[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
This week's episode is entitled: Teaching and Fellowship, and in these readings, we will focus on the blessings we have received from God through his Son, Jesus.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
God established an inheritance for us in his kingdom… one that we did not earn and which, in our fallen human nature, we do not deserve, but - in his great mercy and his abundant love - God offers it to us anyway. But so often we turn our backs on that love. Why are we unwilling to accept such an awesome gift?
[00:01:07] So, let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for this Easter season. Strengthen our human weaknesses and increase our faith in your Risen Son, so that we may know fully that it is by his Spirit we are reborn and by his Blood we are redeemed. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:46] Our Gospel this week is from John 20: 19-31.
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger on the marks of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
[00:04:01] This weekend the Octave of Easter ends as we observe the Second Sunday of Easter, which is always Divine Mercy Sunday. If you listened to Episode 21, my Liturgical Year episode, back in 2024, you may remember that Easter is always celebrated as an octave, meaning we celebrate it for eight consecutive days, and each day is equally important. So, this Sunday brings us to the conclusion of those eight days.
Most Catholics are pretty familiar with the Divine Mercy image - I will include a picture of that on my Instagram post this week - but we don't always know where that image came from or how Divine Mercy Sunday came about. Basically, it all started with the Polish nun and mystic Faustina Kowalska, who experienced private visions of Jesus over the course of 14 years. In 1931, Jesus told Faustina to create an image of her vision of him with the words: “Jesus, I trust in You” appearing like a signature at the bottom. Now, Faustina was not herself an artist, and it took a full three years before a suitable artist was found that could bring her vision to life. Due to that delay, the first Divine Mercy image wasn't created until 1934. Then in 1940, a young Polish seminarian found that he was greatly impacted by what he read concerning Faustina and her visions, and he developed a deep devotion to them and to her. That young seminarian was Carol Wojtyła, the man the world now knows as Pope Saint John Paul II.
As Pope, John Paul II canonized Faustina in 2000 and declared the Second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. You may have noticed that I said Faustina experienced private visions - that, of course, means that no one else saw them - and the Church designates such visions as private revelation, which means it may be accepted or rejected by individual Catholics. That doesn't mean a Catholic shouldn't believe in them… it doesn't mean a Catholic should believe in them. It means that every Catholic should make up their own minds.
That is not the case for everything in the Church, of course, there are many core items of faith that all Catholics must believe in and observe… things like Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments, for example. Just know that there are lots of devotions in the Church that are considered optional, different practices that can be adopted, different prayers that can be offered, different books, different retreats, different saints, different Bible studies - like this one - all of which are intended to draw us closer to God.
Part of the genius of the Catholic Church is that we have so many different ways to draw closer to God. He doesn't care which of those practices we adopt, as long as we do something that opens our hearts and minds to his love and draws us into the place prepared for us in his kingdom… a place we did not earn and do not deserve, but one that he offers anyway… out of love. All too often, however, we reject our inheritance in the kingdom - we reject that gift… that love, but why?
I want to point out something else before we go on. The Gospel and the Psalm are always the same on Divine Mercy Sunday, but the First and Second Readings vary by cycle.
So, with all of that in mind, let's break open John's Gospel…
[00:08:28] “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week,"
It may have been evening, but the darkness in which the disciples are gathered speaks volumes about their state of mind - they are still acutely feeling the absence of Jesus. And, yes, we are still in that same first day, the day of the Resurrection! Mary Magdalene had seen the Risen Jesus early that morning and reported to the disciples what she saw, but she was - after all - just a woman and her words weren't necessarily trustworthy. So, the disciples clearly did not yet accept her testimony, they were still traumatized, still paralyzed, still uncertain what came next. And John tells us…
“the doors being shut where the disciples were,”
The NAB translates that as “locked” (“the doors were locked where the disciples were”) which better captures not only the state of mind of the disciples, but also the fact that they will very soon encounter a double miracle. And why are the doors locked?
