“Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

I will continue on our reflection on the Lord’s Payer.

I want to start with the phrase, “Thy Will”.

All of us believe, whether we admit it or not, our lives are not random. At least, it is our hope that we have a purpose in this life. We also believe that our lives are lived to the fullest when we discover this purpose. As religious people, we call this “the will of God”. Muslims will tell you that the meaning of Islam is “submission to God’s will”. In the colloquial language, Muslims often used the phrase, “inshallah” which means, “If God wills” after every plan or proposal because they believed that God’s will is superior and better than their own rational plans. The Will of God plays an essential role in the lives of peoples of all religions.

In the scientific community, the religious phrase is substituted for “Laws of Nature”. It is the desire in some scientific fields, especially among physicists, to discover the one rule which governs all creation. They have discovered many universal rules in the process and have done great things with them. It is a similar idea to the religious notion. We believe that if we know God’s will, we can organize our lives to live in harmony with it. We are convinced that our happiness is intrinsically linked with it.

Many times people have asked us what made Mary and I leave our home countries to go the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. In my case, I was a native of Singapore and Mary, of Maine. Incidentally, we met in São Paulo. She went there before I arrived. Therefore, neither one of us followed each other to Brazil. We both went there for the same reason.

It is not any different from the reason why most people go to church or other religious institutions. We wanted to discover God’s will for our lives. We felt in our souls that it was connected with this ministry. Therefore, the most personal answer we can give to anyone for doing this ministry is that it makes us feel happy and fulfilled.

Many times I have heard preachers say that God has individual plan worked out for each one of us. I used to believe this but not anymore. I am more than convinced that God has only one single plan for every one. God has One Perfect Will for every being and creature and there is room and space for everyone to be part of this. Jesus, from the very beginning of His ministry, has proclaimed God’s plan. God desires for us to be part of His Kingdom here on earth. This is God’s will.

The way we perceive and understand God’s Kingdom in our midst will shape how we discern God’s will for our lives.

The Kingdom of God is not something we can materialize with our own personal efforts and strength. It is not based on our wishful thinking nor accomplished by our creative measures. It is something beyond our understanding and comprehension. Sometimes it appears to be illogical and impractical to our ways. Think about this; Jesus came into this world as a son of a carpenter. This is not the way to establish a political Kingdom. According to our standards, He should have been born into a influential family. Before his birth, no carpenter has changed the world in human history. Yet, this carpenter’s son has influenced the world more than any skilled and intelligent political rulers of human history.

When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”, we are actually saying that God will establish His Kingdom regardless of what happens in this world. He establishes it according to His values and principles revealed through His Son, Jesus. The sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew explicitly teaches us these values and, in the midst of this profound teaching, we find the Lord’s Prayer. The Kingdom of God is something we can only see clearly when we pray to God to open our eyes and ears. Our wisdom and knowledge won’t suffice. We need to pray that our faith will be awakened to see the eternal presence of the Kingdom of God in our midst. Where the Kingdom is manifested, there is hope, peace and joy.

To be honest, before I started working in this ministry, I never imagined working with homeless children and youth. Like I mentioned before, I come from Singapore. All I knew about South America back then was it was a place of military dictatorship and carnivals. However, I was earnestly seeking God’s will for my life. I was open and available. Then I heard someone mention Brazil. My interest perked up for no rhyme or reason. Then I felt a desire in my heart to see what God was doing in this country. I ended up in São Paulo without any plans to work with homeless children. A missionary brought me to the streets to meet the homeless youth. I saw about two to three hundred children and teens sleeping in the streets. I should have been shocked and disturbed by this sight. I was surrounded by hopelessness and misery. The number is significantly less today. However, it is still unsettling to see families living in this condition for three generations. Children who have never had a home in their lives. Young boys and girls at age of ten or less living without any adult to guide and protect them. Even worse is how society looks at them. It treats them as problems which need to be solved. The government is more concerned about clean streets for the tourist and they see the homeless children and adults as a nuisance. All this should have depressed me but I was struck by something beautiful and hopeful. In an inexplicable manner, I was seized by the Kingdom of God. I saw it with own my eyes. You may ask what exactly did I see?

It was something unexplainable but not unidentifiable. The New Testament tells us that the essence of God’s nature is Love. In the streets, we met with children and teens who have been rejected from the day they were born. They were considered outcast by society and many hold them in disdain. Despite all this negativity directed towards them, these young people are still open to love. They are sensitive to love. I don’t want to romanticize them. There is violence and deceit present too. However, it is not different than the kind you find in any middle class neighborhood. It is just that in the streets everything is open for everyone to see. Nevertheless, whenever we engage with the kids, we sense this aura of Love around us. Recently, this presence of God’s love has even drawn the attention of passerbys. Sometimes so-called regular people come and sit and watch us. Sometimes someone will ask if they can play a game with us. They sense the will of God being manifested in their midst. In other words, they see when two or three are gathered in His Name, God’s Love is manifested.

When I first started out in this ministry, I was about 25. Many said that it was just youthful idealism. Perhaps a little messiah complex thrown into the mix. All these were true. However, when we seek to do His will, His Spirit will purify our souls. Eventually I went to seminary and took the ordination route. I served in several parishes. I enjoyed visiting members and praying and comforting people in my parishes. However, I never saw the Kingdom of God as clearly as I saw it when I ministered to the homeless youth. Therefore, Mary and I chose to return to this ministry in 2013. Now, the Bible made more sense to me whenever I am among the homeless youth. My faith makes sense to me. I discovered God’s will in the lives of these young people and there was a space for me to be part of it. I am not saying what we do is superior or better than others. I am saying that when we find our place in God’s will, things will fall into places. Life won’t get easier but there is happiness and fulfillment. Some people say that it is a special vocation. Maybe it is true. I don’t know. I think it is just prayer. God responded to my prayers to see His will being done. Whenever we pray the Lord’s prayer, we are asking God to open our eyes and hearts to experience His will being done. It is not about what we do but how we see God’s Kingdom manifested in our midst. When this happens, we will easily see our place in God’s eternal will.

Therefore, I hope this simple reflection will contribute in your understanding of God’s will for your Life. There is a space and place for everyone in God’s eternal project. You don’t have to come Brazil where we are. Neither do you have to accomplish great things in order to fulfill His will. God’s will is simple. There are no hierarchy in God’s will. There is only One will and whenever we do it, we will sense the immensity of God’s love in our lives. It will bring hope and fulfillment to us. It will make the gospel more real and meaningful, not just to us, but to the world.

Let us pray together, “Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and avail ourselves to be part of the great and many wonderful things God is doing in our midst.

“Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.”

The way we pray shapes the way we live.

