The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

The Lectionary Texts

The lectionary texts for the day were as follows—I’ve quoted the verses that were most important for the sermon. The congregation read the psalm as a responsive reading.

Genesis 6:9-22

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
—Genesis 6:22, NIV

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
     an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
     and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
     and the mountains quake with their surging
—Psalm 46:1-3, NIV

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

     For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
     This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
—Romans 1:17, 3:22-24, NIV

Matthew 7:21-29

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
—Matthew 7:21-23, NIV

The Sermon Notes

I preached the scriptures in this order: Romans, Genesis, Matthew, Psalm, and then I went back to Matthew for the conclusion.

Romans

To understand what Paul is saying to the Romans, we have to keep in mind that Paul identifies himself as a Jew and a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5). Paul’s argumentation is that obeying the Law of Moses does not save anyone. This is an astute observation, because there is no promise of eternal salvation in the Law; all of the benefits and penalties in the Law are this-worldly—it is actually an abuse of the Law to try to be saved by it. The purpose of the Law of Moses is not to save the Jews, but to make the Jews holy, as witnesses to the gentiles of the One True God.

Paul does not argue that we are saved by thinking pious thoughts, which is evident because he quotes, “The righteous shall live by faith,” not “the righteous shall think by faith.” Paul’s faith has hands and feet, for he says in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works [of obedience to the Law of Moses], so that no one may boast. For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Without God’s grace, our faith would avail us nothing. We cannot force God to save us. Some people maintain that you can be saved by saying the words, “Jesus is Lord.” All the demons in the New Testament acknowledged Jesus as the Holy One of Israel, but Jesus did not pronounce any of them Christian demons. Some people maintain that we can be saved by saying, “Lord Jesus come into my heart,” but that formula is not scriptural. Scripture tells us instead that we must confess, repent, and be baptized. There are no magical incantations, no magic words, no pious thoughts that can compel God to save us. Ultimately, we can only be saved because God is predisposed to save us, and that is what we call God’s grace.

Paul says that God is gracious, so that if we trust Him, He saves us, and this motivates us to live a life of good works, which is what God designed us for. We can generalize this to say that works do not cause salvation, but faith causes works of obedience.

If you trust someone, you take his advice. If you say you trust someone, but you never take his advice, you don’t really trust him, you are just humoring him. So do we have faith in Jesus Christ, or are we just humoring Him? If we trust Him, we will obey His commandments; if our entire spiritual life consists of sitting in an armchair and thinking religious thoughts while we read the Bible, we are humoring Him. Surely God is neither mocked nor fooled into thinking that in humoring Him, we are trusting Him.

Genesis

Later in Romans, Paul gives an example of living by faith that falls outside this Sunday’s lection: Abraham. Paul’s description of Abraham’s faith consists of an account about how Abraham obeyed God by relocating to a distant land with a wife who appeared to be barren. Today, however, the lectionary gives us the story about Noah as an illustration of living by faith. Noah trusted God and therefore took His advice, and as a result, Noah and the others with him were saved from the flood. If he had said, “Yes, I believe God, but I don’t have to actually build a boat to be saved, because that would be salvation by works,” he and the others would have drowned.

Noah built the ark, because as we are taught in the doctrine of the Incarnation, our bodies are as much a part of us as our spirits are. No one says, “Why did you punch that stomach? I was using it.” Instead we say, “Why did you punch me in the stomach?” Our intuitive speech is more insightful than our cogitations. Instinctively we know that our identity is not complete without our bodies, and that means that our faith is not complete without our obedience. Noah shows us that there are two parts to faith: we should have faith with our minds by believing, and faith with our bodies by obeying.

Matthew

Jesus teaches us that in the end, what counts is not religious professions (“Lord, Lord”) and not public religious observances (prophesying, casting out demons, doing great works in His name—perhaps we can add church attendance), but what we have become. On television, you see a person who acts like a doctor, but when you get sick, you see a person who is a doctor. Occasionally we see a commercial on television in which an actor, dressed in a white lab coat, says, “I am not a doctor, but I play one on television.” What kind of spot are we in when we say by our comportment, “I am not a Christian, but I play one in church”?

Jesus makes it clear that if I say, “Jesus is Lord,” and I preach a sermon every week, and show up for all church activities, I am acting the role of a Christian. That’s not enough. I have to actually be a Christian.

