Meditate on the Word - For a Decent and Investigative Christianity (EN)

  The greatest failure of humanity, illustrated by the life of Judas Iscariot, serves as a warning to all about the consequences of wasting opportunities and making wrong choices. The story of Judas is one of the most well-known in the Bible, not only because of his betrayal of Jesus but also because of what that betrayal symbolizes: the rejection of the greatest opportunity for transformation and salvation. Judas had everything within his reach to be an example of redemption. He was chosen by Jesus, after a night of prayer, to be one of the twelve apostles. This gave him the privilege of walking alongside Christ, hearing His teachings, witnessing miracles, and seeing the very Son of God in action. He participated in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, saw the blind receive their sight, and witnessed the dead being raised. Despite all this access to the truth, Judas did not take the opportunity to fully surrender to Jesus. His mistake was not just an isolated act of betray...

  Luke 15:4-5 presents one of Jesus' most beautiful parables, the Good Shepherd seeking his lost sheep. In Luke 15:4-5, we read: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home." This passage illustrates the immense love and care of God for each of us. Even when we stray from the path, the Good Shepherd never gives up on us. He seeks us with patience and tenderness until He brings us back to the safety of His presence. How often, in the midst of our daily struggles, do we feel lost, like that sheep wandering away from the flock? The emptiness, the sense of loneliness, and the search for answers in the wrong places make us feel disconnected and directionless. Yet, just like the shepherd in the parable, Jesus sees us in our distress and comes to our rescue. He not only finds us, but He ca...

 God's mission is the expression of His eternal purpose for creation, especially for humanity. Since the fall of man, God has been working throughout history to redeem and restore the broken relationship between Himself and humanity. God's mission, or Missio Dei , is centered on bringing all things back into harmony with His will, and the Church is called to be the primary heir and collaborator in this divine mission. The Church as the Redeemed The Church is made up of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Redemption is a central concept in the biblical narrative, where God rescues His people from the slavery of sin and death into the freedom of life in Christ. As the redeemed, members of the Church are called to live in a way that reflects this new reality. They are called to be light in a world of darkness, living according to the principles of the Kingdom of God and proclaiming the gospel of salvation to all people. The Church as the Elect The elect are those ...

  A pericope is a specific section or passage of a text, particularly a sacred text, that is considered a cohesive unit of thought. In the biblical context, a pericope is a passage that can be read and understood independently, conveying a complete idea or a specific message. In Ephesians 1:3-14, we find a theologically rich pericope where the apostle Paul presents a doxology, an expression of praise to God, highlighting the spiritual blessings that believers receive in Christ. This passage is considered one of the deepest declarations of faith in the New Testament, exalting the work of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — in the salvation of believers. Main Themes and Structure Spiritual Blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-6): Verse 3: Paul begins by praising God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ." These spiritual blessings refer to everything we receive from God through Jesus, such...