NO CONTEST

“We must obey God rather than men.” – Acts 5:29

       Obeying laws of men should be good and proper. They’re designed to protect the welfare of everyone.

       Pleasing people isn’t totally bad. We should be kind and nice to others. Tolerance is a big word nowadays to respect and accommodate others’ beliefs and way of life.

       Yet there comes a time when pleasing and obeying men’s laws will run in conflict with God’s laws and His Divine will. This is especially so with moral issues. And you have to make a choice.

         Time and again I find myself in this predicament. I try to find a “win-win” situation, a compromise, where I hope to serve and please both. But there comes a time when you have to choose only one — God or man.

       If and when it comes to that, there should be no contest at all. For if you choose man and drop God, you lose everything.

       While if you seek God first and His righteousness, everything else shall be added unto you. Alvin Barcelona (apb_ayo@yahoo.

Reflection: Are you making a decision to choose between God and man? Is it about love, career, finances or ministry? Remember to seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will follow.

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to seek You and put You first in every decision I make. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

St. Bernadette Soubirous, virgin, pray for us.

Peter gave an argument that all disciples of Jesus will have to use to counter the hostility of today’s world to the Gospel. The will of God and His command to evangelize is the overriding aspect of being a Christian. If this conflicts with the world’s ideas, then God’s will must prevail. We will suffer but that is the price we pay for following Jesus. The saints saw suffering for the sake of the Gospel as a joy.

27 When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28 “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-18, 19-20

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the Lord is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. (R) 16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R)  18 [19] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the Lord delivers him. (R)

Eternal life is given to all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God. It is by faith alone that we are saved. However, true Christian faith always leads to action. We must live our faith by doing works of love and charity. We must share the Gospel with others and minister to those in need. This is at the heart of our Christian calling.

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

think: We must live out our faith by doing works of love and charity.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Numbers 4-6

OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MEN

Nowadays, obedience is not easy to come by. We have laws, but it seems nobody wants to follow them. Only small-time taxpayers whose taxes are already deducted from their payslips seem to pay taxes religiously.

       People cut corners, turn two-lane roads into five lanes, and create bottlenecks everywhere. Sidewalks have become stalls, stores, extension gardens and repositories of junked vehicles.

       Obedience to laws for the sake of the common good is a tough nut to crack. One needs political will, tenacity of purpose, and clarity of vision. One does not obey because something is mandated. Something is mandated because there is a value attached to it — a value that goes beyond mere personal benefit or convenience, but has to do with the common good, and more besides, like spiritual goods.

       Today, Peter and the Apostles disobeyed the orders of the authorities. The powers-that-be were rattled as the small ragtag group of preachers “filled Jerusalem with [their] teaching.” Now, that’s what you call zealous preaching! I know of some preachers who could easily preach for an hour but, of course, length does not translate to powerful and substantial, especially if all one does is to sing a few songs to force-fit to the readings.

       Because of their disobedience, the Apostles were made to stand before the Sanhedrin. They were placed under duress and threatened. But heroes and holy men are not only bold and courageous. They also have clarity of vision. They knew who, ultimately, was their Boss, to whom alone obedience is due.

       Peter and the Apostles knew whom to obey. In the face of conflicting values, they chose wisely and did rightly. They obeyed God rather than men. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How easy or hard is it for you to obey man-made laws? How about God-ordained laws?

I pray for the grace of obedience to You, Lord, so that I may reap the rewards of eternal life.