24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 15 Sept 2024

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Nelson Lobo

Year B-Taking the Road Less Travelled

(Isaiah 50: 5-9a; Ps 116: 1-9; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8: 27-35)

Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: What did Jesus mean when He said to take up the cross? What does it mean to “take up” or “bear a cross”? What does the Bible teach about “cross bearing?” When Jesus says take up your cross and follow me, first of all, we see the startling honesty of Jesus. Jesus never tries to bribe us by the offer of an easy life. During the WW2, when Winston Churchill took over the leadership of England, all that he offered his people was “blood, sweat & tears.” Same was offered by Garibaldi to the people of South Italy.  And that is very much like what Jesus is offering to His followers, too. We must remember that Jesus never calls upon us to do anything that He was not prepared to do Himself. What He asks us to face, He has already faced. And when He calls upon us to take up a cross, He, Himself, has already borne one for us.  So, let’s see a few things about cross bearing.

Cross Bearing Was Confusing: Paul wrote: “Jews demand miraculous signs & Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews & foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God & the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:22 24). We can understand the Jews stumbling over the idea of their Messiah hanging on a cross. They were an oppressed people. They had been oppressed by Assyrians & Babylonians & Greeks, & now by the Romans.  But one thing kept them going through it all, God’s promise of the Messiah.  Fathers would tell their children, “One day the Messiah will come & set us free. He will be a magnificent king with legions of soldiers behind him. They will defeat our enemies & make them bow down before us.”  Then the Messiah came, but not as they had expected. He came as a carpenter, a preacher from Nazareth. Some called Him a madman. His army was made up of twelve men. And instead of great military victories, there was a crucifixion.  So, the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews. It wasn’t what they expected. It wasn’t what they wanted to hear. And neither do we.

JESUS CLARIFIES THE CONCEPT OF CROSS BEARING

  1. Cross Bearing is Always Voluntary-Jesus calls us, & challenges us, but it is our decision. Taking up a cross & following Jesus is voluntary.
  2. Cross Bearing is an Act of Love– Cross bearing is not an accident that happens to us, or something unavoidable that we must face. Cross bearing is an act of love that we choose to do. It is a task that we undertake, a price that we pay, out of love for Him. For Jesus it meant going to a cross to die because He loved us so much, He could do nothing else.  “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).  It means reaching out to people who are unlovable & unlovely & who may never return the love. And yet we are to keep on loving because that’s what Jesus did. 1 Cor 13:4 reads (exchange the word “love” with “cross bearer”): “A cross bearer is patient. A cross bearer is kind. A cross bearer does not envy. A cross bearer does not boast. A cross bearer is not arrogant or rude. A cross bearer is not self-seeking.  A cross bearer is not easily angered, nor keeps records of wrongs. He does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. A cross bearer always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” That is what cross bearing means. It means taking the love of God to the very ends of the world. To touch the lives of people who are unlovable. It means denying & sacrificing. It means paying the price regardless of the hardships we must endure.
  3. Cross Bearing is Hard– Off course it is hard. Whenever the message of the cross has been preached, people have always objected to it. Jesus talked about His impending death on a cross & His apostles recoiled at that. They tried to keep Him from going to Jerusalem. They said, “We don’t want you to die.” When He did die on the cross, they hid behind locked doors, fearful of what might happen next.

Conclusion: If you really love Jesus, take up the Cross and follow Him.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference”- Robert Frost

Posted in 2024-2025, Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap., Ordinary Time II, YEAR B | Leave a comment

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8 Sept 2024

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Nelson Lobo

Why the Gradual Healing of the Deaf & the Dumb?

(Isaiah 35: 4-7a; Ps 146: 7-10; James 2: 1-5; Mark 7: 31-37)

Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: Hearing and speaking are a very important part of our lives and the reason we have two ears and one mouth. It has been said that we should see and hear more and speak less and that is why we have only one mouth. Deafness and dumbness often go together since you cannot learn to speak what you cannot hear. A person who cannot hear or speak finds it very difficult to communicate with others. Unable to express their thoughts and feelings they become isolated, cut off and shut off from society. Far worse than being cut off from society is being cut off from God and this happens when we are deaf to the voice of God. Hearing and speaking are essential to receiving the gospel and praising God and the ear serves as a direct link to our soul. What we hear with our ears goes deep down into our hearts and into our souls. Whether they are words of love, words of joy, laughter, music, or cries for help we are stirred up within.

