Monday, June 13, 2005
LUKE 9:7-9
Imagine that you are King Herod. You killed John the Baptist some time ago and now you are hearing stories of a certain man who is a wonder-worker. You hear rumors that John the Baptist has come back from the dead. How would you feel? I am sure you would feel very uncomfortable but at the same time eager to meet the person. This is what really happened to Herod. He had John the Baptist killed because John had told him the truth and he was not willing to accept it.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to live our lives according to Gospel values. If we were to really follow Jesus' teaching in our lives, it would make some people uncomfortable. I am reminded of a teacher friend who died some years ago. When he was first transferred to a small barrio school, he began to devote all his talents and abilities to improving the students and the school. He gave tuition to students who were weak in certain subjects and helped to coach them in games. Very soon, other teachers in the school told him not to work overtime and to take things easy. The other teachers were very complacent doing little for the students or for the school. So when this new teacher came along, what he did began to prick their conscience and they reacted by asking him to slow down and not to work too hard. However, this new teacher was not a person to take things lying down and was daring enough to continue doing what he really believed in. Eventually, the other not so hardworking teachers started doing more in order not be criticized or outdone by this new teacher.
If this can happen to a teacher trying to live out his ideals, so can it happen to us Christians when we come in contact with the people whom we meet day in and day out. Our very lives can challenge them and remind them of what they should or should not be doing. This is one way of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The challenge for you today is to ask yourself: What do you do when you are asked to change your behavior by your business partners in matters like cutting corners in business deals or having recourse to underhand dealings?
Very often, we do not realize how our example can influence or challenge the lives of others especially when our lives prick the conscience of those with whom we come in contact. It is not that you go out of your way to prick their conscience but by living your life according to the values of the Gospel, you can be doing that to some people and help them gradually to change for the better.
Are you just acting as a Christian or are you really living your life as a Christian. The Gospel reading today challenges us to make the values of the Gospel part of our life so that we will not seem just to be acting like a Christian in our daily lives but really living it.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to live our lives according to Gospel values. If we were to really follow Jesus' teaching in our lives, it would make some people uncomfortable. I am reminded of a teacher friend who died some years ago. When he was first transferred to a small barrio school, he began to devote all his talents and abilities to improving the students and the school. He gave tuition to students who were weak in certain subjects and helped to coach them in games. Very soon, other teachers in the school told him not to work overtime and to take things easy. The other teachers were very complacent doing little for the students or for the school. So when this new teacher came along, what he did began to prick their conscience and they reacted by asking him to slow down and not to work too hard. However, this new teacher was not a person to take things lying down and was daring enough to continue doing what he really believed in. Eventually, the other not so hardworking teachers started doing more in order not be criticized or outdone by this new teacher.
If this can happen to a teacher trying to live out his ideals, so can it happen to us Christians when we come in contact with the people whom we meet day in and day out. Our very lives can challenge them and remind them of what they should or should not be doing. This is one way of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The challenge for you today is to ask yourself: What do you do when you are asked to change your behavior by your business partners in matters like cutting corners in business deals or having recourse to underhand dealings?
Very often, we do not realize how our example can influence or challenge the lives of others especially when our lives prick the conscience of those with whom we come in contact. It is not that you go out of your way to prick their conscience but by living your life according to the values of the Gospel, you can be doing that to some people and help them gradually to change for the better.
Are you just acting as a Christian or are you really living your life as a Christian. The Gospel reading today challenges us to make the values of the Gospel part of our life so that we will not seem just to be acting like a Christian in our daily lives but really living it.
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 1:00 PM 
