Suy Niệm thứ Năm Tuần Thứ Ba Mùa Chay.

Suy Niệm thứ Năm Tuần Thứ Ba Mùa Chay. (Luke 11:14-23 )

Ngay từ thửa khai thiên lập địa,  tội nguyên tổ mà ông Adong và bà Evà tổ tông của loài người của chúng ta đã phạm và chúng ta bị đuổira vườn Địa đàng và bị sa thải ra khỏi sự trong sáng, và ân sủng của Thiên Chúa.

            Kể từ đó, là con cháu các ngài, và tất cả chúng ta đã trở nên nạn nhân của sự cám dỗ, và trở thành sở hữu của ma quỷ hay chúng ta có thể gọi đó những mối tội đầu. Những tội này kà những tội như  ích kỷ chỉ biết đến có một mình mà không nghĩ tới ai khác, ham mê của cải vật chất, tiền bạc, ham mê  tình dục và thoả mãn thân xác, thù hận, ghen tuông, và lười biếng.

            Cuộc sống của chúng ta hôm nay là như thế đấy, là một cuộc đấu tranh liên tục giữa sự lựa chọn một là chúng ta thuộc về Thiên Chúa hay là chúng ta sẽ thuộc về ma quỷ.? Như chúng ta đều biết, Thiên Chúa luôn luôn sẵn sàng cho chúng ta được tự do lựa chọn giữa một trong hai.

            Chúa Giêsu đã nói: "Ai không đi với Ta là chống lại Ta, và kẻ không cùng Ta thu họp là làm tan tác."(Lk: 11:23) Đó là sự thật ... nếu chúng ta không biết sống trong ân sủng của Thiên Chúa, Ân Sũng của Thiên Chúa là pháo đài để bảo vệ linh hồn của chúng ta tránh được những sự cám dỗ của ma quỷ trong những khi chúng ta yếu đuối. Ma Quỷ biết những khi tâm hồn chúng ta yếu đuối và bị tổn thương, và chúng nó sẽ dốn tất cả những nỗ lức và lực lượng của chúng để tấn công chúng ta tới tấp. Nhưng khi như thế thì chúng ta cần phải làm gì?  Rất đơn giản, chỉ cần nói VÂNG với Thiên Chúa và sẵn lòng từ bỏ tất cả để lòng trí, tâm hồn và toàn thể thân xác của chúng ta hiệp nhất với Đấng đã Tạo Dựng nên chúng ta là đấng rất tốt lành, là Thiên Chúa của chúng ta!  Điều này có nghĩa là chúng ta phải biết sống theo phong cách thích nghi với cuộc sống của Chúa Giêsu, Ngài là mô hình cho cuộc sống của chúng ta: một cuộc sống biết cầu nguyện tức là biết tôn thờ, ăn năn, tạ ơn và cầu xin và cũng là sự phát triển trong  mối liên hệ mất thiết với Ngài như là một người bạn thân thiết chí tình, hợp tâm đầu và cùng dẫn chúng ta bước chân theo Ngài đi trên con đường trong cuộc sống đầy thử thách hôm nay của chúng ta.

 

Reflection:
From the beginning, the original sin of Adam and Eve, our first parents, have cast us out from the purity of God's grace. We, the descendants have since been haunted and possessed by demons, or what we now call capital sins such as self-love, inordinate love of money, illicit sex, hate, jealousy, over-indulgence and laziness. Life is such - a continual struggle between being possessed either by God of by demons! As we all know, God willingly gave us free will to choose between both of them. Jesus said "If you are not with me, you are against me." So true... if we are not in God's graces, our fortress to protect our soul from the devil's temptations is weak! The demons KNOW when we are vulnerable, and they attack full force with most if not all the demons together! What to do? A simple-YES everyday to surrendering our mind, soul and body to our good Creator, our God! This means adapting a life style of Jesus our model: a life of prayer (i.e. adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and petition) and a growing relationship with Him as our constant confidante and journey friend!

 

Thursday 3^rd week of Lent

Opening Prayer: Lord, I place myself before you with a desire to understand the Scriptures better. I long to be an integral part of your Kingdom and let you reign in me. Bless me as I ponder your words.

