Focusing on Jesus – By Father Andrew Bahhi
As we learn today from the Gospel from the book of Mark, we should focus and open our heart. As our Father told the disciples maybe the most important thing Jesus came for, he said, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of man. And they will kill him. And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.” – Mark 9:31
We should focus on the message of salvation that the savior came forth. And He kept repeating “I am coming to die and by my death I will give a life. But don’t worry, my death will not be the end of my beautiful story. But my resurrection is going to be the beginning of my salvation story.”
But unfortunately, the disciples were disputing, thinking of something totally different than giving Jesus their attention. They were asking each other “who will be the greatest?” He came to die and give life to each one of us, while His disciples thinking who is the greatest among them.
Do we really listen to Jesus, or in the midst of the noise are we lost? Did we lose his voice tone?
Jesus came to bring the life and the disciples were shifted in their attention to earthly things. And Jesus says:
“If you are going to lose attention for what I came for, you are not going to be a true follower servant, true disciple. Because the disciples are the ones who can take the pure gospel and give it to the whole world.
As it says in the Bible, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” – Mark 9:35. Jesus is once again bringing their attention and focus to what it takes to be a true disciple and believer.
To be a true disciple, you must give a hand to all the people around you. Love everybody, help everybody.
People focus on how much, what is the thing that controls your heart and desires. While the Bible, what matters is who you are, how close you are to Jesus, and how much are you a true believer you are in Jesus Christ.
As John the Baptist says in John 3:27-36, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The true believer is the one who always says to Jesus “I want you to increase not my dignity or belonging, not anything else, but only my faith in you. You should increase in my heart, and I should decrease as a human. Which, in other words, means to humble oneself more and more. “
Let’s focus on what is important, essential for our salvation. We focus on what we look like, or how people will judge us, but we never care about Jesus and focus on His presence in our life. I pray that we can be unlike the people around Jesus when He preached the true message of salvation.
I pray that all of us should not care about anything.
I pray that all of us focus today, we open our heart and mind to hear Jesus’s voice, to follow Him, and accept Him in our lives as a savior and true master and Lord.
Learn more in Father Andrew’s sermon video here.
Recommended Posts
The Gift of God – By Mor Andrawos Bahhi
February 25, 2024
Saint Stephen – By Father Gabriel Alkass
January 28, 2024
“The Bread of Life” by Father Gabriel Alkass
January 21, 2024