Wetin Dey Make Life Truly Complete

January 21, 2024
Third Sunday for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today

Video

After dem don arrest John, Jesus come Galilee dey proclaim di Good News of God: “Di time of fulfilment don come. Di Kingdom of God don near. Turn away from sin and turn to God, and believe di Good News.” Mark 1:14–15

Jesus start His public ministry immediately after di devil tempt Am when E dey di desert for forty days. As E start His ministry, E declare: “Di time of fulfilment don come.” First, for history, di beginning of Jesus public ministry na di “time of fulfilment,” because di new era of di Good News and grace don just start. But di “time of fulfilment” wey Jesus talk about still mean every time wey we hear di Good News and respond to am. We dey do this when we sincerely turn away from our sins and turn to God, and when we become members wey dey take fuller part for God Kingdom. But take small time think well about di particular word “fulfilment.” Wetin e mean?

We fit compare di word “fulfilled” with im opposite, “unfulfilled.” To no get fulfilment no be wetin anybody dey want. For this world, plenty people no dey get fulfilment, and dem dey try use plenty things fill di emptiness wey dey inside dem. One thing wey worth to notice be say di three temptations wey Jesus just face for di desert dey among di temptations wey plenty people dey fall for as dem dey find fulfilment for life.

First, hunger dey catch Jesus, and di devil tempt Am to turn stones to bread so that E go satisfy di hunger. This na temptation to find fulfilment by satisfying di desires of di body. Second, di devil tempt Jesus to throw Himself down from di highest point of di Temple to prove say E be di Son of God. This na temptation to find fulfilment through pride—pride wey dey make person want convince another person about how important e be and who e be. Third, di devil show Jesus all di nations for di world and promise to give dem to our Lord if Jesus worship am. This na temptation to find fulfilment by getting wealth and power for this world. Of course, Jesus reject all three temptations to show say none of these things fit truly give us fulfilment. And E do this just before E start His public ministry, so that E go then go out dey preach di true message of fulfilment. “Di time of fulfilment don come. Di Kingdom of God don near. Turn away from sin and turn to God, and believe di Good News.”

Na only for di Good News person fit find true fulfilment—di message of Truth wey Jesus share during di three years of His public ministry, and wey E later bring to completion through His death as sacrifice and His resurrection. Na only people wey take His words seriously and open themselves to di grace wey dey pour out from di Cross fit find di fulfilment wey dem dey look for.

Today, think deeply about di desire wey dey inside you to get fulfilment for life. How you dey try satisfy this desire? You dey allow di evil one deceive you to think say na desires of di body, pride or wealth be di answer? Join our Lord reject those temptations, then put your whole self inside His Good News message, because na only there fulfilment for life dey come from.

Lord of true fulfilment, na You, and only You, be di source of fullness of life. I believe this with all my heart. Abeg, give me di grace wey I need to reject all temptations for life and to hold tight only to Your holy Word and di grace wey You dey give everybody wey follow You. Jesus, na You I trust.