The Gift of Rest

“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5

Isn’t is amazing that the God who created the universe, who put the stars in place, and who can command typhoons to stop, made Himself known to the Jews thousands of years ago? He freed them from slavery in Egypt, and He instituted the Sabbath. 

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.” (Exodus 20:8-11; see also Genesis 2:2-3)

In gifting His chosen people with a day of rest, God taught them how to live as a free people. They were used to being treated brutally in Egypt. A people in bondage need to be taught how to live in freedom. 

Our Father wants to teach us as well that we are a free people and we need to trust Him that He will provide for our needs even if we do not work seven days a week! Sometimes we can be chained to our work and do not welcome the gift of rest God has given His people. If we take the time to refresh ourselves with God’s life giving Word on Sunday, we will perhaps discover a new spirit of peace, strength and wisdom that carries us through for the week to come. 

Mysteries of God

“We are stewards of the mysteries of God, and we should be faithful and trustworthy." 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

What are stewards? They manage another person's property or financial affairs. To manage means to bring about or succeed in accomplishing, to take charge of, direct or govern.

If we are to be stewards and manage the mysteries of God, shouldn't we be aware of our duties and responsibilities?  How can we manage a mystery, much less mysteries???

A mystery is anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown, any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation.  I don't think God will give us a responsibility without giving us the tools we need to do it, do you?

1 Cor. 2:10-12 reads, "No one comprehends the things of God except the Spirit of God." Ah ha!! “For who can know the Lord's thoughts? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ!" (1 Cor. 2:16) Double ah ha!!! I believe the mysteries of God are revealed slowly to us who take the time to seek. 

"Seek and you will find,” Jesus promised in Matthew 7:7. And finding what is good for us, we have the responsibility to bring about and accomplish our Master's goals. “Go and make disciples of all nations!" Matthew 28:19

“Have you heard the secret of God? And do you restrain wisdom to yourself?" Job 15:8

“Every disciple in God's Kingdom is like the owner of the house who brings out of his storeroom NEW TREASURES as well as OLD." Matthew 13:52

I don't know about you, but I get very excited about secrets, treasures and mysteries. But this mystery is far more exciting and valuable to know! Sometimes we take it for granted how free we are to delve into knowing God more.

John Lennox, the well known bioethicist, mathematician and Christian apologist, was in East Germany in the 70s and 80s. He told the story of a thirteen year old girl, Esther, who was at the top of her class and doing very well in her studies. She came home one day, crying her heart out. Her teacher told her she had to leave school and work in a slipper factory because she refused to take an oath of public allegiance to the atheistic state. 

“What did you say to the teacher?” he asked.

“Uncle John, I said to the teacher, ‘Sir, one day you will stand before God and you will answer for what you’ve done to me this day!’”

One day, we too will stand before God and answer Him if we have been faithful stewards of His mysteries. 

We are God’s Garden

“We are God’s garden.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

When we take a boat out from Busuanga in Coron, we can go to some of the most beautiful places on earth, like the famous Kayangan Lake. But there are so many other wonderful deserted places to visit, with pristine waters, fabulous corals, and breath taking rock formations. A few years ago, we just stayed in a relatively unknown island, Dicantuman, the whole day. No one else was around except the Tagbanuas taking care of the place. I could not stop taking pictures and marveling at God’s creation. Surely one can see how God meant the earth to be when one is out there in the bay. 

In 1 Corinthians 3:9, Saint Paul declares that we, each one of us, is God’s garden, His field. He means for each of us to be even more beautiful than those islands dotting Coron Bay. But like those beaches, we can become full of filth, if we are not careful about what we do, hear, see and enjoy. 

At Dicantuman, I saw the caretaker removing the dried seaweeds that had drifted up the beach. I suppose he did that all the time. His white sand beach was very clean of any kind of garbage. We too have to take time every day to see if anything we did made us “dirty”. Did I get angry? I should ask forgiveness. Did I read anything bad on the internet? Did I gossip? Did I wish something bad happen to anybody? Little things, big things. They can make a difference in our garden. Let us choose to plant good seed: God’s Word, love, faith, hope, peace and joy, so that when the winds come, these seeds will spread and maybe, sooner than later, our world will be the awesome garden God originally planned it would be. 

The Natural Man

"Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the spirit of God, for to Him it is foolishness..." 1 Corinthians 2:14

The crucifixion of Jesus is very hard for man to comprehend. Why would God have to come down, be humiliated, be hung on the cross, to save me? He is all powerful! Our brains would say it is foolishness, an idiocy! Why would any smart, intelligent person believe that?!!!!

