Whoever
Piety
But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard
from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy
ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison
all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this
man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and
children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my
name." Acts 9:13-16
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains
in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because
of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. John 6:56-57
Study
Whoever.
Anybody. Everybody.
Jesus
did not reserve his mercy and his sacrifice for an elect few. Throughout the
Gospels, we saw him bless and heal lepers, enemy soldiers, Samaritans, cheating
sons who stole their inheritance, and prostitutes.
In
death, maybe the disciples thought that they could be more selective about who
they brought into the Church. When
Ananias was asked to evangelize Saul of Tarsus, he tried to get out of the
responsibility like Job fleeing Nineveh. "Lord,
I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to
your holy ones in Jerusalem.”
However,
Jesus is not to be challenged. Jesus
does the challenging. If Saul must be
called, then you better call Saul. No matter what his reputation in the eyes of
the men and women of Jerusalem, Saul’s was a soul worth saving to Jesus.
Action
Who
should you reserve your mercy? Figure
out the least likely person and prayer for the strength to offer him/her the
love of the Lord before Jesus challenges you to do so.
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