The Christian's Life Must Appear Like Slavery To Whoever Looks At It Externally

 "You see, that I speak in a very human way, taking into account that you are not fully mature.

There was a time, when you let your members be slaves of impurity and disorder, walking in the way of sin; convert them, now, into servants of righteousness, to the point of becoming holy.

When you were slaves of sin, you did not feel under obligation to righteousness, but what were the fruits of those actions, of which you are now ashamed?  Such things bring death.  Now, however, you have been freed from sin and serve GOD.  You are bearing fruit, and growing in holiness, and the result will be life everlasting.  So, on one side is sin: its reward, death; on the other side, is GOD: HE gives us, by grace, life everlasting, in CHRIST JESUS, our LORD." - Romans 6:19-23

 

(In Paul's time there were cases of slaves being exchanged by owners.  A free person with debts could sell himself to his creditor in payment of his debts.  The comparison used by Paul teaches us to be meekly at the disposal of the Spirit, as slaves who are not owners of their own persons.  Let us look at what the Spirit advises before making any decision.

The Christian's life must appear like slavery to whoever looks at it externally.  Yet the Christian feels and knows himself to be free.  The best example might be that of a mother totally dedicated to her sick child: she is totally free, because she has no other law than her love.)

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Do Not Allow Sin Any Control Over Your Mortal Bodies

 "Do not allow sin any control over your mortal bodies; do not submit yourselves to its evil inclinations, and do not give your members over to sin, as instruments to do evil.  On the contrary, offer yourselves, as persons returned from death to life, and let the members of your body be as holy instruments, at the service of GOD.  Sin will not lord it over you again, for you are not under the law, but under grace.

I ask again: are we to sin because we are not under the law, but under grace?  Certainly not.  If you have given yourselves up to someone as his slave, you are to obey the one who commands you, aren't you?  Now, with sin, you go to death, and by accepting faith, you go to the right way.  Let us give thanks to GOD, for, after having sin as your master, you have been given to another, that is, to the doctrine of faith, to which you listen willingly.  And being free from sin, you began to serve true righteousness--" - Romans 6:12-18

 

(Do not allow sin any control over your mortal bodies.  The faithful, although conscious of belonging totally to CHRIST, commit sins every day.  Their sins, however, do not deprive them of what is most important, trust in the FATHER, which allows them to stand up after each fall [1 John 2:1].  They know that they are and always will be sinners whom GOD forgives, as long as they try to amend and be better.  We achieve freedom day by day by voluntarily submitting to the requirements of a better life.)

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Be Ready

 "Be ready, dressed for service, and keep your lamps lit, like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding.  As soon as he comes and knocks, they will open the door to him.  Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes.  Truly, I tell you, he will put on an apron, and have them sit at table, and he will wait on them.  Happy are those servants, if he finds them awake when he comes at midnight or day break!" - Luke 12:35-38

 

(Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake.  Wide-awake, that is, concerned about tomorrow's world.  Wide-awake also means being aware of the truth; we do not consent to call "good" evil, and 'evil' good; we do not forgive ourselves for allowing evil and we are not intimidated before injustice.)

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Preach The Word

 "In the presence of GOD and CHRIST JESUS, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by the hope I have of HIS coming, and HIS kingdom, I urge you to preach the word, in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, or advising, always with patience, and providing instruction.  For the time is coming, when people will no longer endure sound doctrine, but, following their passions, they will surround themselves with teachers to please their itching ears.  And they will abandon the truth to hear fables.  So be prudent, do not mind your labor, give yourself to your work as an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the LORD, the just judge, will reward me, on that day, and not only me, but all those who have longed for HIS glorious coming." - Luke 4:1-8

 

(Preach the Word: this is Paul's last advice.  It must be the first concern of the Church and of any church leader.

Paul knows that he will not be freed and that he will be condemned to death.  He embraces his own sacrifice just as JESUS did.

We find the comparison of the soldier and the athlete that Paul liked so much.  In those days athletes received a crown of laurels as a symbol of immortality: As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come.)

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CHRIST Is Our High Priest

 "We have a great high priest, JESUS, the Son of GOD, who has entered heaven.  Let us, then, hold fast to the faith we profess.  Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for HE was tempted, in every way, just as we are, yet, without sinning.  Let us, then, with confidence, approach the throne of grace.  We will obtain mercy and, through HIS favor, help in due time." - Hebrews 4:14-16 

(For the Jews, the high priest--despite his personal defects--was a sacred person protecting the people from the punishment deserved by their sins.  The people needed not only leaders to govern them, but an advocate before GOD.  Aaron, Moses' brother, the first priest of the Jews, had been such a man.  His successors, the high priests, were to be the same.

This idea is developed here: the high priest is the people's representative before GOD, and he must be weak as they are but accepted by GOD.  CHRIST is just that and perfectly so.  Forgetting that JESUS is a man among humans is as serious for the faith as forgetting that HE is the Son of GOD.

It is helpful to look at the role of CHRIST, the high priest, at this time when the Church reminds us that all the faithful are associated with the priestly role of CHRIST.  We must represent humanity before GOD; we are consecrated to GOD for that purpose.

In the Eucharist we thank GOD in the name of everyone.  In daily life we must be instruments of the grace of GOD by being people who promote truth, encourage love and establish peaceful relationships.)