Why would St. Paul stop persecuting Christians and himself become a Christian? Why would St. Francis of Assisi leave his sumptuous home, his rich food to become a pauper and why would so many men and women decide to follow him? Why would Corrie Ten Boom and her family endanger their lives and hide Jews to protect them from the Nazis? Why would Jim Elliot preach the Good News to uncivilized Auca Indians who eventually speared him and his companions to death for his efforts? Is this comprehensible to the natural man, the man whose mind is not enlightened by the spirit?

There are many things a man will consider foolishness if his mind is “on things below". Let us make sure our minds are renewed and invigorated by the Spirit of God, and go after the wisdom of God, the Word of God made flesh and dwelt among us. 

Epiphany

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18

Back in Jesus' day, there were no social media posts, no viral videos. If there were, I don't think there would have been a video of the time Jesus went to a synagogue on Sabbath day in Nazareth. He was after all, an obscure young man in an even more obscure town. But it was certainly an earthshaking event. The King of Kings revealed Himself! That is what is called an “epiphany”. God revealed Himself. 

Jesus told His listeners that He was the anointed One, the Messiah they had been longing for. “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing,” He proclaimed. Many thought that was fake news, but many believed and followed Him. After all, He made the lame walk and the blind see. He healed the sick and rebuked demons. He walked on water and made rough winds calm.

A preacher said that Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive. Sometimes we feel dead inside, hopeless, depressed, in much pain. All we need to do is to pray that Jesus will show His face to us, to reveal to us that He is not fake news or a fake Messiah. We can expect Him to answer us, because He came into the world to do exactly that! 

How Valuable is Your Word!

Moses said to the people, “ Now Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe…” Deuteronomy 4:1

There are things I remind my son Josh about, and because I've said them again and again, his response is a plaintive, "Mom! I've heard that before!" 

“Pray everyday and read the Bible.” I drummed this into his brain since he was young. "Don't date until you're ready to get married!" I've taught my son what I believe is best for him. Would God our Father do any less? 

In the 4th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses tells his people to listen and observe the statutes and decrees God gave them, His chosen people. It is for their own good, just as it is for ours. His law is easily summarized into the Ten Commandments and the Shema, the Jews' daily declaration of faith to one God. Just as we want to teach our children what is good for them, so God wants to teach us how to live in good order, wisely and faithfully. 

There is a story of an old miner who lived like a hermit in the Colorado Mountains. When he died, his relatives came and took his meager belongings, an old cooking pot, and some rusty mining equipment. Before they left, his old friend came walking up and asked if he could have what was left. They answered, "Sure! We got everything we want." The friend then went in, moved the table, and lifted one of the floorboards. There was his friend's hoard of gold worth millions. Only a true friend would know your worth! We need to be God's friend to know how valuable His Word is! 

Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Word. I know Your Word, Your promises, Your decrees, are worth more than gold or silver, or property in Manhattan or all the wealth Elon Musk has! 

Share the Joy!

“Come share your Master’s joy.” Matthew 25:21

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us the gift of another parable. A rich man goes off on a journey and entrusted talents to each of his servants. Today we think of talents as a special ability. A talent in Jesus’ day was a measure of the weight of gold or silver so one talent in today’s equivalent would be about more than a million dollars. One servant was given 5, the second one two, and the third, one. When he left, the first servant immediately went and traded the talents, maybe bought a boat and started fishing and sold fish. The second one probably went to Divisoria and bought stuff to sell. The third one dug a hole in the ground and hid it. 

When the Master came back after a long time, he called his servants and settled accounts with them. He was so happy that the first one doubled his talents that he exclaimed, “Well done, my good and faithful servant! Since you were faithful with small matters, I will put you in charge of many things! Come, share your master’s joy! Celebrate with me!” The same thing happened with the second servant who was also able to double the talents entrusted to him. 

But alas! The third servant received a tongue whipping! “Wicked and lazy! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten! Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside!” 

When we use our creativity and imagination, when we work hard, using the gifts, talents and resources God generously gave each of us, we do experience joy! It is the same joy that God experienced in Genesis when He created the heavens and the earth. God totally revelled in making all the magnificent birds, fishes and flowers. He took great pleasure in forming the corals near the waters of Coron, sculpting the Niagara, carving Mount Everest, and blowing the VY Canis Majoris into existence. “God saw that it was good,” is repeated so many times in Genesis. I believe that God wanted us to have that same kind of triumph and exhilaration when we too make something out of what has been given us. The first servant IMMEDIATELY went out to use the talents. He was that excited. We too should be excited to use whatever resources we have at our disposal. In the end, we will have to show God what we have done with the talents he gifted us with. I hope God will say to each of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the fullness of my joy!” 