Jesus takes him aside away from the crowd–Christ has compassion on the crowd but He imparts his touch on an individual basis (Mark 8:2–23). In the gospel reading of today we see Jesus healing a deaf and dumb man. Anyone who at any time senses the need of being touched by the Master needs to get alone with God.  The crowd has a way of keeping us distracted and preoccupied with various voices. God, on the other hand, has a way of leading us to a place of solitude where He can have our undivided attention. Many biblical characters spent lot of time in isolated settings: Moses, David, John the Baptist, Paul, Elijah, Jonah, Daniel, Joseph, etc. It is safe to say that we must shut out the world’s voice if we would be touched by the Master. The most difficult thing for Christ to do during His time on earth was not to heal people, but to get people to listen to Him!

Jesus Touches him–The Lord who does all things right has healed and restored us. His actions are proof that He is the Messiah because according to the prophesy of Isaiah 35:4-6, the Messiah “will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened. And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer. And the tongue of the dumb sing.” Not only does Christ restore, He becomes involved in restored lives. It is not good enough to minister from a distance. Praying to meet the need of a person is important but equally important is being involved in meeting that need and being involved in the life of that person. Very often our involvement is only through the laying on of hands. Jesus was always involved with the people He ministered to. We cannot simply pray for someone who is cold and hungry to be warm and filled. We have to do something about his or her condition and this is what involvement is about. We are involved because we are Christ’s ambassadors. In a very real way we are His hands, His mouth and His feet, ministering for Him with the same loving concern He had for the world.

Jesus uses Saliva to heal- Jesus spit and touched the man’s tongue with His own saliva. This is a bit unorthodox but Christ never did anything without a reason. Jesus was communicating with His touch. The man’s speech was unclear because of his hearing impairment. He not only needed to hear right, he needed to talk right. Jesus was teaching us that in order to talk right, our speech must be touched by the Master. Sometimes our speech is too starchy filled with harsh words, gossip, vulgarity, pessimistic speech, or unkind words.

Jesus Looks Up–Everything that Christ does serve a purpose and each of His actions are significant. As Christ began to minister to the deaf and dumb man, He looked up to Heaven. This is symbolic of the relationship or communion He had with God. It was as if he was saying to the deaf and dumb man that the source of His power came from God. Communion refers to an intimate relationship and Jesus maintained this communion with God through prayer.

What about us? We’re 2000 years removed from this event. What do we find here that is relevant for us? If this is only about the compassion of Jesus in the face of physical necessity, how many proofs do we need?  After all, how many sick people need to be healed, how many dead people need to be raised back to life, how many deaf ears need to be opened before we get the point? If this is only about Jesus’ healing physical problems what’s special about this miracle?  You and I are also in this text. In some way we are the ‘man’ who are healed. We think of deafness as a physical thing, and it certainly is. But what about spiritual deafness? What about not hearing God; not understanding God? Well, that’s how man is before he is converted. Man is deaf to God. He cannot hear God. He can’t understand God. And as a result he cannot speak of God; he cannot confess God. Apart from Jesus man is helplessly deaf and dumb. Apart from Jesus our ears remain closed. Apart from Jesus we have no knowledge of God from which our lips can speak. In our text it was the fingers of Jesus and His spit which became the instruments of a miracle. For us Jesus worked through the hands of a priest and the water of baptism to perform His miracle. Spit certainly seems inconsequential – so does the water which is poured over us at the baptismal font. The fingers of a man placed into the ears of a deaf-mute must have seemed like nothing. So, too, the human hands which cradled you and applied to you the water of life. But in each case the result was the same. Ears that had been closed were opened, able to hear the voice of God. A tongue which had been bound was unloosed and able to confess. 

May we learn to listen to the voice of God that we may give him all the glory with our tongue. Amen!

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Dealing with Highs & Lows in Life like Elijah

Posted on August 22, 2024 by admin

(1 Kings 19: 4-8; Psalm 34; Ephesians 4: 30 – 5: 2; John 6: 41-51)

The Bread and Water of Hope

Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: Sometimes our life feels out of control. There are times when it seems the world is out of control. And that maybe even God is not in control anymore. Maybe we don’t say it, but often that’s how we feel. When we turn on our TV’s and we see immoral lifestyles being not only accepted but celebrated we feel God is no longer in control. When we see evil people do evil things and get away with it we feel God is no longer in control. When we see injustice and dishonesty getting the upper hand, we feel God is no longer in control. When we see these things, we wonder, why does God remain silent? Or in our own personal lives when we see a loved one suffer, we wonder why? Or when we are criticized and condemned for doing what is right. Or when our children reject and rebel from everything, we taught them growing up. Whenever things like this happen, we wonder, why does God remain silent? Is he in control anymore?

