Silliman University Church Reflections

Kaisog sa Pagbag-o

Luke 18:1-8
Usa ka makahuluganon nga sugilanon sa gahum sa pag-ampo ang gi-asoy sa Matubayong Balo.
Ang Panahon ni Lukas: Ang mga tinun-an nagpaabot sa pagbalik ni Jesus. Samtang sila nagpaabot, nakasinati sila ug paglutos. Ang ubang mga Kristyano, aron makalikay sila sa paglutos, mi limud sa ilang pagtoo.
Pinaagi niining Sugilanon sa Balo, nagtudlo si Jesus sa iyang mga tinun-an, nga mag tubay sila, ug magpangusog sa ilang pag-ampo, mosalig sa presensiya sa Dios, bisan pa sa tumang kalisdanan. Gitudlo ni Jesus nga sa kinabuhi diin daghang panagsumpaki ug pagsulay, walay lain nga tinubdan sa pagtoo gawas sa matubayong pag-ampo.
Atong batbaton pagusab: May usa ka dautang hukom, nga anad kaayong modawat ug suhol, ang nagpalangan-langan sa iyang hukom sa kaso sa usa ka balo. Sa iyang paglangan-langan, gihikawan niya kini sa katarungan. Wala man isugid ang matang sa kaso, tingali kabahin kini sa yuta. Apan kada buntag padayon ang balo sa pag-adto sa huwes, aron sa pagtubay sa katarungan nga alang kaniya. Sa pagtubay sa balo, uban sa iyang pagsalig sa Ginoo, giabot ug kaluya ang huwes, “Kung dili ko kini siya hatagan ug hustisya”, ingon sa huwes, “maluya ako ug madaut ang akong dungog ngadto sa katawhan. Labing maayo niini ihatag ko na kaniya ang katarungan nga iyang gipangayo.”
Gipadayag ni Jesus nga dili niya tuyo nga itandi ang Ginoo sa dautang huwes. Apan buot niya ipakita ang ilang kalainan. Kung ang dautan nga hukom mohatag ug katarungan sa usa ka tawo nga dili niya kabanay, unsa pa kaha ang Dios nga nahigugma sa iyang mga anak? Kung ang tikasan nga huwes matandog sa pagtubay sa balo, unsa pa kaha ang mahigugmaon nga Amahan? Makatarunganon ba ang Dios? Dili kini ang pangutana. Ang angay nga pangutana, molahutay ba kita sa atong pagtuo?  “Makakaplag ba kaha ug pagtuo ang Anak sa Tawo dinhi sa kalibutan sa iya unyang pag-balik?”
Ang pagkalangan sa pag-balik ni Jesus dili mao ang hilisgutan kon dili ang pagtuo. Kay diha sa matubayong pag-ampo magagikan ang pagtuo. Ang angay tubagon nga pangutana, dili kanus-a moabot ang gingharian/hustisya? Kon dili, makalahutay ba ang atong pagtuo?  
Application: Unsang matang sa pagbag-o ang angay makaplagan sa iglesia karon? Unsaon nato nga mahimong malahutayon sa pag-ampo ug maisugon sa pagkab-ot sa mga kausaban?  
1. REFORMATION – USA KA DAKUNG KALIHUKAN SA PAGBAG-O
Si Martin Luther nangulo sa Repormasyon sa tuig 1517 ug gi pukaw niya ang iglesia sa mga kasaypanan niini gikan pa sa tuig 313 CE. Kini nga panahon ang iglesia ni Jesus Kristo nahimong makagagahum apan madauton kini nga kaabag sa emperyo sa Roma.
Ang tumong ni Luther mao ang pagbutyag sa mga kasaypanan aron nga ang iglesia makadangat ngadto sa pagbag-o. Gi ponting niya ang dunut nga doctrina sa Indulgencia nga gi pakanaog ni Tetzel ug ni Santo Papa Leo X. Ang kaluwasan ug kapasayloanan gipamaligya na sa mga kaparian,. Kung mohatag ang mga tawo ug salapi sa iglesia, makadawat sila ug usa ka papel nga nagpasalig nga napapas na ang ilang mga sala.
