FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2024
(Part 12)
JESUS THE ETERNAL ROCK
December 5, 2024
Today’s readings:
Isaiah 26:1-6
Psalm 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27
Matthew 7:21,24-27
“Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock.” (Psalm 26:4). We have an unchanging God. One who is eternal, always has been, always will be. A Rock that is firm, solid and stable. As such, we can trust in such a God, always and forever.
It is only in God that we can put such absolute trust. Loved ones in family may fail us. Brethren in Christ can fail us. Even hierarchs in the Church do fail us. In today’s darkened world, trusted institutions and structures, both secular and religious, are crumbling. Even God’s word and age-old Church teachings are being overturned by modernist hierarchs. There is only one who is unchanging, who stands firm always and forever. It is Jesus, who is an eternal Rock. It is an understatement to say, “Better to take refuge in the Lord than to put one’s trust in mortals.” (Ps 118:8). Infinitely better.
Now of course we too fail others, including our God. That is the human condition, subject to its sinful flesh. But this is where we do look to our unchanging God, to obtain mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, faithful love. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good his mercy endures forever.” (Ps 118:1). We are assured of God’s mercy and love. After all, Jesus died on the cross for us, even when we were sinners. “You have been my savior.” (Ps 118:21b).
We do need to do our part. Our unchanging God calls us to holiness, to be able to enter into our eternal home. We are not just to be good and nice, but holy. Jesus himself teaches, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt 7:21). ONLY the one who does God’s will. Jesus tells us to be holy as he is holy. We need to listen to Jesus and act on his words, “like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Mt 7:24).
We must want to be holy, to be like Jesus himself. “Open the gates of righteousness, I will enter and thank the Lord.” (Ps 118:19). Jesus says that he is the Gate for his flock. Thus “this is the Lord’s own gate, through it the righteous enter.” (Ps 118:20).
There will be many challenges in life, and we can only rest secure if our house is “set solidly on rock.” (Mt 7:25).
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