Jesus seeks the lost

Learning competencies:
1. Point out two basic insights of salvation
2. Face the challenges brought about by the seven capital sins
3. Express one’s gratitude in experiencing Jesus as savior and redeemer

OPENING PRAYER

LET’S GET MOTIVATED

ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Below is a story of how a man lived his life. Read and find out how he accomplished much
in life.
The Young Man
A young man proudly says:
“Things are well with me. All my undertakings are in harmony with each other and with everyone.
I owe nothing to anyone. There is more than enough food on my table, a house and lot I own, a
stable job and almost everything I need for my retiring years.”
“I am strong and healthy. I have an honest and high respect for the laws of God and of persons and
I have done an excellent job in obeying them. I am tolerant of others, for I do not scorn weakness
in others unless they are unable to control it.”
“I live a disciplined life, moderate in all things; I live by the golden rule. I do my part as a good
citizen, donate generously to charitable causes, and take neither politics nor religion too seriously.
I am tolerant of all viewpoints.”
“My community respects me and displays a high regard for me. I have an unquestionable
reputation among my associates and I am looked upon as a man of strength with good and stable
mind.”
“At the end of my life, if there is hereafter, I shall live it as I have lived my life on earth. There, as
it is here, I shall master all the good things.”
1. How would you describe the man in the story?
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2. Is there anything else he needs to discover and accept in his life? If yes, what does he
need to recognize in himself and in his life?
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3. Do you also feel the same way as the man in the story? Do you feel the need of a
savior or a redeemer in your life? Why?
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EXPLORE MORE!
According to online Etymology Dictionary LOST is an adjective which means "wasted, ruined,
spent in vain," also "no longer to be found, gone astray" it is the past-participle adjectives from
lose. Meaning "spiritually ruined, inaccessible to good influence"

LET’S GET FOCUSED

After the fall of humanity, God saw the sufferings of His people. God shows His love and concern
through Jesus.

Birth of Jesus
“She will bear a Son and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their
sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin
shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,” which means ‘God is
with us’”.-Matthew 1:21-23
“A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads
shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of
God.’”-Luke 3:4-6
1. How is the promise of God fulfilled in Jesus?
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2. What is the significance of the meaning of Emmanuel in your personal life?
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3. How would you make Jesus alive in your life and in others’ lives?
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CHURCH TEACHINGS
It is sad to accept that our world today is confronted with an increasing rate of violence, poverty,
immorality, and other forms of hardship. Is there any hope to regain the dignity of our world? To
whom should we call? To a person of faith, YES! As long as we believe that Jesus is our Savior,
nothing is impossible. They very name “Jesus” means “God is Salvation”.
The Catechism for Filipino Catholics specifies briefly the work of Jesus as Savior in three basic
dimensions of Christian salvation.
Saving from Cosmic Evil
In His public ministry Jesus was noted for casting out evil spirits. “What do you want of us, Jesus
of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!” (Mk.
1:24) “To be saved” here means to be a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17)
God gave you new life in company with Christ. He cancelled the bond that stood against us with
all its claims, snatching it up and nailing it to the cross. Thus did God disarm the principalities and
powers. He made a public show of them and leading them off captive, triumphed in the person of
Christ (Col. 2:14-15).
Yet the fight versus evil spirits continues as St. Peter warns us:
Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone
to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith… the God of all grace who called you to His
everlasting glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have
suffered for a little while (1Pt. 5:8-10).
Saving from Social-Political Oppression
The Exodus liberation of the Old Testament is the background for Jesus’ saving work as the New
Moses. He teaches a new hierarchy of values that undermined the oppressive social structures of
His day (Lk. 16:14-15). But how did Jesus actually liberate?
First, He exposed the enslaving, corrupting power of riches. Jesus showed that giving was better
than taking, sharing more liberating than hoarding (Lk. 6:29-30; 14:13-14; Acts 20:35).
For Jesus, the key to economic liberation was twofold: 1) to free human hearts from their greed
and self-seeking; and 2) to inspire them with respect for others, sensitivity and compassion for the
needy, and a generous, outgoing love for those in want.
Second, Jesus taught that any power not rooted in mutual service was enslaving and oppressive.
“Whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all” (Mk. 10:42-45). Love is
ultimately the only power that sets people free.
Third, Jesus liberated His followers from the common social prejudices that bound them. These
were the customary ways of honoring the wise and the rich while discriminating against foreigner,
women, public sinners and outcasts. He taught concern for “the little ones” of the kingdom (Mt.
18:10)
Finally, Jesus freed His contemporaries from mere external, legalistic religious obedience to the
Law by interiorizing and prioritizing its obligations.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes on mint and herbs and seeds,
while neglecting the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy, and good faith. If these you
should have practiced, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, you strain out the gnat and
swallow the camel!” (Mt. 23:23-24).
Saving from life’s Meaninglessness
Christ saved by being the revelation of the Father. To His followers Jesus promised: “If you live
according to My teaching, you are truly My disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). His teachings set us free because they offer meaning and purpose
in life, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and despair. Jesus taught: “I am the light of the world.
No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no she shall possess the light of life” (Jn. 8: 12).
“I have come into the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in Me from remaining in the
dark” (Jn. 12:46).
1. What does it mean “to be saved” in Christ?
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 2. How does Jesus liberate us from socio-political oppression?
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3. How does Jesus save us from life’s meaninglessness?

