Texts: Acts 5:27-33; Ps 34:2,9,17-20; John 3:31 -36
Every Christian is on a journey to heaven. Today’s Readings bring to mind who to obey if we are to get to heaven. Hence, St. Peter says, “We must obey God rather than men.” We are to obey Jesus Christ because He is from heaven. Let us listen to Jesus Himself: “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.” Coming from heaven He knows the way to heaven and what to do to get there. He also knows the life in heaven. Hence, we have every reason to believe His testimony about heaven and God who dwells in heaven. His testimony about heaven and God is nothing but the truth.
When we obey Jesus Christ two things happened: repentance and forgiveness of sins. St. Peter reminds us of this in today’s first reading, “The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Repentance is necessary if we are to obey Jesus Christ. Repentance is turning to Jesus Christ, listening to Him and living by His words. We need to turn away from other things to focus on Jesus Christ. Obeying Jesus Christ also brings about the forgiveness of sins. When we obey Jesus Christ, our guilty is taken away by the merit of His passion and we begin anew with God.
St. Peter invites us to obey Jesus Christ even when it is not easy for us to do so. We are to obey Jesus Christ not only when it is easy. Some of us obey Jesus Christ when it is easy, we fail to obey Him, listening to Him and living by His words. We are reminded, today, that we are to listen to God and obey Him alone. We are not to listen to our passions or human being but God. Death should not be strong enough to deter us from obeying Jesus Christ. Hunger, thirst, nakedness, poverty, wealth or whatever should not be strong enough to make us disobey Jesus Christ. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus Christ says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.” We are to obey Jesus Christ because the eternal life we are looking for in heaven is in Him. Obedience to Jesus Christ saves us from the wrath of God.
O God, who for the salvation of the world brought about the paschal sacrifice, be favourable to the supplications of your people, so that Christ our High Priest, interceding on our behalf, may by his likeness to ourselves bring us reconciliation, and by his equality with you free us from our sins. Amen (Collect)
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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