DAILY HOMILIES #worship

Jesus calls us to put him first even if it means losing a relationship as close as that between a mother and daughter. To be a Christian is not easy. No wonder there are so many persons who claim to be Christian only by mouth but are not true to what they call themselves.

From the miraculous birth of children to barren women to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Nation of Israel when the Egyptians were chasing after them, to the miracles of Jesus in the New Testament such as the feeding of five thousand with just five loaves and two fish, God continues to teach us a lesson in PROVIDENCE. The problem with us humans is that we don’t want to learn, we don’t trust God.

If we humans get put off by persons who simply pretend to be our friends when we get to discover their hidden agenda, how much more is God who sees everything; who knows what we do in secret? Jesus wants us to replace our people-centered worship with God-centred worship; to replace eye service with God-service; to become secretive with good deeds rather than evil deeds. We don’t have to announce goodness before people to be rated highly by them but we must ensure that the things we do in our secret places attract the loudest applause of God.

Our Gospel passage calls for a thorough examination of conscience. Are there things that I am doing under the guise of religion that God is not happy with?

we must allow Christ to reign as king in every aspect of our lives including our most secret places. As members of Christ’s kingdom, we must operate according to the principle of love, the willingness to sacrifice rather than to fight others knowing that we are part of a kingdom that is greater than all this world has to offer.

For instance, a Christian who steals or diverts public funds into his personal accounts only to go to Church for thanksgiving only worships money. God is not moved by such. Jesus says: “no one can have two masters.”

Love is empty if it doesn’t require anything from you. True love requires sacrificing for others especially for the old. Just as loving God demands our wholehearted worship, loving our neighbours also demands sacrifice on our part.

When you do something continuously for a while, you soon begin to take it for granted. It is not surprising to see many Christians today who do not believe in the power of prayers anymore; Christians who look down on God and on His ability to intervene in their lives. Even though most of us pray, we do not even expect the things we pray for.

Aren’t we being hypocrites when we pray just so that people may hear us pray? Know this: it is never between you and them, it is always between you and God.

As the scribe said: “to love our neighbour as ourselves is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” If the love of God is not in our hearts, if there is hatred against others in our hearts, then our singing and dancing in church, our rolling up and down, our speaking in tongues and so on, are all useless.