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00:22Let us pray.
00:25Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who, when standing before Pilate, kept silent at all the unjust
00:34accusations and slanders of the Jews, and as a gentle lamb that did not open its mouth, did not contradict
00:42them when they brought forward their charges against you.
00:46Give me grace never to be disturbed by the false accusations of others, but may I overcome every injury by
00:53silence and meekness.
00:55Give me the grace of perfect humility, so that I may never desire praise nor refuse any measure of contempt.
01:04Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, you, lamb without spot, against whom the pious Pharisees and scribes
01:14raged with obstinate hatred.
01:17For although Pilate testified that he found no cause of death in you, yet they would not be satisfied with
01:24anything except your death.
01:28Grant me grace to imitate your innocence and patience, that I may both lead a godly life, and for so
01:36doing, if I am spoken of evenly, that I may remain at rest in you, giving way to no indignation,
01:45but giving thanks to you in all adversity.
01:50Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who will lead the greatest of indignity, in the manner of
02:00a wicked criminal, through the middle of the city, from one judgment seat to another, and from Pilate to Herod
02:06and back again, amidst the noise and shouts of the people.
02:18May I never feel any false shame at being despised, but may I receive everything in meekness and endure all
02:27things in silence for your honor, that, by the assistance of your grace, I may in patience possess my soul.
02:36Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who, when Herod asked you many vain and foolish questions, and
02:44when you were falsely wounded in different ways by priest and scribe, humbly kept a meet and becoming silence, give
02:54me grace to restrain my tongue in a manner well-pleasing to you.
02:58Do not permit me to utter hurtful words, do not permit me to be taken up with fruitless stories, but
03:05give me grace to say what is right, profitable, and honest, according to your will.
03:13May I abhor the sin of evil speaking, and be always glad to think and speak well of any man.
03:23Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who condemned by your silence the foolish curiosity of Herod, and
03:31who would not gratify his curious eyes by the performance of any miracle, because he did not have his own
03:39salvation at heart,
03:41and did there in this way teach us to avoid all ostentation before the great ones of this world.
03:49Pour into my heart a spirit of deep humility, mortify and quench within me any desire for vain glory.
03:58Grant that I may never do anything in order to gain praise of man, but may always act with a
04:04single eye upon the glory of your most holy name,
04:07and may come before you day by day in a true spirit of humility and meekness.
04:17Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who didn't refuse to be set to nothing by Herod and
04:24his men of war,
04:25nor to be clothed in a white garment and to be mocked and laughed at as though a fool and
04:31a madman.
04:32Give me grace, O Lord, to choose rather to be an outcast with you than to be glorious in the
04:38world.
04:39May I think it better and more honorable to suffer reproach for your name than to prosper in the vain
04:46honors of the world.
04:49Give me grace that, truly acknowledging my own sins and my own unworthiness,
04:54I may be as nothing in my own sight, but may always despise and accuse myself and daily lament over
05:03my own weakness and wretchedness.
05:06Praise, honor, and glory be to you, O Christ, who was sent back with shame, clothed in a false garment,
05:12from Herod the Pilate,
05:13and in all things obeyed your enemies going backwards and forwards according to their pleasure.
05:20Grant that I may not shrink from being despised, nor refuse obedience even to those who wish nothing but bad
05:29for me.
05:31Give me grace to have no feelings for the things of this world, but to think of and care for
05:36and love you alone.
05:39May you alone be my honor, my delight, my love, my glory, and my joy.
05:46Amen.
05:50O Lord, open our lips, and our mouths will sing your praise.
06:02O Lord, open our lips, and our mouths will sing your praise.
06:04O be joyful in the Lord, holy lands, serve the Lord with gladness,
06:12and come in voice, prayers, and thrill us on.
06:18Be sure that the Lord needs God.
06:25It is Jesus and his weakness Lord cannot free ourselves.
06:31We are his people and the sheep of his denser.
06:37The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
07:21The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
07:42The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
07:49The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
08:24The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
08:39The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
09:01The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
09:35The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
09:39The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
09:57The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
10:08The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
10:20The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
10:25The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
10:42The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
10:51The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
11:11The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting.
11:47A reading from the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 8.
11:54Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him,
11:58If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples,
12:03and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
12:09We are descendants of Abraham, they replied, and have never been anyone's slaves.
12:15How can you say you will become free?
12:19Jesus answered them,
12:21I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin.
12:29The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever.
12:35So if the son sets you free, you will be really free.
12:40I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you want to kill me,
12:45because my teaching makes no progress among you.
12:49I am telling you the things I have seen while with the father.
12:54As for you, practice the things you have heard from the father.
12:59They answered him, Abraham is our father.
13:04Jesus replied,
13:06If you are Abraham's children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham.
13:11But now you are trying to kill me,
13:13a man who has told you the truth I heard from God.
13:18Abraham did not do this.
13:21You people are doing the deeds of your father.
13:26Then they said to Jesus,
13:29We were not born as a result of immorality.
