20141027 FREEING OURSELVES FROM BONDAGES IN
CHRIST
First
reading
Ephesians
4:32-5:8 ©
Be
friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God
forgave you in Christ.
Try, then, to imitate God as children of his
that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in
our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. Among you there must
be not even a mention of fornication or impurity in any of its forms, or
promiscuity: this would hardly become the saints! There must be no coarseness,
or salacious talk and jokes-all this is wrong for you; raise your voices in
thanksgiving instead. For you can be quite certain that nobody who actually
indulges in fornication or impurity or promiscuity-which is worshipping a false
god-can inherit anything of the kingdom of God. Do not let anyone deceive you
with empty arguments: it is for this loose living that God’s anger comes down
on those who rebel against him. Make sure that you are not included with them.
You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of
light.
Psalm Psalm 1:1-4,6 ©
Try
to imitate God, as children of his that he loves.
Happy
indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor
lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but
whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Try
to imitate God, as children of his that he loves.
He
is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that
yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Try
to imitate God, as children of his that he loves.
Not
so are the wicked, not so!
For
they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind.
for
the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Try
to imitate God, as children of his that he loves.
Gospel
Acclamation Jn17:17
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Your
word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate
us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 13:10-17 ©
One
sabbath day Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there
who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled;
she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright. When Jesus saw her he
called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid
his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
But the synagogue official was indignant
because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, and he addressed the people present.
‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be done. Come and be healed on
one of those days and not on the sabbath.’ But the Lord answered him.
‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his
donkey from the manger on the sabbath and take it out for watering? And this
woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years –
was it not right to untie her bonds on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all
his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed
at all the wonders he worked.
FREEING
OURSELVES FROM BONDAGES IN CHRIST
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: EPH 4:32-5:8; LK 13:10-17
In the
gospel story, we read of the woman who “was bent double and quite unable to
stand upright” for eighteen years. According to Jesus, she was held bound
by Satan. We too could also suffer from some forms of oppression and
bondages. Our lack of freedom might not always be caused by the Evil
One, because it could be a result of the weaknesses inherent in us due to our
fallen nature. When we are under the bondage of sin or the Evil One, then
like the woman, we cannot stand up straight to praise God or glorify Him.
What are those bondages that bind us and rob us of our joy and happiness? In
today’s scripture readings, there are five types of such bondages.
Firstly,
one could suffer in our bodies. This was the case of the
woman. Physical, emotional or mental illnesses can take away the joy of
living. Those of us who suffer from chronic illness and pain will
understand the anguish and inconvenience we have to bear, which can lead to emotional
sickness such as depression, hopelessness and loneliness. Of course, as
the gospel implies, some illnesses could also be caused by the evil
spirit. What begins as physical or emotional disability could in the
process be manipulated by the Evil One.
Secondly,
we can suffer the burden of legalism in our conscience. This was
the case of the Pharisees. They were meticulously concerned about observing the
Sabbath Law to the extent of detailing the exact situation when the Sabbath Law
would be broken. There are some Catholics too, who are over-scrupulous as
to what sins have been committed and whether they are confessed. Whilst
certainly, serious sins must always be confessed, to be obsessed by our venial
sins or imperfections would not do our soul any good. Instead of becoming
inward-looking, living in constant fear of breaking the commandments and
thinking that God is seeking to punish us, we should simply acknowledge our
sinfulness and imperfections in humility and focus on the love and mercy of God
Thirdly,
we can suffer from the sin of hypocrisy. Most of us do not like to
act hypocritically. But the fear of rejection and the desperate need for
affirmation, love and support often tempt us to live a double life, a life
without integrity. We know that living a righteous life according to the
gospel is what is required of us. In order to earn respect from society,
we might espouse the beauty of the gospel and how Christian life should be
lived, but in practice, we live contrary to what we preach. When we are
not faithful to what we preach and say, we become unhappy and disgusted with
ourselves deep within us, not only because we fear that one day we will be
exposed, but also because our conscience will be reproaching us every now and
then. So the heart is divided and the mind confused. There is war within
us and we lose our peace.
Another
form of oppression we undergo is unforgiveness. This by far is the
most common form of bondage. When people, especially our loved ones,
betray or humiliate us, forgiving them is the most difficult thing to do.
What is most frustrating is that we know that so long as we do not let go of
these hurtful events in our lives, we will never be at peace with
ourselves. We will always be thinking of revenge, nursing the wounds or
engaging in self-pity. The thought or the sight of our enemies would
immediately stir up past hurts. Unforgiveness ironically makes us the
slaves and prisoners of our enemies.
Finally,
another widespread bondage that this contemporary generation suffers from is
lust. In the name of freedom, pornographic materials are allowed to
circulate freely, especially on the internet. Society is certainly very
permissive when it comes to sex. This is obvious when we read of more and
more young teenagers engaging in sexual activities and infidelity in marriage
has become the norm. Today’s society is no better, if not worse, than that of
St Paul’s time. In many of his letters, especially to the Corinthians, St
Paul cautioned against such a liberal attitude towards sexual
promiscuity. He even compared fornication and promiscuity to the worship
of false gods. For such people, they cannot “inherit anything of the
kingdom of God.”
In the
light of these bondages, the Good News is that Christ has come to set us
free. He is our healer and liberator. He comes so that we
can be set free from our sins and the work of the Evil One. What He did
for the woman in the gospel, He continues to do for us today. This is what
Jesus declared in the gospel when He said that He has come to untie the bonds
of the woman under Satan. Unlike the hypocritical Pharisees who untied
their oxen or donkeys from their mangers on the Sabbath, Jesus is freeing us,
the children of God, from the Devil. Only He can release us from the
temptations and the snares of the Evil One. And how does He do it?
Firstly,
by His sacrificial death on the cross, He showed us the depth of His
Father’s unconditional love and bountiful mercy. Because of His
vicarious death on the cross for us all, we can now do the same. In fact,
St Paul invokes this as the basis for forgiving those who have hurt us.
He said, “Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as
readily as God forgave you in Christ.” If there is one reason why we
should forgive, it is because Christ has forgiven us, whose sins against Him
are infinitely more serious than that which any human being can ever commit
against us.
It is
this same experience and conviction of Christ’s love for us that we are
healed of our brokenness and fear of rejection and lack of love.
Knowing that Christ loves us, not in spite of, but rather because of, our
sinfulness, will help us to accept our own imperfections. No longer will
we feel that observance of the Law is the way to be loved by God, but rather
that such observance is the way we love God, and most of all, love ourselves,
since the Law teaches us to live rightly and lovingly.
The Law is no longer a
burden but, as the psalmist says, truly the wisdom and counsel of God, “Blessed the man who follows not the
counsel of the wicked, nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company
of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law
day and night.” The Law becomes for us the way to walk in the light.
As we walk the way of
Christ, we no longer have to live hypocritical lives, but a life of
integrity according to the grace He bestows on us. Rooted in Him, we
grow in authenticity and freedom in love. Such a man, as the psalmist
says, “Is like a tree planted near running water that yields its fruit in due
season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does prospers.” Unlike
those who live selfish and self-centered lives, worshipping themselves and being
slaves of their passions, we live liberated lives that enable us to love freely
and unconditionally. We can then with joy and humility proclaim that we
live under the reign of God. The choice of living a life of freedom in
the Spirit or a life under the bondages of sin and Satan is really ours.
What is your decision today?
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV
WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP
OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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