“for fear of the Jews,”
When John says the Jews, he means the Jewish religious authorities. And the disciples had a good reason to be afraid… their leader had been crucified, everything that they had spent the past three years building up has apparently been disassembled, so they have a right to have a certain amount of fear. But remember, all of Jesus disciples - except the Beloved Disciple - abandoned him when he was Crucified… AND he told them he would rise again. So, they are likely more in fear of one particular Jew. But then what happens?
“Jesus came and stood among them”
That is exactly what Jesus promised his disciples he would do, isn't it? In John 14, Jesus said: “I am going away and I will come back to you.” And the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that Jesus’ Transformed Body is no longer limited by time and space… that he appears where and when he wishes and in whatever form he desires. And yet, on some level, that's still not what the disciples expected, despite Mary Magdalene's testimony! It does, however, assure us that Jesus can overcome every obstacle we put in his way - just as he overcame that locked door that the disciples put in his way. We may not be able to break out of our fear, just like the disciples couldn't break out of their fear - but Christ can break in… his grace will overcome our resistance.
“and [he] said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”
Peace… Shalom. The divine peace that is beyond all understanding… peace the world cannot give… peace that comes from God's mercy because there is NO SIN that is greater than God's love… not even the sin of the Apostles who abandoned Jesus, and certainly not any sin we can manage to commit.
“When [Jesus] had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.”
Jesus showed the disciples his wounds - he was proving to them that it was really him! And those wounds are forever enshrined in his flesh… because Easter Sunday doesn't erase Good Friday! In fact, Easter Sunday can't happen without Good Friday. And in Jesus’ wounds, we should see our own sins… we should see our hatred, our cruelty, the violence we commit, the injustices we perpetrate, the prejudices we hold dear in our hearts… because every single one of our sins helped put Jesus on the Cross in the first place. His wounds are a constant reminder of our sins.
“Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
That's another promise Jesus made. In John 16, Jesus said: “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice.”
Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’”
Meaning that Jesus is now drawing his disciples fully into his mission - with no exception! As faithful Christians, we are all drawn into that same mission, and there's no exception for us either! Just as Jesus sends the Apostles out to do his work, he is sending us out to do his work as well.
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”
The Catechism tells us that whenever God sends his Word (and that's capital “W” Word) he sends his Breath (and that's capital “B” Breath) - meaning that whenever the Father sends Jesus, the Word, he also sends the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God.
And through the Holy Spirit breathed upon the Apostles by Jesus, they are given a sharing of Jesus' divine power and authority on earth. That is John's version of Pentecost - of the descent of the Holy Spirit!
Then Jesus extends to the disciples the same promise of forgiving and retaining sins that he bestowed in Matthew 16. If you're a member of my home parish, we heard that reading right before Lent, when we celebrated the Anniversary of the Dedication of our current Church building. And remember, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and administers God's mercy. He can share his mission with whomever he chooses.
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.”
Thomas missed the first Easter Sunday!
“So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.’”
Thomas is still in pain… he simply cannot believe that Jesus has returned, so he does what many of us do when we are struggling… he resists, he becomes angry, and he demands a sign. In that we should hear an echo of the Jewish authorities that demanded a sign from Jesus when he cleansed the temple in John 2.
“Eight days later,”
If we think back to the beginning of this passage, we began on the first day of the week. Now the RSV says: “Eight days later” - the problem with that is that would make it a Monday. The NAB actually translates that as: “After eight days” - eight days after the Resurrection.
If we think of Jesus appearing on the evening of that first day - so that was after one day. After eight days would mean a week later, again in the evening. And that is what we now call the Second Sunday of Easter.
“his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.”
So, Thomas is there for the Second Sunday… perhaps so that he could receive Divine Mercy? Pope Saint John Paul II chose this day very deliberately!
“The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them,”
Again, the NAB translates “shut” as “locked” - but notice this time there is no mention of fear. So, perhaps the doors really were simply shut rather than locked.
“And [Jesus] said, ‘Peace be with you.’”
Notice Jesus offers his followers that same otherworldly, divine peace.
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.’”
John doesn't tell us what Thomas does. That's one of those times when we are invited to fill in the blanks, if you will, for ourselves… to use our own imagination and decide for ourselves what actually took place. Maybe Thomas did touch Jesus, maybe he didn't. Either way, the words that follow make up the greatest statement of faith ever made.