Encountering Christ:

1.      Ill Logic: During his ministry, everywhere Jesus went he drove back the powers of evil. Devils wailed, moaned, and begged him to take pity on them. Evil was utterly at a loss before Christ. And the people witnessed this repeatedly. Yet, his distractors dared to proclaim that Jesus’ power originated with evil. Were they panicked by the power of these miracles on display? Were they afraid of losing their own power to this prophet? Or were they just provoking bystanders to hate Jesus? How exasperated must Jesus have been at this silly claim they made. Everyone knows that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Furthermore, Christ argued, “If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?” In the face of their crazy logic, did Our Lord lose his patience with them? Did he chide them or criticize their nonsensical claims? No. Jesus merely stated the obvious and let each person make up his or her own mind abou t who to follow: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” 

2.      The Kingdom of God Has Come Upon You: Those who saw Jesus cast out demons heard him pronounce, “...the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Every individual had to consider his/her experience that day and decide whether or not it would change their lives. In our life, too, there are consequences to believing in Christ. Being a Christian means acknowledging that Christ is our King and ruler, and as such, we must obey his commandments. Not only are we called to obey, but we are to become instruments to extend his Kingdom to others. We can fulfill this mission joyfully because we know beyond doubt that Jesus is our strong man, fully armed. With him we are safe.

3.      Scattering or Gathering: As followers of Jesus, we long to be gatherers, not scatterers. Gatherers are lovers. They embody the two greatest commandments: Love God and love one another. As gatherers, we love the Lord so much that we want to extend his Kingdom here on earth to the best of our ability, according to our unique mission. We have confidence in God that he gives us what we need to accomplish his will. Gatherers are saints in the making. Full of supernatural hope, we count on the Lord to complete the works of transformation in us and those we love because we know how much he loves all of us.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you’ve done in my life so far. I know that without your power, I would be a slave to sin. I know that your great work of dying on the cross for me has liberated me from evil. Even though sin is still a battle in my life, my confidence is totally in you, for you are the strong one, the one who has the certain victory. Help me to cling to you so as to always enjoy your gifts and your victory.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reflect on and take note of three gifts (the “spoils”) that God has given me by restoring me to his grace.

 

Meditation: "God's kingdom has come upon you"

What is the best protection which brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you" (Jeremiah 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to my will or God's will, God's way or my way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone. Our enemy, the devil, conspires with the world and our flesh, to lead us into hurful and sinful desires. Peter the Apostles tells us, Our adversary, the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). God offers us grace and protection if we are willing to obey his word and resist the devil. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:9-11)

Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battled with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry. He overcame the evil one through his obedience to the will of his Father. Some of the Jewish leaders reacted vehemently to Jesus' healings and exorcisms and they opposed him with malicious slander. How could he get the power and authority to release individuals from Satan's power? They assumed that he had to be in league with Satan. They attributed his power to Satan rather than to God.

Jesus answers their charge with two arguments. There were many exorcists in Palestine in Jesus' time. So Jesus retorted by saying that they also incriminate their own kin who cast out demons. If they condemn Jesus they also condemn themselves. In his second argument he asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can survive for long? We have witnessed enough civil wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here for the annihilation of whole peoples and their land. If Satan lends his power against his own forces then he is finished. How can a strong person be defeated except by someone who is stronger? Jesus asserted his power and authority to cast out demons as a clear demonstration of the reign of God. Jesus' reference to the finger of God points back to Moses' confrontation with Pharoah and his magicians who represented Satan and the kingdom of darkness (see Exodus 8:19). Jesus claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose miracles freed the Israelites from bondage by the finger of God. God's power is clearly at work in the exorcisms which Jesus performed and they give evidence that God's kingdom has come.

Jesus makes it clear that there are no neutral parties. We are either for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. There are two kingdoms in opposition to one another – the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness under the rule of Satan. If we disobey God’s word, we open to door to the power of sin and Satan in our lives. If you want to live in freedom from sin and Satan, then your house – your life and all you possess – must be occupied by Jesus where he is enthroned as Lord and Savior. Is the Lord Jesus the Master of your home, heart, mind, and will?

"O Lord, our God, grant us, we beseech you, patience in troubles, humility in comforts, constancy in temptations, and victory over all our spiritual foes. Grant us sorrow for our sins, thankfulness for your benefits, fear of your judgment, love of your mercies, and mindfulness of your presence; now and for ever." (Prayer by John Cosin)

 

Reflection

"He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of demons,"

(Lk 11: 15) this was how the scribes and Pharisees described the healing miracle of Jesus freeing a dumb man from an evil spirit and enabling him to regain his speech.  Instead of seeing the intervention of God's saving power, they maliciously doubted the authority of Jesus.

Logically speaking, would the devil undo itself and what he has done?  Why would the evil one drive away its own kind? In doing so, evil divides its own kingdom, defeating himself and his kind.  It is a contradiction: it would not happen.

The enemies and detractors of Jesus were so blind, with hardened hearts and minds, that instead of seeing and believing, they questioned and refused to see.  Why?  Because they refused to believe Jesus and his works; they did not have faith.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus invites us to see and read God's intervention and salvation in his actions and not to be so biased to refuse to see because we were already prejudiced and had already made pre-judgments, despite the facts and evidence.