This is why the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. As Jewish people, they learned how to pray since they were little lads. However, they saw something unique and special in the life of Jesus. They wanted to pray themselves into living the way Jesus lived. This is the function of prayer. It is a prelude to action. In today’s religious context, people use prayer in lieu of action. Many times people say, “I will pray for you” when in reality they are saying, “I am not going to do anything but I do feel bad about it.” In order to appreciate the profundity of the Lord’s prayer, we need to return to its original meaning. It is an invitation to a lifestyle.

Many years ago, when we started working in this ministry for the first time, we participated in a special Christmas Eve meal in the streets. In Brazil and most Latin American countries, the major Christmas meal is on the eve. The one who organized it was not a Christian but an agnostic. Nothing surprising about this. Christmas celebrations are not restricted to Christians. There were also some Franciscan friars thrown into the mix. They brought a makeshift table and paper plates and plastic cutlery. Our contribution to the meal was minimum really. They just wanted us to be present because the homeless children and youth had a strong bond with us. Usually, during Christmas, the population of the homeless thins out. Some go to the shelter to celebrate Christmas. Others try to go home to whatever vestiges of family they have left. Those who remained in the streets are the orphans in the fullest sense of the word. These have no one in the world besides their friends in the streets.

The meal was quite elaborate. Everything you would find in a regular middle class Brazilian Christmas meal, except that it was in the open air in the streets. As we gathered around the table, our agnostic host said that since it was Christmas, it would be only appropriate to say a prayer before we eat. Then he initiated with the words. “Our Father…” The rest followed his cue. We prayed in a same melodic manner, very much like how we do it in churches as a congregation. However, at that moment, in the midst of this very strange congregation, it sounded like a choir responding to the voices of the angels of the first Christmas. For me, it was a “born again” moment. I sensed in my soul that the gospel was being manifested in flesh and blood. No one present at the meal has ever forgotten it. It was one of the eternal gifts God had bestowed upon us.

“Our Father who art in Heaven”

Many religions believe that there is One Supreme God who creates all things. Then, each religion differs in the definition of the relationship of this Creator God with creation. In quite a lot of religions, God is a distant figure and the need for intermediaries is necessary. In others, He is an impersonal being completely oblivious to creation. In some, including certain branches of Christianity, He is an angry and disappointed God who needs to be appeased. Jesus came to set the record straight. He teaches us that God is our Father; not my Father nor the Father of the Christian church nor this nation. He is Our Father in Heaven. He does not belong to any group. His fatherhood extends to all things He created in this world. This is good news.

God is not a distant impersonal creator but a present Father. His Love is generously poured upon all peoples and creatures of all sorts and conditions. This is perhaps why the greatest prayer in the world is so simple that even a child can say it without any problems. It is simple but not simplistic. It reveals depths of profound wisdom which are only discovered if our hearts and minds are open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. These are prophetic words which challenge our sinful nature that often times wants to exalt tribalism above anything else. It goes against our tendency of thinking of God just as our own Personal Father and not the Father of all things existent. He is not just the Father of our friends and families or community. He is the Father of our enemies. He is the Father of the person who irritates us; our grumpy neighbor or the annoying customer in the store. He is the Father of the unstable homeless person. He is our Father without any restrictions.

Only the Spirit of God can truly drive this point into our hearts. Only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit did the disciples understand that the gospel is for all peoples and not just the Jewish nations. Only the Holy Spirit can testify to our souls and gives us the boldness and conviction to call God, “Abba, Father”. This deep and profound knowledge comes with a profound responsibility. We are now our brother’s and sister’s keeper. Our fellow human beings are no longer abstract beings. They are our siblings and we are called to be responsible for them. Only the murderous Cain rejected this role. However, we are called to follow the example of the saintly Abel who gave the best offerings to our Father.

The prayer doesn’t stop at God being our Father but we are given a task. We have to ensure that we proclaim the Holiness of His Name. You will never find in the gospel a doctrine about holiness. You will never find Jesus teaching His disciples on the concept of holiness. You will only read about how Jesus lived His Life. You will read that Jesus says that if you have seen me, you have seen my Father. This is the very essence of Christian Holiness.

There is a kind of “holiness” in this world. It is not necessarily modern phenomenon but something profoundly human. It has been there since humanity responded to the spiritual promptings of God’s spirit. This “holiness” is one which is detached from Love. Jesus recognized it in the Pharisees and He warned us that our spirituality must surpass that of the Pharisee. I don’t want to waste precious time pointing out how this kind of “holiness” manifests itself today. It is not very interesting. Suffice it to say the holiness of the Pharisees separates people from God. The holiness of Jesus gave people the courage to return to their Father’s household. Jesus hallowed God’s Name by revealing the true essence of the Father to the people with whom He interacted.

Our homeless children and youth know that God is their Father. They would say this without hesitation. It is not a religious jargon which they have learned. They truly sense this in their souls. This is the only reason why they are still alive when the world around them seemed to desire their death. However, they need help to know and understand that they too, have responsibilities as God’s children. They have the task of proclaiming His Holiness. The Lord’s Prayer is for them too. It is for their lifestyle too. However, they need concrete examples to follow. They need to see people in their midst who are willing to hallow the Name of God with their lifestyles.

Whenever we pray this prayer, God, our Heavenly Father invites us to be the person who would go into the midst of the people and manifest God’s true holiness. Now, let us be clear. God, our Father, does not need anyone to proclaim His Holiness to the world. It has always been present. Remember the meal I mentioned. God used an agnostic to provide a meal for His children. This man acknowledged the Heavenly Father even though he did not know if he believed in Him. It sounds crazy but it is something our Heavenly Father does. He constantly manifests His Holiness to the world. However, we are given the choice. We can pray and make ourselves the instruments of His Holiness. It is also an invitation to understand in a deep and profound way the meaning of God’s Holiness. One of His disciples who lived out this prayer proclaimed God’s holiness in these simple terms;

“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” I John 4:16

The simple meal in which we participated years ago opened our hearts and minds to become His instruments of Holiness. It has been a journey of understanding and discovering how His Holy name is manifested among the homeless children of São Paulo. Our task is simply allowing this Holiness to shine through our lives. In this way, we can boldly pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Every two years or so, Mary and I visit with the churches of the diocese of Central Florida. This is our home diocese and it has been our primary support since we have doing this ministry in 2013. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the prayers and love of the good people of this community. Besides preaching and sharing about the things we learn and do in the streets of São Paulo, it is also a time of personal reflection for us. It is easy to be absorbed into a ministry without taking time to step back and reflect. This is perhaps something easily overlooked but it is the essential part of everything we do. Reflection is just allowing ourselves to rise above the situation and observe what we have learned about the Truth. It is not an objective observation. I personally don’t believe that we are able to have an objective reading of any situation. In order to understand and appreciate the gospel, we have put our hearts and souls into it. Therefore, we cannot be detached from something in order to be objective. We don’t want to be detached from our homeless youth. We want to be part of their lives and we open ourselves to allow them to become part of our lives. Therefore, our reflection includes all our interactions with them and how these have helped us delve deeper into the profound wisdom revealed through the Person of Jesus. The challenge is how to put all of this into words which communicate in a clear and precise manner to people who have loved and supported us all these years.

