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"For fear that I might be disqualified." 1cor9:26

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GOSPEL REFLECTIONS VLOG

THERE IS A COST TO FOLLOWING JESUS: Give up your idols.

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There was a rich young man who consulted Jesus about what good he had to do to gain eternal life.  The young man was earnest; and he really wanted to be perfect.  He was religious in practice, and was interested in finding peace.  He knew about Jesus, and believed that he came to the right person to get the best advice, and was even very respectful in addressing Jesus.  Read about it in Matt 19:16-22.

But when Jesus spelled out to him the conditions of discipleship, and what he had to do to follow him, the young man got an instruction that he did not expect, was discouraged and walked away.

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HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? Maybe you’re lost and you don’t know it.

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Jesus asks a rhetorical question, “If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost?” (Matt 18:12 NABRE)  It’s rhetorical, because the answer is obvious.  Of course, he will go and look for the sheep that went astray!

And the lesson Jesus points out is this, He says:  “God, your Father in heaven, is like that shepherd. He does not want any of these little people to be lost, not even one of them.”  And who do you think Jesus was referring to as the people who are like the lost sheep? 

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EVIL EXISTS WHERE THERE IS GOOD — sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference

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The parable of the weeds among the wheat (found in Matt 13:36-43) is about a situation when a farmer’s enemy secretly plants bad seeds in the field where this farmer has just planted good seeds of wheat.  And as both of these types of good and bad seeds germinate and grow, the smart farmer tells his workers to leave these alone until harvest time because at this early stage and until the kernel of wheat actually appears, it is hard to distinguish the weeds from the wheat, because they all look the same at this stage. 

Although this makes practical sense from a farming point of view, the disciples are curious what Jesus means, because Jesus starts off the parable by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like this.”  So, Jesus explains that the one who sowed good seed is Himself, the Son of Man, and the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the enemy of Jesus is the devil and the weeds are the evil people.  Now, Jesus points out that at the end of the age there will be a reckoning.  The good news is that everything and everyone that causes sin and does evil will be thrown into hell, while the righteous will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven.  

When I think about this lesson, the obvious thing that comes to my mind is that I’m not surprised that evil exists where there is good.  We see it not only in this world; we see it even in ourselves, right? 

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“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.” What does that mean for us today?

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Imagine what life would be like in this modern day and age for a person living in a land totally ruled by a king?  Of course not all kings are the same.  There are good kings and there are awful kings.  But imagine a king so powerful, yet most benevolent, full of love and compassion for the people and equally loved by his people.  Not only is the king a ruler who puts good order in the land, but he also cares for and invests in the wellbeing of every single person and family belonging to his kingdom.  Because of his power and influence, no problem, no situation would be so big that the king wouldn’t have the capability and resources to solve and even anticipate all sorts of problems, and the king is able to work always for the good of those in his kingdom.  Wow!!

I suppose that every person who belongs to that kingdom would be very very secure, would be completely at peace and would have no worries in the world.  Sana ol, right?

Now, imagine further, that outsiders – those who belong to other lands or other kingdoms – are welcome to be part of this awesome kingdom, without much bureaucratic red tape, with the only condition being loyalty and allegiance to the king.  I bet you there will be a long long line of people applying for visas to be permanent residents of that kingdom.  Right?

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WHO AM I TO YOU? (Jesus)

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In today’s gospel from Matthew 16, Jesus has a private conversation with his disciples and asks them what people have been saying about him.  “Who do people say that I am?”, He asks.  To appreciate why Jesus wanted to know this, we can refer to how Luke describes the same private conversation.  Apparently, according to Luke chapter 9, Herod had been hearing stories about Jesus, about his incredible miracles and his controversial preachings.  And in verse 8 and 9, Herod is perplexed, saying: “I thought I beheaded John already. Now, who, then, is this person I hear such things about?”  And so, Herod must have started asking around about Jesus. 

And that’s why, now, Jesus wants to know, what people are saying about Him. 

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