Sa pagbasa ni Luther sa Roma 1:17 miingon siya — “nakasabot na ako. Ang gimatarong sa Dios, mabuhi pinaagi sa pagtuo” … Kini nga pagtulun-an misupak sa doctrina sa iglesia nga ang usa ka tawo maluwas pinaagi sa iyang buhat, pinaagi sa paghatag ug salapi, pinaagi sa penitensya, pinaagi sa balikbalik nga pangadji, sa pagsimba sa mga handumanan, sa pagsimba sa mga patay nga santos, pagsunod sa mga ordinansya sa iglesia.
Sa dihang gihukman si Luther sa ¨The Diet of Worms” miingon siya nga dili niya bakwi-on ang iyang mga pulong. “Hangtud may kaluoy ang Dios, dili nako bakwi-on ang akong gibutyag.  Midugang pa siya, “Gawas kung ipakita diha sa B. Kasulatan ang katarungan nga nasayop ako, dili gayud ako mo bakwi, tungod kay dili kini makaluwas, ug dili matarong ang mosukwahi sa konsyensia. “Mao kini ang akong gibarogan. Dili ko mobakwi. Tabangan ako sa Dios. Amen!”
“Gibutyag ni Luther nga kang Christo lamang maluwas ang iglesia. Ang gitudlo ni Luther mao kini. A) Ang Balaang Kasulatan mao lamang ang atong kasaligan; B) Sa pagtuo lamang kita maluwas; c) sa kaluoy sa Dios lamang kita maluwas; D) si Kristo Lamang ang Manluluwas (Dili mga Santos ).
2. GIKINAHANGLAN GIHA.PON ANG PAGBAG-O
Daghan sa mga sugyot ni Martin Luther gidawat na sa Iglesia Romana Catolica nga hinayhinay nga naka-usab sa ilang mga gituohan. Pananglitan giwala na nila ang gitawag nga LIMBO ang lugar kung diin moadto ang mga bata nga namatay diha sa pagkahimugso. Karong tuiga pa lang gidawat kini nga sayop. Apan nagpadayon pa sila sa pag-ampo sa mga Santos ug kang Maria para sa kaluwasan sa mga patay. Ang bag-ong Iglesia nga nahimugso sa Reformation, ang atong Iglesia, kinahanglan padayon nga motubay sa mga kausaban ug padayon kini nga magabag-o sa iyang kaugalingon.    
a. Tungod kay ang Balaang Kasulatan mao lamang ang tinubdan sa pagtuo, kinahanglan nga magtuon ang tanan sa Bibliya.  Kumusta naman ang mga Bible study nato? Sa Silliman adunay 9,000 ka istudyante, magtutudlo, 1,000 lang ang nagasimba sa SU church matag Domingo, apan mga 400 lamang ang nagatambong sa mga Bible studies. Kung wala kitay pagtuon sa Biblia, asa man magagikan ang atong kusog sa pagtuo?
b. Mahinungdanon ang panaghiusa sa iglesia, apan unsa nga matang sa panaghiusa kini? Managhiusa ba kita arong lamang mawala ang panagsumpaki? Ang panaghiusa nga buot natong makab-ot mao ang panaghiusa nga nagabarog sa tiunay nga pagtuo sa mando sa Biblia ug ni Jesu Kristo dili sa mando sa kalibutan, Ang mga pangulo sa iglesia kinahanglan manalinghug sa iyang mga ginsakpan nga nagasubay sa Biblia. Angay panalipdan sa iglesia ang kalunsay sa pagtuo. Ang iglesia iya sa Dios ug alang sa iyang misyon. Kaakohan sa iglesia ang pag-andam sa katawhan sa Dios sa paghigugma sa Dios ug sa isig katawo. Mao kini ang gisangon kaniya nga katungdanan. Giunsa nato paghigugma ang Dios ug ang atong isigkatawo?