Psalm

One good place to for us to start becoming Christians is to obey Jesus’ commandment not to be afraid. If we truly trust Jesus, we take His advice; if He tells us not to be afraid, how can we fear anything? The worst anyone can do to me is kill me, but if I trust that Jesus has a remedy for that, why should I be afraid? Of course I would be apprehensive, because I’ve never died before, but I should not be terrified. As the psalmist says, “Therefore I shall not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake”—and even if the government puts us on ultraviolet alert. Jesus said not to be afraid, therefore I will not be afraid. Whether I am afraid or not, the same things will happen to me anyway; my fear changes nothing. If I am not afraid then at least I will have a clear head in the crisis. So Jesus’ commandment is very wise. I will strive not to be afraid. If someone tries to scare me, they are trying to manipulate me, and if I succumb, I disobey my Lord. Therefore I will not be afraid. This is how I can start going beyond acting like a Christian to actually being a Christian.

Matthew Again

There are people who talk like Christians, they say, “The Lord willing, I will wash the dishes,” and “Praise the Lord! Gravity works downwards!” People like that can really get on your nerves, can’t they? And there are other people who play the role of a Christian, because they attend all the activities of their church and serve on various boards and committees. Many of them impress us as phonies, don’t they? That is why Jesus told us that we have to go beyond talking the talk and walking the walk to actually being a Christian deep inside.

So talk the talk and walk the walk, but beneath it all, be a Christian, in your body as well as your spirit. You cannot truly be a Christian when you act out of self-interest, whether that self-interest is to enter into heaven, to escape from hell, or to join an elite and favored group. You are truly a Christian when you have fallen in love with Jesus, and your innermost urge, your deepest desire, and your greatest joy is to please Him, and it surges out of your spirit and through your body to all the world around you. Let your mind think the thoughts that Jesus thinks and let your ears hear the cries of the needy as He would hear them—but don’t neglect to let your feet carry you wherever He leads you and to let your arms embrace the ones whom He loves. It doesn’t take much effort to love the lovely does it? Even worldly people can do that, so do as Jesus commands and love the unlovely—the lonely, the outcast, the unpopular, and the sinful. Love them with that perfect love of God that lifts sinners into sainthood and saints into glory. If we truly believe that we have a rich inheritance coming to us, we can afford to be generous without limits to all who are in need—whether they need food and clothing or someone to accept and respect them. We don’t need to worry if they are worthy, and we don’t need to worry if there will be enough left over for us. If you believe you have an infinite inheritance, you cannot possibly give too much of it away.

Let us live by faith—that is, by trusting Jesus—so that on that last day, when the house lights of the universe are turned up, and everything is out in the open to see, we are revealed—not as people who thought pious thoughts, or played the role of a Christian on television—but as people who have been transformed from the innermost parts of our souls to the outermost tips of our fingers by our faith and by our obedience into the very likeness and glory of Christ.

Have you asked Jesus into your heart? Congratulations, that is the beginning of your salvation, not its perfection. Ask Him into your hands and feet as well.

If you would be righteous—if you would be saved—live by faith

BE SAVED

How to be saved -- Why does man need to be saved?
How to be saved is the most important quest of any human life. This quest begins when a man or woman first realizes their true state before a holy God.

The intimate and sweet fellowship that the Father longed for with man, the crown of His creation, was lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned they lost their right to eat of the tree of life which would have enabled them to live forever. They were expelled from the garden and as such denied the loving relationship that God desired to have with them. Their sinful state made them unfit to linger in the presence of God. Far from being a minor event, this Fall and expulsion of man was the cataclysmic turning point of history and set humanity on a descent which continues to this day.

Man without God makes his own plans, follows his own counsels and lives by his own rules. Nevertheless, because man was created for fellowship with God, there remains a dissatisfaction and longing within man that can only be fulfilled by God Himself. As man is now hopelessly decadent and God is perfectly holy, there exists the need for God and man to be reconciled so that the fellowship may be restored.
How to be saved -- What has God provided for man’s salvation?
How to be saved has been outlined for every man in the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ. “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. . .” (2 Corinthians 5:19). God, fully knowing that man would fall, provided a means of reconciliation for man; He knew that there was nothing that a man could do to make mankind acceptable to God.

God sent Jesus Christ, who provided restoration for man with God by giving His own life, shedding His own blood. There was no other way to eradicate the effect of sin except by blood. “. . .Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). This shedding of blood indicated that the penalty for sin had been paid; a life had been sacrificed for the lives of all who have sinned. Jesus Christ’s willing submission to the massacre on the cross paid the price for our sins and affected the means of reconciliation. “Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight” (Romans 5:19).
How to be saved -- What must a man do to be saved?
How to be saved is within the reach of every human being on the face of the earth. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He provided salvation for all. “‘And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself.’ He said this to indicate how he was going to die” (John 12:32-33). Salvation has been provided; it now must be accepted. Once a man or woman recognizes the need for salvation and realizes that God has provided for their salvation through Jesus Christ, he or she must go on to embrace it.

Salvation is simply a process of confessing and believing. A man must confess that Jesus is Lord, which signifies his realization that Christ must have full rule over his life with all of His righteous requirements. This confession of Christ as Lord also assumes that it is Christ who will work and fulfill His own righteousness within man.

Next, he must believe that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus carries with it the realization that the penalty has been paid for sin and power is provided for man to live a life free from sin. Thus man’s relationship to God is restored. “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Bible tells us, “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-11). Do you feel unworthy to “go to heaven”? Peace with God is within your reach.

Do you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin? Are you ready to receive God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

If you decided receive Jesus today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God.

Did you become a follower of Jesus today?

4 steps to god

1 God Loves You!

The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that . . .

2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.  Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."

PERCAYALAH YESUS SUDAH BANGKIT

Markus 16:9-20

  

“Tetapi ketika mereka mendengar,

bahwa Yesus hidup dan telah dilihat olehnya,

mereka tidak percaya.”

(Markus 16:11)

Ketika Yesus bangkit dari kematian, banyak murid-muridNya tidak percaya akan kebangkitanNya. Pada ayat sebelumnya (Markus 16:10) kita dapat membaca bahwa mereka sedang berkabung dan menangis. Mereka tidak mengerti apa yang pernah dikatakan Yesus tentang penderitaan dan kebangkitanNya, mereka mengira Yesus tidak akan bangkit.
Ada jemaat yang sudah lama mengikut Yesus tetapi mereka tidak percaya pada Firman Tuhan yang didengarnya. Mereka bisa menyanyi memuji Tuhan, tetapi mereka tidak percaya bahwa Yesus adalah Tuhan yang sanggup menolong mereka. Siapapun orang Kristen termasuk pendeta kalau mereka tidak percaya pada Firman Tuhan maka dalam hidup mereka selalu ada perkabungan dan tangisan.
Bukankah banyak orang Kristen yang mengikut Tuhan tapi hidup mereka selalu menangis dan bersedih? Mereka tidak percaya Yesus yang sudah bangkit, mereka tidak percaya Yesus sanggup menolong. Seperti murid-murid Yesus yang tidak percaya akan kebangkitan Yesus, mereka menganggap Yesus sudah mati dan tak mungkin bangkit lagi.
Jika seseorang sudah menjadi Kristen 20 tahun, 30 tahun atau lebih bukanlah suatu ukuran hidup yang berkenan di hadapan Tuhan. Biarpun seorang pengkhotbah dengan segenap hati dan sekuat tenaga berkhotbah, kalau ada jemaat yang tidak percaya pada Firman Tuhan, maka jemaat itu tidak akan mengalami pemulihan.
Waktu kita tidak percaya, berarti kita menganggap Tuhan itu mati, Tuhan itu tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa. Yesus sudah bangkit! Saudara percaya atau tidak mau percaya, tetap Yesus sudah bangkit. Saudara semua tentu ingin bahagia, syaratnya Saudara harus percaya pada FirmanNya. Berkat Tuhan diberikan kepada orang yang percaya kepadaNya. (JEA)

Waktu kita tidak percaya

berarti kita menolak Firman Tuhan.

santo fransiskus dari asissi

St. Fransiskus Assisi

Berkhotbah juga pada burung, ikan & serigala!

St. Fransiskus adalah seorang santo yang hebat yang cocok untuk kamu jadikan teladan hidupmu. Bahkan hingga kini Ordo Fransiskan (O.F.M. = Ordo Fratrum Minorum = Ordo Friars Minor = Ordo Saudara-saudara Dina) yang didirikannya masih terus tumbuh dan berkembang.

Fransiskus dilahirkan di kota Assisi, Italia pada tahun 1181. Ayahnya bernama Pietro Bernardone, seorang pedagang kain yang kaya raya, dan ibunya bernama Donna Pica. Di masa mudanya, Fransiskus lebih suka bersenang-senang dan menghambur-hamburkan harta ayahnya daripada belajar. Ketika usianya 20 tahun, Fransiskus ikut maju berperang melawan Perugia. Ia tertangkap dan disekap selama satu tahun hingga jatuh sakit. Pada masa itulah ia mendekatkan diri kepada Tuhan. Setelah Fransiskus dibebaskan, ia mendapat suatu mimpi yang aneh. Dalam mimpinya, ia mendengar suara yang berkata, "layanilah majikan dan bukannya pelayan."

