“TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?”
Meditation
for Saturday of the 3rd Week of Easter
(Acts
9:31-42; Jn 6:60-69)
Though faith is a gift, there is an aspect of
it that is human choice. God reveals His mysteries and offers us the gift of
faith for our salvation. We freely choose to believe, and in believing we
surrender ourselves to the authority of faith.
But many of Jews could not accept the teachings of Jesus on the Bread of Life. They said, “This is a hard saying, who can believe it.” Still, Jesus did not bend the teaching but maintained His stand that He is the Bread of Life, which came down from Heaven. Knowing that they were looking at it from literal human point of view, He said to them, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. That is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
In the midst of the unbelief of the Jews and some disciples, Simon Peter reassured Jesus of the faith of the apostles, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Here we see the ‘choice of faith’, the human ascent to the truth of faith. This choice to believe is drawn out and inspired by the Holy Spirit. In choosing to believe, one surrenders to the authority of faith, which is Jesus Christ. In other words, the choice to believe is at the same time an acknowledgement of the authority of faith. Therefore, Peter’s profession of faith recognized and acknowledged Jesus as the rightful authority that offers the truth of faith. Hence, the choice to believe is a choice for Jesus Christ! He is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).
This choice for Jesus by choosing what faith proposes, is so powerful that it makes the believer carry in himself the life Christ and perform great works in His name. Think about how the lady Tabitha touched the lives of many people at Joppa through her humble and simple works. See how Peter healed the paralysed man, Aeneas at Lydda. On hearing about the death of Tabitha, Peter moved in, knelt down and prayed, and said to the body, “Tabitha rise.” She got up! The power of Jesus is always at works in those who believe in Him; those who chose Him and surrendered their authority to Him. To whom shall we go? Only Jesus we choose, only Jesus we shall follow, only Jesus we shall surrender to, forever and ever. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday April 24th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
