Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:13-20

Today, I want to begin with a famous, yet deeply challenging instruction given by the Apostle Paul. In Romans 12:1, he wrote: “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.”

I want to pause right there and ask a very important question: What does it mean to be a “living” sacrifice? In the old Hebrew, it was ‘Olah’, which meant in English ‘something that goes up.’ The Olah was entirely consumed by fire on the altar, ascending to God as a pleasing aroma.

Whether it was consumed by fire or just killed to be offered, by definition, a sacrifice doesn’t survive the altar. Once it is offered, its life is over. It is given up completely, and that is why it is called ‘a sacrifice’.

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Matthew 14:13-21; Romans 9:1-5

In Romans 9:1–5, the Apostle Paul expresses a profound anguish for his fellow Jews that he even wishes himself cut off from Christ if it would save them. If you sometime had that kind of anguish for those around you, who don’t know Christ yet, I have a few questions for you to ponder today.

1: In an era where our lives are largely comfortable and secure, what would it cost us to care about the spiritual life and destiny of our families and friends the way Paul did?

2: If your loved ones were facing physical danger, I’m sure that you would drop everything to save and help them. By the same token, when you look at their spiritual lives, does your level of prayer and concern match that same urgency?

3. Paul was willing to be cut off from Christ to see his follow people come to Christ. In our daily routines, what are we genuinely willing to inconvenience—let alone sacrifice—so that those we love might know the grace of God?”

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Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like that: a treasure hidden in a field that someone accidentally discovers. To secure this newly found wealth, the lucky man hides the treasure again in that same field, and then joyfully goes and sells everything he owns to buy the plot of land. Once the field is his, the treasure is his, too. His actions were entirely lawful; by purchasing the land, he gained legal ownership of the field and the treasure within it.

As if to emphasise His point, Jesus added, “The Kingdom is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds one of unmatched value, he too sells everything he owns to purchase that pearl. This is what the Kingdom of God is like—a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price.

These parables share one striking commonality: both individuals sold everything they possessed to claim the treasure they had found. Why? The answer is obvious. Their possessions simply could not compare in value to the treasure.

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Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

I came across an inspiring story about a man named David, who spent a few years working to build a community of kindness and compassion. His experiences in volunteer ministry brought him into contact with many different people. It is a beautiful story, and I have framed it in the light of today’s Gospel from Matthew, while keeping the original account entirely intact.

David wanted to share with the community everything he had learned throughout his life as a follower of Jesus. He believed that if he truly wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of others in his newly found community, he first had to sow the good seeds of love and kindness.

He began his mission by visiting local schools. He spoke to students about the vital importance of kindness, compassion and forgiveness. He said, “When you cultivate a heart of kindness and compassion and become good at it, the world will always have a special place for you”. Many students listened attentively, and some of them were so touched by his message and asked him to come again to talk more someday. They were much like the good soil in the parable of the Sower in today’s gospel reading.

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Romans 7:15-25

Bonhoeffer lived in a time when the law of the secular world demanded absolute allegiance to a regime. That regime was opposing to the justice of God’s kingdom.

When visiting America, his colleagues and friends in America strongly recommend that he should stay safely in America. But he chose to return to his home. He wrote, “If I don’t choose to go through these hard times with my people now, I won’t have the right to be their pastor when the war is over.” He was executed in prison, just a month before the war came to an end in May 1945.

According to Michael Sandel, a renowned political philosopher and Harvard professor, justice is simply ‘doing the right thing’. But the question is, “what is the right thing to do?” How do we know what the right thing to do is at home, work, in church, or even on streets? Most importantly, what is the right thing to do in our daily life as children of God?”

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