Well, Elijah was asking the same questions. We have to remember something as we look at the life of Elijah. We have to remember that though he is a great prophet, he is still a human prophet, with human weaknesses, and human frailties, like all of us. Have you ever felt that way? I have had enough, take my life. Life is not worth living anymore. Maybe some of us have been in that dark place, that dark hole, and there is no light, and we feel as if the only solution, the only answer is to end life. And even if you have never reached that point in your life, you have still felt that desire to just quit. To quit your job, to quit your marriage, to quit as a parent, to quit church, to just quit trying. To just give up, throw in the towel. And you say, “That’s it, I have had enough!”

Story of Elijah: That’s where Elijah was. He had had enough. And so, God hears his cry. He hears his tears, and he reaches down from the heavens and he touches Elijah and gives him food, and sends him even further south into the desert. For 40 days and 40 nights, Elijah retreats into the wilderness. Sort of reminds us of Jesus who spent 40 days and nights in the desert, perhaps it was the same desert. And so Elijah retreats into that desert, gets away from it all.  But, why does Elijah, a man who has demonstrated no fear up to this point, a man who has faced his enemies, has seen the powerful acts of God time after time… why does he allow the threats of Jezebel to cause him to plunge into such distress and depression?

Well, the heart of his frustration is the apparent silence of God. Elijah was questioning whether or not God was truly in control. Ahab has been on his throne for years and years, Jezebel has had her evil ways, the people of Israel continue to reject the Lord, and yet God allows these terrible things to continue. If God is in control, then why would he allow such evil things to happen? Elijah felt like God was silent.  God sends a powerful wind, then an earthquake, then a fire. But God was not in any of those, and then a gentle whisper and Elijah could sense God’s presence in that gentle whisper.  You see, just when we think God is silent, just when we think he is out of control. Just when we begin to doubt, and lose hope, and wonder if it would be better to just quit. God speaks in ways we least expect. Elijah would expect God to speak in an earthquake like he did for Moses and the Israelites, Elijah would expect God to speak in a fire like he did on top of Mt Carmel and in the Burning Bush. But Elijah didn’t expect God to speak with a gentle whisper.

God’s prescription for Elijah’s discouragement –God gave him rest. The Lord put him into a deep sleep. Then God woke him and gave him something to eat.  God took care of his physical needs. Then he slept some more and arose again to eat. Then the Lord led him to a place where he could be alone with God. The Lord got him to talk and pour out his heart. He did not judge him or criticize him — he just listened. Then God gave him a job to do. There was a king to anoint who would wipe out every trace of Ahab and Jezebel, new hope for Israel. And finally, God gave Elijah a friend and companion in Elisha, someone to share the load.

Prescription #1: Rest

Prescription #2: Rediscover God

Prescription #3: Reassignment

Prescription #4: Relationship

The most vulnerable point in our life is right after we’ve experienced a mighty victory. When we come off the mountain, we often go right into the valley.

Posted in 2023-2024, Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap., Ordinary Time II, YEAR B | Leave a comment

3rd Sunday of Easter, 14th April 2024- Year B

Posted on April 11, 2024 by

Rejuvenating the ‘Defeated’ Church by the Power of the Resurrection

(Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2: 1-5a; Luke 24: 35-48)

The Risen Lord Appears to the Apostles

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

The disciples had very intense roller-coaster experience of the events since the Palm Sunday leading up to the stories of the Resurrection of Christ.  Their faith had been tried and tested. When all was said and done, most of them ran for their lives in fear.  Planning to save themselves.  One had even denied ever knowing him. Talk about defeated. In today’s gospel we find that they have gone back to the life they lived before they had ever even heard of this man Jesus Christ.

Post resurrection the disciples think he is a ghost. They can’t believe he is real. Why is this surprising? The resurrection of Jesus is already well established amongst his followers yet we find this morning that they are still in disbelief.  In fact, they have already gone back to who and what they were before Jesus had called them. Friends, that’s what the defeated church looks like. Going back to who you were before Jesus called you. If Jesus hadn’t intervened, we would never have had the Gospels. We never would have heard the name of Jesus Christ. If not for Jesus showing up post resurrection there would be no church today no Christianity.  Verse 45 says “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Even after the resurrection, it’s pretty clear that they still don’t get it. It is not until this morning that we hear “Jesus opened their minds.” I believe that this awareness came to them only as a gift from Jesus. Their minds never were able to grasp what God was saying to them until he imparted it to them through his Spirit. Why? Because our minds will never be able to grasp what God is saying to us until he imparts it to us through his Spirit. I think the first thing we need to do is to acknowledge that our awareness of God is extraordinarily limited until such time we receive the gift of his Spirit. Understanding God cannot be learned it must be experienced.  As beneficial as Scripture is, it is incomplete without the Holy Spirit. That is why the disciples were at such a loss. They simply could not grasp the message without the gift of the Spirit.