I am also confronted with another challenge. I find it hard to just speak solely about our ministry from the pulpit. This stems from a personal conviction inculcated in me from a very young age that the pulpit is a place to proclaim the gospel. Although some might argue in our defense and say that what we do is the proclamation of the gospel. As convincing as it might be, I am too ingrained in my personal conviction to budge from it. I also find it difficult to reconcile with the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount;

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” Matthew 6:2

Maybe I am reading this wrongly but I don’t want to use the pulpit to blow my own trumpet. Nevertheless, we have learned valuable lessons about the gospel which are beneficial and edifying to share with others especially for those who participate in our ministry through prayer. Therefore, this is the very reason why I decided to focus our reflections in the following weeks on prayer, more specifically the Lord’s Prayer. After all, prayer has been the only constant link between us and the people who live thousands of miles away from the reality of our homeless children and youth. Through prayer, many have kept their interest in this ministry. It has helped us to find our source and strength in continuing in this work without suffering “burnout”, a common ailment of our time.

There can never be a better prayer than the Lord’s Prayer to use as the basis of our reflection. In a way, it was this prayer which helped me make the decision to dedicate ourselves to this ministry. It opened my eyes to see the opportunity that the Holy Spirit placed before us; to become part of the community God is forming among the homeless children and youth. We have become a unusual family which only Heavenly Father can create.

In the Anglican tradition, we pray the Lord’s prayer every time we approach the Lord’s table. It is the prayer which gives the courage to receive the Holy Sacraments of Bread and Wine as one people. It is a prayer which overcomes all barriers. Besides, there is nothing in the prayer which is offensive to people of any religion. It speaks universally to all of us of the divine love and the human condition.

In the following weeks, I will post a series of reflections on the Lord’s Prayer. I will divide the Lord’s Prayer into five sections. The purpose is to share the knowledge and wisdom we have learned through our ministry with the homeless youth. In a way, every Christian ministry is an attempt to live out the Lord’s prayer. In reality, this is the purpose of prayer. It is to help us have a focus before we set out to live out our faith in the world. My hope is that our reflections will help you in your reflection in the things you seek to do in your community wherever you live. We hope that our ongoing understanding of the gospel can enrich your reading and understanding of the gospel. As always, your comments and reflections are always welcomed and they always encourage us. God bless.

I love the Anglican liturgy and this phrase is one we say before every communion. After you have heard the liturgy often, it travels with you. Like Hemingway’s Paris, it is a moveable feast.

Years ago, Stephen wrote about a boy named Igor. Igor was one of the first street kids we came to know. He wanted to learn English, so we had English lessons in the street and later, we studied the Bible together. We always had a positive relationship with Igor and he truly tried to change his life. He had been to Juvenile detention many times, maybe twenty but I am not sure about that.

Time separated us and when we next saw Igor sporting two new tattoos over his eyebrows, he admitted that he was not in a good place. We thought of him often and prayed for him often, as well.

Years past and last week, a friendly young man greeted us as we walked home. It was Igor, healthy and strong with an open and happy face. Hugs were exchanged. He is much better now, stable, working, and free from crime and it shows.

Seeing Igor is a lovely Christmas gift and one that was a true surprise. That phrase, “the gifts of God for the people of God” keeps tumbling through my mind.

Merry Christmas to Igor and to you, too!

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Luke 3:1-3

We are once again in the season of Advent. I spent a greater part of my life thinking that this liturgical season was a mere prelude to Christmas. Despite growing up in a staunch Roman Catholic household, I had very little understanding of the traditional themes of Advent; death, judgment, heaven and hell. To be honest, I can understand why these traditional themes have gone by the wayside. No one wants this festive season to be tempered by somber themes.

There is a shift in the spirituality of the church over the years. I am not here to talk about the good ole days; just about the change. When I was young, my parents used to drag me to funerals. I’m sure some people might feel horrified about what I am going to say. My first funeral experience occurred when I was about five. My parents often reminded me that I asked why everyone was so distressed while my uncle was sleeping peacefully in a box. My parents had to take me aside to tell that he wasn’t going to wake up anymore. Many friends of my age and older had similar experiences. We learned about the reality of death at a very young age. Amazingly, none of us were traumatized by it. However, today we find a church which has detached itself from the discussion of death. Even the traditional themes of Advent have been replaced with more amicable ones like hope, peace, joy and love. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t aware of these new themes until recently. I guess I am a little bit of a traditionalist. I prefer the traditional ones.

Death, judgment, heaven and hell are still relevant today. People still think about them. People still fret about these themes. Just because we stop speaking about them, they do not dissipate from reality. How we face death and its aftermath determines how we live our lives today. Almost every religion and notable ancient philosophies approach the subject of death first before developing their ethics. About the time of Jesus, among the Gentile world, the title, “savior”, was given to a philosopher, Epicurus. His philosophy has often been unjustly defined as one of hedonism. Nothing could be further away from the truth. Epicurus was concerned about death, more specifically, the fear of death. We, rational beings, cannot avoid this subject. We are fully self conscious and part of this includes our awareness of our personal mortality. Thomas Aquinas wrote part of the argument of the soul’s immortality is the resistance against its demise. We believe that it is unnatural that we should just evaporate upon death. We fear and dread this possibility. In our hearts, most of us fear death, not death itself but what comes after. We are afraid of being judged. We like the idea of heaven but we cannot discard the notion that we could end up in the alternative place. Hell has its own history. During Jesus’ time, hell was less sinister. It was a place of a shadowy existence with no real influence nor impact in the real world. Epicurus came up with an convincing argument that served to placate troubled souls for a season. However, it didn’t stick.

Avoiding these subjects doesn’t make them go away. These themes are part of our reality and they cannot be suppressed. They usually come in different creative forms. Today we are confronted with an array of movies and literature which speaks about the end times. Their depictions of our end is usually worse and more depressing than any medieval art and literature of a morbid nature. Even in religious circles, there is a tendency to be fascinated with death and destruction without much hope. Recently, one of our youth who is now trying to break free from homelessness shared that she has been watching so-called Christian movies about the end times. She described a movie to us which was nothing more than a sensational horror movie peppered with a brief moment when Christ rescues His chosen ones. It doesn’t seem to have much of the gospel. Jesus seemed to be absent in all the death and destruction. The gospel always places Jesus right in the midst of darkness so that His Light would shine brightly.

