“Genuine Truth”
March 30, 2014
The 4th Sunday of the Christian Season of Lent
1 Samuel 16: 1 – 13/Psalm
23/Ephesians 5: 1 – 14/John 9: 1-13; 28-38
His Excellency
The Most Reverend Ariel Cornelio P.
Santos D.D.
of the
Archdiocese of Manila
the
National Church in the Philippines
and the
Territorial Church of Asia
International Communion of the Charismatic
Episcopal Church
Be impressed by this
thought: cease striving; be still and know that God is God. He is
God. I know you have lots of questions and we hope we can answer them.
God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He is God; He is Sovereign; He knows all things and He leads us. Be
still and know that God is God. Everything will be fine because He is our God.
He is all that we need.
In the gospel of John 9, Jesus passed by a blind man outside the
temple and the disciples found out that he was born blind. They asked the
question, "Who sinned, Lord, this man or his parents?" Sickness
and suffering were understood to be consequences of sin. Leprosy was
looked down upon as a consequence of sin. Sickness is seen as one committing
sin and God is judging a person. The difference here is that this man was born
blind. He did not get the blindness after supposedly committing sin, so
they asked, "Who is at fault here, he or his parents?" What sin
is this a consequence of?” Jesus said, "It was neither
that this man sinned nor his parents. The reason for this being in existence
was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
We must work the works of God while we have the opportunity
because there may come a time when it is too late and the opportunity has
passed. Opportunity only knocks once. We need to seize the
opportunity, seize the day for it may not pass our away again. With what
is happening in our Church, we are to seize the opportunity to do what God
wants us to do. It is to demonstrate what God wants us to demonstrate.
Is it the consequence of one sin? No! Is it the fault of
somebody? No! It is so that we can display the works of God. This is not a
problem; this is an opportunity for us to display the works of God. Let
us change our paradigms; let us change our mind set. Sometimes, we tend
to be too negative and we see the bad in things when God wants us to see the
good and the opportunity for the good.
Haven't we been in this situation before? We did
overcome. We went from one degree of glory to the next higher degree of
glory. I ask you, "Where do we go from here?" It is to a
higher degree of glory! As long as God leads us, we are
involved. We are supposed to be involved not in finding fault. It
is not asking, "Who sinned?" This is not what we are called to
do. We are not called to determine or to investigate who sinned and
condemn the sinner. We don't say, "If not for you, we would not been
here in this situation." I have heard it said in jest, "It is
because of Eve eating of the fruit." How many centuries had that
been? It is not our calling to point fingers. Our calling is to
restore and to show forth and demonstrate the works of God. It is an
opportunity.
Jesus said, "I came that that they might have life and have
it abundantly. I did not come to condemn.” In John 9:39, Jesus said, “I
came that those who do not see may see.” People in their weakness
sometimes do not see so they may mistakes. We say, "That's
your fault. You don't understand; you can't see, so you make
mistakes." Jesus said that we are to be like Him and said, "I
came that those who do not see are not to be condemned but so that they can
see; so that the weak are strengthened, not further put down." It
will take patience on our part but this is our calling.
Why do Jesus sometimes spit on the ground, make clay, and apply
the clay on the eyes? Jesus also one time spit directly on the eye. Why
does He sometimes speak or lay hands? Why is it that sometimes the person
needing healing is not there? Like the royal official who left home and
went to Jesus to ask for healing for a person, he did not argue with Jesus
about what one healing book that says you have to have contact with the sick
person in order for them to be healed, that you have to touch the sick part of
the person. Jesus just spoke the word.
In God's wisdom, He makes us trust Him; and in order to prove that
trust, He makes us participate in the healing process. Why do you cover
with clay the eyes of a blind man as if thinking that he is not blind enough so
putting clay will blind him some more that he further could not see?
Jesus did that and sends him to a pool. I don't know how far the pool was
but the person was blind. Maybe, somebody else walked him to the pool,
making him participate in the healing process, making him trust in God.
In His wisdom, God makes us participate in the process of His will
being fulfilled. Doesn't Jesus sometimes say to people He healed,
"Your faith has made you well.” How is this faith demonstrated? In
the gospel, it was the man obeying Jesus by going to the pool. He did not
ask how and say, "Are you crazy? I am blind. Why do you send
me somewhere I cannot see?" Jesus wants us to participate.
Like with Samuel, God sends him to the house of Jesse to anoint
David. God could have made it simpler; his life was at risk if King Saul
finds about it. Samuel said to God, "He would kill me." God
could have translated Samuel to Bethlehem by a jet or bullet train and He could
have made things simpler. He can make things simpler but He wants us to
participate and to demonstrate our faith in Him.
I emphasized last week where the people of Israel were led in the
wilderness. There was no water and God was stressing to them the
need to trust Him and follow Him through their leader. Instead of
complaining, we need to hear what the Spirit is saying to our Church and
understand the will of God and what He is doing and what He wants to
happen.
We should not pray that God would remove the mountain or a
problem, but pray that He would give us the ability and the strength to trust
Him and to overcome the mountain or the problem. Why the ability to
overcome? Why not just have nothing to overcome? It is because we
are to be like God - faithful; overcomers; not defeated and always
victorious. We are not giving up. We are to be like God, not
robots. We are created in His image. The kingdom of God is not
about being disciples of Moses, like the Pharisees said of being legalistic.
