The World’s Bible

“...they were watching Him closely.” 

Luke 14:2

We may not know it but when we believe in Christ, we become his Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). In the 14th chapter of Luke, we see Jesus eating in the house of one of the leading Pharisees. They were observing Him closely. They wanted to catch Him making a mistake. 

I am reminded about this priest who was asked to celebrate mass during a retreat. Afterwards, he heard confessions from the retreatants. One brother told another that the priest got shocked at what he confessed. “You mean you’re part of this community and you still do that???” the priest asked in deep dismay. 

The next day, this same priest officiated at a mass and some of the members of the same prayer group were attending. During the homily, the priest made told a story about the man who confessed mentioning the name of the community. Obviously, the priest could not get over the man’s sins, but did not realize he himself committed the graver sin of revealing  what should have been a sacred trust. The seal of the confessional requires that a priest maintain absolute secrecy about what someone confesses. He was like the Pharisee condemning Jesus for healing on a Sabbath! 

Much is expected of us as Christians. In our schools, offices, neighborhoods, organizations, and even in our churches and prayer communities, there are people watching and observing. We are held to higher standards. What? She’s part of Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord) Covenant Community and she still gets angry and impatient? She still spaces out during Mass? He goes to V Church every week and he still watches bad movies? 

Even if we are believers, we sin. We fall. We make others sin by our actions. Our lives are the world’s Bible it is said. We have to watch what we say and do because yes, the world is watching! 

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