“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
That gives me the opportunity to bring up one of those Catholic things that is by no means a requirement, but something that many Catholics do. And that is to recite, either silently or very softly, those very same words when the priest elevates the bread and wine that have been consecrated to become the Body and Blood of Christ during the Eucharistic prayer. That's one of those things that we can choose to do or not to do.
“Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’”
Instead of Jesus saying: “have you believed because you have seen me?” - he could just as easily have said: “you believe because you have seen me.”
Either way, it points out to us the crucial importance of Apostolic Witness. And I know, I've talked about that a lot recently, but it is the basis of so much Tradition (and that's capital “T” Tradition) in the Catholic Church.
Then Jesus talks about us! He says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” He's talking about us… he's talking about all believers down through the centuries - both saints and sinners - all those who have relied on the Gospel to come to know the person of Jesus. The Gospels are essentially a text that is comprised of Apostolic Witness.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;”
Remember, John calls Jesus’ miracles signs… and John includes only seven of Jesus’ miracles. Remember, seven is a perfect number - it's a number of completion - therefore, it was the perfect number of signs for John to include in his Gospel. But he also says right here that Jesus did many other signs that were not written down. Then John says…
“but these are written”
John thoughtfully, carefully, and deliberately chose what he would include in his Gospel… he chose the signs that he felt would have the greatest and most lasting impact. And when you get right down to it, why was he so careful about his choices? John says…
“that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
And again, remember, those are two separate declarations! The Christ means the Messiah… the Son of God means he's divine - those are two different titles.
And we know that only a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus can bring about faith in him. The Gospels, through the authentic witness of the Apostles, give us that privileged encounter!
The wounds on Jesus' Resurrected, Glorified Body reveal that he is forever fixed in the act of love in which he died… the victory of the Resurrection comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. That sacrifice - a sacrifice of true and abiding love - is forever present before the Father. God established an inheritance for us in his heavenly kingdom… his Son prepared a place for us in his Father's heavenly kingdom… not because we have the right to be there, not because we've done anything to earn that place, not because we deserve it, but because of God's great mercy and his immeasurable love… the same mercy and love which brought Jesus to the Cross… where he died for us.
And sometimes, in our own human stubbornness, we turn our backs on God's mercy and love…. and all we can do is ask ourselves – why?
[00:25:18] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Acts 2: 42-47.
“[T]hey held steadfastly to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Acts is the companion volume to Luke's Gospel - and we hear from Acts every year during the Easter season because it teaches us about the development of the early Church. Those stories remind us of what it means to be Church - the Church Jesus himself established – and, at the very same time, those stories challenge us - as members of the modern Church - to rededicate ourselves to any of those early, early ideals from which we may have strayed. So, let's dive into what's actually happening in this passage…
“[T]hey held steadfastly”
The NAB translates those words as: “they devoted themselves” - those two phrases have different connotations. Held steadfastly can simply mean that members of the early Church held had a deep and abiding faith… but it doesn't indicate that they did anything with that faith, whereas the words devoted themselves have a more active connotation. So, what were they holding onto? What were they devoting themselves to?
“to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
The NAB says “communal life” rather than “fellowship” - again, slightly different connotations. Fellowship can mean simply friendship; the communal life, on the other hand, indicates a more sincere sharing of time and friendship, certainly, but also energy and resources. It suggests a number of different things that all benefit the entire community.
If you've ever seen the 2010 French movie: “Of Gods and Men” then you have a better sense of what the communal life really is… that movie told the beautiful but tragic story of a community of Cistercian monks, told against the backdrop of the Algerian Civil War. The radical sharing depicted in that movie is the type of communal life that Luke was describing here in Acts. And when Luke says: “the breaking of bread and the prayers” - he means the liturgy… the breaking of the bread is what the early Church called the Eucharist.
“And fear came upon every soul;”
This doesn't mean fear as in paralyzing terror - this means fear as in fear of the Lord or reverence.
