“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man!” (Lk 6:22)

 “Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man!” (Lk 6:22) 

Today’s Passage: Lk 6:20-26

Meditation: Is it possible to be happy when you are hated, rejected, and insulted? Humanly speaking, it is, in anyway, impossible. I do remember my school days, how easily I was getting angry when got insulted and rejected. As I grew up, I was not showing myself angry outward, but inside at times I ‘was’ not happy at all. Years gone, now I feel that I can remain at times with that inner peace even when I am insulted, rejected, and hated. I pray now if I could be like that always. Is it because of the time taught me something as we say time will cure everything? In a sense yes! For it took more time to understand Jesus and the meaning of his discipleship. It was through the word of the Lord; through Peter and Paul. Both of them were earlier against the crucified one, the cross and its sufferings. Let us see Peter today. In the gospel of Mathew we read that Jesus was speaking his passion, death, and resurrection to his disciples and “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” He said, “That must never happen to you!” (Mt 16:22) Peter was certainly was a man, who hated cross and its sufferings. But we read then about the same Peter in Acts of the Apostles, “They called the apostles in, had them whipped, and ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus; and then they set them free. As the apostles left the Council, they were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus.” (5:40, 41) Peter is now proud of being a Christian and strengthens the early Christians, “Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ’s followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.” (1 Pt 4:14) Again, “If you suffer because you are a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ’s name.” (1 Pt 4:16) Is it possible then to be happy when you are hated, rejected, and insulted? Yes, it is possible, if it is because of the Son of Man. Even today, hundreds of Christians in Iraq, Egypt, and Syria prove themselves happy and blessed by confessing their faith in Jesus even before the danger of cruel death. Let us also not be ashamed of Jesus who has laid down his life for us on the cross.

                          

 Prayer:    Lord God, we thank you and praise you for your daily eternal bread. O Jesus! Let us learn from the apostles and these suffering Christians that unless we are not proud of you and your cross, we will not be able to be happy and blessed when got insulted, rejected, and hated for your name’s sake. With the help of your Holy Spirit let us be convinced of the fact that we are saved by your blood and our life today is because of you. Amen!

Greetings:       Take courage! God is with you! Have a nice and blissful Wednesday…