24 April 2018
“Jesus answered them, saying, ‘I told you and you do not
believe.’” The exercise of belief is
what draws the line between Christians and non-Christians. Obviously we can’t call ourselves Christians
if we don’t really believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Father; if we don’t
believe in all the things he tried to teach, things like: the resurrection, the
importance of looking out for those in need, how to worship God rightly, and so
on.
We call ourselves “Christians” not because of our ethnicity
or the language we speak, but because of our simple belief that Jesus is who he
says he is. But that simple belief opens
us up to a whole new way of living. If
Jesus is who he says he is, then God has come to us. And so, we Christians are an astounded
people, an awe struck people who wonder at God like we wonder at the sunrise or
sunset.
If Jesus is who he says he is, then that makes us Christians
a people of hope, too. Pope Francis wrote
that “the joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter
Jesus.” But it’s not a superficial joy,
one that goes up and down depending on the day.
Instead, it’s a deep joy that comes from a “sure and certain hope” that
only God can give us. Hope leads to joy,
and joy is built on hope.
So, wonder, hope, and joy all characterize the lives of
Christians. But none of that happens without
first believing that Jesus is who he says he is. May God increase our faith in the Lord, and
thereby increase our wonder, our hope, and our joy.
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