jesus' sidekicks
"Let us move on to the neighboring villages so that I may proclaim the good news there also. That is what I have come to do." —Mark 1:38
Jesus is Lord God. Therefore, it is His nature to exercise authority. Thus, He teaches with "authority. He gives orders to unclean spirits and they obey" (Mk 1:27). He heals by exercising His authority (see Mk 1:31ff). He expects us to submit to His authority by our obedience.
To rightly relate to Jesus, the ultimate Authority, we should:
- pray the first thing in the morning to find out what the Lord has planned for our day with Him (see Mk 1:35),
- not "do our own thing,"
- learn the teachings of the Church, especially the Bible, to know what the Lord expects of us,
- never spend money unless we are authorized by Him,
- repent and go to Confession if we have been disobedient, and
- prudently, lovingly, and humbly correct others who have also disobeyed the Lord.
The Lord is giving us the wonderful privilege of spending today, our lives, and forever with Him. Therefore, we must relate to Him so as to cooperate with Him and not conflict with Him. Fully conscious of Jesus' authority, let us spend the day with Jesus teaching, healing, freeing, and loving.
Prayer: Father, may I learn obedience even if I have to suffer (see Heb 5:8).
Promise: "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening." —1 Sm 3:9
Praise: Reading the Bible was the instrument God used to nurture a greater spiritual hunger in Philip, who was then led to study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Vatican II documents, and papal encyclicals.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, June 23, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 26, 2003