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SCRIPTURE READINGS:

DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20

1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9

MATTHEW 5:21-37

SUNDAY REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “obey God’s Word and live”. To obey means to submit to authority or comply with or carry out a command or instruction. To live means to remain alive. The theme can thus be rephrased as “there is life in submitting to God’s authority or carrying out God’s command”. There are, however, two types of lives, existential life (life on earth) and everlasting life (Spiritual or eternal life in the Kingdom of God). Similarly, there are two types of death, existential death (physical death) and everlasting death (Hell). The theme presents us with two facts for our reflection:

1. It is impossible for a worldly-minded person to obey God’s Word and live.
2. Obeying God’s Word is sometimes difficult but not impossible, those who obey God’s Word will live.

Firstly, it is impossible for a worldly or carnally-minded person to obey God’s Word and live. Paul discovered that some people in the Church of Corinth were unable to understand and obey his teachings or the Word of God, therefore, he remarked “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly —mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) When we come to the twenty-first century, It is a common phenomenon to find many people who associate themselves with Christianity or attend Church services every Sunday to be worldly-minded from Monday to Saturday. Many of us do not obey God’s Word, we do our own will and act according to the desires of the flesh. When we continue to disobey God’s Word by being carnally minded we shall never please Him and will not be able to inherit the Kingdom of God or eternal life, It is for this reason, Jesus admonishes us that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23). Eternal life is reserved for those who obey God’s Word. Let us make up our minds to repent, accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s Word, for “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. ..” (Matthew 6:24) In other words, we cannot obey the desires of the flesh and the world and at the same time obey God’s Word. It will simply lead to a life of hypocrisy. Let us be faithful in our calling as disciples of Christ and obey God’s Word and live!

Secondly, Obeying God’s Word is sometimes difficult but not impossible, those who obey God’s Word will live. In Luke 5:21-37, Jesus gives some thought-provoking and uncompromising instructions or commandments among others about the following conduct in our human relationships. “Anger and verbal abuse are synonymous to murder, lustful desires are synonymous with adultery even without committing it physically, divorce is permitted on the basis of sexual immorality apart from that anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery. It means marriage is an eternal affair, till death or sexual immorality separates the husband and wife. A believer must maintain his or her integrity by being truthful devoid of any swearing and finally, being tolerant and eschewing retaliation as a believer. These are difficult instructions or Words to follow as believers, many of us have already failed to obey the Words of Christ countless times but remember Philippians 4:13 encourages us that “I can do all this through him who gives me strength. It is important to obey God’s Word because obedience to His Word brings life but failure to obey His Word lead to death, it is for this reason, Mose told the Israelites that “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-18) Beloved in the Lord, Jesus understands, our limitation as humans in obeying God’s Word yet He chose us to become His disciples, empowered us and assures us that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) It is empowering and reassuring to note that we are not alone in this world of temptations, Jesus is with us to the end of the age to ensure that we obey God’s Word and live. He promised us that “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26). If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us through prayer and Bible Study, it will not be impossible for us to obey God’s Word and live. Surely, “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

In summary, the theme for our reflection is “Obey God’s Word and live. We have pointed to the fact that It is impossible for a worldly-minded person to obey God’s Word and live. Again, obeying God’s Word is sometimes difficult but not impossible, those who obey God’s Word will live. May the Holy Spirit empower us to obey God’s Word and live even as we continue to be examples in leading and helping others to obey His Word and to experience the abundant life that only Jesus gives. Amen