The primary purpose of the season of Advent is to remind us that we are a people awaiting for the return of our Heavenly King. In the early church, the first disciples really believed that Jesus was going to return in their lifetime. Jesus said something to that extent. It wasn’t just their own impression entirely. They sold their belongings and lived in communities. They did not see the advantage of holding onto to things that would rust and rot. They had their eyes on things eternal. The early church did not build buildings. It wasn’t necessary. They thought Jesus was going to establish the eternal temple. Then it became apparent that God works on his own time table and nothing done with human hands could hasten His return. The early church also understood that no one could truly predict His return even though some so-called prophets claim that it is going to happen very soon. No one knows the time, not even Jesus. He said it Himself (Mark 13:32). The signs are there. They have been there for two thousands years or more. We can’t just go on signs alone. Despite the delay, one thing is for certain. We profess it in the creed,

“And He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.”
We, as His people, will be judged according on how we prepare for His Return to this world. We will be judged! Either when He returns in Person or at our death.

The word, “judgment” is the terrifying part of death. Most likely most people fear death because of the possibility of judgement. There are churches which preach that we will bypass judgment as believers in our Lord. They say that Jesus has paid for all our sins and now we have a “Get out of judgement card.” Even though they might say this with utter conviction, it is not according to what Jesus taught. He said that there will be judgment. He will separate the sheep from the goats. To the sheep, He will say, ”You gave Me water when I was thirsty, food when I was hungry, clothes when I was naked, visited Me when I was imprisoned. To the goats, He will say, “I do not know you.” In the same gospel, Jesus said that many will insist that they did all kinds of religious acts in His Name but their spirituality did not exceed that of the Pharisees. The sheep followed the footsteps of the Shepherd. This is how they prepared for His return. They followed in His footsteps.

In the above gospel text, all those who were in authority and power at the time of Jesus are listed. These were the people who ruled the world and perhaps in their minds they thought that they held the future of the world. John the Baptist was an unsophisticated simpleton compared to these dignitaries. However, he knew how to prepare the way for the Messiah. He set the path for our Lord in such a way that many even confused him for the coming Savior. In the gospels, we will read many instances where John the Baptist had to clear up this misgiving. In the early church, people saw Jesus in the disciples who prepared for His return.

How blessed will it be if people saw Christ in those today who are awaiting for His return? Perhaps this will be the question that will be asked of us when we are judged; Did people see Christ in us?

Death, judgement, heaven and hell are not meant to scare us into action. Hell is not about torture. It is about a meaningless existence. We as a people, aware of His return, are given the highest vocation that is available to humanity. We are called to prepare the world to receive our most excellent and benevolent King. Death reminds us of the short time. We need to use our time wisely. Judgement is on how we live our lives and whether we prepare the people around us to receive the King who is to return. Heaven is knowing that we have lived our lives worthy to be called His sheep. Advent beckons us to reflect on these things.

Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ John 18:36-38

The last Sunday before Advent is the Feast of Christ the King. Therefore, the main theme of this reflection is celebrating the Kingship of Jesus.

In Jesus’ times, kings and queens ruled the world. A nation wasn’t considered a true nation unless it had a monarch. The Old Testament tells us the people of Israel rejected God because they wanted a king. It wasn’t because they didn’t want God in their lives. They felt that they weren’t a real nation unless they had a monarch. Pilate wanted to find out if Jesus wanted to be a king. It is not because he believed in Jesus’ sovereignty. He wanted to find something to accuse Jesus. He wanted to reduce Jesus to a common king so that he could treat Him as one. Jesus as Himself was too complex and strange for the Roman Governor. He wanted someone more manageable. He wanted to reduce Jesus to a common king.

This is not the first time. The gospel of John tells us a story where the crowd tried to force Jesus to become their king (John 6:15). He refused and withdrew into the mountains. Even before this, we read in the gospels of Matthew and Luke where the devil tempted Jesus and offered to make Jesus a King of this world. There was a hefty price tag involved. Kingship and power in this world always come with a price tag. It would have reduced Jesus into a mere politician. Jesus would not settle for something so low. Today, the temptations is still here but not for Jesus. We are faced with the temptations. We are tempted to reduce Jesus to the lowly status of a common King or a socio-political leader. Sometimes people use lofty terms saying that Jesus is the King of their nation. It might sound noble and great but it greatly reduces the true nature of our Lord’s Kingship.

First and foremost, Jesus would have been a terrible King of any nation in this world.

A monarch of any given nation is primarily concerned with the welfare of one’s particular nation. The same can be said of modern politicians. A good and decent politician is only concerned with the welfare of the country one is chosen to represent, albeit not always the case. Sometimes we hear discourses about monarchs and politicians making altruistic agreements with less fortunate nations. In reality, there are no such things as altruistic actions in politics. Everything comes with strings attached. In fact, this is how to world functions in many aspects of society. Nothing is done for free. Jesus would have been a terrible King.

Jesus was truly altruistic. He did not do anything for national nor personal gains. He healed and gave freely without even expecting any gratitude from the people. He did not even require them to become more religious. He never demanded strict obedience to the Law although He Himself fulfilled it according to its true essence perfectly. Furthermore, He never mingled with powerful people who could have helped him to advance his cause. Instead, he worked with people who had no power nor influence in society. He never did anything to improve the local economic status of his society. In one occasion, He caused tremendous damage to the economy of a village by expelling demons into swine causing their demise. These animals were the major economic source. He did this to save the soul of one solitary person who was considered an outcast. It was not worthy investment by worldly means. The people of the village invited Jesus to leave. His ministry was bad for their business.

If Jesus were to stand for election, no one in their right mind would vote for Him. No rational political party would consider Him as their candidate. They would be right. Jesus would have made a terrible political leader. This does not mean Jesus wasn’t political. He was and is but His politics is not of this world. It doesn’t quite fit into the ideologies that are floating around in this world. People try to put Him in box and they try to reduce Him into something that He was never meant to be.

Having said this, Jesus did not deny that He was and is a King. In Jesus’ time, kings and queens played an important role in society apart from politics. It was something that was important to the common people. Perhaps something for those of us like myself who grew up in a republic might find hard to understand. The people used to look to the monarch for moral guidance. People thought whatever the monarch did was the way things are supposed to be. Consequently the religion the monarch adopted naturally became the religion of the people. The people believed that the King knew what was morally best for his subjects. The book of Ecclesiastes, a book which is presently part of my daily devotion, talks about how to live our lives. The conclusions reached in this book have a prominent place and consideration in the Old Testament because its author is believed to be a king. Perhaps, this role of the monarch is much more important and higher than mere politics. This special role of the monarch earned them the title as Sons or Daughters of Heavens in the ancient world because they revealed to the people how to live one’s life in harmony with the divine laws. We know from history that the best of these were far from fulfilling this role perfectly. Most of them, if not all, had their hands tainted with blood and violence. Our Lord is the only one who fulfilled this role perfectly.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Pilate wanted Jesus to be a mere political leader. It was easier for him to deal with one. Today many want to do the same because we think of politicians as our servants. It is more an idealistic view than a realistic one. However, Jesus is not our politician. He is not working for the betterment of our nation or any nation. His Kingdom has only one commitment. According to His answer to Pilate, it is to reveal the Truth. Then Pilate asked the perfect question, “What is Truth?”

