen.