The Word of Life

 

24th May 2025

 

Meditating the Words of Jesus from Holy Scriptures 

Lord, teach us how to love You unconditionally

 

For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:20, NJB, https://ref.ly/Mt5.20;njb) For the sake of God's kingdom, we are expected to live moral lives. We cannot enter God's kingdom unless we surpass the integrity of the Scribes and Pharisees. We needed the integrity of St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary's husband, who guarded the holy family through all the difficult times.Have any of the authorities come to believe in him? Any of the Pharisees? (John 7:48, NJB, https://ref.ly/Jn7.48;njb) The Pharisees never believe Jesus is the Son of God or he came from God. Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption. 28 In just the same way, from the outside you look upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27–28, NJB, https://ref.ly/Mt23.27-28;njb). Jesus, who is the Messiah, was requested for a sign by the Pharisees and Scribes. Jonah the prophet is the only sign that Jesus wishes to show them. God saved him in the belly of a whale after he disobeyed Him and was cast into the deep sea; on the third day, he emerged from the fish's guts alive. Jesus will die and in the same way and on the third day, he will rise again, as the Son of Man will rise from the dead on the third day. He replied, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:39, NJB, https://ref.ly/Mt12.39;njb)

The Word of Life

 

On 22nd May 2025 [VM 7]

Meditating the Words of Jesus from Holy Scriptures 

Lord, make us Understand Your commandments and statutes to know Your will.

‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. 18 In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved[1] Jesus did not come to abolish the law; rather, he came to explain the significance of the Ten Commandments and make them more important for living a life in Christ. All of the prophets' predictions will come to pass. Moses, David, Isiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, Zechariah, and numerous other prophets wrote about Jesus' birth and how humanity is saved centuries before he was born. According to what the Heavenly Father stated in the book of Genesis,, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.’ 27 God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.[2] Here what we can understand is the Trinitarian God’s presence is clearly visible. God said here ‘Let us make man in our own image and in the likeness of ourselves’ Jesus did not come to abolish the law; rather, he came to explain the significance of the Ten Commandments and make them more important for living a life in Christ. All of the prophets' predictions will come to pass. Moses, David, Isiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, Zechariah, and numerous other prophets wrote about Jesus' birth and how humanity is saved centuries before he was born. According to what the Heavenly Father stated in the book of Genesis, I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. 35 It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples.[3] In a different verse, Jesus tells us that just as he kept his Father's commandments, so should we keep God's commandments and stay in the love of both Jesus and the Father in heaven.  If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [4]   This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.[5]                                                                         

[1] The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Mt 5:17–18). New York: Doubleday.

[2] The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Ge 1:26–27). New York: Doubleday.

[3] The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Jn 13:34–35). New York: Doubleday.

[4] The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Jn 15:10). New York: Doubleday.

[5] The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Jn 15:12). New York: Doubleday.