BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Gospel Lessons
Sunday - 25 November 2012
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| "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over" |
Christ the King
Sunday, November 25, 2012, is the Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. The Gospel for this Sunday concludes the liturgical year, is a continuation of John's Passion narrative that we hear on Good Friday.
Jesus is arraigned before Pilate, and finds himself in a face to face struggle with secular political power. In answer to Pilate’s litany of questions regarding His claim of kingship, Jesus simply tells Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world, and that everyone who is committed to the truth hears the voice of Jesus. Pilate had the truth right before his very eyes, yet he failed to recognize this truth in the person of Jesus because he was afraid of being “politically incorrect.” Pilate chose the “politically correct” approach and nailed Truth to a cross.
Jesus is arraigned before Pilate, and finds himself in a face to face struggle with secular political power. In answer to Pilate’s litany of questions regarding His claim of kingship, Jesus simply tells Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world, and that everyone who is committed to the truth hears the voice of Jesus. Pilate had the truth right before his very eyes, yet he failed to recognize this truth in the person of Jesus because he was afraid of being “politically incorrect.” Pilate chose the “politically correct” approach and nailed Truth to a cross.
It takes great courage to walk a different path than
what is now called the “politically correct” path taken and demanded by a majority
of our society. Evidence abounds everywhere we look: the shows we watch, the
music we enjoy, the language we speak, the way we set our priorities, and what
we do with our time. As Christians, everything we do in life may seem different from what even our
friends and family view as “correct.” We Christians, however,
are held to the highest authority. We take this responsibility with honor
and humility.
God has given all of us
free will. However, from the cradle onward we are bombarded with subtle and not-so-subtle messages to fit in, not to make waves, to not keep score so those who do not win will not feel badly. All of us, you, me, and our children are told / programmed / taught in this world each day that the
individual person’s desires and wants are top priority, and that these should be gratified immediately. We are faced and challenged constantly in every
choice we make that we can get away with a great deal and do not “have to” put
the extra effort in reaching out, spending time with God and the Word, or
letting others get the spotlight or praise.
The gods of Relativism coach us to determine for ourselves what is right and wrong for each of us because there are no absolute standards of right or wrong. Therefore, since there are no standards (or rights) other than those which are imposed upon or granted to us by the State (the new number one god), we must all be average and fall within the proscribed "norm."
Not only do we not have to do better than average, we are compelled to be the norm. What the “norm” fails to understand is that you and I have the opportunity and the God-given challenge to do just that when we Love God and Love our neighbor in our thoughts, words and actions. In John 13: 34-35 Jesus gives his Apostles a new commandment. Note that the operative word is commandment. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; evan as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Certainly in this world - the world we who inhabit call the "real world - love is more and more reserved for one's self rather than for one's neighbor, let alone a stranger. To love all men - friends, family, strangers and enemies alike - is not the norm. Yet we are commanded to do just that and behave in a way that shines the spotlight upon us and marks us as a disciple of Christ.
Not only do we not have to do better than average, we are compelled to be the norm. What the “norm” fails to understand is that you and I have the opportunity and the God-given challenge to do just that when we Love God and Love our neighbor in our thoughts, words and actions. In John 13: 34-35 Jesus gives his Apostles a new commandment. Note that the operative word is commandment. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; evan as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Certainly in this world - the world we who inhabit call the "real world - love is more and more reserved for one's self rather than for one's neighbor, let alone a stranger. To love all men - friends, family, strangers and enemies alike - is not the norm. Yet we are commanded to do just that and behave in a way that shines the spotlight upon us and marks us as a disciple of Christ.
For me, I believe that my reward is in the people I
encounter and serve day in and day out, the society I try to improve, and knowing that my Loving Father is
with me always. “Not of this world” is a
way of life. It is a re-assurance that I
have that this is not all there is.
Because of Jesus’ example, I am not to be concerned with what others say
about me or they judge me. I find
tremendous peace in knowing that while I may be in this world, I am not of
this world.
I Only Hope we Find God Again,
Before It's Too Late!
My Confession
Ben Stein
The following was written and recited by Ben Stein
on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary
I don't
like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians
like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who
believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.
I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist
country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it
being shoved down my throat. . . .
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
In light of recent events . . . terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . . . The Bible says thou shall not kill; thou shall not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Isn’t it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
My Best Regards, Honestly and Respectfully,
Ben Stein
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