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Peter’s Declaration About Jesus
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Peter’s Declaration About Jesus (Matthew 16:13-23)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Reflection:-
Jesus proclaims Peter very fortunate for his rightful faith declaration: Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’. Jesus replied ‘It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven’ (Mt 16:16-17).
By this congratulation Jesus promises Peter the primacy of his Church;but, shortly after, He scolds Peter for having a very human and wrong idea of what the Messiah would do: Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, ‘Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you’. But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mt 16:22-23).
We have to be grateful to the evangelists for presenting us the first disciples of Jesus as they actually were: no idealized characters, but people of flesh and blood as ourselves, with their defects and virtues; which gets them closer to us and helps us to see that perfecting ourselves in Christian life is a certain path we all have to follow, for nobody is born knowing all the answers.
As we already know how history goes, let us accept Jesus Christ was the suffering Messiah prophet Isaiah announced who offered his life in the Cross.What is more difficult to accept is that we must keep on presenting his work by following the same path of surrendering, renunciation and sacrifice.
Imbued, as we appear to be, with a society that encourages quick success, learning without any effort and in a funny way, and achieving the maximum profit with the least possible strain, it should not surprise us we end up by seeing things more as people do than as God does. Once he received the Holy Spirit, Peter learned where the path he had to follow went through and he lived by this expectation.
“World tribulations are full of sadness and empty of any prizes; but those we suffer for God are softened by the hope of an eternal prize” – St. Ephraem.
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Jesus And The Canaanite Woman
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Jesus And The Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon”. But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, “Send her away: see how she is shouting after us”. Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel”.
But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, “Sir, help me!”. Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs”. The woman replied, “It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table”. Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish”. And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Reflection:-
Today, we often hear the expression “faith has been lost”, and the same people who ask our communities the baptism of their children or the catechesis for their infants or the sacrament of marriage, say it. These words depict the world in a negative way while trying to convince us bygone times were better and that we are now at the end of a stage where there is nothing left for us to say or to do.
Evidently, these are basically young people who, in its majority, watch rather sadly how the world has changed from their parents’ times, who used to live perhaps a more popular faith, which they have not known how to adapt to. This experience leaves them unsatisfied and without any capacity of reaction when, in fact, they might find themselves at the gates of a new stage they could very well take advantage of.
This passage of the Gospel draws the attention to that Canaanite mother that demands grace for her daughter by recognizing in Jesus the Son of David: “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon” (Mt 15:22). The Master is surprised: ”Woman, how great is your faith!” and He can do nothing but to act in favour of those persons: “Let it be as you wish” (Mt 15:28), although this does not seem to fall within his schedule. However, God’s grace is manifested in human realities.
Faith is not a privilege of a few, nor is it the property of those who think they are so good or of those who have ever been good, and have this social or ecclesial label.God’s action precedes any Church’s action and the Holy Spirit is already acting upon persons we would have never suspected could bring us a message from God, a request in favour of the needy.
St. Leo says:“My beloved, the virtue and wisdom of Christian faith are our love of God and of our neighbour: it does not miss any obligation to any pious works procuring to render God worship due to him and to help our brethren”.
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Jesus Walking On Water
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Jesus Walking On Water (Matthew 14:22-36)
After the crowds have eaten their fill, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by himself to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone.
Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves for the wind was against it. At daybreak, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once Jesus said to them, “Courage! Don’t be afraid. It’s me!”.
Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water”. Jesus said to him, “Come”. And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus. But, in face of the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, “Lord, save me!”. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”. As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God!”.
They came ashore at Gennesareth. The local people recognized Jesus and spread the news throughout the region. So they brought all the sick to him, begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. All who touched it became perfectly well.
Reflection:-
Now we shall not look at Jesus sleeping on the boat while it sinks, nor rebuking the winds and the waves with a single word, so his disciples may be amazed (Mt 8:23-27). But, today’s action is no less disconcerting, whether for his first disciples or for us.
Jesus had obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side; and after the crowds have eaten their fill, He had sent the crowd away. And, then, He went up the mountain by himself to pray. And He remained there alone. (Mt 14:22-23). Without his Master, the disciples were having troubles to face the wind. It was then when Jesus came to them walking on the water.
As plain and simple people would, the disciples were terrified to see him: men do not usually walk over water, so they thought they were seeing a ghost. But they were wrong: it was not an illusion what they were looking at, but the very Lord, who was inviting them – as He did quite often – not to be afraid and trust him to awake their faith in them.
This faith was first demanded to Peter, who said: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water” (Mt 14:28).With these words, Peter showed that faith consists of abiding by the word of Christ: he did not say “let me walk on the water” but he just wanted to follow what the very and only Lord could command him to do, to believe the truthfulness of the Master’s words.
His doubts, however, made him reel, but they led the other disciples to bow down and confess before their Master: “Truly, you are the Son of God!” (Mt 14:33).
The group of those that already were apostles, but did not yet fully believe, when they saw the waters waving below the Lord’s feet and appreciated his steps were firm through the stormy waves (…) they believed Jesus was the true Son of God, and accepted him as such.
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Jesus Feeds 5000 With Fish And Bread
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Jesus Feeds 5000 With Fish And Bread (Matthew 14:13-21)
On hearing about the death of John the Baptist, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place. But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, He saw the crowd gathered there and He had compassion on them. And He healed their sick.
Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat”. But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat”. They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes”. Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to me”.
Then He made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there besides women and children.
Reflection:-
Jesus shows us just how much He wants to involve us in his saving work. He who had created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, could have easily created a rich banquet from nothing to satiate the multitudes. But He preferred to work the miracle starting with the best his disciples could give him.
“We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish” (Mt 14:17), they said. “Bring them here to me” (Mt 14:18), Jesus replied. The Lord was able to multiply that meager donation — not enough even to feed a typical family — to nourish about 5000 families.
The Lord showed the same protocol at the wedding feast of Cana. He who created all the seas could easily have filled the six 30-gallon containers with choice wine from scratch. But He again wanted to involve his creatures in the miracle, by having them fill the containers with water first.
We see the same principle in the celebration of the Eucharist. Jesus begins not from nothing, nor from grain and grapes, but from bread and wine, which already contain within the work of human hands.
The late Cardinal François Xavier Nguyen van Thuan, imprisoned from 1975-1988 by the Vietnamese communists, wondered how he could further Christ’s kingdom and care for his flock while undergoing the brutal suffering of solitary confinement. He realized he might not be able to do much from a prison cell, but at least each day he could offer to the Lord his “five loaves and two fish,” and let God do the rest. The Lord multiplied those little efforts into a witness that has inspired not only the Vietnamese but the whole Church.
Today the Lord is asking us, his modern disciples, to give the crowds something to eat (Mt 14:16). No matter how much or how little we have, let us give it to the Lord and let him take it from there.
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Beheading of St. John The Baptist
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Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-12)
On one occasion the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”.
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison be-cause of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, “It is not right for you to have her as wife”. Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish”. The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John’s disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus.
Reflection:-
Today, our liturgy proposes us to contemplate an injustice: the beheading of St. John the Baptist; and, at the same time, to discover in God’s Word the need of a clear and concrete testimony of our faith to fill out the world with hope.
I invite you to center our consideration in the person of Herod, the tetrarch. In fact, it is a counter-testimony for us, but it will help us to emphasize some interesting aspects, important enough for our testimony of faith amid the world. “The news about Jesus reached King Herod” (Mt 14:1). This assertion underlines an apparently correct, but not too sincere, attitude. It is the same kind of reality we can today find in many persons and, perhaps, even in ourselves. There are many who have heard of Jesus, but, who is He actually?, what kind of personal implication can we find in him?
First of all, we must give the correct answer; Herod’s reply is but vague information: “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead” (Mt 14:2). Most probably you will be missing here Peter’s reply to Jesus’ question: He said to them, ‘but who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Mt 16:15-16). And this assertion does not leave any room for fear or indifference but it rather gives way to a testimony based in the Gospel of hope.
This is how His Holiness John Paul II defined it in his apostolic Exhortation The Church in Europe: “Therefore, in union with the whole Church, I invite my brothers and my sisters in faith constantly to be open in trust to Christ and to allow themselves to be renewed by him, proclaiming to all people of good will in the power of peace and love that whoever encounters the Lord comes to know the Truth, discovers the Life, and finds the Way leading to it”.
Today, let the Mother of God, the Mother of hope, help us to really discover Jesus and to bear witness of him to our brethren.
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Martha And Mary With Jesus
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Martha And Mary With Jesus (Luke 10:38-42)
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to his words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?”. But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her”.
Reflection:-
We, no matter how busy we may be, must also listen to our Lord reminding us that “only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:42):esteem and saintliness.They should be our aim, the horizon we must never lose sight of amidst our daily chores.
Because we shall be “busy” if we follow our Creator’s plan: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). The earth! the world!: this is our meeting point with the Lord. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (Jn 17:15). Yes, the world is an “altar” for us and for our donation to God and to the others.
We belong in this world, but that does not mean we have to be worldly. On the contrary, we are called to become – in a beautiful expression of His Holiness John Paul II – “Priests of Creation!” Priests of our world, of a world we passionately love.
Here is the question: world and saintliness; our daily chores and the one and only thing we truly need. They are not two opposed realities: and we have to try to make both coincide. And this coincidence must be carried out – in the first place and basically – in our own heart, where heaven and earth can be reunited. Because in the human heart is where the dialogue between Creator and creature takes place.
Therefore, prayer is necessary. Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of “doing for the sake of doing”.We must resist this temptation by trying “to be” before trying “to do”.In this regard we should recall how Jesus reproved Martha: ‘You are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful’ (Luke 10:41-42) — (John Paul II).
There is no opposition between “to be” and “to do”, but there is indeed a priority order of precedence. ”Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).
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Parables About The Kingdom of Heaven
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Parables About The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:44-53)
Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it”
Jesus said to his disciples, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth”.
Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?”. “Yes”, they answered. So He said to them, “You will see that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom is like a householder who can produce from his store things both new and old”. When Jesus had finished these parables, He left the place.
Reflection:-
Today, Matthew places three parables about the Kingdom of Heaven for us to ponder over. The announcement of the Kingdom is of essence in Jesus’ preaching and in the hopes of the chosen people. But it is evident the nature of this Kingdom is not understood by the majority. The Sanhedrin who condemned him to death did not understand it, nor did Pontius Pilate or Herod, and initially, not even his disciples understood it.
