Whoever Takes the Son

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

There is a story that has gone around on Facebook for so many years, and in so many variations. It tells of a very wealthy man and his son who liked collecting masterpieces of the Old Masters that they had built quite an enviable collection. 

Well one day the son was conscripted to go to war. The father was so sad about that, more so when he received a telegram notifying him his son was MIA. A few weeks after, the son was confirmed to be dead. The old man was inconsolable.

One day, after some time passed, the doorbell rang and the father received a visitor carrying a big package. The visitor told the story that the son had died saving his life. He said that the son was so very brave and had saved many lives in the course of the war. 

“I know you collect paintings, and this won’t have any material value, but I hoped to honor your son. I’m a painter,” the soldier said. He unwrapped the package he was carrying and showed a painting of the son, drawn lovingly from memory. The painting made the father cry, and he hugged the visitor tightly in gratitude. 

“Thank you so much! I will hang this where I will see it every day,” and he put it across his office desk where he spent much of his time. 

When the father passed away the next summer, it was announced there would be an auction of the artworks in this well curated collection. There was a buzz of excitement and anticipation and on the day of the auction many arrived to see the paintings and to bid. The first painting put on the block was the portrait of the son. All was quiet. 

“Who will open the bidding for this painting? Do I have a $100 for this painting?” No one bid, and someone even shouted in irritation, “Can we get on with the auction? No one wants that piece of garbage!” After some murmurs of agreement from the bidders, a friend of the son, someone the son had saved from enemy fire, piped up timidly, “I wasn’t planning on bidding but he’s a friend of mine. Could I have the painting for $50? That’s all I have with me but I’m willing to buy it for all I have.” 

“Give it to him!” the crowd urged, “So we can get on with the masterpieces!” 

“Going, going, gone for $50!” said the auctioneer, and he banged the gavel. Then he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, our auction is concluded.” Oh the shouting, and the cursing! “What do you mean, concluded? We came all the way to buy the masterpieces!”

“I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but the terms of the will stated that whoever gets the son, takes everything!” 

Many people find that what this world offers is much more interesting, worth more of their time, than what God offers, not knowing that the glitter and shine of this world is worthless. A relationship with Jesus is priceless. Friendship with Jesus is worth cultivating, much more than getting to know Kings and Queens, and rock stars, actors, influencers, and even Taylor Swift. Yes, whoever takes the Son, takes everything. 

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Bless Israel

“Obedience is better than sacrifice.” 

1 Samuel 15:16-23

What happened in this passage is very disturbing. The Lord was very displeased with Saul for his disobedience. God’s instructions to Saul were very clear. “Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.” What’s more, “Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.” (1 Sam. 15:3) 

Why did God want the Amalekites destroyed? It’s highly distressing to find out God even wanted the nursing babies killed! I would think no matter how evil a nation is, it’s best to give them a chance to repent, isn’t it? Just like the Ninevites who put ashes on their heads after Jonah prophesied to them. 

The Amalekites first attacked Israel unprovoked from behind when the Jews had crossed the Red Sea. “Amalek is Israel’s persistent enemy. The Amalekites provide an explanation for the irrational and intense hatred for Jews that echoes through human history. In Jewish history the Amalekites—a tribe with genocidal intentions against God’s people—came to symbolize all those who sought to eradicate the Jewish people, from Titus to Hadrian, Khmelnitsky to Hitler.” (Melissa Florer-Bixler)

Israel has many enemies today. They all want to eradicate the Jews. I have to say it even if it is controversial, but none of them are more blatant than Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. They burned not only houses but people, families huddling together. They not only raped, they tortured and mutilated while they raped. They did not discriminate. They not only killed but took hostage babies, the elderly, the young. They cooked a baby in an oven! How many people did they burn, that even up to now, the archaeologists are trying to discover the identities of? “When we tried picking up the bones, the bones turned to ash.” 

If we read the Hamas charter we will find out that the main goal of Hamas is to obliterate Israel. That they will “jihad” until Israel is destroyed. They will never accept having their own state, and they have repeatedly refused to have a state when it was offered to them, as clearly laid out in their Charter. What would we have Israel do after the horror of Oct. 7? After they heard from Hamas that they will repeat Oct 7 again and again? 

I am not a fan of political correctness, of people who say they have their truth and I have mine. I only want God’s truth because God is truth. Who am I to question God, after all? 

If God says, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” (Genesis 12:3) then I will constantly pray for and bless Israel. God sees hearts. He sees the future, and He knows who will repent, like the Ninevites in Jonah chapters 3 and 4. If God wanted the Amalekites destroyed, then perhaps He saw there was no hope for them just like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-19:28).

As for those who curse Israel, like the Hamas, I believe in hell on earth. People who hate, who commit abominations, who are devoted to destroying a people just because they have their own very distorted version of the truth, are already living in hell. 

