To Shine in the Lord

WORD 2day: Monday, 3rd week in Easter time

April 19, 2021: Acts 6:8-15; John 6: 22-29

His face shone like an angel. But they decided to kill him all the same! They saw the great works and words that Jesus had but they ran after him only for the food they could get. At times we kill the things that pertain to God not only by being against them but by even not being attentive to the true spirit of it. Unwittingly we kill Jesus, in our words, deeds and attitudes without even being conscious of it - however, the effect is equally bad.

In fact. it is easier to ward off dangers from the quarters that are known to be contrary to us. But the more dangerous ones are those that seem to take a neutral stand within us and amidst us... they can be real spirit dampeners and blind leaders. Called sometimes as 'sleeper cells' these days, there are elements that do not fit into our way of thinking, that come into our lives and slowly change our very way of thinking, being and acting. This is the kind of leaven that Jesus warned us against. 

That kind of a phenomenon can be seen, not only in the society but also within each of us. That is what we need to be careful about - because it is the work of the evil one. It is said, that the tempter, the devil, does not use things that are abhorrent to tempt us, but things that are pleasing, things that seem acceptable, things that seem "natural" and "not harmful", to begin with. Looking for Jesus, to be fed by him, or to see the great magical things that happen around him, was not anything bad. But Jesus observed right through them, there was something that was happening... on indeed something that was not happening. The people were attracted to him, but were not really ready to change themselves, taking up their personal conversion seriously.

The Jews and Chiefpriests, saw all that the people saw; nothing changed them. In spite of seeing the face shining they were not ready to change their minds or not ready to go deeper and find out what makes it shine! However, we are called to shine, to shine in the Lord. Be illumined by the Lord, be transluscent, to allow the light of the Lord to pass through us and make us shine out - in our thoughts, words and deeds - witnessing through out personal transformation and fundamental surrender to the Lord and the Lord's ways. That is the call that we all have: to shine in the Lord!