Theme: THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE
Text: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” – John 16:1-3
Comment: People should be made to know that though the freedom to act according to the dictates of one’s conscience exists, one should always be guided by reason and the law of God in any step one wishes to take. Jesus Christ warned his disciples that, because of their ignorance of the truth, people would persecute and kill them, thinking, that they were doing the work of God, as stated in the text for today. This emphasises the need to acquire the knowledge of God as not to be deceived by one’s conscience or for one to act out of ignorance. Although the conscience acts involuntarily, it is important that it is trained to act on the basis of the knowledge of the laws of God. We should recall St. Paul’s anguish over the fact that though the Jews had a strong zeal for God, it was not based on knowledge. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Romans 10:1-3, Nobody should simply, on the dictates of his misinformed or uneducated conscience, do things to the detriment of his fellow man. We should remember the golden rule, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 7:12.