“The Master has need of them.” Matt 21:3
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Another Easter Season is upon us! To God be the glory! In this Easter message, I would like to reflect on the theme: “The Master has need of them.” Matt 21: 3
This gospel text is what we read on Palm Sunday when Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem, and so sent his apostles to go to a village ahead of Him, telling them they will find an ass and a colt with her. They should untie and bring them to Him, and if anyone should question them, they should say, “The Master has need of them.” After the fall of humanity, God, in His mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to come and restore us to our former place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus, fully aware of the need of mankind’s participation to fulfill His task, called the twelve apostles to train and strengthen their faith. The Apostles called by Jesus were sinners, just like you and me, and yet Jesus had need of them to spread the Gospel message; Jesus has need of us sinners too, to continue to spread His Gospel message today.
My dear children of God, the Season of Easter comes with great power to untie anyone who is bound by the things of this sinful world. Everyone is needed to spread the Gospel message in our Lord Jesus Christ’s mission to save the world. Fear, as a consequence of our sin, blinds us, irrespective of our limitations, to the fact that Easter Resurrection has set us free from the bondage of sin. It was in fact fear that engulfed the Apostles after the death of Jesus; hence they were doing things in secret. Jesus needed all of them to spread the Resurrection message, therefore to strengthen their faith, the Risen Christ revealed Himself to the Apostles on multiple occasions after Easter morning. Even when they had locked themselves in a room, Jesus entered to show Himself to them. Thomas was not there when Jesus first revealed Himself to the Apostles after His resurrection. Because Thomas, just like you and I, was needed for the spread of the Gospel, Jesus appeared to the Apostles in the upper room a second time to reveal Himself to them, beckoning Thomas to see for himself, “..do not be unbelieving, but believe.” John 20: 27. By Jesus appearing to them and breathing on them the Holy Spirit, the Apostles received the strength to go out openly to proclaim Jesus as the true Son of God who has indeed risen from the dead.
Accepting the message that everyone is needed in God’s plan, RuralGo Health Foundation continually seeks to bring hope and joy to the many people living in the remote villages that are almost always forgotten by society. By doing this, we the members of RuralGo Health Foundation believe that these voiceless people, who are also needed by the Master, have a significant role to play – possibly as secondary causes – in God’s plan to open the eyes and hearts of a world indifferent to others’ needs. Whatever stage you are in this life, Jesus, in this Easter Season, is reminding you that you are needed because He has a role for you to play in saving souls that are languishing. Irrespective of your fears and limitations, you must avail yourself to participate in Jesus Christ’s mission of salvation. May this Easter Season take away all your fears. May this great season increase your faith. And may this Easter Season untie you from all satanic bondage and place you firmly in the place the Master has chosen specifically for you in His plan of salvation.
AMEN.
beautiful message, Father Dan, thank you