WORD 2day: Saturday, 3rd week in Easter time
May 2, 2020: Acts 9: 31-42; John 6: 60-69.
We see miracles, signs and wonders always connected to crowds of people wanting to follow it. Be it Aeneas in Lydda or Tabitha in Jaffa, they were just one among the many who were in need and suffering. Their healing and restoration to life, were just a few stranded happenings not everyday and not in every case! Certainly there could have been so many who were looking for miracles and wonders and others disappointed that it did not happen for them! Even today, it is easy to run after miracles and be led by wonders. But the real challenge is to be touched internally by the Lord, be transformed and accept the hard teachings from the Lord... to eat of Him, to become part of Him, and turn out to be him wherever we are!
That requires accepting great challenges and demands - being ready to be called names at, being prepared to be despised and mocked at, courageous to face the villainising eyes and resisting crowds, and amidst all these being willing and eager to transform oneself more and more into the Lord in our self-sacrifice and total self-giving. Are we ready?
The words of Jesus, "Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these..." (Jn 14:12), comes alive as Peter and other disciples do wonders in the name of Jesus! What made them capable was the fact that they remained in the Lord and that continues to be the challenge for us too: if we wish to face crises and troubles, sufferings and oppositions, ingratitude and enmity without giving into the evil we need to decide, 'to remain in the Lord'!