Acts 16:1-10 / John 15:18-21
We know that the Bible is the Word of God, and through the Bible, God speaks to us in a very personal and intimate way.
Hence we also need to read the Bible in a very personal way so as to get a deeper meaning and also a personal application for ourselves.
Today's gospel passage is indeed a good example of Jesus speaking to us in a very personal way and also giving us a spiritual application in life.
The passage begins with Jesus teaching His disciples. We can substitute the word "disciples" for "us" or even "me".
That would give the passage a very direct and personal message for us.
What other words in the passage can be substituted that will give a more personal message and application for us?
Well, how about substituting the word "world" for "devil"?
Is that too much of imagination? Are we stretching things a bit too much?
But if we were to substitute the word "world" for "devil" and read the passage as such, then indeed we will obtain a spiritual meaning as well as a personal message.
Yes the devil hates us and the devil will persecute us because we belong to Jesus.
And the devil will use those who have fallen into the dark side to persecute us and make things difficult for us and even make us suffer.
Yet we must know that the devil is behind all this, and hence we must not get angry at those who are giving us trouble.
Simply because they don't know what they are doing and they also don't know that they are being used by the devil.
Hence we should get "angry" with the devil and not with those people.
This "anger" should make us pray for the conversion of those people.
Yes, that is what we should do because we belong to Jesus who, when nailed to the cross said this : Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.