And all these inflicted and betrayed by the very people who were the most religious, the very people who said, they worshipped God and followed Moses commandment, who should be the ones who understand forgiveness and give love, who once were the helpless slaves in Egypt under a cruel Pharaoh, who were also tortured in similar fashion?  All these because His Love for us overcame His fear of that suffering and He met it head on because He came to be the Saviour? To look for that one sheep out of the ninety and nine, for you and me. The same professed religious leaders who were supposed to know the first commandment, to love God and His people who was supposed to be the kind old priest, kiss the babies at functions, looked and behaved like the perfect gentleman, who loved the adorations and respect of the worshippers were His very torturers and condemned Him to such a cruel punishment and  death exchanging the freedom of a known murderer, called Barabbas! .

Pontus Pilate washed his hands off the case because he found no wrong in Him, but it was rumoured later, he became mad and drown in Switzerland, wringing his hands with imaginery water. No one can wash their hands off the innocent blood of Jesus! Yes Pilate saw and knew they hated Him but he intentionally touch that raw hatred when he asked them "Shall I crucify your King!". They rebutted and denied, "We have no king but Caesar! Crucify Him, Crucify Him. If you say He is our King, we will report  you to Caesar. Whosoever made himself King speaks against Caesar!" In other words, dare you say He is our King and lose your job and all your privileges? Pilate trembled. His wife had sent unto him, "Have nothing to do with that JUST man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him."

And Jesus also tells the men, the boys, the grey haired men, He loves them too.  In the garden of Gethsemane, He travailed, He agonized and He made His choice, Father Thy will and not mine. A supposedly mad man wrote this on the wall of the mental asylum, he was in.

   Could we with ink the ocean filled;
   And were the sky of parchment made.
   Were every stalk on earth a quill;
   And everyman a scribe by trade
   To write the Love of God above,
   Would drain the ocean dry,
   Nor could the scroll, contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky!

Such love has a conquering power. It promotes, it heals, it cheers, and is the greatest medicine with immediate efficacy. The poor are fed, the rich are humbled, the sane are encouraged and the insane become calm. In other words, Love harmonises. Surely nobody will turn such Love away? Paul in the book of Corinthians explain the beauty, the power and the effects of this Love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 KJV

(1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

(2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

(3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

(4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

(5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

(6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

(7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

AS I write this today, being Hari Raya Adilfitri, I realised a great responsibility that as Christians, we should not just be professors of the faith, but the possessor of it. Many has mistakenly assumed that the possessing of money is the great comforter, a shelter, a nest egg or an assurance of safety. I have seen the contrary, of rich men made poor because of bad investments, gambling, carousing carelessly, addictions, sickness and greed. I have personally witnessed two family members kept their sick mother alive in the ICU for more than a year and a half, paying the hefty ICU costs until even the hospital reduced the charges,  hoping she could wake up from her unconscious state to make her Will clear? She never did. How much did the family spent? What madness and love for money to deny their own mother that respite to depart in peace? That will not be the last, there be more of such cases where greedier grand children will be fighting over a lesser amount?

Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And Jesus said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? (Luke 12:13) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possessed.

Is Love the answer? How do we measure this Love? How do we apply this Love and how do we know the differences of this Love compared to the love that is self centered, a self serving love, a narcistic love or an act of sympathetic love for gain? Come ye, say they, we will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant........as they console themselves, Ming tian hui (chiang si)gen hou de! 明天将是更好的! Or can we say like Jesus as He was nailed to the Cross and dying, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34). Stephen did. When with his last breath after being stoned by his own people,

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:60. Notice the bible did not say he died. What a testimony. This conquering power of Love. Saints don't die. They just go to sleep and wake up on the other side. 

Come now, let's obey and enjoy this Love. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Are you willing and obedient, then you shall eat of the good of the land.