Today, everyone claims to be the spokesperson of the Truth. Tons of news outlets and religious leaders claim objectivity when sharing the Truth. In reality, any such claims reveal a lack of understanding of the Truth. We, as human beings, do not have the possibility of knowing the Truth in its entirety. Relatively speaking, we have the brain of the size of a bacteria when we look at the immensity of the universe. God stands above and beyond our universe. He is the Truth, the Way and the Life.

In our Christian faith, when we say Jesus is the King, we actually mean that He is the standard for us to live our lives. The Kingship of Jesus is not the kind of Kingship where we put Him on a pedestal and admire Him from a distance. Jesus never lived in a castle and addressed His subjects from afar. He was and is a King who lives the Truth deeply engaged in the everyday lives of the people. His Truth restored and healed people. His Truth received those who were considered a menace to society. He engaged people who lived in the most difficult situations and was able to bring the Truth to them in its purest and genuine form. He was and is the King who is able to suffer injustice and cruelty and yet, never compromise with the world to alleviate His suffering. His Truth was able to forgive and love those who committed the vilest acts against His person. His commitment to live the Life and Presence of the true living God was never compromised. He remained the Salt and Light until He took His final breath. His resurrection proved that His example of Lifestyle was the only way to have an eternal impact in this world.

Jesus is our Eternal King! He is not to be reduced to a mere monarch of any nation. Kingdoms of this world come and go. Our eternal King remains relevant throughout the times among all peoples of the world including our homeless youth. The only way to celebrate the Kingship of Jesus is to make a commitment to ourselves that He will be the only King of our lives. In other words, He will be the standard and model for us to mimic in this life. He is not a King to be proclaimed with mere words. We do this for our earthly kings. Our Heavenly King is only truly honored when we walk in His footsteps.

Let us celebrate Christ our King in the most worthy manner possible!

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’  Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ Mark 13:1-2

Once I contemplated apply for a clergy position in England. This was many years ago. The profile of the community seemed to meet my personal idea of ministry. It seemed to be a good match. However, if I was to be honest, the most attractive thing to me was the church building. Maybe I am just superficial or maybe it is because I am an Anglican. We are drawn to beautiful sacred architecture. This beautiful ancient church was built in the year 1000. I was enamored by its history and beauty. The idea of serving in a parish enthralled my soul. However, the more I thought about this, the less sure I became about the prospect. I was afraid that the church building might come tumbling down on my watch. I know some might think I am a little paranoid. Most likely, you are right. Nevertheless, nothing lasts forever. All our best constructed buildings one day will come tumbling down. All our institutions will end one day. All our nations will be nothing but a page in the history books. Nothing lasts forever. As the wise preacher of Ecclesiastes taught us; “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

Everything under the sun, good or bad, has a beginning and an end. Perhaps we are relieved when a bad season completes its turn but we also have to accept that the contrary is true. This is not pessimism. It is just the nature of Life. Sometimes good things can end up being a curse. We tend to hold onto these and refuse to accept their end. We want them to last forever when they were meant to be temporary. The result is that the “good” can become a curse and blind us from seeing the eternal God present in the new things which come our way.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Mark 2:22

In the gospel text quoted above, Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple.

The Temple played an important role in the lives of God’s people. It gave them their spiritual identity. It was a symbol of union. The people of Israel were very diverse. In the time of Jesus, many lived in different nations and consequently spoke different languages and had different customs. Most of them risked their lives to travel to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple. It was the only place where they were permitted to offer sacrifices to God who redeemed them. It also played an important political role and still plays the same role today. I am not going to address this here. The point is that the words of Jesus should have been devastating to the apostles. They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The people expected the Messiah to restore Israel and elevate its glory above all the nations. The Temple was also an important symbol of Israel’s past glories and now Jesus prophesied that this symbol would be utterly destroyed. This should have disturbed them but we don’t see such reaction. In fact, they were curious about this event but they didn’t seemed to be disturbed. Nevertheless, these words of Jesus were used against Him by the religious leaders at his trial. They considered his comment to be blasphemous. The symbol came to be on par with the very thing it represented. This was not the case with the disciples. They did not allow the old symbols to hinder them from receiving the New Wine.

Recently, I was given a book published in 1857. The store owner had given up hope of ever selling it because it was in English and it was an old theological book. I had never heard of it. I later learned that it is considered to be a Christian classic; “The Christ of History” by John Young. The author argued that Jesus, without resorting to miracles nor religious arguments, can be shown to be the true divine Christ just through his earthly life and teachings. The book has enriched my reading of the gospels. It has made me pay attention to things which I have often overlooked; mainly the very beginning of His earthly ministry. Jesus chose simple tradesmen to be part of His movement. Since I come from a time when kings and queens play a passive role in society, I never paid much attention to this peculiar act. However, in Jesus’ time, this was not how a King established His Kingdom. Usually, powerful lords and nobles were chosen for the task. This makes logical sense, after all what would tradesmen know about administrating lands and issuing out orders. The success of any Kingdom demands capable people to be in power. The Kingdom of God is not one of the many kingdoms of this world. It is not something constructed out of the wisdom of humanity. It doesn’t subject itself to the seasons of Time. It is an eternal Kingdom.

Jesus chose people who had no intention of being anything great in this world. We have to remember in Jesus’ time, the social classes were more rigid. No one moved up or down the social ladder. Everyone was born into their place in society. Jesus never made any promises that His disciples would move up the social ladder. Nonetheless, their social status doesn’t change the nature of their souls. It did not diminish the clamor of their souls to be connected to something eternal. For them, the Temple is something which helped them be connected with God and nothing else. In a way, they had a purer idea of its symbolic value. This is why Jesus chose his disciples amongst these people. They were more sensitive to His message because they sought an eternal connection for their lives. Those who had other interests besides the yearnings of their souls held on to symbols as if these were the very thing that satisfied their souls.

I found this to be true in our ministry to the homeless youth. We have young parents in our midst who baptize their children in the Roman Catholic Church while they themselves attend a Pentecostal church regularly. They also seek constant spiritual guidance from us but they have never heard of the Anglican Church. Meanwhile each church tries to assert the importance and essential role of its presence in the world. Our youth just see each symbol as a connection with God. They are not devastated if a symbol stops serving its purpose as long as there is a connection with the Eternal Father who is always present in their midst in some shape or form.

