Friday, 5 September 2014
Saturday, September 6, 2014 - How often have you made rules and regulations ends in themselves?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 4:6-15; Lk 6:1-5
The episode in today's Gospel is a Sabbath controversy, and is found also in Mark
2:23-28 and Matthew 12:1-8. Since Deut 23:24-25 allowed a person passing a
neighbour’s field to pluck heads of grain with the hand, this does not seem to
be the reason for the complaint of the Pharisees. Luke (6:1) alone states that
the disciples were rubbing the heads of grain in their hands, which could be
interpreted as threshing, and threshing was one of the forms of work forbidden
on the Sabbath.
In his response, Jesus refers to the incident from 1 Samuel
21:1-6 in which David confronted Ahimelech at Nob. The point that the Lucan
Jesus makes is that if David had the authority to overturn Levitical rules and
eat the bread of the Presence and even give it to his companions, because he
gave priority to human need over ritual observance, so can Jesus, who is Lord
of the Sabbath.
Rules and regulations are made so that there might be order in
society and each will know his/her role. It is possible that sometimes they
might become ends in themselves and take precedence over everything else. They
can never take precedence over human need. All rules and regulations are at the
service of humans and not the other way around.
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014 - Are you afraid of change? Why?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 4:1-5; Lk 5:33-39
In Luke, this episode about fasting continues from the previous
one (5:27-32) in which after the call of Levi (5:27-28), Jesus eats in Levi’s
house along with tax collectors and others. This table fellowship leads the
Pharisees to murmur. Jesus responds with a common proverb about only the sick
needing a physician and then emphasises that he has come to call not the
righteous but sinners to repentance (5:31–32). Luke omits Mark’s
introduction, which informs us that John’s disciples’ and the Pharisees were
fasting, and thus allows the conversation of the previous scene to continue. In
response to the comment that John’s disciples like those of the Pharisees fast
and pray, Jesus responds with a metaphor of a wedding feast and the
inappropriateness of the guests fasting while the wedding is in process and the
bridegroom is with them. While in Mark the new or unshrunk cloth is sought to
be sewn onto an old garment; in Luke the cloth is first torn from a new garment
and then sought to be put onto an old garment. In Luke the destructive effect
of tearing the new garment is highlighted. Lk 5:39 is exclusive to Luke and
brings out the closed attitude of those who do not want the new. They prefer to
stick to the old because they feel comfortable with it and are not willing to
change or see things from a new perspective. They insist that the old is good.
It is not always easy to accept change. We prefer to do things
the old way and feel comfortable when things remain the same. We must realise
that the only thing that is permanent is change and we must get used to it.
While we need not change just for the sake of changing, we must be open and
receptive to change and be ready to change when we have to.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014 - What do you think Jesus is calling you to today? Will you answer his call?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 3:18-23; Lk 5:1-11
The call of the first disciples in the Gospel of Luke is
different from the other Synoptic Gospels. While in Matthew and Mark Jesus
calls to them when he was passing by the Sea of Galilee ,
here he is in Simon’s boat. While there are similarities between this account
in Luke and the account of the miraculous catch in John 21:1-4, there are also
differences. The most striking difference is that Luke uses the story here as
the setting for Simon’s call to follow Jesus, whereas John uses it to show that
Peter was reconciled with the risen Jesus after having denied him. While in
John, Jesus is not in the boat but on the shore, here in Luke he is in the
boat. In John there is only one boat, that in which the disciples are, here
there are many boats. The nets in Luke are beginning to break, but John
explicitly mentions that despite the large haul, the nets did not break.
The point that Luke seems to make is that following Jesus on his
way will entail a completely different life style, will call for a different
set of priorities. Where Simon and the others were focusing on fish (material,
temporary, passing things), Jesus calls them to focus on people (spiritual,
permanent, things that last).
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 - Will you find the time today, “to be”, so that “your doing” will be more efficacious? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 3:1-9; Lk 4:38-44
The reading of today allows us to encounter a Jesus who was busy
day and night “doing” and yet a Jesus who would manage to find the time “to
be”.
The first of the three scenes that form part of this section
deals with the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. Since in Luke this healing
takes place before the call of the first disciples, he does not mention Andrew,
James and John as Mark does (Mk1:29). He also probably uses this healing to
prepare for the call of Peter, which he narrates in 5:1-11.