c. Kinahanglan ibalik sa atong mga kinabuhi ang madasigon nga pagsangyaw sa Maayong Balita aron mahimo kitang tanan nga disipolo ni Kristo. Ang kalihukan nga Reformation usa ka kalihukan sa katawhan alang sa kaluwasan nga nagabag-o sa pagsimba ug panag-igsoonay. Ang atong pagtuo gidapat nato sa atong mga kinabuhi, pinaagi sa buhat matukod ang matubayong pagsaksi sa atong pagtuo. Ug ang tanan nga magtutuo, mahimong pastor, disipulo ug pari, (priesthood of all believers) busa ang tanan may katungdanan sa pagsangyaw sa Ebangelio. Pila kanato ang matubayong nagasimba? Pila kanato ang adunay ministerio? Pila kanato ang moabot sa hustong oras dinhi sa simbahan? Pila kanato ang nagdalidali nga mouli?
3. KINAHANGLAN ANG MATUBAYON NGA PAG-AMPO UG KAISOG
May pagtulun-an ang balo kanato. Wala siyay abugado. Ang iyang kaparang usa ka gamhanan nga huwes. Apan hugot ang iyang pagtuo sa gahum sa Dios ug sa hustisya sa Dios. Matubayon siya sa iyang pag-ampo ug may kadasig siya. Tungod sa pag-ampo buhi ang iyang pagtuo. Ug naluya ang huwes kaniya, ug nakab-ot niya ang katarungan. Kumusta man ang atong pag-ampo? Unsa man kadasig ang iglesia sa iyang ministerio?
Daku ang nahimo sa Repormasyon. Gibag-o niya ang iglesia. Dinha sa Reformation nahiusa ang iglesia ug ang Dios. Mao kini ang dakung kausaban nga nahimugso sa Reformation.
1. Nagasimba kita karon sa atong Pinulungan ug dili sa pinulugang Latin.
2. Ang kamatarong pinaagi sa pagtuo nagbag-o sa atong pagsimba gikan sa mga ritual, ngadto sa pagtukod ug personal nga relasyon sa Ginoo.
3. Ang gahum sa B. Kasulatan mipuli sa gahum sa Santo Papa ug sa Tradisyon.  Ang uyukan sa doctrina ug pagtulun-an mao ang Biblya.
4. Ug ang mga layko karon mahimo nang mowali. Sa pagtuon sa mga layko dinha sa Pulong sa Dios nahimo silang madasigon sa pagwali.
5. Giusab sa Repormasyon ang na-andan nga pagtuo nga ang pari lamang maoy tinubdan sa kamatuoran. Human sa reformation gidasig ang tanan sa ministerio.  May ministerio ang matag usa ka magtutuo. Ang tanang sakop sa iglesia nag gamit sa ilang gasa alang sa Dios.
6. Gibag-o ang mga sacramento . 2 lamang ka sakramento ang gipadayon - bawtismo ug communion.
7. Ang Biblia ang gibasihan karon sa han-ay sa pagsimba. Gihatagan ug dakung gibug-aton ang pagbasa sa Bibliya ug ang pagwali sa Pulong sa Dios maoy sentro sa atong pagsimba.
8. Ang katawhan nagasalmot na sa pagsimba. Nag-awit ug nagadayeg sila sa Dios, ug nasinati nila ang presensiya sa Dios.
9. Nalig-on ang pamilya isip banay sa pagtuo. Si Martin ug Katherine Luther nahimong panag ingnan sa usa ka panimalay nga Protestante.
Ang tanan nahitabo tungod sa matubayong pag-ampo ug kaisog sa mga magtutuo. Unsa kaha kung nahadlok ang balo sa huwes? Makaangkon ba kaha siya sa katarungan? Unsa kaha kung nitalaw si Martin Luther, atubangan sa mga Obispo ug iyang gi-bakwi ang tanan, matukod ba kaha ang UCCP?

