I cannot – whether living or dead – escape from the hands of the Almighty. 27 I prefer to bravely sacrifice my life now, as befits my old age. 28 So I shall leave an excellent example to the young, dying voluntarily and valiantly for the sacred and holy laws.” Having said this, he gave himself over to death.
When faced with physical death one can be overcome with fear and dread. But what about spiritual death? Many of us are walking corpses.
Hosea 11:3-4, 8-9
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet little did they realize that it was I who cared for them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as one who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them.
. 8 My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. 9 I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst and I do not want to come to you in anger.
How marvelously, tenderly and generously God loves His poor, weak, sinful creatures. He give us every opportunity to repent and come back to Him. He witholds His righteous anger and looks at us through the wounds of His Son and has pity on us.
Matthew 10:7-15
7 Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. 9 Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. 10 Do not carry a traveler’s bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking-stick: workers deserve their living.
11 When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave.
12 As you enter the house, wish it peace. 13 If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you.
14 And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town.
Beloved, there are many who have a nodding acquaintance with You. They have some idea of who You are and they know holy men and women who serve You in the priesthood and religious life. They may even know Christians in the secular world who try to live their lives modeled on You, yet they relegate You to the position of just another spiritual guru. They are afraid to find out more about You. They know about Your miracles, they know some of Your teachings and can even quote some Scripture texts. They know about Your passion, death and resurrection but they prefer to stand on the sidelines. They are not true seekers of the truth. Anyone who seeks the Truth honestly and with a sincere heart, will find his or her way to You who are the Way, the Truth and the Life. How terrible for these people who were not willing to welcome the Truth for they will have to face You on judgement day.
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