First Reading - Acts 5:17-26
Gospel - John 3:16-21
The gospel passage of today continues with the message of the saving will of God for humanity. Jesus continues to disclose the abounding love of God for humanity. Jesus expounds that the love of God for humanity is so great and immense that God doesn't spare His own Son so that humanity may be saved by believing in the Son. Jesus further says that it's the Son who leads people to God and restores them to God. Therefore, those who believe in the Son are in the light, meaning in the knowledge of God, consequently are saved in the Son. Whereas, those who don't believe in the Son are still groping in darkness, meaning they are devoid of the knowledge of God, consequently are condemned. Jesus asserts in the passage that he is the Son of the Father sent as the manifestation of the Father's love to lead people from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge of God and thereby people may attain eternal life. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus establish a close tie with God and gain assurance of His protection.
The first reading displays God's special protective care for his apostles who were imprisoned because they were courageously preaching about the risen Christ and this made the high priests and Sadducees jealous. However, God's protective care comes to their rescue and the apostles are miraculously released from the prison by the angel. The sign of the miraculous release from the prison shows that the proclaiming of the Good News cannot be hindered by any human intervention and God protects His own. The apostles had grown firm in their faith in Jesus and thus were particularly owned by God through their faith. This is also manifested in their boldness to continue to preach about the risen Christ despite all persecutions and hardships.
Dear friends, we are all owned by God through our faith in Jesus. The visible sign of our faith in Jesus is the very life we live according to the teachings of Jesus. Our faith in Jesus is our response to the love, God has lavished upon us in His Son. Jesus is our sure hope of salvation. The first reading sets a beautiful example of the manifestation of the firmness of faith of the apostles through their life of proclamation of the Good News. They show it by their unaffected firmness in the face of hardships and persecutions. We are to imbibe such vigour and firmness in faith from the apostles.
There are times when we become lax or we compromise with our faith due to inconveniences or laziness or difficulties or hardships of life. We need to remind ourselves that faith in Jesus is our response to God's love and a sure way to eternal life. Therefore, we can't compromise with our faith nor become lax in it.
There is an assurance given in the first reading for those who believe in God and work for His Kingdom that He will always protect them. There will come difficulties, hardships, and obstacles but God will never abandon His chosen ones. God accompanied his apostles in their hardships and challenges when they were imprisoned by releasing them from the prison so will God certainly come to our help when we are through hardships of our lives for God's sake. Let's believe in the promise of Jesus: "I am with you till the end of the world."
May God help us become strong in faith.
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