(Sermon preached at the UCCP, Dumaguete City, Reformation Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007)

Conscientious Missionary
Luke 18:1-8

The Parable of the Persistent Widow is a wonderful parable about the power of persistent prayer and its end result — justice.
Luke’s Context: Disciples are waiting for the second coming. As they wait, they are persecuted. Some Christians, to save themselves, are denying their faith.
Through this parable, Jesus teaches his disciples about disciplined prayer, turning one’s attention to God, “heightening awareness” of God’s presence, when denying faith is more convenient. Jesus teaches that in a life full of trials, only persistent prayer will give hope and faith.
Let us retell the story: A corrupt judge, one who receives bribes, was keeping a defenseless widow from getting what she justly deserved, probably her deceased husband’s property. For some time the judge refused to give justice. But the widow’s persistent demands and trust in God’s vindication wore the judge down. Judge: “Since this widow keeps troubling me”, literally, the Greek says, “blackening my face,” before the community, “I will avenge her”, I will give her justice, but not for justice’s sake.
V7: Jesus makes the point that he is not comparing God to the unjust judge but contrasting him. If the judge vindicated the widow who was a mere nuisance to him, God will most certainly vindicate his children. If even a dishonest judge can be moved to do the right thing, how much more so will God do justice for his own. Is God just? is the wrong question. The right question is will we persevere in faith and prayer? V8: “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?”
The “delay” in the Lord’s justice, is not at issue. The issue is faithfulness. For only persistent prayer, will translate into faith in action. Without constant prayer, faith will be denied. The real question, then, is not the one disciples would like to ask Christ, when will justice (kingdom) come, but the one Christ will ask his disciples: “In the end, will your faith persist?
Application: To what situation today can we compare that of the widow, in this parable? If Jesus teaches his disciples to be persistent in prayer and faith, through to the end, what does he wish to remind us, today in light of Mission Sunday? If our mission is to proclaim Christ, how may we be conscientious and persistent in that mission?
Let us compare the situation of the widow, and ours today. She was waiting for vindication. Are we also waiting for vindication? The word “vindicate,” translated as “avenge,” (KJV) “secure the rights of,” “do justice,” is very important here. It is the key word binding the parable and its application together. It means the vindication of a wronged person by the punishment of the wrongdoer. Are we seeking justice too? How about compensation for victims of HR violations, recovery of stolen wealth, JAJA, implementation of the verdict of guilty of plunder, promise of good government and an end to corruption? Has the nation received vindication for these?  Or will the guilty be pardoned first? Or have we forgotten those prayers?
I guess not! Sometimes we have prayed. There was EDSA 1 and 2? But justice is taking too long. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
We know God will punish the corrupt, but corruption remains. We know justice will prevail, but injustice continues. Why is God silent? Why is God slow to act, slow to do justice? Wrong questions. The question is, will we persist in faith and prayer? Put another way, are we conscientious believers? Are we conscientious missionaries? The governor of Pampanga, who is also a priest is lauded for admitting he received P500 t cash from Malacanan, w/o any explanation what it was for. It would have been more honest not to receive what is clearly a bribe.
This is the issue isn’t it? When a public official is confused about right and wrong, is he honest? The priest has not returned the money yet. That is why – Justice delayed (or delay in good govt) maybe a form of God’s mercy. God delays justice in order to kindle our faith, to give us all a chance to be outraged and to change. When our conscience says corruption is a “necessary evil,” corruption begins to look more and more necessary, and less and less evil.  Jesus reminds us — are we denying faith, are we following the line of least resistance? Someone said – “Men and rivers are crooked, because they follow the line of least resistance.” The line of least resistance is receive the bribe first, ask no questions, blow the whistle later, but don’t return the money yet. (Will the Son of Man find faith on earth?)
We really should not be concerned about God’s response to injustice, we should be more concerned about our response to him.
Lessons:1) Motive: The judge eventually did the right thing. However, his motivation for doing so, to save face, was the wrong reason. The decision did not change him. He did right for a selfish reason, not because it was the right thing to do. Do we do the right thing because it is the right thing to do? Isn’t that what God wants us to do? And until we do, won’t  justice be delayed? The issue for us then is are we conscientious in mission? Or do we do rightly for the wrong reason? It is heartening that Silliman is affirming we are conscientious (disputative) missionaries, in taking PPA and the city govt. to task – (MP 20 Oct 07) “do the right things and do things right.”
2. Trust. Because we know God can be trusted, we know justice will prevail.  We have peace in our hearts. God is merciful. If God vindicates now, will the governor recognize his wrong? God continues to love us even when we are unjust. He gives us time to learn, even if this might mean that justice is delayed. But, justice will be served.
3. Persisting vs. Pestering: There is a difference between being a pest and being persistent, a difference of motivation. When we pester we want our way in our own time. Politicians pester the president because they themselves want to be in power. When we persist we want the right way, God’s way, and are willing to wait until God makes a way. God can use injustice and its ill effects to motivate people to change. If more people will be advantaged by the “delay,” God will most probably “delay” so that real justice might happen. God wants people to do what is right because it is right, not because it is convenient. Pestering God is “Give me what I want.” Persisting in prayer is, “Give me what you want.”
How do we do conscientious mission: We are a Christian country by historical accident. We need to make the accident real. Christ was preached while we were being robbed. Let Christ be preached now, not by robbers, but by free and conscientious missionaries. Indeed, it has been admitted, we have a good constitution, and good laws, but we lack implementing guidelines or budgets, or political will to make good our intentions. The majority church prays for social justice but it is a church that is rich and that uses its political power, sometimes selfishly. Our courts give justice, for the wrong reason. The truth is we are not a country of conscientious believers. We believe in God, yes, but we also believe in bribes.
Really, we need to learn the widow’s persistent prayer, to be conscientious believers of God. This is not easy. It is the challenge of Philippine Christianity. It is time to do conscientious mission. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, but believe conscientiously. Then perhaps vindication will come. It takes concentration to develop the discipline of believing conscientiously, and doing what God wants, and not what we want. This is prayer or, more correctly, the pre-condition for prayer. It is believing conscientiously, seeing with “eyes of faith”, thinking with Christ’s mind set, doing God’s will with “hands of love”. I am not suggesting to any of you to go to Manila now and sit in Malacanang. I mean proclaiming Christ, paying taxes, avoid cheating, submit grades on time, sharing love, doing your best all the time. Being conscientious missionaries is allowing God to manifest in our lives, and by the strength and credibility of our witness, change others. Conscientious mission may amount to vindication.

