To Remain in the Lord

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

May 7, 2022: Acts 9: 31-42; John 6: 60-69

Two contrasting scenes are presented in the readings today - one, that of the numbers increasing; the other, that of followers leaving Jesus! To heed to pleasant teachings and detest challenging calls, is a normal human tendency. But Jesus does not compromise. It is a fact that we need to understand: that the Lord who loves us, is absolutely loving and at the very same time, absolutely demanding!

The people called it, 'intolerable language', when Jesus spoke the bare truth to them. Today, we see the same and hear the same, when somethings have to be pointed out and when persons do it, there is an attempt to silence the truth and move away from it. It is easy to be selective about judgements, fending for one's own comfort and convenience. Testifying to the truth would require, accepting hard changes and difficult challenges. 

It can be very exciting to run after miracles and live by wonders. Persons doing wonders, places with miraculous reports, and claims of strange signs and messages - these should not take us away from the real faith. The real challenge is to be touched internally by the Lord, be transformed, accepting the hard teachings from the Lord. To eat of Him, to become part of Him, as we reflected yesterday and to Remain in Him!

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! We know how simple ordinary this apostles were in reality, but they turned so marvellous and powerful. What mattered was, that they remained in the Lord; and that continues to be the challenge for us too: to remain in the Lord!