Resurrection of Jesus makes all the difference.  Resurrection of Jesus rejuvenates the defeated disciples.  The resurrection of Jesus rejuvenates the almost dead churches.  Malcolm Muggeridge was a Marxist before he found Christ. During the Cold War he travelled to Russia to write a story about the Communist party and the decline of religion in that atheistic regime. After conducting a series of interviews with officials in the Kremlin, he attended a Russian Orthodox Easter service. The church was packed. At the close of the service the priest said, “Christ is risen”, and the people shouted back, “He is risen indeed!” Muggeridge looked into their faces and instantly realized that they were right and that Stalin was wrong. He said it was the reality of their joy that tipped the scales of his soul toward Christ.

Professor Charlie Moule, the famous NT theologian once said: “the birth and rapid rise of the Christian Church … remains an unsolved enigma for any historian who refuses to take seriously the only explanation offered by the church itself – the resurrection.” The Resurrection is a major pillar of our faith. St Paul puts it like this: “…if Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is futile” (I Cor. 15: 17)

 

Reflect: What does a defeated church look like? What does it take for new life to take place in the church?

 

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2nd Sunday of Easter- year B, 7th April 2024

Posted on April 5, 2024 by

Divine Mercy Sunday

The Doubting Thomas

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

Introduction: So here we are… One week … after Easter. How has this week been for you? How are you this day, exactly one week after Easter? Is the excitement of Easter still in the air or has it begun to fade? Or has it vanished all together? I ask these questions because we find the disciples gathered once again exactly one week after Easter. Let’s see how these disciples of the Christ are doing one week after Easter especially Thomas.  There are four main characters in this episode: john, the “thinker”, Thomas, the “checker”, Peter, the “talker”, Mary Magdalene, the “seeker”. Today we focus on Thomas.

Understanding Thomas:

Jesus prayed all night before He selected His 12 disciples and Thomas made the cut. He’s a man who shows promise. He’s a man who has the ability to believe and act on his belief.  In fact, all the other times Thomas shows up in the Gospels he looks pretty good. When Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem in the midst of a dangerous situation, “Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” John 11:16. And later, when Jesus told His disciples that “In my Father’s house there are many rooms” and I’m going to prepare a place for you….” John 14:4-6 Thomas piped right up and said: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  And Jesus responded: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So, in Thomas we have the picture of a committed follower of Christ. He loves Jesus. He walks with Jesus. He’s willing to suffer and even die for Jesus. But then he shows up late to the party after Jesus rose from the grave. The other disciples try sharing their excitement with him but he’s having nothing to do with it. You can almost sense the anger in his voice: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will NOT believe it.” John 20: 25

Understanding the word DOUBT: In Greek the word doubt has three meanings.  There’s the word “diakrino”. It means to “hesitate.” That’s the word Jesus used when He said: “if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not DOUBT (hesitate) in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Then there’s the Greek word “distazo” which means “doubt.” That’s the word used when Peter walked on the water. And then the word used here in John 20 about Thomas’ doubt is “Apistos”. The Greek word “pistos” mean “faith”, and the “a” at the beginning of the word means “no”.  Thus, apistos literally means “no faith”.

If Thomas was such a loyal follower of Jesus what happened to him? How did he go from follower to famous skeptic?

David Dewitt explains the downward spiral of Thomas.

  • Thomas had deserted Jesus.
  • The desertion led to a delay
  • The delay led to a denial
  • The denial led to a demand

Thomas was given a specific demonstration-Jesus finally appears.

Thomas gave a dynamic declaration-My Lord and my God

Understanding Jesus’ response to the reaction of Thomas?

