SCEPTICISM IN THE WORLD !
GOSPEL READING : John 20:19-31

There is an amusing story about an african preacher who went preaching to a remote area in the bush. His message was about Thomas doubting of the Resurrection of Christ. At the end of his sermon, nobody responded to his call to repent from their sins. They simply told him that they understood nothing from all he had been preaching about. Then he re-started preaching a second improvised sermon but this time didn’t open his Bible to read. He told his humble audience about a herd of 12 hares which lived together in the bush. They all knew tricks of escaping from leopards’ attacks but their chief was the best.

One day, the preacher said, as they were grazing in the forest, a leopard attacked them. As always, the hares escaped each one going its direction. But the leopard kept pursuing the chief-hare trying to catch him. Fortunately, on the way, the leopard met another distracted hare which belonged to another flock and caught it. The hare cried desperately and from their hiding places all the other hares knew their chief was certainly killed. But the chief-hare was still alive and had found refuge in a python’s earth. As the python wanted to catch and swallow him, the chief-hare implored it and said:
– Sir, wait, please. I have brought a big leopard to thank you for your hospitality. Come out and see it over there, it is eating a hare.

The python agreed and came out of its hole and caught the leopard and killed it. Then the python told the hare that it would kill soon all the leopards in that forest so that the hares may live peacefully. But the hare had an idea and thought that the other leopards might intervene soon and avenge their friend. So, the chief-hare ran and jumped on a branch and hid himself there. Leopards went and came nearby the tree but none could think there was a hare up there because they knew hares don’t climb trees. Then three days later, the preacher continued, the 12 hares had a meeting in the forest under the tree where their chief had found refuge but they did not know he was there. Their unique agenda point was “Choosing a new chief.” As discussions began, a voice spoke from the branches of the tree and said:
– Peace be with you, my friends, I am alive!”

They all kept silence for a while, terrified. The voice repeated and said: “Peace be with you, my friends, I am alive!” This time, all the hares dared to look up in the tree and some of them shouted with joy saying: “It’s him, it’s him! Oh dear chief, how did you came to arise? Hadn’t the leopard killed you?” Five hares from the herd didn’t believe it was their chief. They simply thought it was a ghost that had disguised itself into a hare in order to catch and kill them. So they left. But the 7 others said to the chief: “Chief, if it is really you, call us by our names and then lead us to our hole.” The chief-hare did so and they all believed it was really him.

The preacher concluded and said: “The Chief-hare is Jesus the Son of God I told you. All of his Disciples thought He was dead but miraculously saw Him amidst them as they were praying in the upper-room. Because of the Chief-hare’s exploit, all the leopards in the forest were killed. Jesus has defeated Satan for you and for me. Now we are free and hidden in God’s powerful hands.” The story ends saying that on that very day the whole village accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour and a church was planted there for the first time.

Dear Brethren, was Thomas wrong as he doubted about the risen Jesus? Most of Christians say Thomas lacked faith. But I believe when he said he needed to touch Jesus, he was thinking about his words: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my Name, claiming, I am the Christ, and will decieve many” (Mathew 24:4-5, NIV).

Today’s world is going through extremely challenging times. The police no longer believes you are Justin Baransananikiye simply because your passport tells so. A biometric checking system has been developed to make sure they are dealing with the right person. DNA analysis is used to make sure they got the right Saddam Hussein or Usama Ben Ladden. We no longer trust the writings printed on cans as “Canned Beef” or “Chicken”. The world is filled with scepticism and doubt. But One thing we know is that JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN and IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER IN HEAVEN and that HE WILL RETURN TO RAPTURE THE BELIEVERS. That’s our Security forever !

In the love of Christ,

Bishop, Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President
CHRISTIANS STRENGTHENING CHRISTIANS,
http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org
http://christiansstrengtheningchristian.doodlekit.com/blog