Luke 17:11-19

Of ten cured lepers only one, a Samaritan, returned to Jesus to give thanks. The simple lesson in the story seems to be — we should give thanks for every blessing we receive. We have heard this before. Is there some deeper truth, we ought to know about this story? I think there is.

Let us retell the story. Jesus was entering a village on his way to Jerusalem when he met ten lepers, who upon recognizing Jesus, shouted, ‘Master, have mercy on us! Jesus answers, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” ‘And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, “When he saw that he was healed” returned, praising God with a loud voice.  Then he prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him.”

Then Jesus asked, “where are the other nine? Is there no one but you to return and  give praise to God? Then in verse 19, Jesus says “Get up and go on your way.” “Your faith has made you well.” This was both a farewell and an absolution.

Context: When there were no doctors yet, “Leprosy” was a skin disorder that struck fear in the hearts of ancient people. There was a lot of stigma in leprosy. Even a recurrent or bad case of acne, pimple, skin rash, could bring a stigma, when you are perceived, mistakenly, as having “leprosy.” You are ostracized by family, friends and community- until the disorder is cleared up. In Jewish society, all diseases were considered to be a sign of, and punishment for sin. You had to go to a priest to be declared both “cured” and “clean.” The priests functioned as health officers issuing medical certificates one is cured. Priests also received sacrifice for atonement of sin and for offerings of thanks, for the cure. Only then lepers could return to society.

Implications:

1. Faith cured their physical illness.

All ten lepers had some level of faith. Their plea to Jesus for mercy and their going to the priest are signs of their trust in Jesus’. Their cure was a sign of the effect of that trust. They all obeyed Jesus’ word and all journeyed to see the priest. But even before reaching the priest, something happened! They realized they were cured! They got what they asked for and wanted. We can presume, they all returned to their communities and lived a “normal” life again. Yet, that is all the 9 lepers got, and no more.

But this story tells us, Jesus is interested in more than curing physical ills. He wants to give more than ”health” or else he would not have asked where are the other 9? Will they not thank and praise God too? Apparently nine out of ten, are willing to settle for less than that, to be shortchanged. They are interested only in immediate and physical problems in life. They wanted only to see tangible and visible realities, they know about. Still they got what they wanted – a physical cure. It was miraculous and it was good. However, what they received was less than what the Samaritan received.

2. The Samaritan responded to grace, and received “more.” And here is the deeper truth to be learned.

Samaritans were regarded by the Jews as unbelievers. But why, of all people, should this Samaritan unbeliever be able to discern God more than “religious people” can and why should unbelievers, receive more blessings?

The tenth man, was outside the “faith,” supposedly undeserving, but he did not stop at the physical miracle. He went deeper into the reality of his cure, was awed by grace, and found gratitude to be so overwhelming, that it needed to be expressed. This joy in his heart changed him. The Samaritan recognized God, took the opportunity to bow down. The voice that he used to cry for mercy, he now uses to cry for joy, to praise and thank God. His eyes are opened by faith, awakened, made joyful, responding to God’s grace.