Jesus appears in the room with all the disciples and he directly turns to Thomas, Thomas the one in need. Jesus knew that he had been excluded from the special revelation on the night he appeared to the others. Jesus knew what that last week must have been like for Thomas. Just ponder that for a moment the only one of the remaining 11 left out. The only one with nothing but the words of others to ponder that week. Thomas the one left out, spent that entire week wrestling with his doubts. Now, Jesus does not lecture him, Jesus does not chastise him, or discipline him for doubting. Instead, what happened? Jesus gives him peace and in his mercy. And now a marvellous event is about to happen. Throughout the book of John, Jesus is Lord to his disciples, to Mary Magdalene, to all his followers and now and only now, Thomas proclaims clearly, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

Conclusion: Picture yourself for a moment in the room with the other disciples. Where do you sit?  Do you sit with Thomas, as one still seeking? Do you sit with the others still excited from the week before? Or perhaps you sit on your own, neither excited nor doubting. Now picture Jesus as he appears in the room and as he stands before you inviting you to see the nail prints in his hands. To place your hands in his side.  Have you ever felt like you missed something big that everyone else seemed to know? Have you ever felt like you were not spiritual enough because of your past failures? Have you ever felt like you could really believe even more in Jesus if you could just catch a glimpse of Him? If you have ever felt this or anything like this you would be in good company with Thomas.

“Were there no room for doubt, there would be no room for faith, either.” Frederick Buechner

 

 

 

 

Posted in 2023-2024, Easter, Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap., YEAR B | Comments Off on 2nd Sunday of Easter- year B, 7th April 2024

Easter Sunday, Year B, 31st March 2024

Posted on March 25, 2024 by

Can Easter make a difference in our lives?

Morning Mass

Acts 10: 34a, 37-43; Psalm 118; Col 3: 1-4 (or 1 Cor 5: 6-8); John 20: 1-9 (or Mark 16: 1-7)

What Difference Does Easter Make? - Sarasota Baptist Church

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Luke 24 tells us the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus.  From that event, we can see that Easter announces four qualities that could make a difference in our lives:

  1. Peace- Luke 24:36 Jesus knew they were confused and frightened. Naturally any unprecedented even like death and resurrection can leave people confused and frightened. He always understands our feelings, so he said in verse 36, “Peace be unto you.” This is the first and immediate application of Easter: Peace. Without sticking on to Jesus there is no peace. Jesus is our peace.
  2. Joy- Luke 24:41 The preceding verses tell us that the disciples were confused and thought they were seeing a ghost. They wanted to believe their joy; but their weak faith said, “This can’t be happening!” Jesus let them feel him to see that he was flesh and bones, and he ate in their presence. When Jesus settles our frustrations, peace brings it’s companion, joy. Joy is a natural byproduct of peace when we understand the reason for our peace. And, joy is always better than happiness. The world wants happiness and fun. Happiness depends on outside stimuli being right, but joy comes from inner peace. Fun disappears when we’re sad, but we can have inner comfort and joy even in tragedy. When we lose our loved ones, we’re sad; but we have joy knowing they are with the Lord. Jesus is our true joy.
  3. Hope– Luke 24:44 A third quality Easter brings is hope. If Jesus fulfilled all prophecies concerning his first coming, he’ll surely fulfill the promise of verse 49. That promise is the Holy Spirit. Sure enough, Jesus has returned in spirit now. When Jesus was here in person he was limited by his physical body to one place at a time. Now he can be with all his children all the time and everywhere. That gives us hope. Jesus is our hope.
  4. Mission–Luke 24: 47-48 Easter also brings a duty. Mission is a Bible word that the secular world has adopted lately. The church always needs a mission statement to remind us of who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. We are God’s ambassadors here on earth continuing his work of evangelizing, and ministering to our world. Preaching the good news is our duty.

“The Christ event began with life from an empty womb and ended with life from an empty tomb”. William Hull

 

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Palm Sunday, Year B, March 24, 2024

Posted on March 18, 2024 by

Palm Sunday Vs Passion Sunday 

At The Procession with Palms – Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16

(Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11c; Mark 14:1-15:47)

Worship on Palm & Passion Sunday: March 28th, 2021 | St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

We get the name “Palm” Sunday because as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the disciples laid down palm fronds on the road ahead of the donkey. Some translations refer to them as “leafy branches cut from the fields.” In the culture of their day, a king would ride into town on a horse if he wanted the people to know that he was ready for war and that he was their warrior king. However, when a king rode into town on a donkey, that symbolized the time of peace was at hand. Jesus chose a donkey to show that the time for peace and love had come. The people were awaiting the king, but most of them thought the king would be an earthly king that would readily protect Jerusalem from all enemies. Jesus, however, came as a king of peace.