Setelah itu Fransiskus memutuskan untuk hidup miskin. Ia pergi ke Roma dan menukarkan bajunya yang mahal dengan seorang pengemis, setelah itu seharian ia mengemis. Semua hasilnya dimasukkan Fransiskus ke dalam kotak persembahan untuk orang-orang miskin di Kubur Para Rasul. Ia pulang tanpa uang sama sekali di sakunya. Suatu hari, ketika sedang berdoa di Gereja St. Damiano, Fransiskus mendengar suara Tuhan, "Fransiskus, perbaikilah Gereja-Ku yang hampir roboh". Jadi, Fransiskus pergi untuk melaksanakan perintah Tuhan. Ia menjual setumpuk kain ayahnya yang mahal untuk membeli bahan-bahan guna membangun gereja yang telah tua itu.

Pak Bernardone marah sekali! Fransiskus dikurungnya di dalam kamar. Fransiskus, dengan bantuan ibunya, berhasil melarikan diri dan pergi kepada Uskup Guido, yaitu Uskup kota Assisi. Pak Bernardone segera menyusulnya. Ia mengancam jika Fransiskus tidak mau pulang bersamanya, ia tidak akan mengakui Fransiskus sebagai anaknya dan dengan demikian tidak akan memberikan warisan barang sepeser pun kepada Fransiskus. Mendengar itu, Fransiskus malahan melepaskan baju yang menempel di tubuhnya dan mengembalikannya kepada ayahnya.

Kelak, setelah menjadi seorang biarawan, Fransiskus baru menyadari bahwa yang dimaksudkan Tuhan dengan membangun Gereja-Nya ialah membangun semangat ke-Kristenan.

Pada tanggal 3 Oktober 1226, dalam usianya yang ke empatpuluh lima tahun Fransiskus meninggal dengan stigmata (Luka-luka Kristus) di tubuhnya.

Tidak ada seorang pun dari pengikutnya yang menyerah dan mengundurkan diri setelah kematian Fransiskus, tetapi mereka semua melanjutkan karya cinta kasihnya dengan semangat kerendahan hati dan meneruskan kerinduannya untuk memanggil semua orang menjadi pengikut Kristus yang sejati.

Santo Fransiskus adalah santo pelindung binatang dan anak-anak. Pestanya dirayakan setiap tanggal 4 Oktober.

 

DOA ST. FRANSISKUS DARI ASSISI

TUHAN, jadikanlah aku pembawa DAMAI.

Bila terjadi kebencian, jadikanlah aku pembawa cinta kasih.

Bila terjadi penghinaan, jadikanlah aku pembawa pengampunan.

Bila terjadi perselisihan, jadikanlah aku pembawa kerukunan.

Bila terjadi kesesatan, jadikanlah aku pembawa kebenaran.

Bila terjadi kebimbangan, jadikanlah aku pembawa kepastian.

Bila terjadi keputus-asaan, jadikanlah aku pembawa harapan.

Bila terjadi kegelapan, jadikanlah aku pembawa terang.

Bila terjadi kesedihan, jadikanlah aku pembawa sukacita.

Banyak cerita yang mengisahkan bagaimana St. Fransiskus dari Assisi (1182-1226) dapat berkomunikasi dengan binatang-binatang dan menyatu dengan semua ciptaan. Berikut adalah beberapa cerita yang pertama kali ditulis oleh Thomas Celano pada abad ke-13 dan diceritakan kembali oleh John Bookser Feister.

 

ST. FRANSISKUS BERKHOTBAH KEPADA BURUNG-BURUNG

Fransiskus dan pengikut-pengikutnya sedang dalam perjalanan ke Lembah Spoleto dekat kota Bevagna. Tiba-tiba Fransiskus melihat serombongan besar burung-burung dari berbagai jenis. Di antaranya ada merpati, gagak dan jenis-jenis yang lain. Terpesona dengan pemandangan itu, Fransiskus meninggalkan teman-temannya di pinggir jalan dan berlari mengejar rombongan burung yang dengan sabar menunggu kedatangannya. Seperti biasa Fransiskus menyapa mereka, ia pikir burung-burung itu akan segera beterbangan di udara ketika ia menyapanya. Tetapi mereka semua tetap diam di tempatnya masing-masing.

