Thursday Of The Second Week Of Easter

In the beginning of the current episode, the apostles were imprisoned due to their witness (Acts 5:12-19). The issue might not have been what they said or did, but how they did it. They were drawing public attention to Jesus Christ, who was condemned by the Jerusalem authorities for refusing to keep quiet.

When the authorities reminded Peter to remain silent, he remained firm in his decision to bear witness to Jesus. Peter’s statement “We must obey God rather than any human authority” asserts that God’s raising of Jesus from the dead overturns His actual death. This means that Jesus’ death is not the final word, but for the Apostles, it is the path to a new life of repentance and renewal.

Furthermore, Peter’s statement overturns the meaning of Jesus’ death by connecting it to God’s exaltation of Jesus. The cross is the red carpet that leads to the lordship of Risen Jesus and defines his kingdom which has no end.

The truth about the resurrection and its power to save us from sin and death remains relevant today. God’s word never changes. What we need to change is our response and disposition to God’s word.

In today’s gospel, we see John the Baptist’s humility. He testifies to his followers that Jesus is the Son of God, and believing in Jesus means having eternal life. For anyone who refuses Jesus, the anger of God remains upon him. John gives a strong invitation to respond in this verse (John 3:36), which would jolt even the most apathetic person.

Humility is a crucial virtue and product of Christianity. John Chrysostom said that “humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue.” That’s because humility goes hand in hand with obedience. It’s like the bit in a horse’s mouth.

Accepting the bit acknowledges that it’s not in control, that it’s not first, that the Master will control the reins, and thus the humility of the bit positions the horse for obedience to the Master.

A.W. Pink also said, “The more I am occupied with Christ, the less I shall be occupied with myself.” Water always fills the lowest places first. The lower, the emptier a man lies before God, the faster and fuller will be the inflow and overflow of the Presence of God in his life.

Commenting on humility, Andrew Murray mentioned that “Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of man. It is the root of every virtue. And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil.”

As we go about our daily tasks, let us turn to the Lord by entrusting everything and our lives into His hands. Let us also anchor our faith in the power of the Lord’s resurrection so that we can be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.

Fr Joseph Osho