"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Mt 1:1)
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One day a group of Jewish officials came to John the Baptist and they asked him, "Just who are you, anyway?"
Sometimes it is good for us to sit down and ask ourselves that very same question, "Just who am I, anyway?"
The answer can be interesting. You have a specific father and mother and part of both of them is in you. You grew up in a small or large family in a certain place. Over the years you have been influenced by relatives, playmates, schoolmates and teachers. Perhaps you have held several jobs and from them you have gained good and bad experiences. They taught you something: You were never the same again. Maybe you have traveled and been around.
Besides all these qualities which came from the outside, you also have certain inborn talents yourself. You have a certain kind of temperament, which you can do nothing about. By nature you may be hotheaded or very calm and cool. You may be a happy-go-lucky or serious type. You may be outgoing and talkative or quiet and shy. You may be a daredevil or very cautious. You may be healthy or always sickly.
All of these good and bad qualities are gathered together in YOU in a very special mixture which no other person in the world has. So, you are unique; you are a one-and-only. And God has a purpose in all this; it is not just a big accident. There is a big plan behind all this and you fit into this plan. How? By being God’s "double." In a movie a "double" is a specialist who wrecks cars and planes, who jumps off cliffs and fights sharks in the place of the hero in the picture. They both dress alike so you cannot tell the difference. The "double" risks his life; the hero gets the credit.
Christ needs us as his doubles in today’s world. He is back in heaven with body and soul. But he has work to do on earth and he needs us to "double" for him. "Look! You can do things I cannot do: that is your talent." Christ needs you just as you are. Nobody else can take your place. If you do not do the job, it will remain undone forever. [1]
Reading through the names of Jesus’ ancestors, we begin to realize that they were not exactly the exemplary types we would expect from the Messiah’s lineage. We see the names of Rahab, a former prostitute and Bathsheba with whom David had adulterous relations. This only goes to show that Jesus Himself came from a very human ancestry as we have. It also proves one thing: Our ancestors do not define what we are today.
As the above Narrative tell us, all of us are unique individuals. We have all been endowed with our own particular set of talents and characteristics by our Maker, apparently for His divine purpose in our lives. But have we ever tried to discover what these specialties are? After discovering what they are, have we ever tried to use them for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on earth? Do we even allow ourselves to "double" for Christ – in imitation of Him – during our day-to-day activities.
The Gospel for today also reminds us that what is important is what we are today, not what we have been at one time or another. Our errant lifestyles in the past, or those undesirable traits against which we still continue to struggle, should not deter us from willingly allowing ourselves to be used in the service of Christ and His Church. Our past does not define our future and that’s that! What we are today, we owe to God’s transforming grace in our lives. How do we show our eternal gratitude to our heavenly Father for this spiritual "make-over" that He has worked in us?
Throughout this Advent season, let us all reflect upon the goodness of our Father in heaven for sending us His only Son Jesus into our lives. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire in us the ways and means of becoming more Christ-like in the lives of others.
Sometimes it is good for us to sit down and ask ourselves that very same question, "Just who am I, anyway?"
The answer can be interesting. You have a specific father and mother and part of both of them is in you. You grew up in a small or large family in a certain place. Over the years you have been influenced by relatives, playmates, schoolmates and teachers. Perhaps you have held several jobs and from them you have gained good and bad experiences. They taught you something: You were never the same again. Maybe you have traveled and been around.
Besides all these qualities which came from the outside, you also have certain inborn talents yourself. You have a certain kind of temperament, which you can do nothing about. By nature you may be hotheaded or very calm and cool. You may be a happy-go-lucky or serious type. You may be outgoing and talkative or quiet and shy. You may be a daredevil or very cautious. You may be healthy or always sickly.
All of these good and bad qualities are gathered together in YOU in a very special mixture which no other person in the world has. So, you are unique; you are a one-and-only. And God has a purpose in all this; it is not just a big accident. There is a big plan behind all this and you fit into this plan. How? By being God’s "double." In a movie a "double" is a specialist who wrecks cars and planes, who jumps off cliffs and fights sharks in the place of the hero in the picture. They both dress alike so you cannot tell the difference. The "double" risks his life; the hero gets the credit.
Christ needs us as his doubles in today’s world. He is back in heaven with body and soul. But he has work to do on earth and he needs us to "double" for him. "Look! You can do things I cannot do: that is your talent." Christ needs you just as you are. Nobody else can take your place. If you do not do the job, it will remain undone forever. [1]
Reading through the names of Jesus’ ancestors, we begin to realize that they were not exactly the exemplary types we would expect from the Messiah’s lineage. We see the names of Rahab, a former prostitute and Bathsheba with whom David had adulterous relations. This only goes to show that Jesus Himself came from a very human ancestry as we have. It also proves one thing: Our ancestors do not define what we are today.
As the above Narrative tell us, all of us are unique individuals. We have all been endowed with our own particular set of talents and characteristics by our Maker, apparently for His divine purpose in our lives. But have we ever tried to discover what these specialties are? After discovering what they are, have we ever tried to use them for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on earth? Do we even allow ourselves to "double" for Christ – in imitation of Him – during our day-to-day activities.
The Gospel for today also reminds us that what is important is what we are today, not what we have been at one time or another. Our errant lifestyles in the past, or those undesirable traits against which we still continue to struggle, should not deter us from willingly allowing ourselves to be used in the service of Christ and His Church. Our past does not define our future and that’s that! What we are today, we owe to God’s transforming grace in our lives. How do we show our eternal gratitude to our heavenly Father for this spiritual "make-over" that He has worked in us?
Throughout this Advent season, let us all reflect upon the goodness of our Father in heaven for sending us His only Son Jesus into our lives. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire in us the ways and means of becoming more Christ-like in the lives of others.
End Notes for this Bible Sharing
. "A thought For Today" by Frank Mihalic, SVD, "Jesus, Who Are You?" pp. 82-83, Logos Publications, Inc., Manila, 2001.
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