We can find only in the good thief, hung in a cross along with him, the comprehension Jesus requests when he says: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Both had been accused as criminals and were about to die; but, because of an unknown reason, the good thief recognizes Jesus as the King of a Kingdom that will come after that terrible death. It could only be a spiritual Kingdom.
In his first preaching, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as of a hidden treasure, the finding of which causes the finder a great joy and impels him to buy the field to be able to enjoy it forever: “and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field” (Matthew 13:44). But, at the same time, to reach the Kingdom it is necessary to look for it with yearning and effort, to the point of selling all one may have: “Once he has found one of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it” (Matthew 13:46). “What is He referring to when He says seek and he who seeks, finds? I daresay He is referring to the pearls and to the pearl, pearl that acquires he who has given up everything and has accepted to lose everything”.
The Kingdom is peace, justice and liberty. To reach it is, at the same time, a gift from God and a human responsibility.In front of the greatness of this divine gift we realize the imperfection and instability of our own efforts, quite often destroyed by our sins, our wars and our malice that looks insurmountable. Nevertheless, we must have confidence, because what looks impossible for man is more than possible for God.
This Gospel is a vital call to conversion.Jesus does not spare us the hard reality: “The angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace” (Matthew 13:49-50). The warning is quite clear. We just cannot take it easy and go to asleep!
Now, it is our turn to freely choose: we either seek God and make goodness a part of our life, or we prefer to stand on the precipice of death. Or with Christ or against him. To convert ourselves means, in this case, to freely opt to become one of the upright ones and live a life worthy of his sons. However, within us we have the experience of sin: we realize the good we should do but we do the evil, instead; what do we do to provide our lives with a sense of true unity?We, alone, cannot do much. Only if we place ourselves in God’s hands shall we be able to attain the goodness and be counted amongst the upright ones.
“Because we know not when our Judge shall appear, so we should live every day as if it were our last” (St. Jerome). These words are a call to live with intensity and responsibility our Christianity. It is not a matter of being afraid, but of living in the hope this is a time of grace, praise and glory.
Christ shows us the only way to our own glorification. Christ is the only way to heaven; therefore, our salvation, our happiness and whatever we can imagine happens through Him. And if we have everything in Christ, we can hardly refrain from loving the Church, that shows him to us and is its mystic body. Against purely human visions of this reality we have to recuperate the divine-spiritual vision:nothing bigger than Christ and the fulfillment of his will!
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You Do Not Know What You Are Asking
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You Do Not Know What You Are Asking (Matthew 20:20-28)
The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?”. And she answered, “Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom”. Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?”. They answered, “We can”. Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it”.
The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many”.
Reflection:-
Today, in the fragment of St. Matthew’s Gospel we can find many teachings. I will however limit myself to underline just one, which refers to God’s total control of events throughout time: whether of all men together (mankind), or of each and every human group (in our case, for instance, the family group of the Zebedees), or of any individual person. This is why Jesus clearly tells them: “You do not know what you are asking” (Mt 20:22).
To sit at Jesus Christ’s right is for those his Father has prepared it: “To sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it” (Mt 20:23). Just like that, in a clear-cut way. There is an English saying that goes “Man proposes and God disposes”. And it is so, precisely because God is God. Or we could also say it the other way round: if it was not so, God would not be God.
Before this fact, unquestionably overpowering any human determining factor, at the beginning, men are left with nothing else but acceptance and worship (because God has revealed himself to us as the Absolute); while marching on, with confidence and love (because God has revealed himself to us as a Father, too); and at the end…, that grand and definite end: to sit at Jesus’ side (whether at his right or at his left, it does not matter at all).
On our side, the enigma of divine election and predestination can only be solved with confidence. A milligram of confidence placed in God’s heart is worth more than all the weight of the world put on our poor little scale pan.
In fact, “St. James did not live long: this is because from the very beginning he was already burning with a great vehemence: he scorned all human things and climbed to such ineffable ceilings that he died immediately” (St. John Chrysostom).
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Wheat and Weeds – Let Them Just Grow Together
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Wheat and weeds parable (Matthew 13:24-30)
Jesus told his disciples another parable, “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then the servants of the owner came to him and said: ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’. He answered them: ‘This is the work of an enemy’. They asked him: ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’. He told them: ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them just grow together until harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn’”.
Reflection:-
“Let them just grow together”
Today, we shall ponder over a parable referring to community living, where good and evil, Gospel and sin, constantly get mixed up. Settling this situation as the servant suggests would seem the logical approach: “Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?” (Mt 13:28).But God’s patience is infinite, and He waits until the very last moment —as a good father would— for the possibility of a change:“Let them just grow together until harvest” (Mt 13:30).
An ambiguous and mediocre reality, perhaps, but that is where God’s Kingdom grows. It has to do with the feeling of being called to discover the signals of the Kingdom of God so we can boost it, while we are trying to avoid whatever conforms us into mediocrity. However, living in that mixture of good and evil should not hinder nor hamper the advance of our spiritual life; for, otherwise, we should be transforming our wheat into weeds. “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?” (Mt 13:27). It is not possible to grow in any other way, nor can we look for the Kingdom anywhere else than simply in this society we are given to live in. Our task will be to make the Kingdom of God grow in it.
The Gospel invites us not to grant any credit to the “pure”, to overcome the existing aspects of puritanism and bigotry of the Christian community. In all collectivities, no matter how healthy they are meant to be, it is easy to find this kind of attitude. Leaning on ideals, we all feel tempted to think we are the lucky ones that have already achieved perfection, while the rest is still far from it. Yet, Jesus proves that all of us, without exception, are still on our way.
Let us, therefore, be on the alert to prevent the devil to sneak up on us , which is what normally happens when we conform ourselves too much to this world. St. Angela of the Cross said, “we are not to listen to the voices of the world saying there are who do this or that; we stick to our own way, without inventing any variations, and always following our way of doing those things, which are like hidden treasures; for they will open the gates of Heaven for us”. Let the Mother of God help us conforming only to love.
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Charity
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Charity - The charity of Christ – Luke 10:25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Reflection:-
The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.
“After earth’s exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone. In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is blemished in your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself.” - (St. Therese, Story of a Soul) “
Christ has given us a share in his own life through death on the cross and Resurrection, and so we must be as Christs for one another and give in the same way. “To whom much is given, much is expected.” To those who call themselves Christian has been given more than to anyone else in the world.
“By charity, we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God. Charity, the form of all the virtues, binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14).” The charity of the Samaritan made him pleasing in God’s eyes, though to Jews he was a heretic and an outcast, judged condemned. The priest, a leader and holy man among the Jewish people fell short in God’s eyes, for he was without charity.
“Christ died out of love for us, while we were still enemies. (Romans 5:10) The Lord asks us to love as he does, even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbor of those farthest away, and to love children and the poor as Christ himself. Why charity? To share in Gods life and love and thus be happy. Living the virtue of charity bears the fruit of divine love and a foretaste of heaven which is the state of perfect fulfillment and eternal happiness in the presence of the living God.
“The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy;charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion: Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.” (CCC 1829)
How is charity lost?God has given us free will, and therefore we must cooperate with his grace and freely choose to do His will. If we choose to break his law with sufficient reflection and full consent of the will, we loose the virtue of charity having sinned mortally. Venial sins weaken charity and can lead to mortal sin. Charity is our greatest gift and our greatest call. St. Pauls hymn on charity mught be the most beautiful in all of Scripture.
“If I . . . have not charity,” says the Apostle, “I am nothing.” Whatever my privilege, service, or even virtue, “if I . . . have not charity, I gain nothing.” Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: “So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity.” We must love all, including our enemies, and must pray for them or we are without charity and therefore without God’s love. Let us begin now the regular practice of prayer for our enemies as well as for those who love us that the doors of heaven may not be shut against us.
Our burden and privilege as Christians is to be held to the very highest standards of conduct in thought, word and deed: Christ Jesus Himself. We desire to live abundantly, that is forever, and only in Christ is found such abundant life. If we would live forever we must begin now to live in Christ and persist in this life until the end.
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Jesus The Teacher
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Jesus The Teacher — John 7:14-24
Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Reflection:-
Jews were astonished at the knowledge and teaching of Jesus, the eternal teacher and they wondered about its origin as He was never been taught. Jesus explains to them the secret of His knowledge.Jesus shows himself as a medium through whom the wisdom of the Father is flowing.Jesus stands for the Father by doing His will and seeking His glory. So Jesus’ teaching becomes the self revelation of the Father.
Jesus finds himself to be in total dependence to the Father, His sender. In other words here Jesus is telling that the source of his knowledge is the Father.Since Jesus is seeking His Father’s glory and doing His will, Father’s wisdom passes clearly through him without any hindrance.Those who do the will of the Father can identify His teaching as coming from the Father because Father’s will is the same. Those who seek their own glory can’t be true always as their selfishness blocks the Father’s wisdom from passing clearly through them.
Jesus, the teacher, shows Jews their problem, i.e they seek their own glory and don’t do the will of the Father. So they can’t understand the source and real meaning of Jesus’ teaching.Every teaching is to be in conformity with the will of the Father and it should give glory to Him.If any teaching is aimed at selfishness and one’s own glory it fails. Jesus tells them that they are trying to kill him as they deny the heavenly source of his teaching and also don’t look into their real message but only in their outward appearance.
Jesus shows this through his act of healing which is in real conformity with the laws of Moses who ordered to circumcise on Sabbath. The will of the Father is obeyed in and through Jesus’s deeds and words, they glorify Him. Jews say that Jesus has a demon. But Jesus shows them that their judgement is wrong. They judge by appearances and so they fail to do the will of the Father because they seek their own glory.
Here Jesus, the teacher, welcomes us to the source of our authenticity.Only in relation to the Father by doing His will and seeking His glory that we can be men of God.Otherwise we may miss the real by incorrect judgement based on appearances. And instead of doing God’s will, we will be blocking His glory by seeking our glory. Jesus the eternal teacher shows us how to be wise by doing God’s will and seeking His glory.
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Blood of Jesus Christ
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Blood of Jesus Christ — John 6:48-59
I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, How can this man give us his flesh to eat Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live for ever. He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Reflection:-
Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land met with death due to starvation. God gave them manna in the wilderness with which their temporal life was sustained. Likewise we are on a journey to the Promised Land and we find ourselves to be starving without the bread that ensures us life in its fullness.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16). God being the sole source and principle of life is pleased to give himself to his people in his Son. So Jesus tells here that without eating His flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus we can’t share in His eternal life. As manna gave temporal life in the wilderness, the new bread of life that is the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ gives eternal life.