Plant Seeds

“Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter…followed Jesus…found his brother and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’…Then he brought him to Jesus.” John 1:40-42

What an exciting discovery Andrew made! The Messiah! The One they had been waiting for since maybe the 8th-6th centuries before the Christian era. Of course he had to tell his brother Simon! We would too if we knew the Messiah was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! The Redeemer who would rescue God’s people. 

How about us? Who can we tell? My mom was always an enthusiastic evangelizer. Ever since we were young, almost every story, discussion, lecture she gave ended up talking about God. So much so that sometimes it would go on and on and on, and us children would slowly disappear and roll our eyes. No matter who she talked to, one of the suppliers, a BIR tax collector, some poor vendor on the street, they could not escape getting the benefit of her wisdom. 

Then when our business became successful and students asked to interview her for their classes, she would really take the time to share how our business was a miracle business and “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1) 

She loved talking to students, so much so that she reserved Sundays for the interviews. All of the students who asked for interviews during the week, would be invited for interviews at her home on Sunday after she attended mass. The students would come in groups, and she would start off by saying they could ask her any question they wanted first, then it would be her turn. Then she would ask them what they believed in, and share what she believed. 

Let us try to be enthusiastic evangelizers ourselves! After all, we know our God is alive and there are so so many people who need Him! 

Follow Me

“Follow Me.” Mark 2:14

Oscar Wilde, the profligate playwright, wrote “The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

When Jesus walked along beside the lake, he caught sight of Levi, sitting at the tax collector’s booth. I wonder what made Jesus single the son of Alphaeus out, and call to follow Him? Could Jesus see his heart, how Levi longed for a life of significance perhaps? Or could He sense the longing in Levi to be a better man and knew he was fertile soil He could plant seeds in? Levi exhibited both humility and openness to the Lord’s call. And so Levi became Matthew, a sinner with an unimaginable future. 

Saint Matthew became one of Jesus’ disciples, and Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, both pillars of the early Church, claimed that he preached the gospel to the Jewish community in Judea, before going to other countries like Ethiopia. He died a martyr like most of the other disciples. 

I would be one of the last to claim to understand the complexities of the life Oscar Wilde led, even though I love reading his plays and watching the movies made out of them, especially “Lady Windermere’s Fan”. I’m happy that in the end, he chose to call out to God for solace on his deathbed. Like Matthew, he realized that there is only One who can give us eternal life and peace.

My Cup Overflows

“They came bringing to Jesus a paralytic carried by four men.” Mark 2:3

I think about all the people who have carried me to today. Of course my parents, my beautiful mother whose birthday it is today, and my father who loved my mother very much. They say the best thing a father can do to be a good father is to love his wife. We had a loving family, not perfect, with so many faults on all sides, but a strong Christian family. We have so many good memories. Even though we did not grow up with having the best materially, I actually thought we were very rich. After all if you are taught to be grateful and content, what more could you look for? 

My siblings were the best companions growing up, so much so I did not really need to go searching for friends. We always did things together. Our mother taught us to work and play together. Instead of buying toys, we would make things out of cardboard boxes and cut up catalogs, or draw, or make clay fingernails, and put towels on our heads to feel glamorous. 

Of course, there are my friends, classmates, my Korben family, my ate Lucy who is a saint, Jetro who is one big reason why my brother Robert is still alive, and relatives like Susan who is like a big sister to me and my auntie Cora who prays with me and my sisters every day. Then there are the priests who became my friends, and Bible study teachers, who would answer my questions about God and all my whys. 

All the brothers and sisters, my leaders in the big and small communities I have been part of through the years have been and are such effective examples of what a disciple of Jesus is. Now I am a covenanted member in Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord), and I will always be grateful to Jing, my sister’s first husband who passed away from melanoma. He invited me to Ligaya and I met my wonderfully sweet husband, Luigi, in Ligaya. Josh, my son, and his cousins, my brothers-in-law, are all so loving  and generous. Truly my cup overflows. 

So no, not only 4 people carried my “stretcher”, but a whole village. I am sure without the love, encouragement, support, and prayers of this whole village, I would be paralyzed with trauma, anxiety, riddled with angst and torn by insecurities. I am so grateful for all these people who have carried me to Jesus so I would be touched by Him and changed completely.

From my family scrapbook- 

Walk Humbly

“Let us fetch the Ark of the Lord…that it may go into battle among us and save us…from our enemies.” 1 Samuel 4:3

After a fierce battle, the Philistines defeated the Israelites. The elders were wondering why they were defeated. The Philistines were very formidable with their Greek military equipment and the elders thought that to bring the Ark of the Covenant in the midst of the battle would insure victory. However the opposite happened. Israel was still defeated and lost 30,000 foot soldiers. What’s more, the Ark of the Covenant was taken hostage! 