In the gospel text, Jesus was talking about the end times and His imminent return. Here we are two thousands later and Jesus hasn’t returned yet. However, the warning is still relevant. First, we have to recognize the symbols for what they are. They have a season in our lives. They are good and valuable but they only serve the purpose of connecting us to the Eternal God. When they stopped doing this, then they are no longer valuable. If we insist on holding on them, then we will deviate our eyes from the eternal and idolize the very thing which is supposed to save us from idolatry. In the worst case scenario, we continue to seek other symbols which do not connect us with anything eternal but drive us away from all things holy and sound.

Someone once asked us if our youth misses us when we are away. They miss us but not as much as some imagine. They miss us because we have become part of their daily routine. However, in their lives, people come and go. They used to the transitoriness of life. They know people are in their lives for a season. They don’t fall apart when the season ends. We learned this important lesson from them. Everything has its season whether good or bad. In each season, there is something to connect us with the Eternal. Therefore, we should always seek to identify this connection in our lives. It helps us recognize the person of Jesus clearer. However, we should also be careful not to confuse one thing for another. The symbol is a mere symbol. It has its season and it will end one day.

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ Mark 10:46-49

In another time, I would have just focused on the miracle and nothing else. Today, life has placed us in a different situation. Bartimaeus is no longer a person distant from my reality. He is one of our homeless youth. He was a person thrust into a condition which he never desired. Now, he had learned to adapt and apparently survive in that condition. Our children share the same story. They did not ask for this. They were thrown into this condition. Jesus identified them as the “little ones”. This gospel story gives a glimpse of what it means to be a “little one”. No one gave any heed to Bartimaeus’ constant plea. Many times in the gospel people approach Jesus pleading for healing. No one stood in their way nor reproached them. However, there were instances in the gospel where the crowd was in the way of a miracle. One was the poor woman who suffered from intense bleeding and the other was the four friends carrying their paraplegic friend. On these occasions, these people never gave up because their faith told them that Jesus was and is different. Their faith found a way to get to Jesus. This is a story about faith in action. In fact, the gospel of Mark is unique in this manner. It paints a picture of Jesus and helps us understand that our faith needs to act in order to approach Him. There are always many obstacles in the way.

The “little ones” were people who were considered insignificant and hardly tolerated in Jesus’ society. The gospel tells us that the people treated the blind man sternly as if he was an unruly animal. I wish we could say this doesn’t happen anymore. Unfortunately, this is not a thing of the past. This attitude is still present today. In more affluent societies, these “little ones” are hidden from sight. They are carefully tucked away in institutions far from the public. In other countries, they are out there in the open. Sometimes their presence can be overwhelming as it is in the city where we live presently. The local people have developed a defense mechanism against these “little ones”. They choose not to see these “little ones”. They can walk past them and not even notice their presence. They have become voluntarily blind. Some time ago, my sister visited with us from Australia. She was appalled to see how people walked by our homeless children as young as ten years old without batting an eye. I can understand that people don’t want to be weighed down by the distressing situation by pretending that the “little ones” don’t exist. Consequently, Bartimaeus did what was necessary to assert his presence in a society blind to his existence. He constantly yelled out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

This simple plea did not escape the attention of the earliest monastic movement know as the desert fathers and mothers. They developed a formula using very similar words, “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us, sinners.” Besides the Lord’s prayer, this simple formula known as the “Jesus Prayer” is perhaps one of the most commonly used prayers among present day disciples of Jesus. The purpose is the help us keep our focus on Jesus which was exactly what Bartimaeus did. He heard the insults and stern warnings of the people but despite all this, he kept his focus on the person of Jesus. The desert monks went to isolated places, not to escape the harsh realities of life, but to keep their focus on our Lord so they could be more effective disciples of Jesus in society. This prayer is for people who want to live out their faith in action.

The author of the gospel doesn’t give us much information about our blind man. We don’t know if he was born blind or became blind through illness. Perhaps this is not relevant. It is enough to know that this man was blind and, in Jesus’ time, there was only one job opening for people like him; begging. It helped him survive and his ailment played a major role. His blindness garnered the necessary sympathy from the masses. Unlike Bartimaeus, in today’s world, many of us are choosing to be blind and deaf. In many ways, we are doing this in order to survive. We use our gadgets to shut ourselves away from the real world and get a filtered version of reality. We see what we want to see and listen to what we want to hear. Nothing inconvenient is allowed because it might upset our world. Many are very happy to remain in this state of self-induced blindness and deafness. Bartimaeus was no different. He adapted his lifestyle to his state of blindness and learned how to survive. Change or healing in his case would require a complete change in his life. He would lose his livelihood. He would lose the pity of the people to which he had grown accustomed. Healing came with hefty price for Bartimaeus.

Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
Mark 10:51

I always thought that this was a strange question to ask. I mean that the man was blind and it was obvious what he needed. However, now I understand. People sought Jesus for all sorts of reasons. Some of them just needed Him to heal them and then we never hear of them again. There were perhaps some minor changes in their lives but they tended to forget about our Lord altogether. However, this blind man was asking for something more. He wanted to see in order to change his life completely. Jesus wanted to hear him articulate his desire which our blind friend did. Now, it is important for us to enquire what would give this man the courage to transform his life so radically at this point. No one ever changed careers in those times. You were either born into a trade which gave you a place in society or you were an outcast. Bartimaeus established himself as a blind beggar. We might think that this is a lamentable state to be in society but it was better than not having a place at all. Being able to see means that Bartimaeus needs to find something else to do in a world where there were no opportunities nor options. Jesus was just a poor itinerant preacher. There was not much prospect there. Being healed came with a hefty price and our blind friend chose to pay it.

Jesus recognized the courage of this man. Bartimaeus listened to his faith and not to all the other voices which were putting him down. I think that there is a lesson for us here especially in these modern times. There are many voices beckoning our attention in this world. Many times these voices tell us what to see and hear. They encourage us to isolate ourselves from the world. They want us to become partially blind and deaf because it will keep us safe.

Bartimaeus had a safe place in society but it was not a life-giving space. It was extremely limiting and dehumanizing. Our blind man perked up when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth. A small detail which speaks volumes. He had been feeding his mind with news of Jesus. He knew of his works and mercy. He knew that receiving sight from this Man was going to be different. It was Jesus and no one else who gave Bartimaeus the courage to be healed. The crowd wanted to keep our blind friend away from Jesus. They thought he was unworthy. Today’s crowd tries to convince us to listen to different lies which separate us from the rest of society. Jesus wants to heal us. He wants to give eyes and ears to see the world as it is and most importantly, He is able to heal and cure its ailments.

