May 8, 2021
Saturday for the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Jesus tell His disciples: “If the world hate una, make una know say e hate Me first. If una belong to the world, the world for love people wey belong to am; but because una no belong to the world, and I don choose una comot from the world, the world hate una.” John 15:18–19
This na thought wey suppose make us think deep: “the world hate una.” That na, if you dey among people wey our Lord don take comot from the world. If na so, Jesus talk say the world go hate you.
Nobody want make people hate am. Nobody want face another person anger, persecution, attacks or mockery. Hatred na bad thing, e dey pain, and e hard to endure. But all this na part of wetin hatred be. No be only persecution; e still be way to control person. Hatred na attack against another person, wey the person wey dey hate am dey use to hurt am and control am, so that e go change and begin do wetin the person wey hate am want. The “world” wey dey follow worldly ways and no dey follow Christ want win you over and draw you away from God. One reason why Jesus give this teaching na to prepare us, so that when we face hatred from the world, e no go shake us or control us to turn away from Him. So, this teaching dey reveal the plenty mercy of our Lord.
Remember say Jesus talk about three enemies of our soul: the flesh, the devil and the world. For this Gospel passage, to “belong to the world” mean say person allow the countless lies wey dey inside the world to influence am for bad. Media wey dey follow worldly ways, popular culture, opinions wey no fair, pressure from society, false pictures of wetin happiness be, and other things like these dey always try mislead us and pull us enter their ways. Temptation dey often come make us believe say na money, how our body look, the recognition wey people give our achievements, and plenty other things go make our life complete. The world dey tell us say our opinions must agree with the worldly values of this age—and if dem no agree, then we be people wey dey judge others, wey no dey ready to consider other views, wey dey carry things go extreme, and people suppose avoid us and “reject us completely” or shut our mouth.
These worldly temptations and pressures dey real, and na why Jesus words dey set us free. Dem dey free us from the ways people go try control and deceive us when we live out our faith openly for everybody to see. When we do so, the world go hate us. But to know this dey bring peace for heart when e happen.
Today, think deep about these powerful words of Jesus wey dey console us. If you no dey face any kind hatred from the world, this suppose concern you and make you reflect. And if you dey face any kind hatred, know say our Lord don prepare you for this, and E dey offer you His strength and courage to endure am with joy. For the end, na only wetin our Lord think matter, nothing else. For the end, if the world hate you in any way, know say this dey make you resemble Christ Himself more.
My Lord wey suffer persecution, You endure the hatred and mockery of many people wey the false values of the world don swallow up. I pray make I share no be only for Your life of love and mercy, but also for Your strength when I too dey endure the hatred of the world. I give myself to You, and I pray make You continue to take me comot from the world and draw me close to Yourself. Jesus, na You I trust.
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Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
