Be Eager to Defend Your Faith:Breakfast with the Word Sat 28th Week
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Breakfast with the Word Saturday 28th Week Ordinary Time of the Year B
To be eager to defend our faith is that ardent desire to defend what we believe in. To defend our faith shows that we are truly convinced about who and what we believe in.
Be eager to defend your faith despite the oppositions and situation confronting you at the moment. This is faith.
As we grow in our spiritual life, many things will challenge our faith. Sometimes they may push us to think negative of what we believe in.
Such spiritual distractions may come from problems, circumstances, friends, family members and even co-workers.
Whatever condition we may find ourselves, wherever you are and whichever place you may find yourself, do not hesitate to stand on your ground and defend your faith.
Today, Jesus promises eternity to those who can declare Him despite the persecution and opposition that is involved.
In the gospel of today, Jesus promises to declare anyone in the presence of His angels, whoever can declare Him in the presence of men. And to disown anyone who disowns Him in the presence of men. He says:
To declare literally means to talk about somebody or something, publicly, emphatically, courageously and proudly with conviction.
This in essence means that the only place to show how much we believe in God is in the world. Our faith in Jesus is proven in the face of challenges, hatred, persecution, misunderstanding that have enveloped the world etc.
To declare Jesus is to be able to declare Him proudly without fear, to talk about Him publicly and to defend our faith courageously.
It is standing our ground despite the opposition. Jesus promises anyone who does this, His own willingness to speak for Him at the end of His Life.
The Holy Spirit is the Guard.
Jesus also promises His disciples not to be afraid of defending their faith publicly, in the presence of any authority, and under any harsh condition, for the Holy Spirit is always there to speak for them.
He says
When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’
In essence, Jesus promises us the abiding power of the Holy Spirit in the time of trouble. This shows that we shall encounter troublesome moments and times. But we need to keep our faith in God very strong.
As a christian you will experience hatred, betrayal, jealousy, attack, from people. When we encounter these, Jesus advises us not lose our faith.
Therefore, we have to defend our faith in Him both in good an d bad times. Problems should not make lose hope in God.
So let us be always eager to defend our faith because Jesus promises us the ever-abiding presence of His Spirit in every challenging situations.
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Whoever sins Against the Holy Spirit
In this gospel, Jesus warns that there may be forgiveness for whoever talks against His name. But there is no forgiveness for anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit.
Blasphemy is when our acts, deeds, and words show total disrespect to God and Holy things. It can be in the form of insult, contempt and lack of reverence for God.
This is a strict warning to the Jews who accuse Jesus of working through the power of Beelzebub in the earlier chapter of this gospel (Luke 11:14-23) when in the fact He is working under the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:20, Mathew 12:28).
They attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to the Prince of Demons. This statement indicates total denial in the work of the Holy Spirit and blatant refusal to believe in the work of God.
The point here is that the Pharisees and some Jewish leaders have totally blocked their hearts from the gospel message. This eventually led them to deny totally the work of the Holy Spirit. So blasphemy here indicates total rejection of God by insinuating that the work of the “Holy” Spirit comes from the evil one.
This verse simply indicates that one may reject Jesus and later, by God’s grace, accept Him; but there is no remedy for the absolute and complete rejection of God. Such a soul is completely damned.
So, any conditions we may find ourselves should not be an avenue for us to blaspheme and reject God totally. It is time to prove our faith in God.
Read More
Stand up for What is Right. Thursday 28th Week Ordinary Time
What God demands. Wednesday 28th Week Ordinary Time
God is More Interested On the Inside
One Thing that Remains In the Journey of Salvation
Defend Your Faith at all Cost.
We do not have to regret going through rejection, persecution, hatred etc as a Christian. 1 Peter 4:14 advises that let no one suffer as a thief or evildoer but if anyone suffers because of Jesus Christ, he should rather rejoice because there is always a reward for that.
Sometimes challenges force us to lose our faith in God. We may feel we have made a mistake believing God in the first place. But from this gospel, this is the time to prove our faith in Jesus. Difficult moments are always there to try our faith.
There are times people will talk bad about you because of your past and thus use it to represent your present. Many may taunt you because of the little mistakes you made. Do not lose hope too, only God knows you more than they know you.
There are times you may face rejection, persecutions and hatred from friends and family because you are not in support of their evil schemes. Never lose your faith. It is always a trying moment. Jesus promises never to forget you if you are always willing to speak and defend your faith.
Tribulations and persecutions will come but always be eager to defend and prove your faith in God. Our faith in God should be so strong that no man, power, and circumstances are willing to pull it to the mud. Always stand firm.
May God bless you dearest and give us the courage to stand form in the midst of difficulties. May He continues to enrich you with His graces. Amen
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