Manna was given from above but it was not the bread of life, so those who ate of it died. But Jesus is the only true bread of life that comes from heaven. Eating this bread is eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. Here we can understand that Jesus is telling us about the Holy Eucharist.
God loves us and wants us to have a share of His life and it is to be actualized in and through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came down to us and gives Himself allowing us to partake in His flesh and blood, i.e. in His life itself. Those who eat and drink blood of Jesus Christ are in Him and He is in them.
Thus a person attains the character of God i.e. eternal life, by sharing in His flesh and blood. Mutual indwelling is the result of the reception of this bread. Manna in the wilderness gave them temporal life but did not form a part of them; here the new manna of life gives them eternal life. Through His body and blood, Jesus’ indwelling in a believer is made possible and it results in our eternal life. This is guaranteed as the life-sharing relation of the Son with the Father.
Thus the reception of the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is inevitable for eternal life as manna is for earthly life. So let us be the sharers of divine life by partaking in the body and blood of Jesus. Let us approach the Holy Eucharist with love and experience the abiding love of God in Jesus Christ, through His body and blood.
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What is Faith
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What is Faith — John 6:41-47
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Reflection:-
When Jesus said that He is the bread of life that came from heaven, people began to speak against Him. They knew the human parents and relatives of Jesus. On the basis of that knowledge, it was difficult for them to believe what Jesus said. To them Jesus tells that no one can come to him unless one is attracted by the Father. As fulfilment of the prophesies, only those who are taught by the Father and heard from Him come to Jesus. Those who come will have the faith and they shall inherit resurrection and eternal life.
Here we see the given nature or infused aspect of faith. As we know faith is one of the theological virtues. It means that it is not just of human origin. Faith has a given aspect. God gives or arouses it in us and our response to it realizes in the proper faith. If there is only a human basis, we will be like the Jews who spoke against Jesus as it was difficult for them to believe what Jesus said. From a human point of view what Jesus is and what He tells are confusing. It does not satisfy our mere intellect.
Jesus prays, “I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed to the infants” (Luke. 10:21). In relation to faith it is not intelligence or intellect that matters. We need them to have a real understanding of faith. But faith is not purely intellectual knowledge where everything is based on reason or proof.
Faith is supernatural where everything is based on revelation. Faith is the obedient response to the revealing God.St. Paul says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (1 Cor. 1:27)
This is faith. So in order to have eternal life, we have to give ourselves to the revealing God in total submission. God the Father teaches us and draws us to the Son who gives us eternal life. Unconditional assent and firm response is demanded from our part. So let us give ourselves to be taught and drawn by the Father who will give us eternal life in His son, Jesus Christ.
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Bread of Life
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Bread of Life — John 6:34-40
Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Reflection:-
After feeding the five thousand, people followed Jesus for earthly bread (6:26). Jesus tells them that I am the bread of life.Then people ask Jesus for it without knowing its real meaning. Jesus teaches them. The term ‘bread’ points to the desires and longings of a person, i.e. his personal needs and aspirations.
As we reflect on our own life we are guided by various desires and aspirations each and every moment. Human life can be considered as a running after of various needs which may be of different levels, spiritual or material. We see people taking different ways to satisfy their desires. There are people and movements, may it be religious or secular, who attract people promising the fulfilment of their life. They offer gratification for the desires by various means. Here lies the place of the ‘Bread of life’.
Only heaven can satisfy man because he is spiritual. i.e, the reason for his existence is the spirit in him which God has created for Himself.As St Augustine says ‘Lord, You have created me for You alone, until I reach you my soul is restless’. Earthly bread supports earthly life for a little span of time – whatever may it be. The heavenly Bread – Jesus – only can give the eternal life where we will be no more hungry of thirsty. There all other desires find fulfilment.
How to achieve this real Bread? Go to Him who is the real Bread of life who will not abandon any one of us. As Jesus is fulfilling the will of the Father, seeking His will is the way for us for approaching Him and believing Him. Then we are assured of the will of the Father, i.e. resurrection and eternal life. Let us dignify our inclinations to the desires of senses and earth by realizing the real longing in us for the real Bread of Life.
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You Are Accepted By God
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There are many who long to be accepted. “I am accepted!” is a highly comforting thought.
And that is exactly what Jesus promises in John 6:37 (AMP): “…the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]”.
The one condition that Christ requires is that you should go to Him.It is like a new neighborhood restaurant offering a delicious item for free on their launch date. All that you got to do is to go there and grab it.
What Jesus offers is free. Nevertheless you got to pay a price! What?Yes, the price is your willingness.Your willingness to believe Him. Your willingness to spend time for Him. Your willingness to receive from Him. Your willingness to follow His bidding. Your willingness to remain in Him.
To the one who pays this price, Jesus gives an astounding promise – “I will never, no never, reject you!” That’s super-comforting! Think about you being eternally protected. That’s ‘insurance unlimited’!
In a world of constant changes and broken promises, Christ’s offer provides stability and hope. As Romans 8:31 proclaims, if God is for us, who can be against us?
Question: How did you respond when you came to know that you are accepted by God?
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How To Wake Up Properly In The Morning
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“Early to bed, early to rise” – that’s a good adage for a healthy living. However what you do after you wake up is equally important for a healthy day. Some folks get up hurriedly and run right into the day’s busyness. Some others get up lazily and sit thinking on their beds for a while.
Whatever be your style, there are certain disciplines that could help you bring vitality into your mornings.
A. Thank God. This is one sure energizer for the mornings. It can be in the form of a song or statement. Thank God for the good things He did for you. Check out this passage from the Scriptures: “…I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning…” (Psalm 59:16 AMP).
B. Visualize good stuff. What you think when you get up is important. Those who dwell on negative thoughts tend to do negative actions all through the day. Choose to think positive stuff. Visualize scriptural promises coming to pass in your life.
C. Sit up straight. There is power in the way you sit up. If you sit up lazily, that’s how you are going to act later that day. If you sit up straight, that creates an inner self-image in your mind about a healthy and ready ‘you’.
D. Stand up with purpose. When you get on your feet, you need to have a purpose (goal) to fulfill on that day. For this, it will be good to plan your day the previous night before you retire. The moment your feet touches the floor, know that your ‘mission’ starts now.
E. Act disciplined. The above four disciplines will help you create momentum. But to maintain and increase that momentum, do everything disciplined on that day right from the start. Reject mediocrity and half-hearted efforts. Throw yourself wholly into what you do.
Though it may seem hard in the beginning, with passion and practice, these five disciplines can be inculcated into one’s everyday life. And the result will be amazing. Have a great day!
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The 3 kinds of prayer: Ask-Seek-Knock
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Text: Matthew 7:7-12
Introduction
This passage is an important part of Jesus’ teaching about prayer. It actually speaks about 3 kinds of prayer that should be a part of our Christian walk.
1. Ask
I. You ask not – you get not
A. To ask means, to make a request as a favor.
B. We can’t ask from a stranger without doubting. But we can certainly ask our earthly fathers with the assurance that we will receive what we ask for. Did you know that God is our heavenly father?
C. There are 2 conditions however. The first condition is that you ask in faith, (Matthew 21:22)
II. How to ask in faith?
A. Faith isn’t self confidence. It’s not an emotion or a feeling.
B. Faith means placing your hopes in an invisible God and being sure that He will not disappoint you, (Hebrews 11:1)
III. First you ask in faith – then you act in faith
A. Faith not accompanied by actions is dead, (James 2:26)
B. How do you act in faith when asking for something from God? By believing that you have already received what you asked for, (Mark 11:24)
2. Seek
I. The second condition. The prayer of faith must be accompanied by God’s will.
A. We must “seek” God’s will.
B. God doesn’t answer prayers that contradict His expressed will.
C. An earthly father wouldn’t give a knife to his children to play. It’s the same with God, (Matthew 7:9-11)
II. How to know whether my prayer contradicts God’s will?
A. Think, Do you ask God to meet your needs or to give what you want, (James 4:2)
B. Illustration: The Mantis prepared for hunting resembles the posture of a praying hermit. The folklore says, it is praying for nothing but for another prey.
C. God promised to provide our needs. Not what we want.
D. Abide in God and let His word abide in you. You will know what is God’s will and what isn’t, (John 15:7)
E. The prayer of Eliaser is a perfect example, (Genesis 24:12-14)
3. Knock
I. The act of knocking represents intercessory prayer.
A. Jesus concludes saying “…do for the others what you want them to do for you…”
B. Jesus’ parable about the man asking for bread in the middle of the night, (Luke 11:5-8)
C. This man asks for bread so that he can show hospitality to his guest.
II.How often do you intercede for others?
A. Unfortunately we are busy praying for our own needs.
B. The bible says, we should intercede for the salvation of others. Ask God to give wisdom to our political leaders.
C. When was the last time you interceded for someone?
4. Conclusion
I. Faith and asking goes together. You can have faith but if you don’t ask you shall not receive. You can ask but if you don’t have faith again you are not going anywhere. First you ask in faith, then you act in faith.
II. There are many good and bad reasons why some prayers are not answered. One negative reasons why prayers are not answered is praying out of God’s will.
III. Set apart time out of your daily devotions to pray for others. Maintain a list of people you know who needs prayer and place their needs before God everyday.
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Why bad things happen to godly people?
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Answering the question why?
Job 1:6-12
1. Satan’s aim is to destroy our joy in God
A. He hates God and his children. He hates us so much some times we have more problem in life than the heathen does.
B. Satan can’t do any good. He is wicked in nature.
C. He uses calamity as a weapon to drift God’s children away from him, (Job 1:11-12)
2. God allows his people to be tested
A. Satan challenged that Job will reject God if he was tested.
B. God accepted the challenge, (Job 1:12).
C. It happened then – it can happen now, (Luke 22:31).
D. Satan is roaming the earth like a roaring Lion seeking to devour someone, (1 Peter 5:8 ).
Why does God allow His people to be tested?
3. To teach us faithfulness and loyalty, (Job 2:3-5)
A. God’s greatest joy is people who remain loyal to Him through situations in life.
B. God rejoiced in Job because Job remained faithful and loyal even in the midst of calamity, (Job 2:1-3)
Answering the question what to do?
