Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Wednesday for di Seventh Week for Ordinary Time
Listen for English
John tell Jesus, “Teacher, we see one person wey dey drive demons comot for Your name, and we try stop am because e no dey follow us.” Jesus answer, “Make una no stop am. Nobody fit do mighty work for My name and still talk bad about Me for di same time.” Mark 9:38-39
Dis passage dey teach us lesson about jealousy, or wetin we fit call “na only our group.” John and di other Apostles see one person wey dem no know well, wey dey do di very good work of pursuing demon comot for Jesus name. Na scene wey dey somehow strange to imagine. John see dis good thing wey di person dey do, and e try to interfere by telling di person make e stop. Then e go report di man to Jesus, with hope say Jesus go step in. But Jesus do di opposite.
For some ways, dis story resemble pikin wey go report im brother or sister. Make we say one pikin do something wey dia papa or mama allow, but another pikin for di family dey jealous because of am. Na so di pikin wey dey jealous go report di other one for reason wey no get sense.
“Exclusivism” fit mean di habit to think say something good only when na me do am. Na one kind greed for spiritual life wey dey make am hard for us to rejoice for di good work wey another person do and support am. Dis struggle dangerous, but plenty people dey face am well-well.
For our Christian life, wetin we suppose aim for na to look for God work everywhere and inside everybody. We suppose really desire make God Kingdom grow, so that anytime we see dis kind work, joy go full our heart. But if we notice say we dey jealous of another person because of di good wey e dey do, or say we dey try find fault for wetin e dey do, make we recognise dis habit and accept say na our sin, no be im own.
Today, think deeply about how you dey react to di goodness of other people. You fit rejoice for dat goodness? Abi e dey make you jealous or envy dem? If na so, make you commit yourself to work towards freedom from dis temptations. Our divine Lord want make you join for His good work. Make you seek to get dat same desire.
Lord, when I dey jealous of other people, especially when I dey jealous of their good works, help me make I see say dis na my sin. Instead, help me make I look for di plenty wonderful ways wey You dey work for our world, and help me make I rejoice for everything wey You dey do through other people. Jesus, na You I trust.
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Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