The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy through a genuine
encounter with God Himself through Christ His Son.
The gospel talks about more than just physical blindness. It
is about truth seen through spiritual eyes, free from blindness. An
encounter with Christ makes us see Him and know Him. The more we see and
know Him, the more we become like Him. The goal of our lives, as
Christians, is to be like Him. One day, when we are all, corporately, are
like Him, we are ready to meet Him. When we see Him, we will know Him
because we will be just like Him.
Man's natural tendency is to walk by sight. Ironically, when you
walk by sight, that is when you are blind. This is when you are
spiritually blind. If you say you see, that is actually when you do not
see; but when you trust in God and not see unless God opens your eyes, then,
God will give you the ability to see. The truth is not necessarily
based on man's standards. Externals, good looks are not hindrances to a
fulfillment of a calling. God's standards are different than man. David
was good looking; he was handsome. King Saul was head and shoulders taller than
any man
in Israel and he was called by God. God looks at the
heart. See the heart of a person; see the heart of the matter or the
situation. Don't read the situation or a person according to man's
standards but through God's eyes. Don't judge a person or situation blindly.
Again, I emphasized Exodus 17, where the Israelites were led to
the wilderness where there was no water. The Lord led Israel by stages,
according to His command. They came to a place where there was no
water. It was all part of God's will and leading. The Psalm says,
“He leads me in the path of righteousness.”
Our journey is in a path of righteousness. We may ask,
"Why is there no water? Why is there no space big enough? Why do we
have to do this or that?" We can find fault and say we did not look hard
enough for another place. Maybe, maybe not, that we did something and
maybe it was not enough. Our job is not to find fault and not ask who sinned.
Our job is to show the works of God. This is an opportunity for
us. God wants us to see first and understand what is happening and handle
things like He would because we are to be like Him, not giving up.
We had an emergency meeting with the people who are looking for a
place for our Church to move to. Yesterday, we had to look for a worship
place for today. Praise God, we found this place! I told the
group, “This is an opportunity for us to prove God. This is part of our
journey.” Last Friday evening, when I heard the news, I was in a trance
where everything seemed like blank. I found myself asking God, "Why!
Why does this thing have to happen?" I confess that I asked God,
"Why do I have to be Bishop at this time? Why does this have to fall
on my shoulder?” There were many questions. There were many,
"We should have....we could have...We could have done this...," but
we can choose to be still and know that He is God and He leads us in paths of
righteousness for His Name's sake. It is not for the Cathedral of the
King, but God's. His Name is on the line. It is not our reputation.
We just share His name. We are Christ-ians. We are believers in
God. God want us to understand what is happening. God wants us, at
this point, to demonstrate unity. He has given it to us and this is the
time we demonstrate it.
Yesterday morning, they made me emotional when we met because I
saw that as each spoke, they were concerned for our Church. Everyone had
their ideas; it is good; it showed everyone had a compassion for the welfare of
God for this Church. This is what we need to finally demonstrate what we
have been talking about, what we have been reading, what we have been
discussing in our Bible Studies, in our community meetings, in our devotions,
in our vigils.
We need to demonstrate the works of God and preserve the unity of
the Spirit. It is at this time that we need to demonstrate the unity. We
need to show the works of God. Our theme for this year is: striving
together in unity. “Walang iwanan.” This is the time we work
together. God led all the sons of Israel from the wilderness according to
His command. We strive together for the faith of the gospel and never cease to
be thankful. We are to be like Jesus who instituted the Eucharist telling
us to always be thankful because the Lord is our Shepherd. We never are
in want. Right now, we are not in want. We are provided for.
This place that we have now came last minute. They searched
for four places yesterday and three people were given 12 noon to look for a
place. All places were not available and as they were on their way to
Church to tell us that we have to go to our other option, they got a text about
this place. It was last minute. The Lord is our Shepherd and we
shall not want. I don't care what you think “want” is or how you interpret
“want.” We are never in want as long as God is our Shepherd and even if
we go through the valley of the shadow of death. It is not even the valley of
the shadow of death. We are far from it, but even if we get to that
point, we will not fear. There is no reason to do so because Christ has
overcome death and if He leads us, there is no problem. We follow Him. It
may be rough but we are secure in Him. Surely, goodness and
loving-kindness will follow us until next week, until next month and for all
the days of our lives.
I choose to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Why go
elsewhere when His goodness and loving-kindness are there. His provision,
His blessings are there. God says, "In Zion, there I proclaim the
blessing. The priests, I will clothe with righteousness, and the people,
I will bless. I establish My Name there." Thus, I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever.
With Him, all things work together for good. Whatever we are
facing is for the good. God leads us in path of righteousness. His will
for us is not for calamity but welfare. It is in the path of
righteousness. We are to give thanks all the time because God is
good all the time. In anyway, that is the way it is in the kingdom of our
God.
LET
US CONTINUE OUR REFLECTION
WITH
CARDINAL OF
HOLY MOTHER CHURCH
AND
VENERABLE PRIMATE
OF
THE PHILIPPINES
THROUGH
THE WORD EXPOSED
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