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4. Of the three dimensions of Christian salvation, which of them touches your heart the most?
Why?
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BROADENING OF CONCEPTS
More than being a prophet, Jesus came as the Savior of humankind. He is the fulfillment of the
promise made by God in the Old Testament as proclaimed by the patriarchs and the prophets.
The name Jesus means in Hebrew “God saves.” This was the name angel Gabriel gave as His
proper name during the annunciation which expresses both His identity and mission (CCC 430).
It is the divine name that alone brings salvation from the slavery of SIN.
What does Christ save us from? Two basic insights are essential. First, Christ “saves” by touching
the spiritual root of all these evils experienced today, namely, SIN-people’s proud, self-seeking
moral attitudes, and acts before God and with one another (CFC 492).
Sin springs from moral attitudes and acts against God and others. These are the seven capital sins.
1. Pride- an excessive desire for honor, recognition, and distinction, arising from self-love
2. Avarice or covetousness-an excessive acquisitive love of temporal or earthly goods
depriving others, especially the poor and the needy, of their rightful claim to the goods of
the earth to live a decent human life
3. Lust-an excessive desire or appetite for sexual and carnal pleasures
4. Envy-a feeling of ill will toward another’s spiritual or temporal good, looked upon or
considered as a lessening of one’s own goods
5. Gluttony-an excessive indulgence in food and drink
 6. Anger- a strong emotion, which when aroused and uncontrolled, may lead to revenge and
murder
7. Sloth-an excessive inertia coming from a total lack of concern for the needs of others; the
unwillingness to exert oneself I the performance of duty because of the sacrifice and the
effort required
Second, the salvation which Christ has already won for all is not yet complete. It must be accepted,
embraced, and acted out in the free lives of believers today (CFC 493).
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery…for
you were called for freedom but not a freedom that gives free reign to the flesh; rather, serve one
another through love (Gal. 5:1, 13; 1Pt. 5:6-10).
The salvation which Christ worked for us requires from us “personal interior repentance for our
sins and a life of loving service of other” (CFC 580). Christian life means bearing witness to God
revealed by Jesus Christ. This demands a radical change of heart, a real conversion, manifested in
a triple “Yes” to self, others, and society, and grounded in the ultimate “Yes” to God overcoming
the “No” of sin (New NCDP 302).
The salvation which Jesus brings, if truly understood and appreciated, can help us Filipinos
overcome some of our negative traits. First, our lack of trust. It is difficult for some of us to believe
that God accepts us, loves us, and cares for us (CFC 584). Second, lack of self-confidence to reach-
out and share with others (CFC 585). Third, our difficulty to maintain a smooth, interpersonal
relationship. It’s hard for us to get along with others and we tend to hold grudges against anyone
who hurt us (CFC 586). Finally, our tendency to seek happiness in riches, reputation, and power
(CFC 587).
Jesus’ public ministry has given us concrete examples on how to go back to the father. He has
accepted everyone even those who rejected Him. He has compassion for the poor, the sick, and
the lonely. He showed us the gospel values of justice, humility, and poverty.
This is the very reason why Jesus came-to seek and save the lost. We could be lost in our life when
we chose to live independently from God. Unless we know our own condition, and unless we
accept the fact that we are lost in ourselves, we will not perceive Jesus as our Lord and savior.
Only those who are aware of their sins and misery are receptive to the gift of salvation. Anyone
who knows his/her own sins knows that he/she needs the great physician. The healthy do not need
a doctor.
The very fact that Jesus came into the world, we are made aware that we are lost. God’s love never
reached the end. God does not grudgingly receive the lost, He searches after them. God finds the
sinner more than the sinner does find God. We are challenged to be firm with our faith conviction
that “however great the number of sins committed, grace is even greater; and so, just as sin reigned
whenever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life. Thanks to the righteousness that
comes through Jesus Christ our Lord” (NNCDP 298).
 Explain the two basic insights about the salvation which Jesus brings.
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TRY THESE OUT

Select three (3) from the seven capital sins. Write two (2) concrete examples on how these
vices are manifested in your life. Explain what you will do to free from them.

Sins Examples What I will do

Words I Saw and Experience

Cosmic-vast in extent, intensity, or comprehensiveness
Emannuel-the name means “God is with us”; in the New Testament the name has a Messianic
significance, Matthew applies the quotation from Isaiah to Jesus who is to be born of Mary.
Redemption-literally means to “buy back” or “pay a ransom”: God’s action of saving us from sin
and evil. In the Old Testament God “redeemed” His people in the Exodus event, and the return
from exile. In the New Testament God redeemed all mankind through the passion, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Closing Prayer
The Power of Your Love
Geoff Bullock II

Lord, I come to You, let my heart be changed, renewed

Flowing from the grace that I’ve found in You.
And Lord, I’ve come to know the weaknesses I see in me
Will be stripped away by the power of Your love.
Refrain: Hold me close let Your love surround me
Bring me near draw me to Your side
And as I wait I rise up like an eagle
And I will soar with You, Your spirit leads me on
By the power of Your love.
Lord unveil my eyes
Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love, as You live in me.
Lord, renew my mind as You will unfold in my life
In living everyday by the power of Your love
(Refrain 2x)
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
By the power of Your love…
By the power of Your love!

References
https://www.etymonline.com/word/lost
https://paththroughthenarrowgate.com/tw-worksheets-life-of-jesus/
Books:
 Perfecto T. Austria, S. Ma. Erlinda A. Bolasco, RVM, Flordelisa A. Sedo, S. MA. Ninfa
T. Gemang, RVM, S. MA. Ancia B. CO, RVM, Pilar I. Romero, Ph.D.“Enjoying Our
Journey with Jesus Christ (2010),”
 CFC, CCC, and Bible
 Activity

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