(Further reflection on “If Christ Has Not Been Raised”—Sunday 4-Apr-2021)
If Christ has not been raised, our proclamation (speaking/sharing) of the gospel and faith are in vain. Our faith in Jesus is futile and we are still in our sins. Our hope is only in this life and we are of all people most to be pitied. If the crucified Jesus who was pronounced dead is not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. If Christ has not been raised, let us go back to business as usual (treating the Resurrection as though it never happened and has nothing do with our life).
Now since Christ has been raised, we cannot go back to business as usual, but embark on "business as unusual," that is, becoming “fishers of men.” Since Jesus is alive, we cannot keep quiet about His Good News to mankind. Our faith though is a personal conviction, it should not be pushed by secular society to become just a “private” matter. We need to speak out. People’s today can be very vocal about (virtually) any social issues, e.g. fighting for animal’s rights or gender-identity/neutrality (he/she/it/things/anything-people-feel-that-day), etc. Yet many Christians dare not to be vocal about their faith in workplaces. If their faith is not being strengthened by God’s word daily, then their lifestyle is moving toward faithlessness weekly. They tend to see their profession/vocation/career as “punching the clock” or “grinding the mill.” They see no meaning in their line of work, except making the ends meet. Stresses, fatigues, unhealthy lifestyle, temptations, habitual sins, and feeling bad/shameful/guilty most of (if not all) the time. God’s Law/Word seems to lay a heavy hand on their soul since they did not believe and learn to stand on, grow, and live in God’s grace. And if this condition prolongs, their hope is only in this life, of which they have been trying hard to gain and keep it. God’s word is clear on this, “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it (Luke 17:33). “ So when (in fact) they can’t keep their life in the way they wanted to go, hopelessness is only natural consequence. And slowly without realizing that they had begun to believe what non-believers believe, “Let us ‘eat and drink’ (be merry, be happy, go party) because it’s ‘YOLO’ (You Only Live Once) and sooner or later everyone dies. Life is short, so “I’ll do whatever makes me happy or feel good” is their life’s principle . And the “pursuit of happiness” has become a new gospel to those who live their life as though Christ has not been raised. They continue to do business as usual. They don’t see their natural talents/gifts, training, education, profession/vocation/career as vehicles or instruments to share the Good News about Jesus Christ. They never thought that Jesus’ calling the disciples then, who were fishermen to become “fishers of men" is still true and relevant for them as His disciples today. Perhaps one of the critical question that you need ask yourself and be brutally honest with your answer. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? If the answer is ‘yes’, then what are steps that you need to live out the “business usual: fishers of men?” If you don’t know, talk to your pastor. If the answer is ‘no’, then it’s totally understood that though you want heaven but you also want to keep doing business as usual (because the Resurrection means only once a year on Sunday and has no transformative power into your life and works). If the answer is ‘I don’t know’, then there is hope and a good start. You can talk to your pastor. Generally speaking, most Christians want to become disciples of Jesus only in the head (or at least it appeared that way), and not in the daily life because the heart is far from it. As a result, the ‘ethos’/habits or lifestyle are different from what the belief or what people think they believe. This is a sad reality of Christians who want live a life of “business as usual.” The pandemic has shocked and continues to shake up the world. In some ways, people can no longer do business as usual. But sinful humanity has always been good in finding ways to form a new normal, another form of "business as usual". Because this is the only thing sinners know how to do, that is, instead of putting God right in the epicenter of the picture, they put Him out of the picture. People generally don’t see interruptions as wake up call to reexamine their lifestyle and redirect life and reset their focus on Jesus. It is hard to believe that people will consider “business as unusual: becoming fishers of men” as the only meaningful and purposeful way to fully live a new life in Christ and wholeheartedly follows Jesus till He returns.
Oh Lord, have mercy on us! Holy Spirit, please soften our heart; revive our soul; and renew the spirit that is in us. Let us not go back to business as usual even though we are still doing the same job. Let us see you in our workplaces. Let us bring Jesus to our line of work. Let us embark on the “business as unusual: becoming fishers of men” in whatever vocation or profession or career we are and will be doing.
Amen.
—
Pastor Lap
Comments