Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell:

Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell:

It is often stated that the Bible contains all the answers, yet for all its valuable knowledge, the Bible leaves hundreds of questions unanswered. Many things are simply not explained to our inquisitive mind.

I’m not talking about “why do bad things happen to good people?” or “why do evil, sickness, and death exist in the world?” because those are answered in scripture (although perhaps not to our liking). But questions like, “how exactly did Jesus raise from the dead; what happens to our soul after death; what is heaven like; what happened to Jesus’ mother; what happened to His disciples?

Many of these details not found in the Bible are recorded in other historical writings from the Early Church or passed down through Holy Tradition. But Jesus’ mission, His purpose for coming, was not to answer all our questions, but to be the answer to all our questions. Still, if people couldn’t accept His simple parables, analogies, and explanations about God, how could they begin to accept complicated teachings regarding God’s omnipotence, Creation, and eternity?

Personally, I’ve always wondered about those whom Jesus healed, like the young man raised from the dead in today’s gospel. What happened to him? How did his life change at having a second chance to live? And how did those around him – his mother, family, and friends – deal with his resurrection?

One would think that such a wondrous miracle, along with all the other miracles and healings Jesus performed, must have had a great effect upon people. Yet the truth is, it didn’t. For all those who gladly welcomed Jesus into the Holy City of Jerusalem and proclaimed Him as their King, soon were shouting, “Crucify Him” and “we have no king but Caesar” a few days later.

Therefore, our focus should not be that young man who was raised and given back to his mother, but on how has this story – and all the other scriptural events and testimonies – affect us. What impact do these lessons have on us, our lives, and our faith?

This is where faith becomes personal, because no one can accept Christ, believe in Christ, or profess Christ for you. Your faith is a willful decision to believe or not believe, and no one can make it for you.

Fr. John