4. Remember, God is sovereign
A. Sovereign: Above every one and everything (Romans 9:19-20; Psalms 115:3).
B. Submit to God’s will unconditionally, (Job 2:7-10).
5. Thank God and worship Him even in your greatest grief
A. Job thanked and worshiped God in his grief, (Job 1:21).
B. Job’s tears were not an expression of unbelief.
C. It’s not unspiritual to grieve at times of disaster. It’s not an indication of low faith.
D. Can you thank and worship God in times of grief? (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
6. Continue to trust in the goodness of God
A. Job’s wife rejected God. But Job did not, (Job 2:9)
B. Because experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you. (Psalms 63:3 )
C. The Lord is with you even in your sufferings.
D. Job was rewarded for remaining faithful in the midst of calamity
Invitation
The Bible says: “The LORD pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help.” (Psalms 34:15)
What a brilliant assurance!!!
Is there any one among you wondering, who these righteous and godly people are?
Any one who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour is counted righteous and godly in the eyes of our almighty God.
If you are looking for everlasting peace & joy in your life and righteousness even in midst of calamity – then this your opportunity.
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Who divided the Bible into chapters and verses?
Why and when was it done?
When the books of the Bible were originally written, they did not contain chapter or verse references. The Bible was divided into chapters and verses to help us find Scriptures more quickly and easily. It is much easier to find "John chapter 3, verse 16" than it is to find "for God so loved the world..." In a few places, chapter breaks are poorly placed and as a result divide content that should flow together. Overall, though, the chapter and verse divisions are very helpful.
The chapter divisions commonly used today were developed by Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place in around A.D. 1227. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first Bible to use this chapter pattern. Since the Wycliffe Bible, nearly all Bible translations have followed Langton's chapter divisions.
The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish rabbi by the name of Nathan in A.D. 1448. Robert Estienne, who was also known as Stephanus, was the first to divide the New Testament into standard numbered verses, in 1555. Stephanus essentially used Nathan's verse divisions for the Old Testament. Since that time, beginning with the Geneva Bible, the chapter and verse divisions employed by Stephanus have been accepted into nearly all the Bible versions.
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THE SIX MIRACLES OF CALVARY
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THE MIRACULOUS DARKNESS - Luke 23:44,45
It was the 6th hour. That was noon. There was darkness over all the land and it continued from 12:00 to 3:00 o'clock. This was not an eclipse, which lasts for only a few minutes. It was at full moon, when eclipse is impossible. At Jesus birth the night became light. At His death the light became night.
THE RENDING OF THE VEIL - MATT. 27:51
There were three divisions in the Temple...The Outer Court. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. This Veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place ...where only the High Priest entered once a year. No one else ever stepped past this Veil.When Jesus cried out on the cross..."It Is Finished", this veil was torn in two from top to bottom, thus opening the way for anyone to enter into the presence of God, individually, apart from the High Priest.
THE MIRACULOUS EARTHQUAKE - Matt. 27:51
The shaking of the earth was at the instant of Christ's death, and followed His shout of victory. The earth quaked to the extent that rocks were split. yet the cross was not moved. Supernatural? Yes! God interfered with nature.
THE MIRACLE OF OPENED GRAVES - Matt.27:52,53
The graves,of the saints,were opened at the instant of Jesus death. Graves were rocky sepulchers, excavations in the rocks made secure by doors of stone. But none came out of the graves at this time. The Earthquake was evidence of Force. The opening of the graves was evidence of Design.
THE UNDISTURBED GRAVE CLOTHES OFJESUS Matt.27:52
When Peter and John entered the sepulcher, they saw the "linen clothes lying"...precisely as the body had lain there. No human hands could have abstracted the body from its clothes without leaving behind marks of disturbance. One thing they knew, Jesus was not there. He had risen. Hallelujah !
REVIVALS OF LIFE IN THE GRAVEYARD MATT. 27:52,53
Note: The dead bodies of saints, arose and came out of the graves, not after the earthquake, but after Christ himself had risen. This is one of the grandest of miracles. Supernatural in the sense of being wholly miraculous.
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Prayers Based on The Seven Words on The Cross
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Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Blessed Jesus, as we behold Thee being nailed to the cross, and listen to Thy words, we pray Thee that we may evermore be unselfish, mindful of others in all our trials and afflictions, be they never so severe; ever ready to forgive and to seek forgiveness; and ever guided and governed by the Holy Spirit in striving to speak and to do only that which is right, and the influence of which may be for the good of others.
To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
Merciful and adorable Jesus, Thou who when dying didst promise Paradise to the dying, penitent thief, kneeling at the foot of Thy cross this day, we ask Thee to look upon us just as we are; there is no sin that we would keep back from Thee, for we desire that all may this day be forgiven, and we desire that we may be willing here after to suffer and to have our faith tried even as Thou wilt; if so be we may at the last be with Thee in Paradise, it matters not through what we pass in going thither.
Woman, behold thy Son. Behold thy Mother.
O blessed Jesus, our Lord and our God, help us so to hear Thy words and the words of Thy Father, that we may be enabled to fulfil all the duties which Thou wouldst have us fulfil towards all those whom Thou hast given to us. Let us not love father or mother, husband or wife, brother or sister, child or friend more than Thee; but ever mindful of Thy word and example, let not even our love for Thee, nor any thing, make us forgetful of the love and duty which we owe to others.
My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Let us then, brethren, while careful to check and control and put away, so far as possible, desponding thoughts, and watchful over our imaginations, not suffering them to fancy difficulties, obstacles, troubles, and failures, if like many saints before us and even like our Divine Master Himself, we have sometimes to pass through a cloud in the journey of life, not be afraid. If we sometimes have to feel that we are left, deserted, let us look up to Him and listen to His word which He has uttered for our consolation, our hope, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
I Thirst.
But the same lips that said “I thirst,” said also, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” And into those lips no doubt is it that David put the words: Like as the hart desires the water-brooks, so long my soul after Thee, O God. My soul is a thirst for God, yea, even for the living God; so that as there was a longing for something to slake the natural thirst, so there was athirst which was a longing for the souls of men, a hunger and thirst for righteousness and for the accomplishment of the perfect will of God. And, brethren, know we anything of this sort? Is there with us any desire for the higher life, for holiness, for attaining to the righteousness which God would have us reach; any desire for extending Christ’s kingdom for winning souls to Him; any desire to do all that in us lies for the missions and in the missionary work of the Church, answerable to the craving of the bodily appetite of thirst? O Blessed Jesus, that it might ever more be so that we might be athirst for Thee, athirst for likeness to Thee, athirst for the saving of souls for which Thou didst hang this day upon the shameful tree.
It is Finished.
Let us then, dear brethren, now lift up our hearts to the Blessed Master and say: Hereafter may we strive, even in the very pettiest details of our daily life, and especially in all that we are to do in working out our own salvation, in the least as well as in the greatest of our secular duties, and in the least as well as in the greatest of our religious duties, to be more and more mindful, and more and more influenced by this Thy word upon the cross, “It is finished.”
Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.
And as we look up to Him with adoring love and gratitude, and with the echo of these last words still sounding in our ears, what is the use that we shall make of them? What is the resolution that we shall form from them for the future, whereby to testify our love and gratitude for all that was accomplished for us as on this day, whereby to manifest our desire to be like in all things unto Christ our Master and example? Shall we resolve in all things hereafter to strive to be more resigned to the will of our Heavenly Father–to give up ourselves utterly and forever, body, soul, and spirit into His hands–to be content and to desire that He should rule and direct all that concerns us, from the least thing to the greatest–to see His hand in all things–living and dying to have no wishes and no will but His? Shall we resolve that our last words at night, as our eyes close in sleep, shall be none other than Thine, Blessed Jesus–Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit? That ever as we draw near to the altar to commemorate Thy most precious death, we will repeat them, as Thy saints of old have been wont to do? And that, with our expiring breath, when we too shall be dying, we will strive to make them our last utterance! All this may we indeed do. But may we not fail our life long to do that which we doubt not will be most honorable, most acceptable unto thee–even that which Thou by the mouth of thine apostle Peter hast bidden us, viz.: daily in well-doing to commit the keeping of our souls to God as unto a faithful creator. Be this our resolution, at Thy cross this day, daily hereafter, in well-doing, in daily striving to follow the blessed steps of Thy most holy life, to commit the keeping of our souls to God as unto a faithful creator.
Jesus’ Cross Words: “It is Finished!”
(Texts: Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12; Hebrews 4:1-11, 14-16; John 19:29-37)
When Jesus said “It is finished!,” what did He mean? Was he simply speaking about the fact that He would soon die? Or do those 3 words convey a deeper message for us? If you examine the original Greek of the New Testament you will discover that the 3 English words “It is finished” actually translate just one Greek word – the word tetelestai .
That one Greek Word - tetelestai - would have carried a lot of meaning for the Jews who heard it. The other Cross Words Jesus had spoken helped us see how He was fulfilling the Old Testament by His death on the Cross for our sins. So, what part of the Old Testament does “It is finished!” bring to mind?
Genesis 1:31: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.” Based on this text, the Hebrew day began at 6PM and ended at 6PM the next day. Genesis 1:31 tells us that God finished His perfect work of Creation at the end of the 6th day.
We have heard Jesus’ voice. We have heard His Cross Words: “It is finished.” Repent of your sin and find rest in Christ’ perfect and finished work of salvation. Amen!
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Why Should We Pray?
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Prayer is the link between God and us, an interruption is very serious.
Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love – nothing can so effectually purify the mind from its many ignorances, or the will from its perverse affections. It is as a healing water which causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, which washes away the soul’s imperfections, and allays the thirst of passion.
Children learn to speak by hearing their mother talk, and stammering forth their childish sounds in imitation; and so if we cleave to the Savior in meditation, listening to His words, watching His actions and intentions, we shall learn in time, through His Grace, to speak, act and will like Himself.
Prayer – The Only Door
There is no way to God save through this door. Just as the glass of a mirror would give no reflection save for the metal behind it, so neither could we here below contemplate the Godhead, were it not united to the Sacred Humanity of our Saviour, Whose Life and Death are the best, sweetest and most profitable subjects that we can possibly select for meditation.
Begin all prayer, whether mental or vocal, by an act of the Presence of God. If you observe this rule strictly, you will soon see how useful it is.