His life takes a higher turn because he responds to God. Sometimes our faith becomes jaded. It becomes merely a habit, a ritualistic exercise, perhaps, an insurance mechanism. But faith is really an innocent fascination, a willingness to respond, to God’s grace. Christian ethics is simply gratitude, responding to God’s grace. Let me illustrate:

When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is called… a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is …a prize, like Manny Pacquiao received a prize today. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award–yet receives such a gift anyway–that is grace, an unmerited favor.  Recognizing that you have received an unmerited favor, opens your heart to a joyful faith relationship. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God. It  is recognizing something very deep and basic in our relationship with God.

The Samaritan returned to Jesus to acknowledge the unmerited favor, the blessing, and he gave thanks. In so doing, he showed a deeper faith. Gratitude, after all, is a generous spirit. So, the Lord, having given him so much already, i.e., a physical cure, gives him even more. He calls his act of gratitude “faith,” — seeing, experiencing the reality of God.  Your faith has saved you. Faith will give us cures beyond the physical. It will heal our skin disorders and our hardness of heart, as we respond to grace.

Responding to God brings faith and salvation. Gratitude is part of faith. Because the Samaritan had it and expressed it, he was not merely cured physically, a cure that would end at death, he was saved eternally.

Not so the other nine. The Jews, failed to apply the same energy in giving thanks as they did in begging for a favor. This is shallow faith, legal faith. Obedience to the law is not good enough. Going to church is great, but not good enough. It is living the faith that justifies and establishes a relationship with God. God wants friendship. God loves a responsive friendship. (Aside: we are thankful for about 100 people last night who came to enjoy fellowship, who went out to have a responsive relationship with God and fellow believers at our church picnic. We inter-connected. We shared our cooking, we had fun as fellow believers. Where were the 900 others?)

3. Do we miss responding to God’s grace? Like the 9 lepers, are we happy just receiving routine grace? How important is it to respond to God’s grace? This story teaches us that conscious thanksgiving, conscious recalling of God’s blessings - feeds faith and raises our lives to joyfulness. It takes us further into a mutual relationship, where we savor and enjoy the grace of God. That’s a lot more, than a shallow faith gives.

Christian ethics is not about obedience to law but gratitude, responding with our lives to the gracious love of God for his gift of physical life, but more so, for his gift of eternal life.

Maybe as much as 9 out of 10 people deprive themselves of the joy and peace that gratitude brings. Even though at first gratitude to God seems beneficial to God , gratitude is really more beneficial to the person showing it, sharing it. Jesus equated gratitude with faith: the awareness that all comes from God, all depends on God. With gratitude, our experience of life changes and we share in a new vitality in life. The other nine lepers obeyed the “law” and were healed, fine, but did they receive the blessings of joy that a relationship with God brings? Only one out of ten got the point and returned to give thanks. That spelled the difference. 10 lepers were healed of a skin disorder. But only one came back, gave thanks, recognized God, whose soul was healed and blessed for eternity. Someone said:

We don’t have an eternity to realize our dreams, only the time we are here. Therefore, realize eternity while we are here. The Samaritan had awe and fascination, and took the opportunity to return and experience the joy of his faith. The question for us is, do we have joy and fascination in our faith, do we respond in gratitude for grace given? Or are we like the 9, who settle for a lesser faith and a lesser joy? (Sermon delivered at the 10 am World Communion Sunday service, Oct. 7, 2007)

There is a story about a Hindu woman whose only child had died. She went to a priest to ask for her child back. The priest told her to go and look for a house into which Death had never visited and to get a handful of rice from there. If she could get the rice from such a home, he promised to give her the child back. So, from door to door she went knocking, asking, “Are you all here — father, mother, children — none missing?” But always the answer came back that someone had died. As she continued on, her grief and sorrow began to subside. She found out that death had visited all families. Yes, death is universal; our painful experience is not ours alone. Because God is faithful, because Jesus Christ is alive, so is your loved one and mine. 

Last year on this date, a young, bright, pretty, loving, fun loving nursing student, NINA, was brutally murdered by an assailant (s) in her boarding house. It shocked the whole Silliman community and even the city of Dumaguete .

