Long for The Lord

I wonder how often you have longed for something. I can remember many times when I was a child but as I grew into adulthood there were fewer and fewer times. But those times I can remember were times of great expectation. The expectation often was so great I could not sleep. You know the feeling. If you have children you have seen it in others. That is the feeling Peter is calling us to have when he calls us to long for the Lord. For those early Christians that might have been easy. Most of those first Christians were poor and many were slaves. It was not difficult for them to long for something that was certainly better than what they had. Unfortunately, for us it is different. We are not the poor of the world. We have so many things and are offered even more that we often forget about Jesus. Have you ever longed for Jesus in the way you have longed for something new?

How many times have you noticed people who have ignored Jesus until tragedy or sickness happens? I can tell you hundreds of examples of people who I had never seen before show up at church wanting God to fix some problem. Then, after it is all done, they leave again. Some because the problem is solved so they can return to life as it was while others leave in anger because God did not answer their prayers. You know people like that. We have at times wondered why God does not do those things we pray for. It seems that Jesus is going back on his word – the word we read today. I would suggest that we first need to look at Stephen's prayer in Acts. Stephen – the first Christian martyr – did not pray that God save him from death or punish those who stoned him, he prayed that God would forgive those who killed him. He was following Jesus who prayed that those who crucified him would be forgiven. 

Stephen knew that whatever happened he was in Jesus’ embrace. He told us that in our gospel reading when he told Thomas, “I Am the way, the truth, and the life. I read the first half of this text at almost every funeral to remind us that Jesus is our way, truth, and life. There is nothing else that we need. Believing this, what else do you need? It is in his answer to Phillip that Jesus tells us he will give us whatever we ask for to do works in his name. Jesus does not invite us to pray for our own selfish needs but for others so that they will see Jesus and through him see God. 

This is the same message that Peter is giving. With Jesus as the cornerstone and being made into a spiritual house you are called to be a holy priesthood, God’s holy people in order that you may proclaim Jesus. If you think about it, with Jesus at your side, there is nothing else that you need. He is your way, and truth, and life. Therefore you can answer this call, sharing all that God has given you with those in need and proclaiming Jesus in all your acts and words. And when you do not think that you can do it, pray that God gives you all that you need so that you can shine forth with the light of Christ and show others the way to peace and love. 

Christ is risen!