If, while saying vocal prayers, your heart feels drawn to mental prayer, do not resist it, but calmly let your mind fall into that channel, without troubling because you have not finished your appointed vocal prayers. The mental prayer you have substituted for them is more acceptable to God, and more profitable to your soul. We should make an exception of the Church’s Offices, if we are bound to say those by our vocation-in such a case these are our duty.
If it should happen that your morning goes by without the usual meditation, either owing to a pressure of business, or from any other cause, (which interruptions you should try to prevent as far as possible,) try to repair the loss sometime during the day. But if you are unable all day to make up for the omission, you must remedy it as far as may be by ejaculatory prayer, and by reading some spiritual book, together with an act of penitence for the neglect, together with a steadfast resolution to do better the next day.
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Why Should We Obey Our Parents
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Often we search for our God, not in the usual spiritual realm of prayer, but rather the limited gift of vision that our Lord has granted us. All this searching and imagining the immense beauty of God will be in vain, if we fail to remember that He is shown to us in the forms that are already very familiar to most of us – parents.
God wants us to obey our parents
Our Father, in all his immense wisdom, knew what struggles we faced in the world, and so established parenthood so that we might not go astray. God Himself has said, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is His Commandment, to which we are indebted to follow. And not surprisingly, many of us find it hard. It’s human nature to reject authority; it has been throughout history. Have you watched your parents sleep?
But in overcoming that nature and in subjecting ourselves to our parents, reaps the benefits that no one else can provide. Imagine the time you were born, when our innocence was at its peak, and we were unaware of the joys we brought to the minds of our parents. And as we grew up, many of us heard the stories of the waiting, the prayers, and the happiness in which we were received.
Strains of Parenthood
But seldom parents show the consequences of parenthood. The strain, the tension, and the expenses, especially in this day and age where vanity and sinful addictions are inflicted on our generation by our peer group. There hasn’t been a worse time to be a parent. And yet they go through it with patience and diligence, correcting us in ways that might be pleasant enough to understand and sometimes just the opposite. They toil through hours of work and prayer in hope that one day we will turn out right, successful, and spiritual.
And yet we put them through so much pain. How many times have we demanded reparation for doing a simple chore? How many times have we cheated our parents in order to sneak out to that party or hang out with friends? These are all personal questions that we must all answer and think…whether we are right in what we are doing. Surprisingly, many of the people think that their parents deserve the hate and the cheating that they often put up. Never leave your parents.
Why? Abusive parents, parents that drink a lot, parents that just are too strict to even let kids wear non-collared shirt…it’s a horrible life for some. However, all parents have their flaws, and we as their own offspring are the first to find it and keep staring at it for the rest of our lives. Parents have their scary sides to them too yet they are parents.
It is the duty of the parents to become the models of humility and service in front of their children.
They gave LIFE to us. They own our lives. Do they demand the thousands of dollars spend on us back? Do they grumble about our existence? No… therefore they deserve our respect. Sure, flaws may be numerous to count but instead of mocking them, pray to God our father to bestow them with wisdom to do what is right.
If our faith and humility before our parents is sincere, it is enough to ensure miracles in our social, physical, mental, and especially family life. And in being good to our parents and understanding them, we gain a blessing of enjoying a good parenthood as well. Knowing how worse each generation is getting, it is only the grace of God we can use to assure good children when we are parents ourselves.
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Symbolism of Numbers in the Bible
Numbers (or mathematical figures) are never used promiscuously in the Bible, but rather take on spiritual meaning and significance; and for the searcher after truth there is found "the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Proverbs 25:2).
All creation is stamped with the "Seal of God" in numerics. God has made man himself a creature of time and therefore, a creature of number. Therefore, it is consistent with the very nature and being of God that His Book, the Holy Bible, should be stamped with this same "Seal" - Biblical numerics.
God is consistent throughout His Book, and though the Bible was written by various men of God over different periods of time and generations, there is manifest throughout all the Bible, the same marvelous meaning and harmony in the use of numbers. This begins in Genesis and flows through each book and consummates in Revelation. All this confirms the fact of Divine Inspiration (II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:21).
The simple numbers of 1 through 13 have spiritual significance
Multiples of these numbers, or doubling and tripling, carry basically the same meaning only intensifying the truth. It is important to note that the first use of a number in scripture generally conveys its spiritual meaning throughout the rest of the passage.
Since God is consistent, the meaning of a number in the book of Genesis remains the same all the way to the book of Revelation. Sometimes the spiritual significance of a number is not always stated; it may be hidden or seen by comparison with other scriptures. Finally, since there is good and evil as well as true and counterfeit, both Godly and Satanic aspects can be seen in numbers.
Below is a list of numbers written in the Bible with their meanings.
Number & Meaning
One
Beginning, one
Two
Witness, separation
Three
The Godhead
Four
Earth, creation, world
Five
Grace, cross, atonement, life
Six
Man, beast, Satan
Seven
Perfection, completeness
Eight
New beginning
Nine
Completeness, finality, fulness
Ten
Law, government, restoration
Eleven
Incompleteness, disorganization, disintegration
Twelve
Divine government, apostolic fulness
Thirteen
Rebellion, backsliding, apostacy.
Fourteen
Passover
Seventeen
Spiritual order
Twenty-four
Priestly courses; governmental perfection
Thirty
Consecration; maturity for ministry
Forty
Probation, testing, closing in victory or judgment
Fifty
Pentecost, liberty, freedom, jubilee
Seventy
Prior to increase
Seventy-five
Separation, cleansing, purification
One hundred twenty
End of all flesh, beginning life in the Spirit
One hundred forty-four
God's ultimate in creation
One hundred fifty-three
Revival, the elect
Three hundred
Faithful remnant
Six hundred sixty-six
Antichrist, Satan, the damned Triplicate 666
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GODLY SORROW(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zYnw12-NNvQ/TTEyQWqt0oI/AAAAAAAAA14/uXxZwb4ltgE/s320/sorrow.jpg)
Two different sorrows that are mentioned in the Bible.
1) GODLY SORROW
2) WORLDLY SORROW
2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
From the above verse we can see that there will not be any regret in us regarding the godly sorrow that we went through. Instead it will bring repentance in us and will lead us to salvation.
But worldly sorrow will bring death, death to our spiritual life, death to our prayer life, death to our family life etc.
In the next verse we can see more explanation regarding the Godly sorrow:
2 Corinthians 7:11
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
Godly sorrow will produce things in our life when worldly sorrow destructs things in our life.
Let see what all things Godly sorrow produces in us:
1) Earnestness- (characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind)
2) Eagerness to clear yourselves- (marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest)
3) Indignation- (anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean)
4) Alarm- (sudden sharp apprehension and fear resulting from the perception of imminent danger)
5) Longing- (a strong desire especially for something unattainable)
6) Concern- (to have an influence on)
7) Readiness to see justice done- (prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action)
Thus Godly sorrow produces in us new things while worldly sorrow brings death.
Example for Godly sorrow: Peter’s sorrow (Luke 22:60-62). Peter wept bitterly here, but his sorrow produced in him all the things what were discussed above.
Example for Worldly sorrow: Judas’s sorrow (Matthew 27:3-5). Here his sorrow brings death to him.
Now by these verses we can distinguish between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow and can be prepared to face the situations accordingly by the grace of God.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10176/glitterfy0115859T583D33.gif)
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There cannot be two firsts. One is God’s number. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).God is the only God. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The number one stands alone, independent of all others. God doesn’t need help in His accomplishments; therefore He is the one and only God.
Number one in the Bible means “unity” and “uniqueness.” There is one body; the church made up of true believers. There is one Spirit; the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer individually also indwells the church collectively. There is one hope; the hope to be like Christ. There is one Lord; Jesus Christ who died for us all. There is one faith; the Christian faith based on Christ’s death on the cross. There is one baptism; the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. There is one God and Father of all; God Almighty who is over all and through all and in all.
The songwriter is right. “One is a lonely number.” The number one does stand alone, independent of all others. God is independent, and we are dependent. But that’s a good position for us to be in since the one on whom we depend is the ONE and ONLY true living God!
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10176/glitterfy0115959T373D31.gif)
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Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Then God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (Genesis 1:6-8)
The number two in the Bible has several meanings. The number two denotes a difference. The number two proves there is a division or a separation. From the beginning of Creation we see the number two in the scriptures. On the second day of Creation, God divided the waters: earthly waters and heavenly waters. Throughout the Bible, we see the duality of two things being opposite and at no times can these two things be both at the same time: light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, the saved and unsaved.
The number two suggesting division and separation is seen in the following examples: two birds, one slain and one set free; two goats, one slain, the other one set free; two masters; two covenants (Old Testament and New Testament); law and grace; Christ and the anti-Christ; the natural and the spiritual; male and female; the righteous and the wicked as in Psalm 1.
Two is the minimum number of people to be sent on an important assignment. Two angels were sent to Sodom (Genesis 19:1); two spies were sent to Jericho (Joshua 2:1); and Jesus sent His disciples out two by two (Mark 6:7). Also, two is the minimum number for witnesses. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15).
In conclusion, the number two is symbolic of (1) a difference or division; (2) the minimum number for an important assignment; (3) and the minimum number of witnesses for a matter to be established.
Quiz: (1) Jesus separated how many thieves on the cross? (2) How many disciples ran to the tomb? (3) How many angels were at Christ’s resurrection? (4) How many disciples did Jesus walk with on the Emmaus Road after His resurrection? (5) How many men in white apparel testified at Christ’s ascension? If your answer is TWO (2) for all questions, then you are correct.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10176/glitterfy0120045T229D33.gif)
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Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Three in the Bible is divine fullness or completion as in the Godhead of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We know this concept as the Trinity even though the word “trinity” is not in the Bible. The trinitarian formula is mentioned in the Great Commission listed above and also in Paul’s benediction at the end of this message. Some examples of three being the number of spiritual fullness: Jonah was in the belly of the big fish three days and Jesus was in the grave three days. Three days were enough to prove that Jesus had conquered sin, death, and the grave.
Three is the minimum number necessary to establish a pattern. Something can happen once by chance; twice by coincidence; but three consecutive times usually indicate a pattern. For example, Samuel heard his name called three times before Eli confirmed that it was God calling Samuel (I Samuel 3:8 ).