I can’t help thinking of the 17th century Nazareno statue in Quiapo Church. Two days ago, masses of crowds joined the Translacion, the Feast of the Black Nazarene, walking 6 km. from the Church of San Juan Bautista in Luneta to Quiapo Church. Many people were throwing towels in the hopes it would get wiped on the statue and returned back to them. 

Just like the presumptuous elders brought out the Ark because of their superstitious trust in it, so some of those in the procession held the statue in awe and hope. Some think the statue has healing powers and can grant miracles. Just as the elders thought of the Ark as a good luck charm, some think of the Nazareno and many other statues and medals as something that could bring them good fortune. 

Of course I believe that most people know the source of all blessing is the Lord, but like the Israelites we may sometimes get waylaid by the golden calf. It may not be a statue, it may be a desire to become successful and rich, or an obsession with youth and beauty. Many things may become idols, even good things. If we humble ourselves, pray devoutly and sincerely, as the Israelites should have done, surely God will be on our side and show us the right path. 

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Trust God to Give Us His Best

“I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love, in the great assembly.” 

Psalm 40:10

It is good to proclaim the works of the Lord, not only for our own benefit, but also for the encouragement of others. As the Lord said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we should pray without ceasing. Never give up. 

I heard of this time in Mindanao when all the corn farms were getting infested with worms. The crop in all the farms but one were already consumed. In the farm where there were still cornstalks intact, the family decided to kneel down and pray in the middle of their field. They called down the help of God to save them from devastation. All of a sudden, a dark cloud of birds swooped down, and ate all the worms! 

For the wedding of my niece, we were all asked to pray for good weather. They were very brave for scheduling the wedding day in the rainiest season of the year, and having the reception in a tent. God came through and I could imagine him holding the rain clouds and letting His hands fall when the DJ played her last song. Almost immediately right after the reception, the rain fell down in torrents! 

God does not answer ALL our prayers but we should just speak to Him about everything, and trust Him to give us His best.

Glimpse of His Story

“What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:24

Evil spirits know who Jesus is, but one thing the enemy and all his minions want to do on earth is for us to think, “There is no such thing as the devil!” Many even want to discount the historicity of Jesus Christ and the Bible. We do not want to be accountable to anybody, least of all, God. Will we ignore all that Jesus said and did while on earth? 

It is hard to find concrete evidence about Jesus because He was an itinerant preacher who did not leave any monuments or even signs in stone. However there are many literary records aside from the gospels that mention Jesus. There’s Pliny the Younger, the Roman senator and historian Tacitus, the Roman historian Suetonius, the Jewish historian Josephus, who all mentioned the Christus and His followers. And we have the undeniable witness of the apostles, all of whom except for Judas and John, died a martyr’s death proclaiming the gospel in obedience to Jesus’ instructions. There are also more and more archeological discoveries confirming scripture. For example, some people claimed Pontius Pilate did not exist, so why is he mentioned in the Nicene Creed we recite: “He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried.”? 

In 1961, an archeologist found a block of limestone in Caesarea Maritima with an authentic 1st century Roman inscription mentioning Pontius Pilate’s name. The Pilate stone is displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. There are many such artifacts that confirm the truth and reliability of scripture. Uncovering these concrete evidence in the holy land is like the fifth gospel in some way. 

One of my favorite finds is located in Corinth where St. Paul lived and preached for eighteen months. In 1929, an archeologist uncovered a marble slab embedded on the street, dated at the time St. Paul was living there. The inscription is deeply etched into the stone, and what it says is that he, Erastus, was city treasurer and he was happy to serve, and that is why he paid for the walkway with his own money. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “...Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. ERASTUS, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.” (Romans 16:23, ESV) Apparently, Erastus, the city treasurer, was evangelized by Paul, and was a new believer! He becomes more real to us because of that stone he left in Corinth! 

How wonderful to have this open window to see a glimpse of the times of Saint Paul and Jesus and even the characters that peopled the Old Testament! We can easily research about how archeology brings the Bible alive, and visit museums virtually, to see stones with King David’s name on it, or read about Macphellah where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Leah and Rebecca are buried. Then we can say with certainty, I know who you are, Jesus, You are the God of history! The Messiah who was prophesied! The King who will come again! 

Well Pleased

“You are My beloved Son. On You my favor rests." Mark 1:11

In another version, we find: "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased." And in the Amplified, it says, "This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight." I went through different versions because I imagined myself, during my baptism, with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit being present along with my parents and godparents. God looked down and said, "This is my beloved daughter! My favor rests on her! I delight in her! She pleases me well!" Blasphemy? Indeed no! 

Jesus paved the way for us to be part of His holy family. We are adopted sons and daughters of God. In Matthew, we see a longer retelling of Jesus' baptism than that we find in Mark. We see that John the Baptist protested strenuously to Jesus' request to be baptized, but Jesus insisted. "This is the fitting way to fulfill all righteousness, to perform completely what is right." (Matthew 3:15, Amp.)