We come together, a year later, to remember her life and her deeds. We come to feel the grief of losing someone dear to us. We also come to comfort the family, her classmates and friends, and to strengthen our faith in God, that we may proclaim that because Jesus had conquered death, so will Nina. Death is not the end. Nina’s deeds do not die, and her deeds will follow her on earth and in heaven.

It is difficult to accept the death of someone who is healthy, full of promise and in the prime of youth. In Ecclesiastes 3, we are told that there is a time for everything under heaven. A time to be born. A time to die. Sometimes, we question was it time for her to die? Of course not, we say. But someone evil took her life, against her will, against our wills, against God’s will. But why did God allow it? We really cannot answer that one. Just as there is no answer for why tsunamis and accidents take innocent lives, no answer for cancer taking the life of a baby. We are not wise enough to explain everything.

But Scripture teaches us, that God is good and has a good purpose for everything, and God makes all things beautiful in God’s time (Ecc. 3:11). I admit this is easier to preach when the dead are old and have been struggling for years against terrible ailments like cancer. This last three months, we have honored several old time faculty and staff of Silliman, who died in their old age – Prof. Yanez. Sindiong. Dato.

But violent Death, of a young person, is unnatural, untimely, unacceptable. It is evil. It causes pain. It leaves us with a heart ache.

Today, let us begin to reflect that even death can be beautiful in God’s time. If Oct. 2, 2006 was the time of Nina’s death, Oct. 2, 2007 is a time for reflection and healing. I have heard many students say, that the death of Nina, though reprehensible, has given them a deeper understanding of the preciousness of life.

We have heard others say, how they had been blessed by their friendship with Nina. How they have come to understand how valuable life is, after witnessing how easily life can be lost. It has caused the whole community to examine their friendships in a more serious light. After her death, the university created the University Crisis Response Team, and is creating a Volunteer Program for exigencies. After her death, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption in Oriental Negros (VACCON) was established to mobilize citizens against crime and corruption. Nina’s death has taught dormitory managers, lodging house owners, even the city government, to take security of residents more seriously and to be more decisive in rooting out malcontents. The event last year teaches us how life is short and should be celebrated and lived fully from day to day. We are a community that suffered grief, but we are also a blessed community. Blessed by Nina’s life, personality, faith and deeds, we are developing an awareness of and a deeper commitment to protect life.

Our Scripture text says “Blessed are the dead…who die in the Lord.”

How can the dead be blessed? How can they be happy? I guess this verse will be meaningless unless, we include the words, “for those who die in the Lord.” Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Those who believe in God, will understand this easily. Believers in the Lord will understand that life is a gift, that we owe our lives to God. That life is a loan to us. That life on earth is a period to seek understanding of God’s purpose in our lives. That our real purpose is really to worship and give praise to God, for creating us, redeeming us and for offering eternal life to us. We are called to love God with everything we have got and our neighbors as ourselves. We know there is a day of judgment based on how we used our gifts. “For those who keep their lives will lose it, but those who give their lives to God, will find it.” It is in that context that life and death begin to make sense.

Scripture tells us “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” Rev 21:4 (NIV).

We can think of no greater blessing, no greater happiness, on that day when we are home with God for eternity. We shall rest from our labors. The apostle Paul says it best, in Col. 1:28-29 “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Col 1:28-29. Christians have a mission in life. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” Paul says in 1 Cor 15:58. We are working to bear fruit. We labor in sharing our faith. We work to share ourselves to others to love our families, communities and nation. We work to proclaim the love of Christ to our neighbors. We help to disciple new Christians. This is our labor and the real purpose of our lives.

The greatest blessing that Nina could give us today is, if in her death, we have come closer to God and gained a deeper love for those who are around us.

“Blessed are those who die… IN THE LORD…for they will have rest from their labors…and their deeds go on long after they are gone…” These are powerful promises for believers that we all should remember. The believer will have rest from their labors. And their deeds will live after them.

Today, Nina could be looking down at us, and being very happy, that you have all come to remember her. But she will be happier if as a result of her death, you all have come closer to God and gained a deeper love for others. If you understand this, then God has made her death beautiful for you; beautiful in God’s time.

The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp, because the dawn has come”. The light of dawn has come for Nina. That’s why her lamp has been put out.

(Delivered for the Memorial Service for Lucia Nina Estacio, 2 October 2007, SU church)