JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES

[Rev Fr.Alexander U Okere]

Jesus said to his disciples...I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves(luke 10:3).....A lion gives birth to a lion...A wolves gives birth a wolves etc...We are God's children,from the tribe of the lion of Judah.Judging from the human perspective,as sons and daughters from the lineage of the lion,we should be lions and lionesses ...Looking at this  from human but myopic point of view Christ should have sent his disciples out as LIONS IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES...but He choose to send them as lambs …"leaving them so vulnerable" as men would like to interpret it …

The question is,were the  disciples really left vulnerable?...No

First, Christ himself was sent into the world by the Father as a lamb...Lamb of God. As a lamb,He was sent in the midst of wolves(human) who tried to devour Him but the shepherd(Godthe Father) guided Him in the paths of saving justice.He walked through ravines as dark as death but the Great shepherd gave him the grace not to fear any danger for He was at His   side. His staff and His crook were there to soothe him all through the period of trials,temptations and tribulations . As a lamb he conquered pride with humility and as such,God the father ,the chief shepherd prepared Him a table under the eyes of his enemies; He anointed his head with oil; His cup brims over.little wonder goodness,mercy,kindness and love followed Him all through his journey on earth.

As a lamb,Christ never clung to His  equality with the Father,He was humble even unto death and a shameful death on a cross. As the Son of a king and only begotten of the eternal  Lion, he has all the powers of a lion in Him but He never dared to use any of these powers even when provoked.He trusted and relied on the protection and guidance  of God the Father(the Great shepherd) .Christ had every power but he never used his power to save himself even while being persecuted rather he resposed his confidence in His Father.In all Christ became victorious (Rev 5,1-14)....Abinitio,he  knew who sent him and he is certain he will never abandon him.

The same way God the Father sent Christ  as a lamb in the midst of wolves is also the same way  Christ sent and continued to send His disciples as lambs in the midst of wolves. And as long as we continue to behave as sheep,we are victorious.Even if ten thousand  wolves surround us,we conquer and we are victorious.But the moment we become wolves,we are conquered ,for we lose the help of the shepherd. 

We become wolves by relying on our own power when we know that cut off from God we can do nothing.We become wolves by making ourselves the end all and be all.We become wolves by overruling God's law with the law of man for instance gay marriage,.We become wolves by playing god...recreating ourselves in transgenderism.We play god by making abortion a woman right to health..baby is not a disease for goodness sake.

God is the shepherd of sheep,not wolves.If he leaves you and goes away,it is because you do not allow him to show his power…

Dear Friends as lambs or sheep of God,trust in your shepherd..believe in his promises.Man may fail you but God  the Good shepherd cannot.Do not rely on the self because the self can be deceptive..Hold firm to God in humility..Rely in God's grace for his grace is sufficient for you.For God's power is made perfect in our weakness.Do not despair for God knows us well that in this way,we shall be invincible against our enemies.

Fr.Alexander U Okere

[Judy Muller]

Amen.