Bartimaeus was healed and then he followed Jesus so that he too could become an agent of healing. This is faith in action. It is not just about receiving healing but it is about becoming healers too. Many were just happy to be healed and then they did nothing with their lives. This story is not about healing. It is about listening to our faith and allowing it to transform us into agents of healing. Bartimaeus could have remained as he was and never enjoyed the fullness of life. Jesus wants to heal us so that we become healers, too. Our happiness and fulfillment lies in this. However, it demands a great change in our lifestyle. We cannot go back to things as they were after our healing. We need to consider carefully before asking for this healing. Perhaps praying the prayer of Bartimaeus can help and give us the necessary courage. After all, it worked for him. Therefore, let us join him and pray the prayer he prayed;

“Jesus, Son of God, Have mercy on us.”

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ Mark 10:35-37

This is quite a strange request!

Perhaps a little bit of context might help to appreciate its strangeness. Jesus had just told his disciples that they were going to Jerusalem where he will be tried and crucified. The apostles were taken by fear and Jesus did very little to appease them. In reality, there was nothing He could say that would be amenable. There are tragic things in life that are just inevitable, as much as we like to avoid them. His imminent death was one of them.

In the light of this, it appears as if the brothers were being callous with their bizarre request. However, there is enough information about them in the gospels to paint a more faithful picture of their character. To say they were a little feisty would be an understatement. They also tended to lean towards the violent side. When a Samaritan town refused passage for Jesus and his disciples, they wanted to destroy it. On another occasion, John wanted to prohibit a man using Jesus’ name to cure someone. He was willing to do anything to protect His Lord. John identified himself as Jesus’ favorite. At least, he seemed to hint at it in the fourth gospel. All this shows us that these brothers were not impervious to Jesus’ psychological and emotional state as He talked about his impending death. They wanted to take charge of the situation. Like most of us at times, they felt that God needs a little help from us to set things right. Therefore, it was necessary for them to have the power and authority do whatever was necessary to establish the Kingdom of God; maybe even prevent Jesus’ death in the process.

The brothers were being very human. We can appreciate this because we are just like them. Whenever we are threatened with chaos and possible destruction, we take refuge in our base human nature. A certain notoriously anti-Christian philosopher delighted in this aspect of our human nature. He called it our barbaric nature. He claimed that kingdoms and civilizations were established because of this barbaric nature within us. He is right. The Persians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans did not establish their empire through love. They established it by showing brutal force and violence. Our human nature delights in this. We read and admire the feats of these mighty and violent conquerers. We watch movies about them. Their values and principles are constantly shaping our hearts and minds. Little by little it draws us away from the principles and values of our Lord.

John and James wanted to wield power over the enemies of Jesus. They were not being egocentric but just worldly minded. The same philosopher I mentioned criticized Christianity because it taught something contrary to our human nature. He claimed that Christianity was anti-human or rather anti-life. He was wrong unfortunately. Christianity has succumbed many times to this barbaric nature. This barbaric nature is strong in us. The philosopher was also wrong that Jesus was against our human nature. He did not negate our nature but showed us how to become truly human. Even this philosopher, in contradictory terms, admitted this about Jesus.

Jesus conquered this barbaric nature within us. He died without succumbing to it. The temptations were there. In this story, John and James were a temptation to Him. At the passion, Peter drew a sword to protect Jesus. He was another temptation. The crowds provoked Jesus hoping that His barbaric nature would come out. They were disappointed. Jesus overcame this nature and conquered and transformed the world without shedding one drop of blood except His very own.

There are no secrets with Jesus. He shares with us how to overcome this barbaric nature within us. He reveals His secret,

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:42-44

Jesus is turning our world upside down. He is starting a revolution here. In order to fully comprehend His kingdom we need to abandon the old and embrace the new. The “old” made us look at kings and queens or those who hold power for solution. The Kingdom of God points to the lowest class in society. Servants in the New Testament are many times synonymous with slaves. Jesus pointed to the lowest member of society’s social ladder as an example for us to emulate. This is as revolutionary and radical today as it was in Jesus’ time. We may be scientifically and technologically more advanced than our ancestors but we still look to rulers and tyrants to be our examples. No one notices the servants. These are still considered to be the weak ones.

Of course, we know that slaves did not serve their masters with love but many times with justifiable disdain. Slaves become slaves throughout history through violence and brutal dominance. The radical difference in the gospel is the servants are those who have embraced the transformative power of Love. John and James were interested in power. Jesus pointed them towards Love and Love expresses itself through service. Jesus became a servant because of Love. We cannot appreciate the true value of Jesus’ example unless we encounter the Love which transformed Jesus into a willing and loving slave. Even just writing this seems to feel unnatural and strange. It goes against our human nature. This is good. The gospel is about radically changing how we think and act in this world. Jesus is revealing to us something new because He wants us to be noble beings like Himself. Our true happiness lies in it.

The question is whether this way of living is something practical in this world where brutal force and violence reign supreme.

First of all, it empowers each and everyone. All of us can become servants. It doesn’t matter what state we find ourselves in this life. If we allow the Love of God to conquer our hearts, we can become effective revolutionaries for the Kingdom of God. Secondly it is much more effective and eternal than any actions of the so-called heroes which this world have produced.

In my life, I have been excited and disappointed by countless politicians. They are also very forgettable. They don’t mark my life. However, the simple gesture of a pastor who received my friend and I into his house and spent time just listening to our insecure teenage plans and goals has influenced the way I live my life forever. Being servant is actually very easy but requires sacrifice. Sometimes it starts with a simple sacrifice like giving up our place to help someone in need.

More recently, I saw a couple in line to enter a very busy and cheap restaurant. Usually people wait for a long time to get into the place and after a long wait this couple were finally first in line. Just then a woman stumbled pass them behaving like a drunk person. Most people ignored her and she stumbled into the street and almost got hit by a car. The couple gave up their place to help her. I watched the whole scene from a short distance. The woman wasn’t drunk but something was wrong with her. She was feeling a little disoriented. We decided to help too. We already had our lunch so we told the couple to go ahead with their lunch and we would take over. The couple lost their place and had to go back to the line. There were many people who saw this woman but they were only ones to sacrifice their place to help her. We managed to get the woman to her home safely and we walked passed the couple. They asked about her welfare and we assured her that she was safe. We don’t know the name of the couple. However, their simple gesture marked me. It gave me hope. It reminded me that the Kingdom of God is alive and real. The couple lost their place in line but they found a place in our souls.

This is not a feel-good story to end this reflection. However, it is a living proof that if we want to live a revolutionary life which brings forth true transformation, then we need to follow the footsteps of the One who came to serve and not to serve. This young couple, if they continue to respond to the compassionate promptings of the Holy Spirit, will leave their marks in the lives of many people. All of us can serve, even our homeless children and youth. We encourage them to do it. I am happy to say that some of them have responded to this challenge. They are still homeless but they are making an impact in people’s lives much more than any politicians or people who wield power in this world can ever do. This is the revolutionary lifestyle Jesus challenges us to live. It is going to leave eternal marks of love in people’s lives. Most important of all, it is the key to living our lives as complete and noble human beings.