The Foolishness of the Cross

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing , but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Indeed Jesus does say a lot of foolish things. “So the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). “Blessed are they who mourn” (Matthew 5:4). “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). The thing about Jesus' words is one has to start with faith, or we can't understand it. The tendency would just be to scoff at what He preaches. 

I like to read about saints because in their stories, the truth of what Jesus says comes alive. Saint Francis of Assisi gave up his luxurious life to live in total poverty. Blessed is Saint Francis who was poor here on the earth but received all the riches of the Kingdom. That is what Jesus died on the Cross to give us: the eternal riches of heaven. To get it, we have to be poor in spirit, totally dependent on God. "The helpless put their trust in You" (Psalm 10:14).

Saint Teresa of Calcutta mourned for those she cared for. She would stop her rickety van if she found someone abandoned on the streets of India. She would give time to the dying, the weak and the elderly. She could not bear for one to die without experiencing companionship and the love of Christ. So she would hold the feeble hand of one who was dying and accompany him to the threshold of God. Many times she has entered in solidarity with others' pain and suffering. "Harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

It's easy for us to get inured to the pain and suffering of others. We get used to seeing street children dodging traffic, families living in a cart, young boys being killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, prisoners wrongly accused. The most foolish message of the cross is that God suffers with the suffering. 

If we are followers of Christ, we need to be a sign of God's mourning, and accompany those God sends our way. 

Boundless and Bare

“For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and abound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.” Mark 6:17

Today is the memorial of the passion of Saint John the Baptist. Luigi my husband, and I were talking about Herod Antipas, tetrarch or King of Judea under the Roman Empire, who had John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded. In the Bible we read that Herod “feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.” Imagine that, Herod was a very powerful man but he liked to hear John the Baptist speak! He knew there was something different about John. Perhaps John awoke some good in him, but instead of listening to his conscience, he listened to Herodias who harbored a terrible grudge against John for speaking the truth. Herod had divorced his wife Phasaelis, and John the Baptist rebuked Herod for unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I.

Josephus, the Jewish historian who wrote “Antiquities of the Jews”, relates that Herod was afraid of John’s great influence on the masses and put him to death because the Jews might raise a rebellion against him. Herod lusted for power and wanted to hold on to it at all cost. He had his wife Mariamme, and three of his sons executed because he accused them of trying to kill him. He confiscated the property of the hostile Jewish upper classes who did not support him, making him exceedingly wealthy. 

With all his wealth and power, Herod made many miserable. Herod’s disease and distemper are described in minute detail by the historian Josephus and many of the Jews believed his pain and suffering were God’s punishment upon him. Herod claimed, “I know the Jews will greet my death with wild rejoicing...” To make sure that there would be mourning in the whole of Judea when he died, he had the most important men of every village in Judea arrested and imprisoned in the hippodrome. He instructed his sister Salome, “These men under guard — as soon as I die, kill them all….” Thankfully, Salome released them all at his death. In Josephus’ words, “Salome ... dismissed those that were shut up in the hippodrome; and told them, that the King ordered them to go away to their own lands, and take care of their own affairs, which was esteemed, by the nation, a great benefit.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a poem about how might, wealth and power is fleeting, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” 

Let us make sure that what remains of our life is that which lives forever in the hearts and souls of those we love and serve. 

Our History

“[Paul commands,] ‘Therefore, brethren, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which you have been taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours’” 2 Thess. 2:15

This is an oft overlooked passage in the Bible especially by some Christian traditions that believe only in ‘sola scriptura’, meaning the Bible alone is the sole authority of Christian doctrine. But there is much the Church Fathers have to say about these traditions Paul speaks about. John Chrysostom in a homily says that from this passage it is clear that Peter, Paul, James and John did not hand down everything by letter, but there is much also that was NOT  written. “Like that which was written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief.”

So Scripture is not the sole rule of faith for Christians. Not according to the Bible. Although we should guard against merely human tradition, it is important for us to cling to apostolic tradition, and this we can find in the writings of the Church Fathers like Ireneus, Origen, etc.

Basil the Great said that, ““Of the dogmas and messages preserved in the Church, some we possess from written teaching and others we receive from the tradition of the apostles, handed on to us in mystery. In respect to piety, both are of the same force. No one will contradict any of these, no one, at any rate, who is even moderately versed in matters ecclesiastical. Indeed, were we to try to reject unwritten customs as having no great authority, we would unwittingly injure the gospel in its vitals; or rather, we would reduce [Christian] message to a mere term” (The Holy Spirit 27:66 [A.D. 375]).

