By Jacqueline Kelly –
God loves you – no matter who you are, no matter what is your past. The Bible tells us that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:16]
Much has been said about faith and confession. Much has been taught, but many things have been misunderstood. Faith is a law of God. It does not work in the head but in the heart. Our everyday life is so mixed with sin that we no longer pay attention to it. It is important, then, to fight sin; but we must know it in order to fight it. It is only by reflecting on our weakness and tendency to evil that we are able to feel the repentance which allows us to return to God.
If only we would listen to the call of our conscience, we would begin our way towards conversion; and we would witness a miracle.
God is infinitely holy and worthy of all possible adoration.
Therefore, we must speak of God only with reverence, and make use of His name with the greatest respect. And, we should say the name of Jesus and other holy names of persons and things [for instance, the cross and the sacraments] with reverence and thankfulness too. God commands us in His second commandment not to dishonour His name.
It is a sin against this commandment to use the name of God or other holy names in an irreverent way or in anger, especially in cursing. Some people even go so far as to insult God and say wicked things about Him, they blaspheme God. It would be a sin of blasphemy if anyone claimed that he should have honours due to God alone. In the Old Testament there was a law: “He that blasphemes the Lord’s name must die” [Leviticus 24:16].
No one ever used the name of God with such reverence, devotion and love as did Jesus, the Son of God. He teaches us better than anyone else how to love and honour God’s name. If we love and honour God, we shall have reverence for those places, things and persons which are dedicated to God; for instance, the Church, the Cemetery, the Cross, the Altar, the Sacred vessels, Priests, Monks and Nuns.
Especially holy are the sacraments, above all the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. In the sacraments, God who is so holy, comes especially close to us. Therefore, we should receive them worthily, and be careful to prepare ourselves before receiving them. The Bible also is holy, because it contains God’s Word.
Whoever dishonours holy places, things or persons commits a sacrilege; he deprives God of the honour which is due to him. It is a serious sacrilege to dishonour the Blessed Sacrament, for instance, by receiving Holy Communion un worthily. It is a sin to behave badly in holy places, to treat holy things carelessly or irreverently, or to behave without proper respect for priests and religious.
Jesus had predicted that He would be mocked. [Matthew 20:19; Mark 10:34; Luke 18:32].
The root word mock is from the old French word mocquer [later moquer] meaning to scoff at, laugh at or fool, although the origin of mocquer is unknown.
The definition of “mock” means to laugh or make fun of [someone or something] especially by copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking, to criticize and laugh at [someone or something] for being bad, worthless or unimportant.
Mocking of Jesus Christ took place immediately following His trial and condemnation by Pontius Pilate and when He was being crucified. After Jesus was condemned, He was blindfolded, beaten and then mocked by Roman soldiers, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” [Luke 22:63] KJV
Luke 23:11 also mentions that Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus. They clothed Him with a “purple” [Mark 15:17] or “scarlet” [Matthew 27:28] robe symbolizing a royal gown since purple was a royal colour, put a crown of thorns on His head symbolizing a royal crown, and put a staff in His hand symbolizing a sceptre. They knelt before Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
[Matthew 27:29. This was done as a mockery of Jesus’ kingship.
Jesus was also mocked while He was on the Cross. This was done by those who passed by and hurled insults at Him and told Him to come down from the Cross. [Mark 15:29-30]. Those crucified with Jesus also heaped insults at Him [Mark 15:32]. The Roman soldiers also mocked Him by offering Him sour wine and saying “If you are the King of Jews, save yourself!”
The people, Chief Priests and teachers of the Law mock Jesus, and shout at Him while He is hanging on the Cross: “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the Chosen of God”.
One criminal on His left who was hanging there with Jesus on the Cross, hurled insults at Jesus: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” [Luke 23:39]. The first stage involves mockery by Jews, the second stage involves mockery by Gentiles and the third stage involves mockery by Jews, Gentiles, Governors, Criminals, Scribes and Commoners.
Some of the famous people who mocked and challenged the existence of God and what happened to them?
Tancredo Neves – President of Brazil
During the Presidential Campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure, he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.
John Lennon – Singer
Some years before his interview with an American Magazine, he said: “Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain Jesus was okay, but his subjects were too simple, today, we are more famous than Him”. In 1966, Lennon after saying that was shot six times.
Cazuza – Bi-sexual Brazilian Composer, Singer and Poet
During a show in Canecio , Rio de Janeiro while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said, “God, that is for You”. He died at the age of 32 of lung cancer in a horrible manner.
Marilyn Monroe – Actress
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: “I don’t need your Jesus”! A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.
Bon Scott – Singer
The ex-vocalist and lyricist of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC in one of his 1979 songs, he sang: “Don’t stop me; I am going down all the way, down the highway to hell”. On February 19, 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
Christine Hewitt – Jamaican Journalist and Entertainer
She said the Bible [Word of God] was the worst book ever written. In June, 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.
Campinas – 2005
In Campinas, Brazil, a group of drunken friends went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends, she said to her daughter: “My daughter, Go with God and May He protect you.” She replied: “Only if He [God] travels in the trunk, cause inside here …..It’s already full”.
Hours later news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized, what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The Police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.
RMS Titanic – April 15, 1912
The Titanic was built by the Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast. Ireland. Thomas Andrews, Chief Naval Architect of the Shipyard, died in the disaster after the Titanic struck an iceberg leading to the deaths of more than 1500 passengers and crew.
Managing Director, J. Bruce Ismay was one of the individuals who deemed the Titanic as “unsinkable”.
After the construction of the Titanic, a reporter asked Captain Edward John Smith, how safe the Titanic would be? With an ironic tone he said, “Not even God can sink it”. We are aware of the disastrous termination of the voyage of the Titanic.
Harvard University Professor Steven Biel, author of the Book ”Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster” said, “You can’t cheat God in that way”.
To mock someone is a grave sin. That is why it is grievous to mock God and the things of God. [Isaiah 37:23]
Mocking is the act of insulting. When you hear someone mock God, tell the person not to do it or go for confession and you can pray that he or she may find the way to God.
According to Matthew 12:36 “But I tell you that on Judgement Day everyone will have to give account of every careless word he has ever spoken.”
It is not possible to laugh at God, to mock Him; very often the instruments men use to mock Him are the very ones God uses to chastise them.
‘It is true that God is everywhere, but it is also true that God comes only where He is invited!” God saves us through Jesus because God is merciful.