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1. 2Kings
4:8-11
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2. Rom
6:3-4,8-11
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Gospel: Matt
10:37-42
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" Jesus has not to be followed up the cross,
but must be followed up on the cross."
We are told a true
story about 2 African- American brothers who lived in the south during the 50s and
60s. One of them, Robert became a noted
lawyer and politician, the other brother, Clarence, got involved in
inter-racial work- not exactly a popular occupation in those days. Note that
the tension between blacks and whites was very high. People were staging
sit-ins and marched down city streets. Police used dogs and fire horses to
disperse the protesters.
Eventually Clarence's
work got him into trouble and he turned to his brother for legal help. And
Robert wouldn't help him. What shocked Clarence most of all was that both of
them had committed their lives to Christ.
Robert after being
confronted about why he would not help his brother, Robert defended himself
saying, "Clarence, I do follow Jesus, but only up to a point. I follow him
up to the cross, but not on the cross. I' am not getting myself
crucified." Clarence looked at his brother's face and said, " Robert,
you are not a follower of Jesus. You are only admirer of his."
We can all relate to
Robert's feeling, can't we? After all, there are times in our lives when our commitment
to Christ is tested to the breaking point too.
Some hardship or tragedy hits us and we are tempted not to pick up our cross
and follow Jesus.
"Anyone who does
not take up his or her cross and follow in my footsteps is not my worthy of
me." Those are powerful words indeed. True Christianity comes at a great
cost. To be a true Christian leaves no '
wiggle room' for self- centeredness.
We are all aware of the
phrase, " you get what you pay for." Well then, be aware of
cheap religion. Be aware of any religion
that comes across as soft and easy- the religions that basically say, " go
ahead and do your own thing as long as you are being true to yourself." Be
aware of religion where the cost of following Christ is never mentioned and
where your consciences are never challenged or disturbed. Cheap religion will
only wrap you in tales of God's love but will never tell you that same fire of
love must burn all of our self-centeredness out of us. There are too many
religions in today's world that only give one side of the story- God's love and
not the other side- our responsibility to follow him in
the way that he wants us to.
Sometimes we found
ourselves being admires of Jesus instead of being followers of Jesus. This is
because each one us has got a way of looking at Jesus and understand him. We
have got different images and expectations about Jesus. The question is are we
followers of Jesus or we are his admirers? if we are admirers then we will
become bitter and hopeless people when things don't go our way. St. Theresa of
Avila had a great quote for these types of people. " Lord, spare me from
sour-faced saints."
On the other hand if we
are true followers of Jesus, we will realize that all of our trials and
tribulations, no matter how awful they may be, can and will bring us closer to
God, if we'll only put our self-centeredness. If we do this, i.e. realize that,
as one door closes another will open, we will gain a deeper appreciation of our
authentic needs and wants and put away all of our useless and transitory
desires.
Finally let us remember
that people learn about God, not because they figure out the Trinity or what
the Vatican is doing or because they can
read the New Testament in the original Greek. No, People learn about God from
Godlike people- people who pick up their crosses every day and to their best to
follow Jesus. All of us can be God to someone- someone who will remember what
God is like because they remember what we are like- that we are followers of
Jesus- not admirers.
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Chapisha Maoni