13:32We have only one father, God himself.
13:38Jesus replied,
13:40If God were your father,
13:42you would love me,
13:44for I have come from God,
13:46and am now here.
13:48I have not come on my own initiative,
13:51but he sent me.
13:54Why don't you understand what I am saying?
13:57It is because you cannot accept my teaching.
14:04You people are from your father the devil,
14:07and you want to do what your father desires.
14:10He was a murderer from the very beginning,
14:12and does not uphold the truth,
14:14because there is no truth within them.
14:17Whenever he lies,
14:19he speaks according to his own nature,
14:21because he is a liar,
14:23and the father of lies.
14:25But because I am telling you the truth,
14:27you do not believe me.
14:30Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin?
14:34If I am telling you the truth,
14:36why don't you believe me?
14:38The one who belongs to God listens,
14:40and responds to God's words.
14:43If you don't listen and repent,
14:45you don't belong to God.
14:50The Judeans replied,
14:52Are we not correct in saying that you are a Samaritan,
14:55and are possessed by a demon?
14:59Jesus answered,
15:01I am not possessed by a demon,
15:03but I honour my father,
15:05and yet you dishonour me.
15:07I am not trying to get praise for myself,
15:11but there is one who demands it,
15:13and he also judges.
15:16I tell you the solemn truth.
15:18If anyone obeys my teaching,
15:20he will never see death.
15:24Then the Judeans responded,
15:26Now we know you are possessed by a demon.
15:29Both Abraham and all the prophets died,
15:31and yet you say,
15:32If anyone obeys my teaching,
15:34he will never experience death.
15:37You are greater than our father Abraham,
15:39who died, are you?
15:40And the prophets died too.
15:43Who do you claim to be?
15:47Jesus replied,
15:50If I glorify myself,
15:52my glory is worthless.
15:54The one who glorifies me is my father,
15:57about whom you say,
15:58He is our God.
16:00But you do not know him.
16:02I know him.
16:04If I were to say that I do not know him,
16:07I would be a liar, just like you.
16:09But I do know him,
16:11and I obey his teaching.
16:14Your father Abraham,
16:16was overjoyed to see my day,
16:17and when he saw it,
16:19he was glad.
16:23Then the Judeans replied,
16:26You are not yet fifty years old.
16:28Have you seen Abraham?
16:32Jesus said to them,
16:34I tell you the solemn truth.
16:36Before Abraham came into existence,
16:38I am.
16:42Then they picked up stones to throw at him.
16:44But Jesus hid himself,
16:47and went out from the temple area.
16:51This is the word of the Lord.
16:54Thanks be to God.
17:04Jesus changed his course in this passage,
17:06and whereas previously,
17:08he had focused his attention on the Pharisees,
17:12here he also provides some comfort to those who are weak in faith,
17:16telling them that providing they keep his word,
17:19they will be counted as his disciples.
17:23What tremendous words these are,
17:25for we all have times,
17:27some of us perhaps more often than others,
17:30when our faith wavers and trembles just a little,
17:33or seems to vanish with the morning mist.
17:37However,
17:38here we have a promise,
17:39that provided we keep our hearts set on Jesus and his teachings,
17:44he will be with us,
17:45and will free us from the shackles of sin.
17:49Some,
17:50such as the Pharisees,
17:52might pretend to be disciples through show,
17:55but the true disciple,
17:56however weak and puny,
17:58has Jesus in his heart,
17:59and tries to keep his eyes fixed on him.
18:04It follows therefore,
18:06that regardless of our failures and weaknesses,
18:10provided that we are always turned toward our Saviour,
18:13and attentive to his word,
18:17we will not,
18:18these things will not matter,
18:20and neither will they be taken into account,
18:22in our final judgment.
18:26But there is a second great promise,
18:28for those who keep the word,
18:31that they shall know the truth,
18:32and knowing the truth,
18:34they shall be convicted by it,
18:36and freed from all sin.
18:39In what way can we appreciate this freedom?
18:43First of all,
18:44we become free from guilt.
18:46Once we have accepted Jesus into our lives,
18:49and found his forgiveness,
18:51then our guilt is washed away in his blood.
18:54We are no more blemished and stained by sin,
18:57but pure and virtuous.
19:00Spiritual freedom releases us from the dues of ceremonial laws and ritual.
19:05Not only,
19:07but more importantly,
19:08it makes us free of our spiritual enemies.
19:11Those forces of darkness that have in the past,
19:14continue to chase us,
19:16and torment us day and night.
19:22Sadly,
19:23there were some in the crowd,
19:24who were not convicted by the words of Jesus,
19:27and who took exception to the notion that they were servants.
19:31They claimed to have been the children of Abraham,
19:34and that they had never been slaves.
19:38What a good example of manipulating the evidence of history.
19:43For were they not slaves once in Egypt,
19:46and again in Babylon?
19:49Such is the ability of the wicked and deceived heart,
19:53to overlook the evidence of the eyes and ears.