In the second scene, Luke depicts a Jesus who would heal people
at all times of the day or night. While the demons use the title “Son of God”
to identify Jesus, Luke himself informs the readers that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Christ. Luke seems to have taken the silencing function from Mark because
it is not clear in his Gospel as it is in Mark, why Jesus would not allow the
demons to speak.
In the third and final scene of this section, Luke portrays a
Jesus who would find time to commune with his Father. He portrays a man of
action and yet a man of prayer, though he does not explicitly state here that
Jesus prayed. Though the crowds want to prevent Jesus from leaving, Jesus is
clear that he must go on to other places as well, for the kingdom belongs to
all.
This Jesus is the one who challenges us today to be men and
women who derive our strength “to do” from “the one who is and will always be”.
Monday, 1 September 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014 - Will your actions speak louder than your words today? How?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 2:1-16; Lk 4:31-37
Immediately after leaving the synagogue, Jesus works a miracle.
This miracle is the healing of a man possessed by a demon, thus putting into
action immediately the manifesto he had spoken about.
This exorcism is the
first of the four exorcisms in the Gospel of Luke. The unclean spirit refers to
Jesus here as Jesus of Nazareth and as the Holy one of God, which is a title
Luke has taken from Mark, since it does not appear again in the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus exorcises the demon with a command.
It is interesting to note that
the people who witnessed the miracle refer to it not as an action but as a
teaching simply because there was never a separation between the words and
deeds of Jesus, there was never a separation between what Jesus said and did.
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014 - Do you agree with the manifesto of Jesus? How will you help him put it into action today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 2:1-5; Lk 4:16-30
“Nazareth
The reading is from Isa 61:1-2a and 58:6. Luke,
however, omits “to bind up the broken hearted of Isa 61:1 and adds from Isa
58:6, “to set at liberty those who are oppressed”. The threefold repetition
of the pronoun “me” is an indication that this passage describes the
ministry of Jesus rather than Isaiah. It is also important to note that
Jesus in Luke does not go on to read the second part of Isaiah 61:2 “and the
day of vengeance of our God.”
1. Significantly, Jesus’ work will be good news to the poor.
The “poor” figure more prominently in Jesus’ teachings in Luke than in any
other Gospel (see Lk 14:13,21; 16:20.22; 18:22; 21:3).
2. Jesus released persons from various forms of bondage and
oppression: economic (the poor), physical (the lame, the crippled);
political the condemned) and demonic.
3. The restoration of sight to the blind was closely
associated with the prophetic vision of fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel
4. “the acceptable year of the Lord” In Isaiah, this term refers to the Jubilee year legislation in
Lev. 25. Following a series of seven sevens (forty nine), the fiftieth year was
to be a time of liberty (Lev 25:10). The coming of Jesus means that the
liberation of the impoverished and oppressed had come.
Jesus followed the usual practice of rolling the scroll and
giving it back to the attendant. The posture of sitting was the usual posture
when teaching. (See how in Mt 5:1-2 when Jesus goes up to the mountain, he sits
down before beginning to teach). Through his first words to the people in
the synagogue, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”,
Jesus conveys that the centuries of waiting on God’s blessing and promises have
ended.
There is initial enthusiasm for Jesus’ announcement. This is a
positive response to what he has said. They are happy because what they hear
suits them. It fits in with their way of thinking. The question, “Is not
this Joseph’s son?” need not be hostile, especially because earlier Luke
reports that all spoke well of him. It might be paraphrased in this manner; who
would have thought that someone who grew up in our village could reach so far?
Jesus interprets the crowd to say that he must begin in his own hometown
what he has been doing in so many other places. They are ready to receive God’s
blessing.
While this proverb, “Truly (Amen) I tell you, no prophet is
accepted in the prophet’s hometown” is also found in Matthew (13:57), Mark
(6:4) and John (4:44), the form varies. Luke is the only one of the four who
introduces the proverb with “Amen”. In Luke like in John, there is no
exception clause (which is found in Matthew and Mark –“except in his own
country and in his own (house”). Luke changes the word “honour” found in the
other three forms and substitutes it with “accepted”. The word “hometown” can
also mean “home country”, and anticipates the rejection of Jesus in Nazareth and also in the whole of Israel
At first Jesus had seemed to be promising them the blessings. He
was saying what they wanted to hear. But now, he had said something different.