To be great in the Kingdom of God is become the servant of all.

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:17-22

The gospel of Mark tells us very little about this man. We don’t know his age nor his status. It just tells us this man was doing a most remarkable thing for a religious Jewish man of his time. He knelt down before Jesus. He was a student of the Law. He has kept the Law all his life with great rigor. Yet, he committed an act which would have certainly raised some eye brows among the Pharisees, especially in regards to the first commandment. Even Jesus confronted him on the issue. It wasn’t that Jesus was denying anything about Himself. He merely wanted to know if the man had carefully considered what he was confessing before the crowds. Only God is good and therefore what was he saying about Jesus?

“What I believe comes to me in the face of my mother. It comes to me in the scenes that I participated in with my brothers and sisters in my Father’s household.” Henry Ward Beecher in his sermon, “Moral Earnestness and Moral Honesty”

This man’s spirituality was different from that of the Pharisees. It wasn’t based on mere head knowledge. It was a living faith based on examples of those who allowed the Light of God to shine through their lives. He saw this Light shine its brightest in the person of Jesus. He was drawn to our Lord knowing that He had the answer to Life eternal.

In the present times, we commonly refer to “eternal life” almost synonymously with life after death. However, in Jesus’ time, the concept of the afterlife was not clearly defined. Eternity was something only associated with God. Therefore, in order to live eternal life meant to discover how to live our lives in harmony with God’s values and standards. It was the only way to live a life which would never be forgotten and erased by the temporal time. In other words, a life remembered by the only One who is eternal.
Jesus gave him the standard religious answer. For some, this would be adequate. However, this man’s soul hungered for something more. Most of the time, we give the standard religious answer to our homeless youth. Recently, a youth asked us about church. I am sure that she was thinking about our church. I was wearing my clericals when she asked this question. We advised her to seek a church closest to her where she feels comfortable. Our church is good but it might make her too self aware of her social status. She needs to be in a place where she can focus on her relationship with God and nothing else.

Jesus pointed to the Law because this is a good place to start. However, this man had vigorously followed the Law all his life. Unlike the Pharisees, he was far from being a hypocrite. He was a genuine seeker of God and Jesus recognized this. The gospel tells us that Jesus loved this man. Our Lord knew that this man was sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in his soul beckoning him to take the bold step towards life eternal. Unfortunately, we know that this story is a tragic one. He just couldn’t take that step. One thing held him back.

Sometimes people from affluent cultures find this story disturbing. I think there is an idea that Jesus expects all of us to give up everything we have and give it the poor. Once a member of my parish asked me if every the average American was doomed because of their wealth. She is right in one thing. Your average American or European or Singaporean is wealthy compared to many of the poor in the world. However, she is wrong in thinking that Jesus expected everyone to give up everything to follow Him. It was something specific for this man. Jesus wasn’t demanding it from him but merely pointing out what was hindering his spiritual growth. This man’s soul was troubled. He realized his life was empty and unfulfilling. Our Lord was showing what was needed for this man to be faithful to the yearnings of his soul.

This story is not about money nor wealth. Although Jesus did point out that rich people have a harder time entering the Kingdom of God not because of their wealth but because of their sense of security which comes from it. It doesn’t mean that others have a easier time. All of us have to be willing to surrender whatever gives us a sense of security if it hinders us from following the deepest conviction of our souls. In the case of this young man it was his wealth but Jesus addresses other things too in other parts of the gospel such as our families, our desire to please or impress others or even our fear of losing our lives. None of these things are bad in themselves except perhaps money. Jesus does mention that it is a false god and never a servant, therefore we need to be very careful how we deal with it. This is an entirely different issue which I am sure we will deal with in the other parts of the gospel. For now, it is about our sense of security. All of us need some thing to give us a sense of security to face this ever changing world. Consequently none of us are willing to abandon the very thing giving us courage to face the world and in many ways, part of our identity. In this sense, this man is not very different from us. Even our homeless youth can identify with this man.

This is perhaps one of the hardest things for us to learn in our ministry. We see homelessness as our biggest nightmare. Perhaps the man in our gospel story today was afraid to be homeless. It is understandable. Our youth were forced into it and they have discovered ways to make themselves feel safe and secure in this brutal environment. In a way, their identity is based on this sense of security they have. Therefore, they are not willing to abandon it for something better because they are not quite convinced that it will be good enough. They need guarantees. Our word alone won’t do. They need something more concrete. The man in the gospel wasn’t quite sure that there was enough guarantee that his life will be better. The problem is that Jesus doesn’t guarantee anything but eternal life. Many times, eternal life is not necessarily synonymous with a comfortable and smooth life.

The disciples themselves were scandalized by the tragic outcome of this episode even though they had given up many things to follow Jesus. Perhaps they were hoping that Jesus would make an exception for the man this time. However, it wasn’t Jesus who was demanding this of this man. Our Lord merely was trying to help the man see what was holding him back. God doesn’t make unreasonable demands. It is our soul; it belongs to God and can only be truly satisfied with it dwells in the presences of God. The man’s soul wants to be free to live out his life in accordance with God’s love. Jesus invited him to be in His presence. However, the risk was too high. The disciples asked the question that we desire to ask; “Can anyone be saved?” Jesus gives us a hopeful and realistic answer;

“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

These beautiful words cannot remain as they are; mere words. God makes it possible in the practical sense to satisfy the deepest yearnings of our souls. We can take the Pharisees’ approach and reduce everything to mere doctrine and theory. They believed that their head knowledge sufficed as a guarantee for eternal life. However, those who are sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit know that they need something more concrete and real. God gives us His Light and He allows His Light to shine in people close to us. These are not necessarily saints in the traditional sense where they are put on the pedestal and made to look like some sort of superhuman. These are average people like ourselves want to live their lives quietly in harmony with God’s eternal love. In my life, I had the privilege of meeting many of these people who helped me take the step towards eternal life. One of the them is an elderly church member named Nancy Henry. I don’t think she is with us now but she remains in the souls of many. She was never in charge of anything in the church. She was never in any leadership roles. In fact, not many people noticed her and I am sure that she never knew I noticed her. Nancy lived her life unnoticed. However, many noticed her love. She visited all the shut-ins in the parish. She made sure none of them were alone for all the holiday seasons. She always served silently in the background. She was just a loving presence and lived out her eternal life in this manner. It was the rector of this parish who pointed her out to me. He told me that she was his example to live our eternal life and encouraged me to seek out people like her in my future parishes. I followed his advise and continue to discover people like her who give me the courage to take the step towards eternal life.

We may not be ready to give up our sense of security to follow our Lord. However, God helps us by giving us people to hold our hands along the way as we take each step towards a fulfilling Life in Him.