Delivered by Nia from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Daniel 5: 1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28; Rs psalm: Add Dan 3: 662.63.64.65.66.67; Luke 21: 12-19.

THE WHOLE PERSON OFHUMAN BEING IS SAVED

Our meditation today isentitled: The Whole Person of Human Being is Saved. The book of Daniel as ourfirst reading today depicts the king of Belshazzar and his guests who werehaving a party and looking up something that scared them. They saw the words ofGod revealed so provocatively, that was the vision of a mysterious hand writingof God's word on the wall (Daniel 5.5f). Then the king was very curious aboutthe meaning of those words on the wall. He asked the young man Daniel toexplain it.

The Lord also writesvarious kinds of His word for us on this world through the writings of His chosenmessengers. They had written the word of God on scrolls made from wood skins,which were later renewed into the scriptures we have now. The word of God, inthe process of its writing, was written in an extraordinary and even rathercontroversial way. Furthermore, the word grows so wonderfully in the lives ofbelievers when they hear the word very well and faithfully, then proclaim it.

Something differentfrom that moment when King Belshazzar read the word of God put on the wall, weinstead have the scriptures in our room or on our tables. The bibles haveoccupied their places there for some times. We often do not realize when thebible was written, how it was written, how long to write it and who wrote it. Amore serious and profound question is about the proper message and meaning of thepassages when someone reads it. Since many of us don't read enough, we toodon't understand any.

If you like to read,you can find some messages in it. If you have been reading it so much but youremain don't understand any, it is just a common experience for most of us.Just keep reading it. From here comes curiosity. Because if people have never ordo not like to read it, of course there is no curiosity either. The king givesus an example, that we really need to have curiosity and ask questions aboutthe word of God. The disciples and apostles of Jesus also always asked theMaster, the message and meaning of God's word. In our liturgical readings of theserecent days, questions that are commonly asked are about the end times and Jesusis the one who gives firm and definite answer.

In today’s Gospel reading,Jesus' answer is even more emphatic, namely the price of the end times that is veryexpensive for every follower. That price is the self-sacrifice that the LordJesus has made as an example for us. He is our true Teacher who teaches byexample. A single hair costs the same as one's entire being. The whole personis so expensive and important to be saved. Eventhough we might endure all formsof hardship, suffering and persecution, every part of our whole being isdestined to be saved.

Let's pray. In the name of the Father... Almighty God, put in everyone of us curiosity to Your every word andaction. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In thename of the Father ...