Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

What a famous line of Cain.. Now, we’re still hearing people say this or rather, implied in what they are saying and in what their actions are…

I was in a jeepney the other night. In UP Diliman. A place of the most genius and educated people perhaps.  Well, I don’t really think so after I got off from that jeepney.

There was this really big girl who got in and pushed her big a** (sorry for the word ^,^) at the seat of the almost fully loaded jeep. She sat beside me and I almost popped out of my seat. She’s got two bags. Well, me too. But my! I was so careful with my things that they wouldn’t go into my seatmate’s lap.  But this big girl was so insensitive that one of her bags was on my lap already. “Come on! You have a big lap!” I was mumbling.

And then this thing came.

“…Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9, KJV)

She wanted to be comfortable in expense of other person’s comfort. She didn’t mind. Now if everyone else acts like that - not caring about how other people feels, not minding if they are already hurting you as long as they benefit; well, near to crab mentality right? - is it like saying, “I don’t care whatever happens to them. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Are we accountable for what happens to people around us? Oh well, whatever we do somehow affects others. It could be directly - like that incident - or indirectly, like I could have been so pissed off that night that I did the same thing and just passed on the insensitivity and rudeness to whoever I met.

We are always to be reminded of the golden rule.. Do unto others what you would like others do unto you. Treat others as you want them to treat you. (Matthew 7:12, CEV)

“Miracles happen when someone cares.”

At the end of the day, it’s not about how much money was added to your savings nor the wealth you have acquired. It’s not about how much knowledge have you gained nor how many people had admired your intelligence.  Rather, it’s about how you’ve given glory and honor to God by being a good steward of the things He gave you - by treating His creations well, having an impact in other people’s lives.. By being the miracle someone needs…

“She may not be able to get her healing, but she got her miracle - it’s you.” (A Walk To Remember)

Have we made an impact and touched someone’s life today?

Extraordinary Love

In Luke 7:36-50, the story of the woman with great sin who came to Jesus weeping teaches us the extraordinary things we can do to love (and serve) God…

WATER vs TEARS. It’s ordinary to clean with water; but the woman cleansed Jesus’ feet with her tears.  An extraordinary service would be something that is done until it hurts. Giving beyond tithes, giving until it hurts. Serving our brothers and sisters beyond our capacity, serving until it hurts.

TOWEL vs HAIR.  It’s ordinary that we dry using towel; it may be our comfort zone as it eases our pain or gives us joy after a painful experience. But it’s extraordinary to use the hair.  We’ve heard time and again that the hair is one’s crowning glory.  Cleaning the Master’s feet with the hair meant laying down the woman’s pride; maybe that means setting aside our comfort zones and everything that gives us dignity.

KISS ON CHEEK vs KISS ON FEET. While it’s customary for the Jewish to greet one another with a kiss, Simon (the house owner) didn’t do that to Jesus; but it’s extraordinary that the woman came weeping and kissed Jesus’ feet. That lowly place is reached through kneeling, and kneeling means total submission and total surrender to the Master.

OIL vs PERFUME.  It’s ordinary to anoint the head with oil; but it’s extraordinary to anoint the feet with perfume.  The perfume in the alabaster jar meant everything to the woman.  It’s her sweat and blood that gave her the precious perfume to attract more potential customers; and it meant her whole life to break that jar to offer to Jesus.

We may tend to be so used with the ordinary things that we do in serving in God’s kingdom. We may be overfamiliar that our hearts may no longer have the desire to get the Master’s attention into intimacy with Him. We may be in the comfort zones of Christianity that we forget that there are greater things we can do where God can move more greatly in us and through us. We may be so consumed with our passion towards serving but not actually in the process loving our King.

Don’t let that precious thing hold you back from loving and serving God or he’ll take that away from you. Break that alabaster jar! Nothing is more precious than to let that scent of true service come out. It is in brokenness and freedom from mediocrity that we can truly experience the extraordinary God.

*Excerpt from DFMI Sunday Service (10.25.2009; Ptr. Profirio Yasay, Jr. aka Kuya Wawa)