DO NOT GO, DO NOT FOLLOW THEM
(Luke17:20-25)
As a child, growing in my
village, playing football with peers and mates was common. Football was not
only played at the field but also at the ogbakoro,(A large empty well
swept space for village meetings) in
front of the obiri,(The central meeting center of the family) or the Ime
Ogba( compound ).
I started going out with my mates
to play outside at the ogbakoro even though I was not a good player. One
of the Sundays, they came to call me for us to go and play a friendly match
with another kindred. My mum took me inside, locked me in there and sent those
boys away. In her judgment, they were not people who will help me realize my
dream. She weighed each and everyone of them and told me: "Don't go out
with them". It was a sad day for me, but I later realized the reason why
she insisted: "do not follow them".
In today's Gospel Reading, Jesus
presents to us what lies ahead of us, the kingdom. He reveals to us the enemies
of the kingdom who claim to present the kingdom to us. And He maintains: Don't
follow them.
A lot of things are promising us
heaven on earth, better life, brighter future, shortest way to make money,
successes without tears, favour without labour etc. False prophecies and
forecasts are here and there, Jesus warns: "Do not follow".
Whatsoever that will not lead you
to the kingdom of God, shun it. Anything that will not take you to God's
desired destiny for you, flee from it. Any place that will be an occasion to
sin, avoid it.
Are you worried about when the
kingdom will come? Work towards it, it will surely come, but no man knows when.
Are you crying and asking when
things will be better for you? Don't stop making effort, God will intervene, he
will surely come. But until He comes, there are places you should not go. You
don't run from one prayer house to the other, you don't move from Church to
Church, from one man of God to the other. Stand firm on Christ the solid rock.
Jesus paid for the kingdom with
his blood through suffering. Let us not forget that we should embrace the
sufferings of our lives and the various necessary disciplines we must go
through before entering the kingdom of God.
Let's not go with those who make
living in the world difficult by their irresponsibility. Let us endeavour to go
with those who live based on the heavenly standard.
Let us not follow bad policy
maker, evil compromisers and those who perpetrate all forms of evil. Don't go
with Antichrists, Don't follow enemies of the cross. Do not follow the false
preachers. Do not follow the self-acclaimed prophets. Do not follow the false
preachers. Follow Christ. Remain a Christian till the end. Jesus will meet you
and take you to His kingdom.
Let us pray
Thank you, Jesus, for showing us
the way to follow in order to get to your kingdom. Give us the grace to obey
your voice and avoid the places you said we should not go. May we have the
divine wisdom to overcome the temptations of deceptive pointers leading us to
perdition. May we not miss the heavenly kingdom but live and reign with you
there for ever and ever. Amen.
God bless your Thursday ( 32nd
Week, Ordinary Time)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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