Today’s Sunday is also known as “Passion Sunday.” Let’s explore the difference between the two: Palm Sunday vs Passion Sunday. “Palm Sunday” could refer to the events that fulfilled the prophecies of long ago. The prophecies that Zechariah foretold about the king who would ride into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey and how the people went crazy with hope that they would be saved from the cruel Roman Empire.

But on the other hand, “Passion Sunday”, could tell a totally different story. This parade could refer to a funeral procession. This day marked the beginning of the end; the week of betrayal; and the week that would end in suffering and death. “Passion Sunday”, could refer to the stories of the last supper, and how Jesus shared with his disciples those things he wanted them to remember most.

When the Palm Sunday crowd saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem that day, they knew that something exciting was happening. They knew that Jesus was riding as the Messiah would, and they thought they knew what that meant. They thought it meant they would be free from the Romans, they thought it meant that Jesus was going to be their King. On the other hand, the Good Friday crowd turned against Jesus because he didn’t fulfill the dreams, they had of him the Sunday before.

This Palm Sunday Hosanna episode in the gospels seems a bit out of place because we know where Jesus is going. We know he is not going to Herod’s palace. We know he is not going to confront the Roman authorities. We know he is not going to topple the corruption of the temple leaders. We know he is marching through this city, going through this triumph, heading for a vicious cross. And we wonder, what do the words of triumph mean. What do their hosannas mean? Hosanna actually means save us. Imagine the Palm Sunday crowd saw this man as their king, and they thought he would save them in the way other great leaders had saved them. Looking to be saved from the oppression of a Roman occupation, from those in the temple who collaborated with the occupiers.

But Jesus wanted them to see the reality of who he was, not an earthly king, but a heavenly king. He was not a warrior who would come to destroy the Romans. Jesus was a warrior who would come to destroy sin and death.  Jesus was painting a picture of a suffering Messiah. A Messiah who would suffer for the sins of all the people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:  “God allows himself to be edged out of the world and on to the cross and that is the way, the only way, in which he can be with us and help us. Only a suffering God can help.”  The crowds on that first Palm Sunday wanted a Warrior King, but Jesus came as a suffering Messiah. Jesus came as one who would die on a cross for the sake of human kind.

Palm Sundays/ Celebrations in our life teach us nothing but we learn great wisdom and life’s lessons on Passion Sundays/Sufferings.

 

 

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5th Sunday of Lent, Year B, 17th March 2024

Posted on March 14, 2024 by

Daring Discipleship in the New Covenant

(Jer 31: 31-34; Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-15; Heb 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33)

Dare to Shine | Western Heights Church of Christ

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

The Difference between the Old & the New Covenant: – The words “New Covenant” indicates that Jeremiah is comparing two different covenants through which God established a relationship with his people. If God is going to make a new covenant, that means there was an old one. The first reading tells us that if the people, observed his laws and observed his commands, he would bless them. But if they failed to live as his law instructed, they would suffer. Yet before the ink was dry on the old covenant, they had already broken it by engaging in all sorts of pagan immorality. They had forgotten what God had done for them. Now let us fast-forward several hundred years to the sixth century B.C., When Jeremiah served the little nation of Judah, the remaining fragment of God’s Covenant. Now Jeremiah’s book is filled with doom and gloom and warnings to the tribe of Judah, because the people had forsaken God. They had forsaken him time and time again. Finally, God gave them a seventy-year “time out”.  He allowed an enemy nation to attack, defeat, and deport them from their homeland for seven decades. That was the historical backdrop about today’s first reading.

We the people have continued in that sinful tradition. In reality, this game show has been played over and over in God’s word, beginning in the Garden of Eden. God had given Adam the sweetest deal. Free run of the Garden, a beautiful wife, peace, no war, no famine, no poverty, no hate, and an intimate personal relationship with the creator of the universe. Then Satan came along (Genesis 3) tempting Eve with a new deal. One that he portrays as a better Deal. Satan basically says to Eve that if she takes his deal she will be like God.  There is an old saying “Opportunity knocks once but temptation beats on the door every day.”  We are constantly being tempted to take a bad deal.

What does God’s “New deal” or the New covenant offers us?

“‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people, ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'”  This New Covenant was no longer only to the Old Testament people but also for the New Testament people as well. The new covenant relationship with God is not based on what people do. It is based on God, on Jesus Christ.  The promised Messiah brought this new covenant relationship to fruition by his sacrifice: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12). Iniquity against God pardoned for the sake of his Son. He will separate our Sins as far as the East is from the West and He will cast them into the depths of the sea (Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19). This is the New Covenant, a covenant of Grace. A New Covenant based on faith, not obedience to a law. Through this New Covenant we are set free from the bondage of sin no longer slaves but children of God.