“and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”
In the ensuing chapters, Luke will record stories of people being healed, people being raised from the dead, wicked people being struck down for their wickedness, and just people being liberated from prison… all signs that were attributed to the Apostles.
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.”
That last sentence always trips people up! When understood incorrectly, it sounds like Luke is saying that members of the Church shouldn't have any personal possessions, shouldn't accumulate wealth, shouldn't have nice cars or comfortable homes - that's not what he's saying. It is, however, important to understand that as Christians, we are responsible for others… not just other Christians, but other humans! Because after all, Christianity isn't a philosophy, it isn't a psychology, it is not an ethical program… it IS a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ, and it is HIS love that we have to have… it is HIS love that we are given… and it is HIS love that we are to share with others.
And we always have to keep in mind what Jesus said in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel: “Whatsoever you do to the least of these, that you do to me.” And the Church today offers plenty of ways that we can help those who are less fortunate!
A quick and convenient start is the weekly Offertory collection at Sunday Mass, but there are also food pantries, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Christ Child Society, Catholic Worker houses, Catholic Charities, outreach programs to homeless shelters or immigrant assistance, the list goes on and on.
The Catholic Church is one of the greatest single social outreach organizations in the world, so check out opportunities that are available through your local parish. But I guarantee that there will be lots of options - lots of ways to get involved, lots of opportunities to donate.
“And day by day, attending the temple together”
The temple was already a well-known and well-established gathering space, the Apostles simply took advantage of that!
“and breaking bread in their homes,”
That primarily referred to celebrating the Eucharist, which couldn't be done at the temple, so early Christians met in private homes - what came to be known as house churches - and there they shared both secular meals and the Eucharist.
“they partook of food with glad and generous hearts,”
Luke means they helped each other out - and that would have been for the secular meals… think of a potluck dinner where everybody brings something.
“and they did so with joy and sincerity, praising God and having favor with all the people.”
When we express the love God shares with us, the love God showers upon us, in concrete and visible ways - such generosity, such kindness, such thoughtfulness cannot help but earn the approval of others. It's not done for approval - it's done out of love - but remember, Jesus told the Apostles: “all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” however, emotions can't be seen… they only become visible through action.
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Notice Luke says “the Lord” added to their number… remember, faith is a gift from God that is accepted through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is God's initiative, not ours. The Apostles may have baptized those who accepted God's gift of faith, they may have helped people come to know the Jesus they knew, but the Apostles could not give anyone the gift of faith. They could, however, share the love Jesus bestowed upon them through his own words and deeds while he was with them - while he was alive. And that was a love that they would gladly share with others.
It is a love that we - all too often - are unwilling to accept ourselves. Coming out of the desert of Lent, we should be more humble, more willing to accept the good things God wants to give us. Somehow, we just aren't always ready… somehow we just aren't always willing.
[00:35:51] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which this week is Psalm 118, just as it was on Easter, but the refrain is different this week. The refrain is:
“Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever.”
And here are this week's verses:
“Let Israel say, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’ Let the house of Aaron say, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’ Let those who fear the LORD say, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’”
“I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Listen [to the] glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous.”
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
This Psalm is a Hymn of Thanksgiving, sung to praise and thank God for his gift of redemption. It is also the last of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113 – 118), which are part of all Jewish feasts except Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are told in Matthew 26 and Mark 14 that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn at the end of their final Passover meal together, the Last Supper, just before they went to the Mount of Olives. This is, most likely, the Psalm they would have sung. It was one of the first Psalms commonly adopted by early Christians because they saw Jesus in so much of the text of this Psalm, and that is why the Church uses it during the octave of Easter.
[00:37:55] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Peter 1: 3-9.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.”
This is the first of five passages we will hear this Easter season from 1 Peter. The early Church universally accepted Peter as the author of this letter. Some modern scholarship has raised limited objections to that, but - so far - those objections are inadequate to overturn centuries of acceptance. If we accept Peter as the author, as most reliable sources do, that allows us to date the letter to the early 60s, meaning that it was written probably in Rome shortly before Peter's death. The overall theme of this letter addresses the difficulties encountered when trying to live a Christian life surrounded by a hostile, secular society. It seems like that message is particularly valuable for modern Christians. So, let's explore what Peter has to say…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
That sentence immediately follows the greeting of the letter and expresses joyous and grateful praise to God for the gift of salvation. When Peter says” “our Lord Jesus Christ” - that's two declarations… that's declaring his divinity AND his messiahship.