When we are expecting confirmation concerning a certain act, it is good news to know that when something happens three times, it points to greater fulfillment yet to unfold. For example, if you have been asked out on a date three times, there might be further development of the relationship. If you have been on a job for at least three years, more than likely you could be in line for a promotion. When something happens three times, it gains emphasis such as when Peter denied Jesus three times. Three times Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but three times the chief priests and rulers rejected Him. This repetition represents the emphasis placed on the rejection (Luke 23:13-25).
Three speaks of totality, sufficiency and the complete work of God. Man is a trifold being: body, spirit and soul. Notice when preachers preach and Bible teachers teach, they usually speak using the trifold concept whether they realize it or not. It is usually automatic. Listen to hear them say: faith, hope and love; grace, peace, and mercy; morning, noon, and night; Peter, James and John; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and “Holy, Holy, Holy” etc.
And now the three-part benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)
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Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:29)
Four is the creation number and it has special significance to the earth. Four is symbolic of earthly completeness. On the fourth day, all materials for the earth were created. Four is the number of the great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. There are four regions or directions: north, south, east, and west. There are four seasons of the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. There are four phases of the moon: first, half, full, and last. There are four divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night. The Bible also has ten references to the four winds.
The number four indicates universality. This means that from one point to the next point, everything is included such as in the scripture above. It is universal participation. All people will come from all four corners of the earth to enjoy the kingdom of God as is illustrated in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Four in the scriptures portrays universal observation, worship and adoration as in Revelation 4:6-8. “Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.”
Let’s conclude the number four on a note of hope for those who might be in a fiery furnace. Don’t give up. Jesus appeared as the fourth man to save the three Hebrew boys (Daniel 3:25). He will do the same for us.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10176/glitterfy0120156T371D31.gif)
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Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. (Matthew 25:2)
The number five is seen throughout the Bible, but almost every time it is used, it is merely a part of a whole. It is so small of a bigger piece that it could be considered only a “handful” as the five fingers on one’s hand. The first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch comprise only a portion of the 66 books of the entire Bible.
Even though five represents a small sum which appears to be insignificant within the larger scheme, it does individually possess high value. When Abraham pleads to God to spare the people of Sodom, he begins by pleading for five fewer righteous people as to suggest that the loss of five would be insignificant in its consequence (Genesis 18:22-23).
Sometimes in the Bible, the number five is half of the perfect number ten as in the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise (Matthew 25:2). The Ten Commandments are distinctly divided into two pairs of fives. The first five commandments deal with our relationship with God; the last five deal with our relationship with others. Only Commandment #5 is different in that it is the only one with a promise associated with it.
At times five indicates just recompense or bounteous reward. Thieves must repay five times the value of the oxen they steal (Exodus 22:1). Benjamin was honored by Joseph with five times more food than his brothers (Genesis 43:34) and five sets of clothes (Genesis 45:22). We can’t forget that Jesus took five loaves to feed five thousand. It was abundance for the multitude.
The number five represents God’s grace seen throughout the structure of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The pillars were five cubits apart and five cubits high. The brazen altar was five cubits by five cubits. There were five pillars at the end of the Holy Place. The sides of the tabernacle were reinforced by five bars on each side (Exodus 26:26-27). The inner covering of the tabernacle was composed of five curtains which were attached to five other curtains for a total of ten curtains (Exodus 26:3). Notice the double five pattern. There were five original priests: Aaron and his four sons (Exodus 28:1)
Five is a number of preparation as the first five books of the Bible prepare us for Israel’s story throughout the rest of the Bible. The five wise virgins were prepared. David, in preparing for Goliath, took up five smooth stones. To prepare and perfect the saints for ministry, some are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). Through these five outlets goes forth the gospel of Jesus Christ. Surely, we are prepared to fit into one of these five because of God’s grace.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10177/glitterfy0121548T765D33.gif)
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So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning; the sixth day. (Genesis 1:27, 31).
Six is the number for man because he was created on the sixth day. It should remind us of our human incompleteness. Man without God will always be incomplete. No matter what we do in our own strength, we will always fall one below the perfect number seven. What God created on the previous days, “And God saw that it was good.” However, when God made man, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
The sixth commandment calls our attention to the value of the human life that was created on the sixth day. It says, “Do not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The serpent was also created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24). This lets us know that Satan is capable of tricking us if given the chance. Six days mark the completion of creation as God’s work. Therefore, six days were appointed for man’s labor. Like God, man should cease from his labor after the sixth day. If God could complete all creation in six days, we should take a break from our labor after six days.
Six is also the number of balance, harmony, cooperation and marriage. Jesus’ first miracle changed six pots of water to wine for the wedding feast (John 2:6). A wedding represents love as does the number six. Is that the reason June (the sixth month) is favored for weddings? Could it be the reason Boaz gave Ruth six measures of barley symbolic of his love and protection (Ruth 3:15)?
If we want miracles to happen in our lives, we should remember that we are incomplete without God. Satan is out to trick us because of our human weakness. We should allow ourselves to be filled to the brim like the six water pots. Then, like the wine at the wedding, our lives will change miraculously.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10177/glitterfy0121641T445D31.gif)
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And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. (Joshua 6:4)
In the Bible, numbers have spiritual significance. Of all the numbers, seven is the most familiar because it appears about 600 times. Seven denotes spiritual perfection. It means divine fulness, completeness and totality. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to be full,” “to be satisfied,” and “to have enough.
Many times seven is important as a symbol rather than as an actual number. Whenever you read seven, it does not always literally mean seven things or seven occurrences. It is symbolic of the whole or the completion or the ideal situation or the perfect picture of things. Seven constitutes a complete cycle.
One of the most profound examples of the use of the symbolic number seven is related to the fall of Jericho in the Joshua 6:1-20. Notice how many sevens appear in the scripture above. The use of the number seven simply means fulfillment or enough. Enough priests blew the trumpets and enough people marched around the walls enough times for the walls to come tumbling down.
Revelation, the last book of the Bible that completes the word of God contains more sevens than any of the other books. There are seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven personages, seven vials, seven woes, and seven new things. Additionally, there are seven glories of the Son of Man, and seven blessings. The word “Jesus” is found seven times, “Jesus Christ” seven times and the wrath of God seven times
In just one verse in Isaiah 11:2, the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus in seven distinct ways: Spirit of God, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of God. Our desire should be that the Holy Spirit will rest within us in the same seven ways.
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BIBLICAL NUMBERS(http://img33.glitterfy.com/10177/glitterfy0121734T848D31.gif)
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Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. (Genesis 21:4)
The number eight symbolizes resurrection and a new beginning. Noah’s ark passed through the waters symbolizing death, but it was resurrected and rested on Mt. Ararat and eight people emerged to a new beginning.
Why did God command Jewish males to be circumcised on the eighth day? Why not on the first day or much later? Eight means “as above, so below.” That’s why Jewish male babies are circumcised on the eighth day to seal the covenant with God. “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” ( Luke 2:21).
Other interesting things about the number eight: David was the eighth son of Jesse, while Solomon was the eighth son of David. The writers of the New Testament were eight in number: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,Paul, James, Peter and Jude. Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. His birth place, Bethlehem, is mentioned exactly eight times in the New Testament. Jesus came that we might have a new beginning. Accept Him today and begin your life anew.
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Now it was the third hour [9:00 a.m.], and they crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)
Nine is the number of judgment and finality. It is the last of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of the conclusion of a matter. What time was Jesus nailed to the cross? The Bible says the third hour. That’s 9:00 in the morning. How long did He hang on the cross? The Bible says He dismissed His spirit at 3:00 in the afternoon. That’s the ninth hour of the day. Jesus’ work on earth was finished.
A cycle of finality is indicated in the nine generations from Adam to Noah. Then the flood was the judgment. Noah’s generation was the ninth from Adam, and Abraham’s generation was the ninth from Noah. Representing finality and judgment, the Bible has nine records of stoning; nine records of blindness and nine records of leprosy.
According to Galatians 5:22-23, there are nine fruit of the Spirit. There is no “s” on “fruit of the Spirit” because the individual fruits work together as a final unit of the heart: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Notice the first one is “love” and the final one is “temperance” or “self-control.” Begin with love and your final result will be temperance. According to I Corinthians 12:8-10, there are nine gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
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And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)
There are four numbers in the Bible that denote completion or perfection. Three, seven, ten, and twelve all mean completion and perfection. While each number represents completion or perfection, it is a different type of completion or perfection. Three means “divine perfection.” Seven means “spiritual perfection.” Twelve means “governmental perfection.” That’s why there are twelve people on a jury. Ten is the number of perfection or completion of God’s “divine order.” It is the only one of the perfect numbers in which humans have a part. We cannot be part of the three, seven, or twelve. We are definitely part of the ten since it is the number of completion based on God’s order AND human responsibility. The number ten is built into our very anatomy. For instance, we have ten fingers to do God’s work and ten toes to walk upright before God.
Why only Ten Commandments in the Old Testament? Why not fifteen or twenty? The Ten Commandments contain all that is necessary, and no more than is necessary, both as to their number and their order. They are examples of God’s order and man’s responsibility. The first five concern our relationship with God. The last five concern our relationships with other humans. The number ten is the start of a whole new order of numbers and the completion of the single digit numbers that come before it. Our responsibility in stewardship is to give God ten percent of our first fruits because the tithes represent the whole of what is due from man to God’ based on His claim on the whole.
We cannot aspire to divine perfection on our own.We cannot aspire to spiritual perfection on our own.We cannot attain governmental perfection without God.We can honor God’s covenant according to His order and our responsibility.
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And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26)
The number eleven is the number of disorder, imperfection and incompleteness. Eleven signifies a state not yet full. After Judas betrayed Jesus, he committed suicide. One might ask why replace Judas since Jesus had been crucified. Since the twelve disciples represented the twelve tribes of Israel, Judas’ replacement was necessary to bring the number back to the governmental number of twelve. Having only eleven disciples speaks of incompleteness.
Eleven also represents disorder. The parable about the workers coming to work in the eleventh hour is in contrast to what we believe to be right in order and arrangement (Matthew 20:6,9). Disorder arose when the earlier workers found out the eleventh hour workers got paid just as much as those who had worked all day.
The journey of the Israelites through the wilderness should have taken only eleven days (Deuteronomy 1:2). It turned into a 40 years journey because of disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.
