MISREPRESENTING GOD…

1 Corinthians 15:12-20
12 Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;
14 if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised.17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Luke 8:1-3 

1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,
2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

MEDITATION

St PAUL respond to naysayers who falsely assert that Christs ressurection from the dead is a myth and untrue, which for obvious reasons call into question the faith of believers; the remmision of their sins, implying that those who have been martyred for the faith was a hopeless pitiful endeavor? 

With this said, Paul dig in his heels by making a factual statement that Christ is the first fruit of those disciples who lost their lives in persuit of preaching the good news! 

St LUKE very interestingly point out a number of women, most especially Mary Magdalene a former demon possesed prostitute and Joanna the wife of Herod’s head steward, to demonstrate that a cross section of society became devout steadfast followers of Christ, leaving behind secularism with all it’s disordered allures! To be sure, Mary Magdalene’s witness testimony of the miracle of our Lords ressurection, preeminantly affirm that Christ truly rose from the dead.

The novel idea that God overlook our sinful fallen state allowing us to live immoral lives is nothing short of a lie and a misrepresentation of God’s desire for us to be pure and in a constant state of grace. It has been said that a saint has a history and a sinner has a future, implying that all of us are called to be a holy people by the merits of Christ who came not for the self-proclaimed righteous ones, but for sinners who repent and leave behind our disordered sinful ways, with the hope that we shall inherit eternal life. 

LET US PRAY:Psalms 17:1,6-8,15

1 A Prayer of David.
Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!6 I call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God; incline thy ear to me, hear my words.
7 Wondrously show thy steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at thy right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of thy wings,15 As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.