Dipenuhi rasa kagum, Fransiskus bertanya apakah mereka mau tinggal sebentar bersamanya untuk mendengarkan Sabda Tuhan. Katanya kepada mereka, "Saudara dan saudari burung, hendaklah kalian memuji Pencipta-mu dan mengasihi-Nya selalu. Ia memberimu bulu-bulu sebagai mantel, sayap untuk terbang dan memenuhi segala kebutuhanmu. Tuhan-lah yang menjadikan engkau mulia di antara segala makhluk, menjadikan udara yang halus bersih sebagai rumahmu. Tanpa menabur atau pun menuai, kalian memperoleh bimbingan dan perlindungan dari Tuhan."

Mendengar kata-katanya, burung-burung itu mengepak-ngepakan sayap mereka, menjulurkan leher mereka sambil memandang Fransiskus. Mereka bersukacita memuji Tuhan dengan cara yang demikian indah sesuai kodrat mereka. Kemudian Fransiskus berjalan di tengah-tengah burung-burung itu, berkeliling dan kembali, menyentuh kepala dan badan burung-burung itu dengan jubahnya. Kemudian ia memberkati mereka dan membuat tanda salib bagi mereka. Kemudian burung-burung itu beterbangan di udara dan Fransiskus dengan penuh sukacita berterima kasih kepada Tuhan, lalu melanjutkan perjalanannya.

Setelah kembali kepada teman-temannya, Fransiskus menggumam dengan keras mengapa selama ini ia tidak pernah berkhotbah kepada burung-burung. Maka, sejak saat itu, Fransiskus membiasakan diri untuk meminta kepada burung-burung, segala jenis binatang serta reptil untuk memuji dan mengasihi Pencipta-nya. Dalam hidup Fransiskus seringkali terjadi peristiwa-peristiwa luar biasa di mana ia berbicara kepada binatang-binatang. Di antaranya, ketika St. Fransiskus menghardik serombongan burung yang berisik sehingga mengganggu upacara gereja! Yang mengherankan, burung-burung itu kemudian tinggal tenang sampai Fransiskus menyelesaikan khotbahnya.

 

ST. FRANSISKUS, KELINCI DAN IKAN

Suatu hari seorang rahib membawa seekor kelinci yang terjebak perangkap kepada St. Fransiskus. Ia menasehati kelinci agar lebih berhati-hati di waktu yang akan datang, kemudian dikeluarkannya kelinci dari dalam perangkap dan diletakkannya di atas tanah supaya ia pergi. Tetapi kelinci itu kembali dan melompat ke atas pangkuan Fransiskus, berharap agar ia boleh tinggal di dekatnya. Fransiskus membawa kelinci itu ke sebuah hutan dan melepaskannya kembali. Tetapi kelinci itu kembali lagi ke tempat di mana Fransiskus duduk dan melompat ke atas pangkuannya lagi! Akhirnya Fransiskus meminta salah seorang rahibnya untuk membawa kelinci masuk ke dalam hutan dan melepaskannya. Kali ini usahanya berhasil. Hal-hal seperti ini terjadi berkali-kali dalam hidup Fransiskus - di mana ia melihatnya sebagai suatu kesempatan untuk memuji kemuliaan Tuhan. Jika seekor makhluk yang begitu sederhana dapat begitu dilimpahi oleh keajaiban Tuhan, alangkah terlebih lagi manusia!

Ikan-ikan juga patuh pada Fransiskus. Setiap kali seekor ikan tertangkap dan Fransiskus berada di sekitar tempat itu, ia akan melepaskan ikan itu kembali ke air sambil memperingatkannya agar berhati-hati supaya tidak tertangkap lagi. Sering terjadi, ikan akan tinggal di sekitar perahu Fransiskus untuk mendengarkannya berkhotbah sampai Fransiskus mengijinkannya untuk pergi. Barulah mereka berenang pergi. Di setiap karya ciptaan, demikianlah St. Fransiskus menyebut semua makhluk hidup, ia akan memuji sang seniman, yaitu Sang Pencipta yang terkasih.      

