SELECTED TEXTS: (Act 7:54 – 60; john 12; 23 – 26; Lk 14: 25 – 27)
As mentioned above a theme selected is – PUTTING OUR FOCUS ON A RIGHT DIRECTION; which can also be put in various ways, for example – Focusing on/Looking at a right direction/ Looking at Jesus/ choosing the right track, etc and many more.
Therefore by making few reflections from the chosen texts, we all will try to contemplate and try to ponder together this important theme which I considered as significant theme that has a guiding principles for our daily life ( in order to help us to overcome and solve various problems and challenges that confront us).
Before we go little deep to our theme; there can be several queries that may come to our minds – for eg: Why do we need to put our focus on a right direction? Why does looking at Jesus/ a right direction is so important for us? What are the appealing/contributing factors that prompt us to choose this theme?
As all know – the society/ community where we live in is ‘a society of confrontation’ where we received and experienced lots of challenges - achievements and failures in life; for many people have failed to find solace, happiness and peace for their souls and minds due to various catastrophes, poverty, loses, misunderstanding, ignorance, etc. It is also a place where we face and experience so much of distress, pain, sorrow, anguish and different kinds of difficulties due to certain reasons and because of internal and external pressure or burden that may affect our daily life including our spiritual life.
And to some extent – it is also a place where we all have put our own feet to begin our life journey (theological, academic, ministerial) in which and where many God’s people would face and experience lots of confrontations including unexpected things which we never experienced before in our life.
Therefore as we encounter or struggle with these kinds of circumstances and at the same time put our-selves to stand alone in the midst of these kinds of difficulties; we are very much conscious about it – and may perhaps ask our-selves saying/thinking – What is the reason why it happen to me/to him/to them? Am I the one who has done something wrong? Who is most responsible? And what would be the root causes for all these problems that has resulted disunity/failure/dispute or disagreement/ backsliding/ crash or brokenness within the community or between individuals?
Therefore we put our fingers pointing towards someone or to something else thinking that –he/she is the one who is responsible or this is the main reason why bad things happened! Yes, it is rightly to say that -we are very much in a hurry for blaming someone or something else.
Therefore, as things could happen in individual level - the same problem can also be found within the church as well as within particular community.
For example: recently, i have red trough one magazine in which I have found one interesting article; the article has dealt about ‘A new life style among the youth’. Therefore, the writer has provided one informative statement which he called it as –‘The 3F Formula” it means F- Food, F-Fornication, F- Fashion. Therefore, the writer said, “This ‘Formulae’ has a potential power to convince and to enslave many youth today by putting the youth into a wrong direction”. He also further said, “These are also some of the contributing factors why many youth today have faced and experienced lots of failures, distress and different kinds of catastrophes throughout their life”.
Likewise, and to some extend – when the churches have gone through and have experienced certain difficulties and when the level of spiritual feeding/ supply began to decline among the community of believers, and also when the church goers stop going to the church or refuse to participate in various church activates – we, considering our-selves as a responsible person, may put our concern on it by looking and investigating the reasons behind why this things happened. Therefore, some would say – it is only because of the worship atmosphere we made and practices; and at the same time, some may also think that – It is only because of the message delivered by the preacher which does not have an effective power or any spiritual guidance for the listeners, etc. So, there can be a number of reasons or preoccupations in our minds for which problems arose in the church.
Likewise, similar thing might happened to individual level, for e.g. -if unexpected thing happened to us or to our nearby and surrounding – the immediate action we usually have taken up was – we would be too busy for looking and investigating the reason, or motivating factors behind why problem arose or bad things happened.
Therefore in that situation or circumstances or the moment when we face or experience this kind of problems/challenges; one of the most important things we should not forget to remember is – we need to put our focus on a right direction. In another words – we need to put our-selves on the right track.
Therefore, in order to do so, I would like to suggest two important things which are believed to be helpful in solving and overcoming different challenges or problems in our life. Of course there can be a number of points, but I have selected only two points.
1. Looking at Jesus/Putting our focus on Jesus:
As already red to us (Act 7:54 – 60) – the story of Stephen, the first ever martyred among the first community; has provided lots of resources to us for guiding our life and spiritual journey.
The text says – “When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen”. (Then at the same moment what had happened?) The text says – “But, filled with the Holy Spirit, he (Stephen) gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”
The following sentences say– “They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; Then while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, saying – “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… do not hold this sin against them” Then after saying this, he died.
Here, we may rather emphasize the role played by the Holy Spirit or the power and work of the Holy Spirit that strengthen and gave Stephen a power to stand firm in the midst of stoning. But beside the work and power of the Holy Spirit, what we shall not overlook in this account is - a right direction that Stephen has set fort for him-self (i.e – he look into heaven, in another word – he put him-self to a right direction looking towards Jesus)
Friends, we cannot over emphasize the importance of looking a right direction – it has a number of theological significance for our daily life. Therefore, as we move on towards the second part of my/this message, we will try to mention some of the important points.
2. Looking at ‘the self’ ( which is in us):
In ‘Ministerial Formation’ subject, BD I have learned one important topic which I often considered as one of the most important lessons that a person should learn for the formation of Christian minster. The name of the topic is - ‘knowing God and knowing self’.
Therefore, as we have learn this topic, we could found that, there can be a number of significant points for a minster to know God and knowing one-self: For example-
- A proper understanding of both dimensions can lead us to a ‘true and sound wisdom’.
- Since, Christian spirituality involves a transformation of the self; therefore, this transformation can be obtained only when God and self are both deeply known.
