I would like to take some time to focus on the Gospel and the second reading.

First, the Gospel. Pilate found no fault with Jesus but yet the crowd yelled: “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” What a terrible event to be associated with. Regardless, Jesus accepts his fate humbly and willingly. As I dig deeper into this passage, it occurs to me that “we” are actually the crowd yelling, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Why, because our sin is what sent Him to the cross. Every time we sin, we are asking Jesus to go to the cross again and die for us. This is so powerful once we really grasp why Jesus died. Because God loves you and me so much, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. For most of my life, I did not ‘get this.’ But Jesus died for me so that I may live forever with Him. Do I show Him the respect and love He so deserves and desires? The time I spend on earth is just a tiny blip on the radar when compared to the time I can spend with Him in eternity – forever and ever, without end. Do you as Christians take the crucifixion seriously? Do you truly understand that Jesus loves you so much He died for you? I challenge you to take sin seriously. Sin separates us from God. Once we truly believe this, we can live the life Jesus planned for us. This doesn’t mean we’ll never sin, but we should be aware of when we sin and ask for forgiveness.

The second reading talks about Jesus taking the form of a slave. Even though He is God, He took the form of a human. As scripture shows, Jesus performs miracle after miracle of healing and helping those in need. He had a servant’s heart, focused on others. I challenge you to write the following phrase on your bathroom mirror “I am Third.” It’s amazing what an influence this has had in my life, especially when media continually tells us that “we deserve the very best,” and “if it makes you happy, it can’t be wrong.” We are bombarded by advertising that makes us think that “it’s all about us and our needs.” Such statements turn the focus from God and others, to ourselves. Family and others are Second and God is First. Mother Theresa is a great role model. She left everything she had to live with the poor and serve them. I challenge you to become a slave to Jesus. Let this be a time when we look deep within our hearts and ask who we serve. Is it Jesus or is it ourselves. Take some quiet time today to ask Jesus how we can better serve Him and others. “Thy will be done.” It’s not about us.

“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”
1 Peter 3:15.

God Bless,