HOMILY OF TUESDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK IN LENT
Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30
THEME: THE DANGER OF FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE PAST
QUOTE: Care must be taken not to fall in love with one’s past no matter how nice it may look so as not to lose the good things ahead.
Care must be taken not to fall in love with one’s past no matter how nice it may look so as not to lose the good things ahead. The Israelites grumbled against God and declared their preference for Egypt, their land of slavery, when they were hungry in the wilderness.
The road to the cross may be rough, though the price of our salvation may require blood, knowing God’s plan for us, is the ultimate. If we lose sight of the present as a result of our predicament, the best direction to look is not the past. But if we do, it’s simply to learn lessons from it, to prepare for a brighter future. If the Israelites had recalled how God took them out of Egypt with a mighty hand, they would have built their courage in his power to provide for them in the wilderness. Focusing so much on our problems will only make them worse, but thinking out the best solutions, leads to progress.
Jesus told the pharisees in the gospel, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He.” More so, we see in the first reading how “Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.” Those who grumbled against God in the wilderness had once again experienced his saving power. And when they were bitten by the serpent, they equally saw how He rescued them. Jesus similarly told the pharisees that their unbelief will be put to an end when he would be crucified on the cross.
The true meaning of God’s love was shown on the cross. The pain and suffering of his only begotten Son explained his special love for us. Hence, we must not allow problems to stop us from believing in Him. Christianity is not a bed of roses. Life is full of ups and downs. There is no way we can show love without sacrifice. And our sacrifice must surely take something from us.
We pray that no condition should make us stop trusting God. Amen.
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