Dedication of the Church
Luke 19:47-20:8
Two leaders are contrasted in the passage. The first type, the Jewish chief priests, lawyers, scribes, etc, question by what authority Jesus can do the things He does. In life, those who don’t understand our God given mission will raise questions.
- Can we defend the actions we take based on our faith? Do we need to prepare to do so? Do we have actions in life that are based in faith?
- Are we willing to persevere despite not having all the answers? Think Noah.
The other type of leader is mentioned by our Lord. He asks the Jewish leaders about John the Baptist.
- John and the Jewish leaders are both consecrated to ministry (both are in the priesthood of Levi)
- But John is dedicated to carrying out the ministry amongst the people of God. He rejects the privileges of ministry because they’ve become an avenue toward hypocrisy.
- In other words, John is focused on the heart of ministry and rejects its trappings.
- Do we have such a ministry? Are we showing any fruit or positive result? Are we just content with the pride of our parents, community, etc or are we really making a difference?
Remember: To say “dedication”, we have to work past the syllable “ded”, meaning that to please God we should seek to move past inaction, stasis, and mere talk to action, perseverance, and a track record of accomplishment. Don’t get stuck at “ded”!
May God bless you!! – Fr. Zach Varghese
Enrichment:
- Share a story of dedication with us.
- Read Romans 12.