ARE THE LIVING BETTER THAN THE DEAD?
(Luke 13:1-9)
Jesus calls for repentance today.
What is repentance? It is a change of attitude, a change in the way of
thinking, a total change of behaviour from bad to good, a change from
insensitivity to feeling what others are passing through. It is a change from
paying deaf ears to the cries of the afflicted and marginalised to giving
listening ear and attention to the pains and worries of people around us. It is
a change from feeling less concerned about the plight of the distressed to
developing a living conscience. It is indeed an effort to remove the heart of
stone to take up the heart of flesh instead. Repentance will make one get
involved in the positive movements around him and not glory in the fact that
one is better placed.
Jesus addressed the people who
came to Him reporting about the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their
sacrifices. Jesus answered them: "Do you think that these Galileans were
worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell
you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." He also gave
example with the eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed and He
asked: Do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in
Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise
perish."
If there is any time to be
prepared for death it is now. Let us get ready everyday for a happy and holy
death. Let us not end at rejoicing that we are living but live as we ought to
live. We are not better than the many persons dying for one reason or the other:
dying of hunger, of poverty, of brutality, of accidents, of XYZ.
Let us be more human in our
dealings with people. Let us be more humble and stop deifying ourselves. Let's
put an end to every form of tyranny and inhuman treatments. Let us listen to
the word of God and allow it to guide our holistic actions especially in our
relationship with God and indeed our fellow human beings. Let us not forget
that we are nothing. Let the dead remind us that we too will soon join them,
when? How? Where? We do not know. What matters should be to live well and make
the society a better place, to enhance life and not to destroy it. To put an
end to untimely death and not to rejoice over bloodshed.
Let us pray
Lord Jesus Christ. We do not want
to perish. Thank You for giving us another opportunity to repent. Open our ears
to heed your voice calling us to change our evil ways. Forgive us, forgive our
leaders, heal our world, make it a better place. May we not be stubborn but
obey you our only Lord and saviour, accept the souls of the departed and help
us to remember that life lived based on divine principle is the best through
Christ our Lord. Amen
God bless your Saturday
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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