Lk 4:38-44 At Sunset

Luke 4:38-44 At Sunset

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“At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.” At sunset, at the end of the day, I turn to you O Lord. Free me from all my sins and cleanse me from all my iniquities. For you alone Lord are my God. You alone are my Savior. I wait till the end of the day for your touch to heal me. Why do I delay? Why do I search when the sun is set? Does the sun not shine throughout the day? Is there not enough light to see? You have warned me of my illness, of my impending doom. I seek but do not find. How can I seek when I am lost? Are you all that I need? All that I need is you. The sun has set, the day is done, the night grows near and you are here! Your loving hand touches me, cures me. You never cease to amaze me. Why do I doubt? With you there is no setting of the sun or darkness in the night. How can I forget the promise made to those you chose: “I am with you till the end of time.”

We are not to delay. The Lord must always come first - first in our thoughts; first in our words; first in our actions. He is King! “I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent!” These are the words of Christ. They must become my words too. I must proclaim: gently, lovingly, affectionately, warmly. First and foremost, before all titles and names, He is Love. Love does not divide. Love unites and love is the precondition to happiness. If we want to be happy, we must choose to love. Freedom gives value to love.

“Husbands and Wives”, “Mothers” and “Fathers”, “Sons” and “Daughters”, “Brothers” and “sisters”, “the Lord has assigned us to one another” (1Cor 3:7). We are all well connected to one another. We are relational. We are united by bonds that can never be broken. We are bounded with rope, nails and cross-beams. Our relationships are intertwined. We carry a natural cross. This is proof that man was created out of love to love and be loved. Happiness can only come from loving and being loved. The problem is that our love can go fishy: selfish, rather than selfless. True love can only be achieved if one hands them “self” over to the other. If love fails it is because love got plugged – like the Dead Sea. Love needs an outlet. Love needs another.

Let us ask the Lord to bless us, to hand us over. The Lord has chosen us to be his very own. The work is plentiful, the workers are few and the day is new. Today, before sunset, let us “receive our wages in proportion to our labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1Cor 3:9).