He had woken them from their stupor. He had challenged them to get out of their
complacency. He had taken them beyond boundaries and stereotypes, and had
spoken about the graciousness and magnanimity of God’s unmerited blessing.
“went on his way”
may be translated “he was going on”. Through this Luke makes clear that
he does not want anyone to read that Jesus had a miraculous deliverance, but
that Jesus would remain steadfast and resolute no matter what the consequences.
Human power and objections could not come in the way of his mission to proclaim
God’s justice and unconditional love.
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014- Twenty Second Sunday of the Year - Why must I suffer? Why must God’s son suffer?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer 20:7-9; Rom12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27
Today’s readings begin with an
example of what is called in scriptural writings a lament. The prophet Jeremiah
laments about unbearable pain, and misery at unspeakable horrors and
uncontrollable events that surround him in his life as a prophet of God’s Word.
He is hostile towards God whom he believes has “seduced” or “duped” him, and he
is convinced that he will no more mention God or speak in God’s name. Yet, even
as he says this, he realizes that he cannot abandon his prophetic mission which
is a fire burning in his heart, imprisoned in his bones. He is compelled from
within to proclaim God’s word. The Word of God that comes to him, in response
to his outburst of rage, is disquieting. He becomes aware that the misery is
not going to stop or go away. There will be no respite from his torments and
horrors. God simply assures Jeremiah of his presence, to strengthen him to
withstand more misery. Jeremiah must continue to believe even in his unbelief,
he must continue to have faith even in his lack of faith.
Peter’s objection to Jesus’ words
of his passion, death and resurrection in the Gospel text of today sound like
the first part of Jeremiah’s lament: Why must God’s son suffer? Why should he die
on a Cross? Peter states emphatically that this can never be. Surely there is another
way. However, in his response to Peter, Jesus realizes, like Jeremiah, that it
has to be this way. This is why Peter is called “Satan” which here is to be
understood as one who intends to take Jesus away from his mission and so the
will of his Father. Peter is a stumbling block, and Jesus will let nothing and
no one stand between him and his Father’s will. He realizes that God’s word and
will for him is so compelling that he cannot but fulfill it. It burns in his
heart too like a fire that cannot be quenched. Though common sense and reason
would rally against going to the Cross, to the Cross he must and will go.
Inspired by this example of
Jesus, Paul, writing to the Romans, urges them to imitate the Lord who did not
conform to this world but dared to offer his body as a living and holy
sacrifice to God.
Like Jeremiah and Peter, every one
of us comes across something that is, for all intents and purposes, unbearable.
Millions of people all over the world do not have enough to eat and are
malnourished, while others have more than they will ever need. Numerous people
have no roof over their heads while others build mansions. A baby dies at
birth, another is born deformed. Sooner or later, bearing the unbearable, we
realize how little control we have over so much that damages our society and
ourselves. Grief, rage and fear flash to the surface of consciousness and we
wonder then about the kind of God that we believe in. Can this be the God of
love? Can this be the God who demands justice? Can this be the God who makes no
distinction between persons? Can this be the God of the poor and downtrodden?
Why must the world we live in be filled with so much misery and pain?
When we are bearing the
unbearable and are not able to fully understand it, we need a God who has
suffered the depths of weakness, hopelessness, helplessness and even despair as
we ourselves do. No other God can be trusted to understand, and this is the
Good News of God in Christ. Whatever the unbearable suffering, whatever the
uncontrollable events that afflict and grieve us to the core of our being, God
has seen it, known it, experienced it and taken it into his own life in Jesus
who was crucified, who died and who was raised on the third day. This is why we
must not take suffering out of the Jesus story, since it says to us that God
has not obliterated or removed every misery that seems unbearable, that God has
not taken away all cause of pain and anger in human life, not even that God
controls all things, but that God is the one who bears the misery, pain and
helplessness with us and for us. By bearing the unbearable, God overcomes it
and faithfully keeps the conversation open for life.
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