STANDING FOR GOD!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Lenten Weekday

By Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Luke 4: 24 - 30

24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED MONDAY TO ALL!!!

REJECTION is a very painful experience one could go through. It makes one feel judged of being unworthy of attention, care or recognition. It is very basic human need to be recognized and valued as a person. Rejection compromises this basic need that it makes one feel so worthless and unwanted. However, being rejected does not necessarily mean that one is doing wrong. Rejection can be a signal that one did something that others can not take. What is being done is unacceptable, and maybe offensive, to others. But what is unacceptable and offensive to others sensibilities do not necessarily imply that something can be considered evil or malicious. One can do what is RIGHT and yet rejected and condemned. Many were killed because they had spoken for the truth. Many are persecuted for bravely unmasking corruption in certain institution or agency.

In the Gospel today, Jesus declares that “no prophet is acceptable in his own country.” This could mean many things. To me it could mean that being a messenger of TRUTH invites trouble and rejection. A prophet is one sent by God to deliver His UNCOMPROMISING MESSAGE to the people. Such message could either be accepted or not. But due to the very nature of the message that a prophet will declare for public notice and application, rejection and condemnation are oftentimes the expected consequence. This is so because of the very message of the prophets that always REQUIRES people to CHANGE. Jesus himself was KILLED because he started a wave of CHANGES that threatened the power and influence of the religious leaders of his time. Jesus’ message has shaken the very foundation of their religion that gave them a corporate identity as the Chosen People of God.

As Christians, being committed to follow Jesus footsteps, we are challenged by the Gospel today on how FAR we can go in following Jesus. Can we follow him up to his Cross? Do we have the heart and nerve to face rejection and condemnation to uphold and insist Jesus’ message for CHANGE publicly? Can we persevere to STAND for God despite the risk of denunciation, censure, scorn and contempt? To be a true Christian is to be a PROPHET. To be a prophet is to GO THROUGH the WAY of JESUS that never seeks public approval and admiration but seeks to pass through the midst of public opinion and censure to PROCLAIM the GOOD NEWS of GOD!