Murals (2008) by PHANTAST - Graffiti - Cultural Music & Art Association inc. - 98 Milne St. Benleigh
"...foamete si viroze..." ( Luca 21:11).
Cum a privit Domnul Iisus acestea?
1. El a prevāzut rāzboaie, revolutii, cutremure, foamete si ciumā, "semne mari din cer".
Dar nu a vāzut în aceste semne sfîrsitul lumii, ci numai oportunitatea unor falsi învātātori de a exploata dezastrele, panica si frica.
2. El a prevāzut si suferintā pentru ucenici: "Vā vor persecuta, vā vor duce în sinagogi, în închisori, înaintea regilor si a guvernatorilor din cauza numelui meu".
El a vāzut în aceste lucruri oportunitatea ucenicilor de a-i fi martori, si le-a promis o întelpciune care sā-i încurce pe prigonitori.
Dizastrele nu sînt semne ale sfîrsitului si nici ale supārārii lui Dumnezeu, ci un proces de dezvoltare a vietii crestine.
Au fost timpuri de suferintā pentru crestini, suferintā provocatā dinlāuntru si din afarā; poate si azi e la fel.
Critica altora ne poate face sā simtim cā avem o credintā gresitā - sau poate dimpotrivā!
Dacā nimeni nu ne criticā, poate cā vocea noastrā nu o aude nimeni sau viata noastrā nu e crestineascā - Iisus a vorbit despre necazuri legate de apartenenta la crestinism.
Evanghelia poate irita sau speria pe multi, poate asprí felul nostru de viatā sau viata de familie.
Nu avem control asupra viitorului!
Dar ca indivizi sau grup, dacā ne preocupā adevārul, dragostea si dreptatea, Dumnezeu este lîngā noi !
"Famines and pestilences" - How did Jesus view it?
He forecast wars, revolutions, earthquakes, plagues and famines, "feaful sights and great signs from Heaven".
1. He did not see these things as the end of the world; he did see thet they would give rise to all kinds of false teachers who would take advantage of disasters.
2. Jesus also saw that his followers would suffer: "Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name".
Unlike many of his followers, Jesus saw all these things, not as the end of it all, but an opportunity to bear witness to Him. He gave a promise that He would give a wisdom that would confound the prosecutor.
All the disasters we come across are neither signs of the end of it nor of God's displeasure. Jesus saw criticism, even persecution, as a part of the developing life of his people.
These have been times when Christianity, and all it stands for, has suffered both from within and without. That happens today. Criticism could make us feel that what we stand for is wrong. It could even be the opposite.
If we do not draw a degree of criticism, our Christian voice is not being heard or we are not living our Christian lives well. Jesus spoke of troubles to be borne for His sake.
Some are offended by the Gospel, even threatened by it. Taken seriously, it can upset our way of life, even cause strife in families.
Realistically, we have no control of some aspects of the future. But we can be assured that, individually or as a group, if our first concerns are for truth, love and justice, God will never be far away. (Fr. Kevin Ryan, "In the Family", 'Out beliefs need to run deeper', 14th Jan 1996)