19:59Jesus, naturally,
20:01replied that if they were genuine sons of Abraham,
20:04then they would behave,
20:05as did Abraham,
20:06and be respectful and obedient to God,
20:09in all things,
20:11waiting on and trusting in his word.
20:15If this had truly been the case,
20:17then there would have been no need for Jesus
20:19to have been sent to save mankind,
20:21from its sinful and godless nature,
20:24in the first place.
20:28Jesus reveals,
20:30that there is no hereditary right to heaven.
20:33Access to heaven,
20:34is limited to those who purchase this right.
20:38For us,
20:39Jesus had paid the price,
20:40and allowed us entry.
20:42But this right of entry,
20:44is personal,
20:45and depends entirely,
20:47on our relationship with him.
20:50If,
20:50when the time comes for each,
20:51and every one of us,
20:52Jesus says,
20:54I do not know you,
20:56then we must face,
20:57an eternity on the outside.
20:59I do not count,
21:01one bit,
21:01who our parents were,
21:03or which church we went to,
21:04or which priests we listened to,
21:07when we were alive.
21:09If we have not opened our hearts,
21:11to a full and deep relationship,
21:13with our Lord,
21:14we will not know him,
21:16and he will not know us.
21:21Jesus continued,
21:23to be on the receiving end,
21:24of the trick questions,
21:25of the hostile crowd.
21:28But he has further words,
21:29for those,
21:29who are interested,
21:31and want to listen.
21:34Jesus told them,
21:35that those who dwell,
21:36on what he has to say,
21:38will be his true disciples.
21:42But the Jews,
21:43were proud and stubborn.
21:44They were descended,
21:45from Abraham,
21:46were they not?
21:47They were not slaves,
21:49and never had been.
21:53There are two possible interpretations,
21:55of the phrase,
21:56in verse 31.
21:58Both of which,
21:59are fully applicable,
22:00to us as Christians,
22:01and yet they revolve,
22:03around the word,
22:03dwell.
22:05This can either mean,
22:06to pause,
22:07for the purpose,
22:08of considering,
22:09or studying,
22:10or it can mean,
22:11to live.
22:13We at the moment,
22:15are dwelling,
22:16on verse 31,
22:17as we think,
22:18of the various meanings,
22:19that can be given.
22:22We need to use,
22:23both the possible interpretations.
22:26On the one hand,
22:27it is necessary,
22:28for us to think,
22:29about the words of Jesus,
22:30to dwell on them.
22:32And on the other hand,
22:33we must live the words,
22:35dwell in them.
22:37It is not an either,
22:39or situation.
22:40For those who believe,
22:41in God,
22:42are required to do both.
22:45Stubbornness and pride,
22:47such as was shown here,
22:49have no place,
22:51in the Christian life,
22:52as they leave,
22:53no place for God.
22:56Jesus tells us,
22:57that those who know him,
22:59will not taste death.
23:02Apart from the fact,
23:03that this upset,
23:04the establishment,
23:06because Jesus,
23:06is asserting his status.
23:08This is a continuation,
23:09of the promise,
23:10passed on by Joshua.
23:13Knowing Jesus,
23:14is the new covenant,
23:15the new promise,
23:15of God,
23:16to his people.
23:18As the Israelites,
23:19were called upon,
23:20to honour God,
23:21and keep the law,
23:22we are called on,
23:24to know and love Jesus.
23:27As a result,
23:28of our love for Jesus,
23:29we strive,
23:29to keep the law,
23:31and the two great commandments,
23:32that he gave to us.
23:35Love the Lord,
23:36your God,
23:36and love your neighbour.
23:40We need to keep ourselves,
23:42pure,
23:43and untainted,
23:43in this world,
23:44for we belong to God,
23:46and to the next.
23:49Fortunately,
23:49Jesus knows,
23:50that this is impossible,
23:51for him being a man,
23:53and has promised,
23:53to forgive,
23:54and to uplift,
23:55and strengthen us.
23:57But we do need,
23:58to continue to try,
24:00every day,
24:01lest we dishonour him.
24:04If we love somebody,
24:06we wish,
24:07to please them.
24:10If we love Jesus,
24:11let us live our lives,
24:13to please Jesus.
24:20Let us pray.
24:22Almighty and most merciful God,
24:25whose only gift comes,
24:27that your faithful people,
24:28give you true,
24:29and laudable service.
24:31Grant, we beseech you,
24:33that we may,
24:34so faithfully serve you,
24:35in this life,
24:36that we will not fail,
24:38finally,
24:38to attain your heavenly promises.
24:40Through the merits,
24:42of Jesus Christ,
24:43our Lord.
24:44Amen.
24:49May the Lord bless us,
24:51and keep us from all evil,
24:54bringing us to everlasting life.
24:57Amen.
24:59Amen.
24:59Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:00Amen.
25:01Amen.
25:01Amen.
25:02Amen.
25:02Amen.
25:03Amen.
25:03You
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