Pleasing God, A Reflection for the Second Sunday Of Lent

Pleasing God by the way we live
Second Sunday of Lent Reflection
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry

The readings for the second Sunday of lent have two important messages for us to contemplate. The first is from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7) and it is one that many who make judgments against people of the GLBT community use to condemn them. The use Paul’s words; . “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality” as if they outlaw sexual activity completely but if you read them carefully you will notice Paul says “avoid sexual immorality” and in that phrase is the complicating factor. Exactly what is sexual immorality? In the next few lines Paul provides the answer and fully explains what he is referring to; “that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.”.
Paul tells us that we need to control our urges, we need to have respect for our own bodies as well as those of others. We should resist the urge to have sexual encounters for the sole purpose of the pleasure we obtain like the heathens who considered some people to be their property and therefore could be used and abused as they whished because they did not know or respect God and therefore God’s children which includes every living human being on the planet. Since we, as humans, are made in the image and likeness of God our bodies are, as Paul explains in the passage, “Holy and honorable”. Paul further tells us that we should never wrong our brothers and sisters in Christ or take advantage of them. I wonder how those who abused children and those who rape individuals can justify their actions, especially those who took vows to serve God as His representative here on earth and live lives of chastity and obedience to God’s will.
The bottom line for us in this particular lesson from scripture is that we need to use the gift of sex in a manner that is consistent with the designs of Almighty God, as an expression of committed love for our chosen partner and that we need to respect that partner and always treat them as an equal.
The second reading is from Matthew 17: 1-9 and is the telling of Our Blessed Lords transfiguration. “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”
I believe that the most important part of this teaching is found in these words; "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" “Listen to Him” Throughout all of the New Testament Scriptures we have the words spoken by Christ recorded, in some Bibles the words which are ascribed to Christ are printed in a contrasting color to set them aside from the words of the story being told by the author. Some of the words are those which should give us comfort like, “Your faith has saved you”, which means we need to believe and trust in God. How about “Let those without sin cast the first stone”? Here Christ is clearly indicating that there is not one person on the face of this earth who is without sin and therefore not one person who is in a position to cast judgment on another. So where do all those self righteous people who condemn people for being divorced or being created by God with a same sex orientation get their right to judge?
There are norms of decency and there are proper ways for people to live their live and those have also been told to us in Jesus own words. Christ summed up everything when he was asked what the greatest commandments were and He responded “ Love the Lord, your God, with your whole hear, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself” In the sermon on the mount and the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus instructed us as to how we love our neighbor.
One of the exercises I like to do is to go through the New Testament and every time I come across something the is referred as the words spoken by Christ, I highlight them. I think that if we believe in Christ, and Almighty God then we need to take the words spoken by God at the transfiguration "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" and seek out exactly what Christ had to tell us and then go forth and attempt ,with the best of our human ability, to live in that way.
Let us remember the promise made by Christ found in John 5: 22-24 The Father doesn't judge anyone, but he has made his Son the judge of everyone. The Father wants all people to honor the Son as much as they honor him. When anyone refuses to honor the Son, it is the same as refusing to honor the Father who sent him. I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life.”
Let us give glory, honor and praise to Almighty God by living our lives in a decent and respectful way every day. Let us have respect for our own bodies and those of all our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us respect the rights of every human being to have freedom, justice and equality. Let us respect the life God gives us and all humans. Let us not treat others in any way that we ourselves would not want to be treated. Let us not deny any person the right to share their love for another in a committed relationship. Let us respect the rights of individuals to own property and not go about envying them that right or taking it away from them. Let us make a concerted effort, beginning today, to live our life in such a way that we give testimony to all that we encounter every day are followers of Jesus Christ and love the Lord, Our God, with our whole hearts, minds, bodies and souls. This would truly be a wonderful way to actively participate in the Paschal mystery and the Glory of Easter.
Amen