 

ST. FRANSISKUS DAN SERIGALA

Barangkali  kisah St. Fransiskus yang paling terkenal adalah kisahnya menjinakkan serigala yang meneror rakyat kota Gubbio. Ketika Fransiskus tinggal di kota itu ia mendapati ada seekor serigala yang sangat ganas. Ia tidak saja memburu dan memangsa binatang, tetapi juga manusia. Rakyat kota itu mengangkat senjata untuk membinasakannya, tetapi mereka yang pergi menghadapi serigala itu lenyap oleh taring-taringnya yang tajam. Maka penduduk menjadi sangat takut dan tidak berani keluar dari tembok kota.

Frasnsiskus merasa iba kepada penduduk kota dan memutuskan untuk pergi menemui serigala. Penduduk mencegahnya dengan sangat, tetapi Fransiskus bersikeras bahwa Tuhan akan menjaganya. Seorang rahib yang pemberani dan beberapa petani menemani Fransiskus sampai ke gerbang luar kota. Tetapi segera saja petani-petani itu merasa gentar dan tidak berani melanjutkan perjalanan.

Fransiskus dan rahibnya mulai berjalan. Tiba-tiba serigala, dengan rahangnya ternganga, muncul dari hutan dan datang menyerang kedua biarawan itu. Fransiskus membuat Tanda Salib ke arah serigala. Dengan kuasa Tuhan, serigala itu segera memperlambat larinya dan mengatupkan rahangnya. Kemudian Fransiskus berteriak: "Datanglah kepadaku, Saudara Serigala. Dalam nama Yesus, aku memerintahkan kamu untuk tidak lagi menyakiti siapa pun." Maka pada saat itu juga serigala menundukkan kepalanya dan datang berbaring di bawah kaki St. Fransiskus. Serigala itu menjadi jinak seperti seekor anak domba.

St. Fransiskus menjelaskan kepada serigala bahwa serigala telah menakutkan penduduk kota, karena ia tidak saja memangsa binatang, tetapi juga manusia yang diciptakan seturut gambaran Allah. "Saudara Serigala," kata Fransiskus, "aku ingin mengadakan perdamaian antara kamu dan penduduk Gubbio. Mereka tidak akan menyakiti kamu dan kamu juga tidak boleh lagi menyakiti mereka. Semua kejahatan di masa lampau harap dimaafkan."

Serigala menyatakan persetujuannya dengan menggoyang-goyangkan badannya dan menggangguk-anggukkan kepalanya. Dan puncak dari peristiwa yang menakjubkan itu, Fransiskus meminta serigala untuk membuat janji. Sementara Fransiskus mengulurkan tangannya untuk menerima janji, serigala mengulurkan kaki depannya dan meletakkannya di atas tangan orang kudus itu. Kemudian, Fransiskus memerintahkan serigala untuk mengikutinya masuk ke dalam kota untuk mengadakan perjanjian damai dengan penduduk kota. Maka tanpa melawan sedikit pun serigala mengikuti St. Fransiskus.  

Ketika mereka tiba di alun-alun kota, semua orang datang untuk menyaksikan peristiwa yang ajaib itu. Dengan serigala di sisinya, Fransiskus berkhotbah kepada penduduk kota mengenai cinta kasih Tuhan yang luar biasa serta ajaib, yang memanggil mereka semua untuk bertobat dari semua dosa-dosa mereka. Kemudian atas nama serigala, Fransiskus menawarkan perdamaian kepada penduduk kota. Penduduk berjanji dengan suara lantang bahwa mereka akan menyediakan makanan bagi serigala. Kemudian Fransiskus bertanya kepada serigala apakah ia mau hidup berdamai dengan syarat-syarat tersebut. Serigala menundukkan kepalanya dalam-dalam dan merenggangkan badannya untuk meyakinkan semua orang bahwa ia menerima janji itu. Kemudian sekali lagi serigala meletakkan tangannya di atas tangan Fransiskus sebagai tanda ikatan perjanjian.

Sejak saat itu penduduk kota menepati janji yang mereka buat. Serigala tinggal selama dua tahun lamanya di antara penduduk kota, pergi dari satu rumah ke rumah lain untuk meminta makanan. Serigala tidak menyakiti siapa pun dan tak seorang pun menyakitinya. Bahkan anjing-anjing pun tidak menyalak kepadanya. Ketika akhirnya serigala mati karena telah tua umurnya, sangat sedihlah penduduk kota Gubbio. Cara hidup serigala yang penuh damai menjadi peringatan bagi mereka akan pengaruh, kesabaran, keteladanan dan kekudusan St. Fransiskus yang menjadi simbol nyata kekuasaan dan pemeliharaan Tuhan Allah yang hidup.