There are times when the people you cared the most were the
ones who didn't believe and listen to you. It is a bit disappointing when you tried to
reach out to them and share with them what you've learned but they didn't seem
to care. This is not something new, so
don’t worry if you experienced setbacks like this. More often than not, people have their own
understanding of things and have their own views of the world, thus, making
them pre-occupied with their thoughts and own desires.
If these things can happen to you, you can be assured that
it also happened to the Greatest Teacher ever to walk on earth.
“But although the
world was made through Him, the world didn't recognize Him when He came. Even in His own land and among His own
people, he was not accepted” (John 1: 10-11).
†Father, You sent Jesus to this world so that we may know
You, the Truth, the Life and the Way to Salvation. You
sent Him to us as the Light of the world which He Himself made. Lead us, Father, so that we may recognize
Him, receive Him and live as He had lived. Lord Jesus, guide us as we listen and meditate
on Your words.
In the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen. †
In the previous articles, we learned how St. John described
Jesus to the early believers of the Church.
Jesus was with God from the
beginning. He created everything. He was
God. It must be considered that
according to most Bible scholars, this Gospel was written during the first
century when the Church was in its early years and was suffering from persecutions
and challenges. To give hope to the
believers, St. John may have intended
to strengthen the Church’s faith by introducing Jesus as the Son of God. A power to whom everyone can seek refuge and
comfort.
During the time that the Gospel was written, the years
before that, and even up to this present day, there were skeptics who don’t
believe the message of salvation that is Jesus Christ. People in the times of Jesus had their own
perception of salvation. From the last
book of the Old Testament until the birth of Jesus, the people of Israel have
been waiting for the Christ for hundreds of years. During those years, many came to claim to be
the Messiah but all of them proved to be false.
Then there came Jesus. A Jewish
carpenter from Nazareth, uneducated - unlike most scholars of that time. Born and raised in poverty. Who was this Man to teach about the salvation
of Man and of the Kingdom of God? The
Christ that they were waiting for is a man who will end slavery and oppression. Not a carpenter. Certainly
not Jesus.
As we would also learn later from other verses in the Bible,
even His Mother and brothers (and sisters) were skeptical about Him and His
teachings. St. James, also believed to
be a brother of Jesus, was at first skeptical about Him until His resurrection
on the first Easter when Jesus appeared to him again. From that point on, St. James became a true
believer, lead the Church in Jerusalem until he was martyred like many other saints and defenders of the Faith.
Maybe the people during those times were afraid that
they again fall prey to those people pretending to be the Christ. Maybe, the people during those early
times when Jesus was about to start His ministries had doubts about God’s
promised salvation. Eventually, their
fears and doubts blinded them.
And when the Light of God came to the world, they denied Him. They cannot comprehend the way the Light was
revealed to them. It was not what they've
been expecting. It cannot be the truth that they've waiting for.
Doubt and fear lead to blindness. People who suffered in
life would understand. People who experienced being alone, helpless and brokenhearted would understand the
feeling of being forsaken by a God who never seems to listen. Tired, afraid, brokenhearted people, resort to closing their eyes and choosing
darkness -relying upon their own
understanding and strength-than to hope for a distant spark of
light. And these people hold on to their
“blinded-faith.” They refused to acknowledge
the Light because it does not conform to what they believe and expect.
Until this day, many were living in the dark because they
refuse to acknowledge the light. Many
still don’t believe in Jesus because He doesn't fit their preconceived idea of
a savior or Son of God. Many even deny
His existence. Many even deny the very
existence of God. The people of those
days still live today.
But, for the Church and to the believers, Jesus is the
Christ – the Son of the Living God. And
through Him, we can find the light of peace, joy, hope and love that endures
forever.
†Amen. Lord Jesus,
You are the True Light from the Father.
In You we entrust our lives. Guide
us that we may continue to live the life You have always wanted for us. And when our time on earth come to an end,
welcome us in Your loving presence.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. †