Daring Discipleship: We live in a world where heavenly things confuse our earthly minds. Jesus tells us that our very usefulness or our fruitfulness for God is tied to our willingness to surrender our lives even to die for Him. There are about six instances where Jesus mentions bearing fruit as a Christian – and five of those are tied to the cross or dying. In Short – it is in dying and not in doing that we bear fruit for God. Some examples of biblical contradictions that human mind finds hard to understand.

We see unseen things (2 Cor. 4:18); We conquer by yielding (Rom. 6:16-18); We find rest under a yoke (Mt. 11:28-30); We reign by serving (Mark 10:42-44); We are made great by becoming little (Luke 9:48); We are exalted by being humble (Mt. 23:12); We become wise by being fools for Christ’s sake (1 Cor. 1:20, 21); We are made free by becoming His bond servants (Rom. 6:10); We wax strong by being weak (2 Cor. 12:10); We triumph by defeat (2 Cor. 12:7-9); We find victory by glorying in our infirmities (2 Cor. 12:5); We live by dying (John 12:24, 25; 2 Cor. 4:10,11)

Conclusion: Jesus is looking for people who will follow Him with a reckless abandon. He wants people who will throw caution to the wind and embark on the journey called discipleship. Jesus is searching for a few daring hearts who will fully devote themselves to Him. Jesus is searching for people who will give their lives for Him. Jesus is looking for people just like you and me. The only question that remains is this: will you join the journey? Will you take up the call Jesus issues: Come, follow me? Will you dare to be a disciple?  Discipleship is not for sissies.

 

“When Christ calls someone; He bids them to come and die”.

(Dietrich Bonhoeffer- German theologian)

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4th Sunday of Lent, Year B, 10th March 2024

Posted on March 7, 2024 by

The Story of the Greatest Gift of Love & Life
(2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23; Psalms 137: 1-6; Ephesians 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21)

God So Loved the World - Buford Church of Christ
Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: How can we explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well, the best way I know is found in today’s Gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Many scholars agree that John 3:16 is the Gospel in a nutshell. John 3:16 tells us the Story of the Greatest Gift of Love & Life.
1. The Greatest Love – God so loved the world. It’s truly so amazing that God chooses to love each one of us humans when He has the whole galaxy to love. He loves us even though we are sinners. He even loves those who don’t believe He exists. That is hard to believe, but He does. He doesn’t love their sins, but He loves the person. Every person in the world can be assured of His love. This is the greatness of our God. The unconditional love of God encompasses the whole universe.
2. The Greatest Gift –He sacrificed His One and Only Son for us. I don’t know why our life is so important to God that He allowed His son to go to the Cross for our sins. Parents say the love you have for your children is so great and profound that it could never be put into words. Losing a child to death is so horribly difficult to accept. It’s a nightmare for parents. Knowing those two feelings, and knowing that God chose to allow His Son, His perfect blameless Son to die for us still dumbfounds me every time I think about it. May be this illustration could help us to understand this gift. A gem dealer was strolling the aisles at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked it over, then, as calmly as possible, asked the vendor, “You want $15 for this?” The seller, realizing the rock wasn’t as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to $10. The stone has since been certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, about 800 carats larger than the largest stone of its kind. It was appraised at $2.28 million. It took a lover of stones to recognize the sapphire’s worth. It took God the Lover of His people to recognize the true value of ordinary-looking people like us.
3. The Greatest Life – Everlasting life. Life with Jesus is greater than any other life there is. People run after pleasure: drinking, smoking, eating, sleeping around and they call it the “good times” of life. After a while people get fed up and call such experiences empty or nothing. King Solomon called such life as vanity of vanities. St. Augustine after experiencing such emptiness uttered “our hearts were made for you Lord; they are restless until they rest in you”.
Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it. The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. “A pardon is a slip of paper,” wrote Marshall, “the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.”
2,000 years ago, God the Son – Jesus the Christ issues a pardon but just like in the case of George Wilson the value of the pardon is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. We don’t have to accept the life Christ offers us. We can refuse. His offer is of eternal life. But he who refuses to accept this gift knowing full well that life on earth is temporary is a fool.
Conclusion: God’s Love is a story of the Greatest Gift of love and Life. All we have to do is accept it. The Love is free. The Gift is free. The choice is us to make. Let’s make the right choice with the grace of God. Amen

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3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B, 3rd March 2024

Posted on February 29, 2024 by

YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

(Who/What is desecrating your temple?) 