“By his great mercy we have been born anew”
Through the Sacrament of Baptism.
“to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Jesus’ Resurrection is - in and of itself - a sign of God's mercy, and that gives us hope for our eventual resurrection as well!
“and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Jesus opened the gates of heaven and gave us the access to the place he prepared for us… think back to John 14, when Jesus himself said: “When I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” THAT is the inheritance Peter is talking about. And when Peter says that our salvation will be revealed in the last time, he means at the Second Coming of Jesus - the end times.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials,”
Peter isn't addressing any specific persecutions, but rather he means those challenges, those difficulties, that his audience was encountering as they tried to live faithfully as Christians in a secular world. He's saying the same thing to us. He is encouraging us to live as faithful Christians in a world that disagrees with and, at times, openly rejects what we believe… in a world where some Christians - at times - openly reject what Jesus teaches.
“so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Redound to, in that sentence, is not a common phrase any longer… it means: prove to be for. Let me read that again and hopefully it will make more sense: “so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may [prove to be for] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
And what Peter really means by that is that just as Jesus' Suffering led to his glory, so too will the trials endured by faithful Christians lead to our glory with Jesus in heaven.
“Without having seen him you love him;”
Peter and the Apostles saw Jesus - those to whom they spread their knowledge of Jesus did not… just as we have not. But we, just like those early Christians, rely on the same words, the same witness of those same Apostles. It is presented differently to us - in chapter and verse notation, in published books - but it is the same witness, the same words, the same message!
And because they shared the experiences they had with the real, physical person of Jesus, both before his Death and after his Resurrection, we can come to know and love the real person of Jesus as easily and as readily as those early Christians did!
“though you do not now see him you believe in him”
Through the gift of faith given to us by God, through the Sacrament of Baptism, which endows us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, through the very power of the Holy Spirit, we believe in Jesus.
“and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.”
Jesus' identity, his life, his mercy, his Death and Resurrection help Christians face the challenges we encounter in a hostile world and meet them with grace, joy, and perseverance. By stating that Christians love, believe, and rejoice, Peter is - at the same time - encouraging Christians to continue loving, believing, and rejoicing. Peter said those words to the early Christians, but he's saying them to us as well, and we need to hear them just as much as his original audience did.
“As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.”
Jesus couldn't attain the glory of the Resurrection without first Suffering his Death on the Cross. Peter is reminding his listeners that they may face a similar path… that faith always comes at a cost… that it always requires something in return from those who receive it… but that the reward of faith - the salvation of souls - is more glorious than anything else imaginable!
God offers us an inheritance in his kingdom… one that we can do nothing to earn and which we will never deserve, but out of his abundant mercy and love, he offers it to us anyway.
Why, then, do we so often choose to turn our backs on that gift?
Might we be afraid of the price that will be asked of us if we accept it? Perhaps we have convinced ourselves that being responsible for others will require more strength than we have… we may believe that being generous to others, as God is generous to us, is simply beyond our abilities… maybe we think that while we are bearing our own burdens, it's too much to ask that we help others bear their burdens as well…
At times, that is probably true for every Christian!
Unfortunately, we live in a society that tells us being selfish is perfectly acceptable and that our own personal comfort is more important than the safety and security of others.
The price Jesus is asking us to pay may SEEM to be too great - but that perception may be wrong. That perception may actually be the heart of the problem because, with God's love, we can do anything he asks of us in this life!
We cannot earn our inheritance in heaven, however, we can turn our backs on it… we can walk away from it… we can lose it.
So, instead of squandering our heavenly inheritance - let's accept God's gift of love so that we can love others as the Father loves us… as Jesus loves us… wholeheartedly and unreservedly.
In fact, let's love others as if our eternal lives depend upon it!
[00:50:30] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