- Genuine self-knowledge can revitalize our spiritual life.
- Knowing God and knowing oneself can lead us to the total transformation of human life.
- Knowing God and knowing oneself can also solve the obstacle between God and human as well as between individuals.
- It also helps a person to build intimate relationship with God and with fellow human beings.
Therefore now, it is rightly to say that- as we engage our-selves in the ministry of God/ the church, interacting with many people and confronting so many challenges; self-examination or looking at one-self or putting our focus on the self is something that can help a person to find a solution for overcoming many obstacles and certain problems. But in spite of the fact that, this is our weakness and often ignored by so many God’s people to do self-examination.
However, in order to illustrate the importance and effectiveness of looking one-self, I would like to tell (you)/ narrate my own story which I experienced more than 10 years back while I was serving as a pastor in one of my pastorates.
Before I got marriage, I lived with one school boy who belongs to different community. So, one day, when I return home from the place where I have done my ministerial works. And as I reach home, He begun to tell something, saying that – “Sir, our neighbor, who is staying next to our quarters, has kept a plastic container of local wine inside the chicken coop (a small hut 10 ft. square built for keeping chicken)”. Then, I immediately move out and check, and found 5 litter plastic containers where he kept his wine, and it was as much as half of the container. I was so upset and so angry. Then I told my boy saying, ‘go, right now and call a man, and tell him that – “before I break a container with a rod, collect your container back’ said my master”.
Then after the boy return, the man, who was also a vendor of local wine in this locality immediately appeared to my door with full of pale face. Then when he saw the feeling that appeared on my face, he looked so ashamed and begged my pardon. Then I loudly shouted at him saying– “go right now, and collect your container before I break it”
How irritated I was at that moment! Actually I wanted to knock him down with my fist. I was too shock and got angry because I was unable to compromise this kind of unbelievable thing done by this man, keeping his liquor inside a pastor compound.
Therefore, since his house is not far from my quarters, his wife, by having known the way how I shouted at him - send her husband back to ask pardon for a second time. Then he came again to my quarters, but I did not want to see him again thinking that if I talk with him I might have done something wrong what I do not want to do. Then I kept the bedroom door locked and remain inside.
Then he returned back to his house, and after a while, it was already about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, an unusual thing happened to me – i.e. ‘God has given to me - a time of self-examination’. Therefore, within a moment, I came to realize that there was something left behind which i kept and wrote on my notebook. Then when I opened a notebook, I found my – New Year resolution for my pastoral ministry in which I wrote a note which says – “I will visit all vendors and alcoholics who reside within this locality and will lay my hands on them asking God to set them free from their slavery.”
So, after seeing this writing, I vehemently felt ashamed before God because of what I have totally forgotten and failed to do; and in spite of doing these things, I rather made a man to feel so ashamed. Then, I started thinking - I have committed something wrong to a man and before God.
Therefore, as something had happened to me, unexpectedly, he appeared again for the third time – and when I saw him coming towards my quarters, just before he got inside, I gave him a signal… then he quietly came inside the room... Then as he intended to speak something to me, I give him signal to remain calm. Then as he seated on the chair, I said to him – “I know the reason why you came, I know your intention and feeling that compelled you to come over here; but you know, you came at this moment for the third time admitting your-self as having done something mistake, and you are very much in a position of convincing to beg a forgiveness.
But, I’ll tell you, you need not to say anything, it is me who is to ask for forgiveness and pardon, but not you. You are not alone who have committed something wrong, but I am also the one, who have committed a mistake, so this time I wanted to ask your forgiveness and pardon, in the name of God could you forgive me?
In that moment, asking forgiveness was very much appealing from my side too, because I considered my-self as a pastor who totally ignored the woeful plight and suffering of this people like him, and besides, I have never told how much Jesus loves him. And moreover, I have never lay may hand on him as I already have made a promise before God.
Therefore, when I ask his forgiveness, I think you all can imagine what things would come afterwards – the atmosphere inside the room was totally changed and not only that, we two of us were also changed. Then I ask his consent to pry for him and to lay my hands on him, and then as I did it, we cry together with lots of tears. It became a wonderful moment for both of us.
This is only one example that may or may not illustrate the importance of self-examination.
When Jesus said to his disciple in john 12; 23 – 26; Lk 14: 25 – 27; The text say – “Whoever come to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his life itself, cannot be my disciple”. And, John 12: 25 say – “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life”
Here, Jesus intention in this texts, according to me is - Jesus did not teach his disciples to deliberately hate the ‘self’ without any reason, but at the same time, if the ‘self’ become a stumbling block for making and bringing about harmony, peace, unity, and understanding between individuals or within a community; this must be something we must tackle/ confront and try to defeat for the glory of God and for the goodness of everyone.
Therefore, friends ‘focusing on a right direction’ by looking at Jesus and the self is something that can help us to overcome certain challenges that may come to our daily lives.
Therefore -
- As we are too busy for looking someone/something to blame, let us not forget to look our own selves (self)
- As we are concentrating our minds to the causes and to the problems itself, let us not forget to look at Jesus.
- Sometime, we must set ‘the self’ free or keep away our own ‘self ‘, to make room for others, so that we may get a chance to heal their pains and sorrows.
Lastly, in ‘looking at Jesus’ there is a power; a power to compromise, a power to become a looser, a power to forgive, a power to forget, a power to get endurance, a power to make peace, a power to stay calm, a power to boost our strength, as well as a power to get success.
