DAILY HOMILIES #Moses

Child of God, repent from the worship of idols. Repent from the worship of pleasure. Flee from sexual immorality. Each time we indulge in the sins of the flesh, we are not different from the children of Israel and by so doing we attract the wrath of God.

If you really want to know who you are, forget about your titles or what anyone is saying and find out what your actions (especially those you do in secret) are saying about you.

In the Transfiguration event, Jesus opened the eyes of Peter, James, and John and they were able to see His Glory. The transfiguration goes to show that there is more to reality than what meets the ordinary eye. We need faith to see beyond our present circumstances; to get a full picture of where God is leading us.

Mary is that Virgin Isaiah spoke of as a sign to the people of Israel that God has finally sent them the Saviour they have been expecting. Mary’s Yes to God earned her the exalted title of “Ark of the covenant.” The first Ark contained the two stone tablets God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai while the second is Mary who carried Jesus in her womb for nine months. Just as no one could accuse the Israelites of idolatry in their treatment of the Ark, no one can accuse Christians today of idolatry for honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We find it difficult to obey God’s words because we do not trust God. Deep within us, we do not believe there is any value in keeping God’s commandments. Somehow, we have come to believe the lie of the devil, that by “eating of the fruit” we would not die but our eyes would be open, we would be like God.

Like the children of Israel who called out to God in prayer when they were suffering in the hands of the Egyptians, the key to fighting sin is prayer. Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8). If asking has to do with praying, seeking has to do with making efforts. Yes, God is interested in the efforts you are making

Mariam and Aaron must have fallen into the trap of over-familiarity. They looked down on Moses and questioned his spiritual authority. Be careful about the way you speak of others. Avoid having to run others down especially when you do not know all the facts. The eighth commandment forbids bearing false witness against others.

Leadership is not easy but there is a secret to being successful at it: PRAYER. As a man, Moses was very weak; he lacked physical strength having passed his youthful age. He was a meek person, he couldn’t speak coherently and with confidence (hence the need for Aaron).

The lesson we learn from this episode is simple: “We do not need signs to believe (otherwise God would have to prove Himself over and over again) but once we believe, we would begin to see great signs and wonders.

Truly, God cares. Just as He saved the people of Israel from bondage, God saves us from the bondage of our sicknesses and diseases when we call on him. The people of Israel cried to Him from Egypt and He rescued them. Do not lose heart, cry to God and He will rescue you.

Like Moses, there are times we become too conscious of the greatness and complexity of our problems that we completely lose sight of the greatness of God. Despite seeing that the bush was burning yet not consumed, Moses still feared Pharaoh more than God.

Like Moses, within every one of us, there is a burning passion; something you really want to do. Do not rush into it relying solely on your strengths, let your burning passion lead you to your burning bush – that is, begin by consulting God.