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There Will Be Pardon For The One Who Criticizes The Son Of Man, But There Will Be No Pardon For The One Who Slanders The Holy Spirit

 "'I tell you, whoever acknowledges ME before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of GOD.  But the one who denies ME before others will be denied before the angels of GOD.

There will be no pardon for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.

When you are brought before the synagogues, and before governors and rulers, don't worry about how you will defend yourself, or what to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say.'" - Luke 12:8-12 

(The one who criticizes the Son of Man: To slander [or: to blaspheme] the Holy Spirit is to attribute to a bad spirit a work that is manifestly good.  Those who systematically attribute bad intentions to good work done by others, by the Church, by other parties, sin against the Holy Spirit.  The one who recognizes the truth but not GOD is better off than the one who says he believes in GOD but does not recognize the truth.)

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Nothing Is Hidden That Will Not Be Made Known

 "Meanwhile, such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another.  Then JESUS spoke to HIS disciples in this way.

'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered; or hidden, that will not be made known.  Whatever you have said in darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from housetops.

I tell you, MY friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and, after that, can do no more.  But I will tell you whom to fear: Fear the one who, after killing you, is able to throw you into hell.  This one you must fear.  Don't you buy five sparrows for two pennies?  Yet not one of them has been forgotten by GOD.  Even the hairs of your head have been numbered.  Don't be afraid!  Are you less worthy in the eyes of GOD than many sparrows?'" - Luke 12:1-7

(Nothing is hidden that will not be made known: this could be interpreted in different ways.  In these paragraphs, JESUS refers to the courageous testimony of faith.  We have to speak the truth without worrying about what people will think of us.  Here hypocrisy is attributed to those who are always trying to be diplomatic, and whose primary concern is not to lose friends.)

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One Of The Reasons Why So Many Simple People Go To Other Churches

 "'A curse is on you, for you build monuments to the prophets your ancestors killed.  So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did.  Is it not so?  They got rid of the prophets, and you build monuments to them!

For that reason the wisdom of GOD also said: I will send prophets and apostles and these people will kill and persecute some of them.  But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the Sanctuary.  Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.

A curse is on you, teachers of the law, for you have taken the key of knowledge.  You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.'

As JESUS left that place, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to harass HIM, asking HIM endless questions, setting traps to catch HIM in something HE might say." - Luke 11:47-54

 

(Those who, before Luke, wrote down this saying of JESUS: I will send prophets... [which we also read in Matthew 23:34], introduced it with the formula: "Wisdom says," which was a way of designating JESUS.  When Luke placed these lines within JESUS' discourse, he forgot to take out these words.  Removing them would have made the text a lot clearer.

JESUS states that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law will be mainly responsible for the persecution against the first Christians [against those apostles and prophets HE is going to send].

The warning of JESUS is equally relevant for Christian institutions and all those who in one way or another guide the community.  We too, perhaps, build a church for the "elite" who unconsciously despise the poor and the lowly.  So very quickly were the prophets paralyzed or eliminated.

You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.  Is not this one of the reasons why so many simple people go to other churches?)

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The Reproaches JESUS Addressed To The Pharisees

 "'A curse is on you, Pharisees!  To the temple you give a tenth of all, including mint and rue and other herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of GOD.  These ought to be practiced, without neglecting the other obligations.  A curse is on you, Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace.  A curse is on you, for you are like tombstones of the dead which can hardly be seen; people don't notice them, and make themselves unclean by stepping on them.'

Then a teacher of the law spoke up and said, 'Master, when YOU speak like this, YOU insult us, too.'  And JESUS answered, 'A curse is on you also, teachers of the law.  For you prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves do not move a finger to help them.'" - Luke 11:42-46 

(Then we read about the reproaches JESUS addressed to the Pharisees on various occasions.  If Luke like Matthew has kept these very hard words of JESUS, it was perhaps a reminder that the Gospel goes much further than the vision of the Pharisees, so concerned, as they claimed, for the service of GOD.  Some of them were part of the first Christian community, and were influential [Acts 15:5].  Doubtless, the hostile attitude adopted by the party of the Pharisees in the following years accounts for the remembrance of these reproaches.  There are surely others and deeper reasons for the many warnings we read in Scripture about Pharisees.

Entering the New Covenant is a free gift from GOD.  It is also a gift from GOD to possess a good knowledge of Christian doctrine, or exercise a special ministry in the Church, or belong to a Christian group committed for their faith.  Nevertheless there is always the danger to behave as an elite group, thus losing the true humility that should lead us to occupy the last places, where we really should be.)

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Why Do They Not Pay More Attention To Inner Purification?

 "As JESUS was speaking, a Pharisee asked HIM to have a meal with him.  So HE went and sat at table.  The Pharisee then wondered why JESUS did not first wash HIS hands before dinner.  But the LORD said to him, 'So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil.  Fools!  HE who made the outside, also made the inside.  But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.'" - Luke 11:37-41

 

(Scripture does not demand these ritual purifications that Mark also mentions in 7:3, but the teachers of JESUS' time insisted that they were necessary.  JESUS rebels against these new religious obligations.  Why do they not pay more attention to inner purification?)

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