God, whom we like…
Introduction
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A program in the computer that is meant to draw
your face – not from your picture, but by understanding your from the answers
that you give to the questions asked by computer – at the end of the game you
will get the message – ‘the computer is processing your face’ – the picture of
a monkey appears. It is programmed in the computer the picture of a monkey, a
program for fun. The picture of monkey is pre-fixed in the program.
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The pre-fixed images in our minds can cause a
lot of troubles. For example, the children have an image in their mind about
their parents, usually a perfect father or mother. When it is broken in real life,
they feel bad and begin to move away their parents.
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We also may have a pre-fixed image about god in
our mind, and if God does not act according to our expectation, we move away
from God. The example is today’s gospel.
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The Israelites rejected Jesus because Jesus did
not fulfill their expectation of God.
Content
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Israelites’ concept of God was:
o
An exclusive God
o
A strict God
o
One who saves them and destroys all their
enemies.
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But Jesus showed them the real nature of God –
loving father and inclusive God who is the creator of all.
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Jesus corrects their misunderstanding of God by
two examples:
o
Elijah and widow in Zarephath, in the land of
Sidon - receive the mercy of God during the famine.
o
Elisha and the leper Naaman, the Syrian who
received the cure from God.
o
Jesus shows that God takes care of everyone and
He is the father of all.
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Some time we too create God of our own
convenience.
o
Story - One of the first indigenous bishops in
Nigeria returned to his native town for a reception soon after he was made
bishop - most of whom had only a faint idea of what the Christian faith - In
the welcome speech, the people expressed how happy they were - promised him
they would all embrace Christianity if he, as bishop, would use the power of his
office to suppress one of the Ten Commandments for them - the young bishop
shocked them by telling them that the Ten Commandments are of divine and not
human making, and so are unchangeable – people were disappointment and the
bishop had to make a hasty departure from his own people.
Conclusion
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What is the image of God within us?
o
Is it a God of convenience?
§
“If at all I sin, God can understand me”.
§
“I have just to do my Sunday obligation to
please God”.
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“I need God whenever I have a problem or
difficulty”.
o
Is it a God who exclusively for us?
§
“Destroy all my enemies”.
§
“God should not bless those whom I do not like”.
o
Is it a God who is so strict?
§
“He is looking at my sins to punish me.
Therefore I obey the commandments to escape the punishments”.
§
“I come to the church for God”.
o
Is it a God who is far away?
§
“If I do not pray loud, God will not hear me”.
§
“God is in heaven that is far away from me”.
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Let us understand and experience God who is
revealed in Jesus – A God who is a loving father of all and who is living
within us. It is our duty as His children to obey his commandments and walk in
his ways.
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Let us participate His mission of love.
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