Ex 20:1-17 Or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn 2:13-25

Cleansing the Temple Complex – Rays of Love

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

  1. Passover in the Temple: The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. The Passover was the annual commemoration of the great deliverance of the people from the land of slavery (Ex. 12). A one-year-old male lamb without blemish was killed in the afternoon. That evening a detailed family celebration took place. Many oxen and sheep were offered up in sacrifice to God as the Festival of Unleavened Bread continued for seven more day (Ezek. 45:21). The temple area was always crowded during Passover with thousands of out-of-town pilgrims. The religious leaders crowded it even further by allowing money changers and merchants to set up booths in the court of the Gentiles. The temple tax had to be paid in local currency, so foreigners had to have their money ex-changed. The money changers often would charge exorbitant rates with commissions. The people were required to make substitutionary sacrifices as offerings for their sins. Because of the long journey, many could not bring animals. Some who brought animals would have them rejected for imperfections. So, animal merchants had a thriving business, a business they moved into the temple court yard. It was profitable to the sellers, and no doubt to the priests. And so, being convenient for all and profitable to many, the thing became a recognized institution. But the religious leaders did not seem to care that the court of the Gentiles was so full of merchants that people found it difficult to worship. And worship was the main purpose for visiting the temple.
  2. Purifying the Temple: The temple was firmly established, and at the centre of Jewish religious life. The people believed that the temple was the place where God in heaven met people on earth. It was a symbol of God’s relationship with His people, and it served as a constant reminder of God’s claim upon their lives. The temple took 46 years to build, and tradition surrounded it stretched back to the reigns of King David and his son, King Solomon. But something was desperately wrong. It had become something other than what God intended it to be.  It had become corrupt!  Therefore, we see that Jesus attacks the root of all evil, money (I Timothy 6:10). God’s temple was being misused by people who had turned it into a marketplace. They had forgotten, or didn’t care, that God’s house is a place of worship, not a business nor a place for making a profit. Many commentators see this as the fulfilment of Mal. 3:1ff. God’s promised purification of His temple. Jesus made a whip (of rope or reeds) and chased out the money changers.  It was the first public appearance of Jesus before His nation as Messiah. He inaugurates His work by a cleansing and a claim. He cleansed the temple of distractors and distractions and claimed it His right by an act of authority that indicated Him to be the King of Israel and the Lord of the Temple.

III. Passion for the Temple: His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” The effect of Jesus’ courageous zeal on the disciples was to remind them of Ps. 69:9. The action of Jesus revealed the inward passion He had for God. It gave evidence of a consuming zeal for the house of God and ancient Scriptures found their fulfilment in what He did.  Jesus exercised His right as the only begotten Son of God. He took the oppressive, disruptive, evil dealings in the temple as an insult against God, and thus He did not deal with it half-heartedly. He was consumed with righteous anger against such flagrant disrespect for God’s place of worship.

CONCLUSION:  The cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem, is a picture of Christ entering into the human body and cleansing the soul so the body can become a temple of Christ.  The first great cleansing in our lives is to attack the root of all evil, money (I Timothy 6:10).  The real temple, the real place God wants to live, the real place of worship and prayer is the human heart. If Jesus took such zeal to cleanse a temporary earthly temple, imagine the zeal He experiences in giving God a proper place of worship in your life. He has a passion that your heart not be clutter with the world but be set aside as a place of prayer and worship. You see when Christ comes into the temple there can be no other gods. When Christ comes into the temple it is to be a place of prayer, of communion with God the Father. That and that alone is to be the priority and the purpose. So, when Christ comes into my temple – into my life – he comes to cleanse. He comes to cleanse me of my sin. He comes to cleanse me of personal ambition, passions and gods that take me away from God my father. He comes to overturn and drive out my money tables, all the places where I exchange the things of God for the lesser things of this world.

Jesus drove out those who desecrated the Temple. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit-Who is desecrating your temple? What tables in your temple need overturned and cleansed? Remember the purpose of cleansing – to bring healing and restoration. When Christ comes into my life to cleanse it is to restore me to wholeness of life. It is not just to overturn tables – it has a purpose to make my temple/life a place of prayer and communion with the Father. Will I be like the religious leaders annoyed and offended at Christ’s cleansing?

“If Christ showed such zeal in cleansing an earthly temple, He will use zeal in cleansing another temple, the believer’s life, also”.

Posted in 2023-2024, Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap., Lent, YEAR B | Comments Off on 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B, 3rd March 2024