There is indeed so much treasure in the writings of the Church Fathers. It is amazing to read their wisdom as we seek to know more and more the history of the Church, God’s people. Indeed this is our own history! 

Sing to the Lord

“Sing a new song to the Lord." Psalm 96:1

We should always sing to God, fully and joyfully but we certainly shouldn’t limit ourselves to just using our voices. We can sing with our pen, just like King David did when he wrote the Psalms. And we needn’t always be joyful. We can sing and write of our pains, and laments to our Father. He can take it. But let us always, always conclude with thanksgiving. 

I like to list what I am grateful and thankful for every day. I also like to number it. I’m on number 12,000 plus. It’s not an exact number because there was a break in my counting when I reached 9,000 plus, and I started again from no.1 and I am on #3930 as of yesterday evening. 

We can also sing with our paintbrush which I always do. I find immense joy in using the beautiful range of colors that God has given us. I draw, paint, collage my prayers, my joys, my praise, God’s promises and beautiful reassurances. 

We can lift up our hearts when we sing with a musical instrument, or even when we dance, and I like to think we can sing with a broom while we clean the house, or with an egg whisk when we make bread. You get the idea. 

Whatever we do with our hearts lifted up to the Lord is a song of praise. Hallelujah!

Fanatics

 “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

This didn’t really happen, but it is a joke that has been going around about two of soccer’s greatest stars, Leonard Messi and Cristiano Reynaldo. In an interview, Reynaldo is said to have boasted, “God sent me down to earth to teach people how to play soccer.” When Messi was asked to react to the statement, he pronounced, “I don’t remember sending him!”

Many people look up to sports stars, celebrities and now even influencers as their gods. They put up posters on their walls, follow the way they dress or put on make up, have their names or faces tattooed on their bodies.

A Manchester United fan jumped to his death after his team lost to Newcastle United. A fan sent Jared Leto his severed ear. Dolly Parton had to care for a baby left on her doorstep till the Department of Health and Human Services arrived. The note said the newly born baby was named Jolene, and left by her momma because she wanted Dolly to look after it. Some fans are so obsessed they will do anything to be just like their idol. One teenager broke her foot when Jessie J injured her leg while rehearsing for a performance. She sent Jessie J photos to prove it. A super fan changed her name to Mrs. Kanye West when tattooing his face on her arm and derrière was not enough to claim his attention. 

None of these is as bad as how the Hebrews used to worship Baal during the time of the great prophet Elijah. They would sacrifice their children alive in fire, and actively engage in unholy activities in Baal’s pagan temples. So frustrated was Elijah, that he summoned the 400 priests of Baal to a challenge. This led to one of the most dramatic miracles in the Bible.

After that, all the people had no choice but to see that Baal was just a straw god, with no power, and no ears. It was obvious that Elijah’s God was the real, one true God, all powerful and mighty. But the real question was, would they abandon their unclean pagan ways to follow the true God? Sometimes we too straddle between believing in a God who requires obedience and faithfulness, and wanting to go our own way. We have to be like Joshua who said with firm resolve, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

I Am With You Always

“I saw you under a fig tree.” John 1:48

Does Jesus see us under a fig tree the same way he saw Nathanael under a fig tree? “Under a fig tree” was a common place for prayer especially for young, rabbinic students, so Jesus was telling Nathanael that he saw Nathanael communing with God, and that he would see “greater things”. Indeed when we bow our head to God in prayer, our lives will definitely be changed! 

There is a story of a beggar who was at the great David Livingstone’s funeral. He was heard muttering, “You were right, Davey, you were right!” A man asked him why he said that, and the beggar explained that when they were young, he was David Livingstone’s classmate in Scotland. One day a preacher came and told them about Jesus and Davey went forward and gave his life to Jesus. The beggar said he refused to follow.

David Livingstone went on to be a giant of a man. He lived a lot of it on his knees. When he was young, he prayed, “Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, but the ties that bind me to Your service and to Your heart.” And God answered, “Lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the age.” 

Henry M. Stanley, a journalist, was contracted to find David Livingstone, after the great explorer, physician and missionary went missing in Africa for 6 years. When he found the man, he asked the famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” and continued, “I am the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of the earth. Don’t convert me!” Within 4 months, Stanley was on his knees accepting Christ because of Livingstone’s compelling faith and life. 

Livingstone died on his knees, weak and worn as he was, praying with the last breath in his body. He saw many wonders in Africa, and was influential in stopping the slave trade which he abhorred. But of all the wonders he saw, I am sure none can compare with meeting Jesus face to face!