The number eleven can be traced throughout Jacob’s life illustrating incompleteness. According to Genesis 32:22, Jacob took his two wives, and his two women-servants, and his eleven sons, and headed back home to confront his estranged brother Esau. At the time Jacob had only eleven sons because Benjamin had not yet been born. Benjamin’s birth brought the total of Jacob’s sons to twelve. But then Joseph (the eleventh son) was sold into slavery, and Jacob thought Joseph was dead. This took the total back to eleven. During that period, much disorder and confusion characterized Jacob’s household. Joseph spent eleven years in Potiphar’s household where disorder caused by Potiphar’s wife resulted in Joseph going to prison.
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All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. (Genesis 49:28)
The number twelve speaks of governmental perfection or rule. The sun which “rules” the day, and the moon and stars which “govern” the night, do so by their passage through the twelve signs of the Zodiac which completes the great circle of the heavens of 360 degrees (12 x 30) which govern the year. As a symbol, twelve is one of the perfect numbers in the Bible mainly because of the twelve tribes of Israel. Saying the “twelve tribes of Israel” has a double meaning. The tribes are the sons of Jacob whose name was changed to Israel when he wrestled with God. Also, the tribes are of Israel, the nation. Many things in the Bible acknowledge and are patterned after the twelve tribes.
Following the exodus, Moses built twelve pillars on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:4). Twelve spies were sent to spy out the land (Deuteronomy 1:23). Twelve stones were set as a memorial after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:3). Twelve stones were attached to the breastplate of the priestly garments bearing the names of the twelve tribes (Exodus 39:8-14). The temple involved twelve in its measurements and furnishings.
The New Testament records the number twelve many times. Jesus speaks His first words at the age of twelve (Luke 2:42). Later, He chooses twelve disciples. Twelve baskets of fragments were collected after Jesus fed the five thousand (Mark 6:43). The Book of Revelation says there are twelve gates to the city, twelve angels as gatekeepers and the names of the twelve tribes written on the gates. The gates are twelve pearls and the wall will be on twelve foundations which bear the names of the twelve apostles. The measurements of the New Jerusalem also involve the number twelve in its measurements.
The number twelve as the perfect governmental number rule within our own society. That’s why there are twelve people on a jury. That’s why there are twelve eggs in carton (just kidding)! But there is no kidding about the tree of life that once stood in the Garden of Eden and was forbidden to Adam. It will stand in the city and be accessible to all of us. It will bear twelve kinds of fruit for the twelve months for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).
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Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (Genesis 14:4)
Some people think thirteen is an unlucky number. It does speak of rebellion, sin and disobedience. Israel was in constant rebellion. Seven good kings ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah. Thirteen evil kings led the people away from God. Israel was characterized by rebellion, sin and disobedience mainly because of these thirteen evil kings. We say there were twelve tribes of Israel because of the sons of Jacob. Actually, there were thirteen tribes. Let me explain. Joseph died and that left eleven tribes. But Joseph’s portion of land was divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Technically, that makes thirteen tribes.
Note that there were twelve disciples, but Jesus, the Christ, made the thirteenth member at the Last Supper. Later, Judas went out and betrayed Jesus. There were twelve who were bonded, but Judas, the thirteenth was apart from them all representing rebellion, sin, and disobedience.
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Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile in Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (Matthew 1:17)
The number fourteen speaks of double completion (2 x 7) and compression. We see the meaning of this number played out in the story of Jacob and his marriage to the two daughters of Laban. Jacob worked a complete cycle, seven years for Rachel. Because Leah was older, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her instead. After the night of consummation, Jacob awakened to weak-eyed Leah. Because of Jacob’s love for Rachel, Laban allowed him to work another seven years for her. Thus making it double completion. However, the time was compressed because after Leah’s honeymoon was over, Laban allowed Rachel to marry Jacob and work off the seven years while being married to both women. (Genesis 29:14-30)
There were three generations from Abraham, the first Jew to David the first king. There were fourteen years from David to the exile to Babylon and fourteen years from the exile to the Christ. Genealogies often compressed history. Not every generation of ancestor was listed. Matthew chose to compress several generations into these three sets of fourteen generations which actually total 42 generations. When preachers say, “Jesus came down through 40 and 2 generations,” they actually illustrate the completion and compression of the history of Jesus.
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Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears: I will add fifteen years to your life.” (Isaiah 38:2, 4-5)
The number fifteen speaks of addition. The above passage illustrates the addition of fifteen years when Hezekiah prayed to the Lord when he was about to die. When he turned his face to the wall, he shut out everything and everybody except the God to whom he prayed. He reminded God of how he had walked diligently before him and with wholehearted devotion had been faithful toward Him. Then Hezekiah wept. After Hezekiah prayed and humbled himself before the Lord, he was told by the prophet Isaiah that God would add fifteen more years to Hezekiah’s life.
God could do similar things for you if you would do what Hezekiah did. Pray and humble yourself before you ask for your next raise. You might be rewarded with the addition of a fifteen percent increase provided you have already been committed and faithful to what God has entrusted into your care.
Peace and blessings to you who stand ready to accept God’s blessings fifteen-fold.
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Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem.
(2 Chronicles 26:3)
Most teenagers look forward to their sixteenth birthday for that special birthday party and other privileges. Uzziah became king at sixteen and reigned fifty-two years longer than any previous king of Israel. There were two other kings younger than Uzziah. Joash was seven and Josiah was eight. Would your child be able to run an entire nation at seven, eight or sixteen?
Uzziah was a powerful king, but he let pride get in his way. When confronted by the other kings, he responded with anger instead of repentance. God judged him by striking him with leprosy. Uzziah was forced to live out the rest of his life separated from society.
Remember pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18).
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Joseph, a young man of seventeen… “Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites…” (Genesis 37:2, 27)
Seventeen stands out as a significant number because it is not a multiple of any other number. It has no factors. It is last of the seven prime or indivisible numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 and 17). Seventeen is the sum of two perfect numbers, seven and ten. Therefore, it is a combination of spiritual perfection and ordinal perfection. An example of this perfect union in the Bible is that of Joseph who at the age of seventeen was sold into slavery by his brothers. The story of Joseph also illustrates that seventeen signifies the beginning of temptation. At seventeen, temptation began to surround Joseph in every direction, but he did not take his eyes off the God he served. Let us do likewise.
The union of spiritual perfection and ordinal perfection is clearly seen when Joseph is made second in command in Egypt. He then becomes available to help those who did evil to put him there in the first place. Joseph was able to say to his brothers: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20)
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Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what has bound her? (Luke 13:16)
Eighteen is the number of bondage. We see in the above scripture that Satan had kept the woman bound for eighteen years. By reading the entire passage, we learn that this woman had been “crippled by a spirit.” She was “bent over” and could not “straighten up” at all.
Luke, the physician, lets us know that the illness was not a medical one. It was a spirit of infirmity caused by Satan. He also lets us know that “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her: “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”
Are you in bondage of any kind? Let Jesus call you forward and hear Him say, “You are set free.” Notice the woman was where Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues. In order to be set from your bondage, you MUST be in the place where Jesus is.
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After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David’s men (besides Asahel) were missing. (2 Samuel 2:30)
There are only about three scriptures in the Bible containing the number nineteen. When nineteen is mentioned, it represents divine order connected with judgment since it is a combination of ten and nine.
The above scripture indicates God’s divine order in having Joab return from chasing Abner at that particular time. This had been a long war with David’s men led by Joab against Abner. When the battle was over and Joab counted his men, he discovered that only nineteen men were missing or killed in battle. It is bad for any life to be lost in battle, but the minimum number points to God’s order. However, it was God’s judgment for the other side. David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner’s men.
This battle ended with victory for Joab and David’s troops, but the war was between God’s own people, the divided nation of Israel. It started because both sides lost sight of God’s divine order of settling the dispute over land and driving out the enemies. Instead of both sides uniting to accomplish this purpose, they fought against each other instead of against their enemies.
When in conflict, step back and consider your common interest. You will probably find that what you have in common is bigger than your differences. Use that as a tool to work for a settlement. Then God’s divine order instead of his judgment will prevail.
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Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28)
Twenty-one is a good number because it is three times the perfect number seven. If that is the case, what can we say about twenty? Twenty is connected with twenty-one in that twenty is one short of completion. Therefore, twenty is one of waiting and expectancy. For example, Jacob expected to leave Laban with his two wives. He waited twenty years before he was able to do so (Genesis 28:38, 41). Israel expected to be delivered from the hands of the Philistines. After twenty years of waiting, Samson delivered Israel from the Philistines (Judges 16:31).
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers for twenty shekels of silver. The brothers expected to be rid of Joseph forever. Their expectancy fell short because they eventually had to face Joseph and own up to what they had done.
The brothers selling Joseph for twenty shekels of silver could not stop God’s plan for Joseph’s life. No one can stop God’s plan for our lives if we continue to serve Him in the midst of our struggles like Joseph did.
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Symbolism of Colors in the Bible
In apocalyptic literature, color plays an important role in conveying symbolic meanings. For example, the colors blue, purple, and scarlet played prominent roles in the building of the wilderness tabernacle (Exodus 26:1; 27;16; 28:6). In Numbers 15:37-38, "The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue'." The woman that John sees in the wilderness, however, sits on a scarlet beast and only wears purple and scarlet (Revelation 17:3-4) while the color blue is noticeably absent. Here purple and scarlet suggest that the woman has become affluent through evil means and not by the blessing of the Lord.
Below is a list of all the colors mentioned in the Bible with both their references and their meanings.
Amber
Symbolizes the Glory of God
Black
One of the more commonly used colors in the Bible; describes the color of the middle of the night (Proverbs 7:9); diseased skin (Job 30:30); healthy hair (Song of Solomon 5:11; Matthew 5:36); corpes' faces (Lamentations 4:8 ); the sky (Jeremiah 4:28); the darkening of the sun and the moon (Joel 2:10); horses (Zechariah 6:2; Revelation 6:5); and marble (Esther 1:6).
The color black symbolizes sin, death, and famine.
Blue
Used to describe the color of a wound, but may refer to the wound itself (Proverbs 20:30). It also describes the sky, Heaven, and the Holy Spirit.
Brown
A dark, blackish color referred only to sheep (Genesis 30:32-33, 35, 40).
Crimson
Crimson linen was used in the temple (II Chronicles 2:7, 14, 3:14); the color must have been indelible or permanet (Jeremiah 4:30), as crimson is used figuratively as sin. (Isaiah 1:18).