Jesus went into the waters of baptism just like any sinner. He joined with us, sinful humanity, and shared the travails, weakness and death of ordinary human beings. Because of His obedience, the Father was well pleased with Him. In His baptism, the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, were present. In our baptism, Father, Son and Spirit were present as well. We are one family, one church. And when Jesus was baptized by John, even though He did not need it, He was saying to each one of us, I am one with you. I will be with you through thick and thin, I will journey with you, I will see to it that you finish the race. I will do everything, even to dying like a common criminal, so that the good work started in your baptism will be carried to completion (Phil. 1:6). 

Thank You Jesus for everything! You made the impossible possible for us! 

A Change of Path

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” 

Matthew 2:2

Today is the feast of the Epiphany. The story of the astrologers or magi traveling from a far away land to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews is the stuff of legends and amazing stories. Imagine, they actually followed a star that moved, that went ahead of them, leading the way, until it remained stationary above the manger where Jesus was born! Then there is the prerequisite villain, a powerful King who pretends to want to know where the baby is, to pay Him homage, but actually wants to destroy the baby!

The Magi, men from an ancient tribe, were the first Gentiles to worship Jesus and give Him gifts. Saint Paul says in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians that God's secret plan is now revealed. That we Gentiles are now co-heirs with the Jews, and sharers of all the promises given to them! 

There are many Herods in the world today who stifle their conscience and choose  to follow their own nefarious schemes, even if they know about Jesus. Should we not choose to be one of the Magi, the wise men, who left their homeland and all that was familiar and comfortable in search of a far better kingdom, tribe and family? We are wise indeed if we spend our whole life in search of our King, in search of the One foretold in ancient scriptures, and finding Him, follow His way.  And just like the Magi, when we meet Jesus, our lives are never the same again. Pope Francis said in his Angelus message in January 2019, “Each time that a man or woman encounters Jesus, he or she changes paths, returns to life in a different way, returns renewed, ‘by another road.’ They returned ‘to their own country,’ bearing within them the mystery of that humble and poor King.”

On Our Knees

“I saw you under a fig tree.” John 1:48

Does Jesus see us under a fig tree the same way he saw Nathanael under a fig tree? “Under a fig tree” was a common place for prayer especially for young, rabbinic students, so Jesus was telling Nathanael that he saw the young man communing with God, and that because of this, he would see “greater things”. Indeed when we bow our head to God in prayer, our life will definitely be changed! 

There is a story of a beggar who was at the great David Livingstone’s funeral. He was heard muttering, “You were right, Davey, you were right!” A man asked him why he said that, and the beggar explained that when they were young, he was David Livingstone’s classmate in Scotland. One day a preacher came and told them about Jesus and Davey went forward and gave his life to Jesus. The beggar said he refused to follow.

David Livingstone went on to be a giant of a man. He lived a lot of it on his knees. When he was young, he prayed, “Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, but the ties that bind me to Your service and to your heart.” And God answered, “Lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the age.” 

Henry M. Stanley, a journalist, was contracted to find David Livingstone, after the great explorer, physician and missionary went missing in Africa for 6 years. When he found the man, he asked the famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” and continued, “I am the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of the earth. Don’t convert me!” Within 4 months, Stanley was on his knees accepting Christ because of Livingstone’s compelling faith and life. 

Livingstone died on his knees, weak and worn as he was, praying with the last breath in his body. He saw many wonders in Africa, and was influential in stopping the slave trade which he abhorred. But of all the wonders he saw, I am sure none can compare with meeting Jesus face to face!

What are You Looking For?

"What are you looking for?" John 1:38

John the Baptist was quite notorious. He was known for being passionate and people would flock to him to listen and be baptized. He had many followers, but the minute Jesus appeared, he pointed his followers to Jesus. "Look!" John said, "There is the lamb of God!" 

One day, two of John's followers went after Jesus. Jesus asked them, "What are you looking for?" They did not answer Him, but instead asked a question:  "Rabbi, where do you stay?" "Come and see," he answered. Sometimes we cannot articulate what we are looking for. All we know is we need answers. 

Perhaps that was the case for the two who started following Jesus, and eventually ended up staying with him that day. One of them was Andrew, Peter's brother, known in the Orthodox tradition as Prōtoklētos or the First-Called. 

Tradition has it that Saint Andrew was martyred by crucifixion. I think Andrew found what he was looking for and was willing to die for it, like most of the early Christians. How about us? Have we found what we are looking for? Do we realize that each of us is called to make the most important decision of our life? The decision to come and see and follow Jesus will impact our life here and now, and more importantly after our death. 

Lord, like Saint Andrew, may I not hesitate in following You, and seeing the life You want to offer me.