Often refers to blood atonement and sacrifice.
Gold
As gold is the highest, most precious metal, so the divine nature is the highest nature, the only nature having immortality (Exodus 28:36; Psalm 21:3).
Gray
Used only to describe the hair of the elderly (Genesis 42:38)
Green
Normally describes vegetation; used of pastures (Psalm 23:2); herbage (II Kings 19:26); trees in general (Deuteronomy 12:2; Luke 23:31; Revelation 8:7); the marriage bed (in a figurative sense, Song of Solomon 1:16); a hypocrite compared to a papyrus plant (Job 8:16); and grass (Mark 6:39). A word meaning "greenish" describes plague spots (Leviticus 13:49, 14:37) as well as the color of gold.
Most often associated with the meaning of growth.
Purple
The most precious of ancient dyes made from a shellfish found in the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 250,000 mollusks was required to make one ounce of the dye, which partly accounts for its great price. It was highly valued within the nation of Israel.
Used in several features of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1, 27:16) and the temple (II Chronicles 2:14); the color of royal robes (Judges 8:26); the garments of the wealthy (Proverbs 31:22; Luke 16:19); the vesture of a harlot (Revelation 17:4); and the robe placed on Jesus (Mark 15:17, 20).
This color symbolizes kingship and royalty.
Red
Describes natural objects such as Jacob's stew (Genesis 25:30); the sacrificial heifer (Numbers 19:2); wine (Proverbs 23:31); newborn Esau (Genesis 25:25); Judah's eyes (Genesis 49:12); the eyes of the drunkard (Proverbs 23:29); and the dragon (Revelation 12:3).
The color of blood, it often symbolizes life; it also suggests bloodshed in the carnage of war.
Scarlet
Scarlet cord was tied around the wrist of Zerah (Genesis 38:28-30); used a great deal in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4); the color of cord hung from Rahab's window (Joshua 2:18); a mark of prosperity (II Samuel 1:24; Proverbs 31:21); the color of the robe placed on Jesus (Matthew 27:28); though scarlet and purple were not always distinguished (Mark 15:17); color of the beast ridden by the harlot Babylon (Revelation 17:3) along with some of her garments (Revelation 17:4) and those of her followers (Revelation 18:16).
Often refers to blood atonement and sacrifice.
Silver
Used to represent the truth. (Psalm 12:6)
White
The color of animals (Genesis 30:35); manna (Exodus 16:31); both hair and pustules located in plague sores (Leviticus 13:3-39); garments (Ecclesiastes 9:8, Daniel 7:9); the robes of the righteous (Revelation 19:8 ); horses (Zechariah 1:8; Revelation 6:2, 19:11); forgiven sins (Psalm 5:7, Isaiah 1:8 ); a refined remnant (Daniel 11:35, 12:10); the beloved one (Song of Solomon 5:10); the white of an egg (Job 6:6); the shining garments of angels (Revelation 15:6) and of the transfigured Christ (Matthew 17:2); hair (Matthew 5:36); gravestones (Matthew 23:27); and the great throne of judgment (Revelation 20:11).
Portrays purity, righteousness, joy, light, and a white horse symbolizes victory.
Yellow
Indicates the greenish cast of gold (Psalm 68:13) and the light-colored hair in a leprous spot (Leviticus 13:30,32)
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There are some reasons why we should not cease our prayers.
To praise God
Prayer is worship. In prayer we celebrate God and our being His child. By doing so we not only please him, but we sharpen our attention to his goodness and care and mercy. God gives our lives meaning, purpose, and direction, and he provides that good will come from every event of our lives, no matter how hard our follies drive us in the other direction.
To draw near to God
Prayer honors God, for in it we acknowledge that he is our Lord and we are his servants. We should therefore pray regularly. Prayer also strengthens our bond to God. The more we think about him, talk to him, enter into his presence, the closer to him we will be.
If you remember that God is our friend, then the question, Why should we pray? It is the same as, Why should we talk to our friend? Communication builds relationships. The same is true with our relationship with God. We need to spend time with our friends in order to preserve and build a relationship with them. What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? – Deuteronomy 4:7
To show gratitude
We thank God for all he has done and continues to do. We remember that he is the source of all good things. Prayers of gratitude remind us of just how much we receive at his hands. We live in such a glut of material benefits that we are tempted to overlook just how much we have, how blessed we are.
We can have hundred piece orchestras play for us on command, full house heat and air conditioning with the flip of a switch, hot and cold water at the twist of a knob and it’s water that won’t give us cholera or even dysentery, either. Just two hundred years ago, not even kings could live like this.
To ask for help for ourselves
Since God already knows what we need, why ask him for anything? To show our dependence on God, to remind us of it, to make us recognize it. To ask for his direct intervention. Of the several hundred references to prayer in the Old and New Testaments, more than 90 percent of them refer to petitionary prayer, either personal or intercessory. To get some of God’s power on our side. We are powerless; he is all-powerful.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. – James 5:13
To ask for help for others
Intercessory prayer is at least as common as prayer asking God to help us. We reach out to God for the sake of others, perhaps others who cannot pray or will not pray. We ask for guidance and protection for loved ones, that the light of Truth might come to those who do not yet know God, and that God will continue to be sovereign in the movements of every event in the world.
To persuade God to act on our behalf
Ivan Turgenev rather cynically said that the purpose of most prayers is to ask God that two and two will not make four – in other words, we often pray for God to deliver us from the laws of physics, or from the natural consequences of our actions. However, there is Biblical authority for the fact that God can sometimes be persuaded to change our future.
Prayer can have an influence on God’s actions. Such a fact is both glorious and terrifying, and it should make us careful about how we pray. In other words, be careful what you pray for because God just might give it to you. Remember that movie where someone said, “I want the truth,” and the other guy said, “You can’t handle the truth”? Well, the same is true with prayer.
To seek guidance and direction
We need help in our lives and in our decision making. We need to seek God’s will and his approval for our plans. The ever increasing pace of life is largely constituted in an increase in the number of decisions we need to make. So we need God’s help more than ever.
Prayer allows us to submit our thinking to God and to allow his direction to steer us. The saying is, “We can see only in a straight line, but God can see around corners.” Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen. – Acts 1:24
To show God and ourselves (and emphasize) what we really care about
We need to pray to show what really matters to us. Clarify our priorities. This is an answer to those who ask, “Since God knows not only what we need already, but even all our thoughts, why should we pray at all?” Prayer forces us to sort out our real priorities and concerns; it shows God how fervent we are about the things around us.
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” -Luke 18:1 Prayer often serves to remind us that we have an ally, a friend, a helper, when we are in danger of forgetting. God won’t forget our needs, but we may forget God’s deliverance, unless we pray.
For spiritual renewal
We pray for comfort and for emotional cleansing. Simply communing with God refreshes us as we remember the purpose and goal of our existence and as we remember that there is something-and someone-greater than our current difficulties. It is said that you can walk up to any stranger on the street and say, “I heard about your problem,” and the stranger will reply, “Who told you?”
Perhaps all of us have unsolvable problems in our lives or problems that appear to be hopeless. We are powerless in the face of many events. Only God can either conquer for us or enable us to endure the things we cannot change. There is another saying that we often pray, “God, remove this mountain from in front of me,” when we ought to be praying, “God, teach me to climb mountains.” Prayer is refreshing just as talking with a friend about a problem is refreshing, even if the problem is not resolved.
To confess sin
Sometimes it is necessary for us to admit to God that we have been foolish, disobedient, downright bad. He knows it, but we are to confess it.
So friends, please don’t cease our prayers.
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Are You Praying The Right Way?
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In the Holy Bible, there are two types of occasions where Jesus does not respond positively to prayers.
Occasions of Praying in the Wrong Way
One is where a group of people ask Jesus to perform some miracles in their town. They asked Jesus to perform some miracles as they wanted to get excited by the miracles. None of them had a personal need or desire for a miracle. (Lk. 4:23, 23:8 ).
The second is where people ask Jesus to do something by complaining about somebody. ‘Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.’ (Lk. 10:38-41).
Here Martha is going to Jesus with a grievance. But she does not get any solutions from Jesus. But she gets only some advice from Jesus. The real need Martha had was that Martha should be able to do her work easily. And Martha should have prayed, ‘Jesus, I am burdened with a lot of work. Please make my work easy.’ Even though the grievance of Martha was genuine, she did not ask Jesus to redress her grievance. Martha did not have genuine desire to get her grievance redressed. Instead, Martha wanted and chose to blame it upon Mary, and she chose to put Mary also into the same trouble as she was facing.
Jesus did not grant what Martha had asked for. But Jesus chose to counsel her. The meaning of what Jesus told Martha was: Do not blame Mary for your troubles in life; your problems are results of your worries and distractions; Mary has no role in your facing problems; Mary is not the cause of your troubles; above all, the solution you have suggested is not going to solve your problems; stop being worried and distracted by many things, and your problems will be solved.
‘Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ (Lk 12:13-14). Again, the person who approaches Jesus is complaining about his brother. The genuine grievance he had might have been his poverty. He should have asked Jesus, ‘I am very poor. Give me enough wealth.’ But he chose to blame it upon his brother. And he wanted to get a share from the property which he had kept with him, thought illegally. Instead of trying to get his grievance redressed, he was worried about criticizing and making his brother upright.
So, instead of granting what he had asked for, Jesus counsels him: I am not going to judge and find fault with somebody as you wanted; that what you have asked me to do; do not lay the blame on your brother for your troubles; he is not the cause of your problems; and what you have suggested is not the solution for your real problems.
Prayer is not complaining
This is the way we generally pray. A wife complains about her husband to Jesus. A mother in law complains about her daughter in law to Jesus. A father complains about his son to Jesus. A son complains about his father to Jesus. A parishioner complains about his vicar to Jesus. A student complains about his teacher to Jesus and vice versa. But nobody tells Jesus his real need. And the only response from Jesus to this type of prayers is some counseling. And all say that Jesus does not heed their prayers.
So, it is very important that I pray to Jesus the right way. If our prayer is a blaming somebody for our trouble, be sure we are never going to be granted our prayer. It is not at all permissible for us to tell Jesus that somebody is the cause of our problems. When we approach Jesus, we should just tell him that we are facing this problem, and we want you to solve this problem of ours. And if we pray in this way, we can be damn sure that our problem will be solved.