Wednesday 6 November 2024
Thursday, November 7, 2024 - Do you believe that you have been forgiven/accepted/loved? Will you forgive/accept/love in return?
To read the texts click on the texts: Phil 3:3-8; Lk 15:1-10
While the parable of the Lost Sheep,
which makes up part of our text today, is also found in the Gospel of Matthew,
the parable of the Lost Coin is found only in the Gospel of Luke. Also the
setting for the parable of the Lost Sheep is different in Matthew and Luke.
Whereas in Matthew it is part of the Community Discourse, in Luke it is told in
the context of Jesus’ table fellowship. i.e. his eating with tax
collectors and sinners, .and the murmurings of the Pharisees and the scribes
because of this act.
In the first story of the Gospel text of
today, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep to go in search of the lost
one. The joy of finding the lost sheep is compared with the joy that God
“feels” over the repentance of one sinner. By implication, Jesus’ action in
accepting sinners and eating with them reflects God’s gracious spirit toward
those who were held in contempt by the Pharisees and scribes.
The second parable, that of the Lost
coin features a woman with ten coins. A drachma was a silver coin worth about a
denarius, or a day’s wage. Hence ten drachmas was not a great sum of money.
This makes it clear that the parable is pointing not to the great monetary
value of the coin or loss but to the human reaction to prize what is lost, even
if it is of lesser value than what one still possesses. Since in this parable
there is no comparison with the other nine coins like there was in the Parable
of the Lost Sheep with the ninety-nine who had no need of repentance, the
parable focuses even more sharply on God’s joy at the recovery of what had been
lost.
The parables therefore seem to focus not
on the need for repentance but on the rejoicing and the call to the righteous
to join in the celebration. Whether one will join in the celebration will
reveal whether one’s relationships are based on merit or mercy. Those who
cannot rejoice exclude themselves from God’s grace.
Tuesday 5 November 2024
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - What are the things, which are the persons, which are the events that are preventing you from following? What will do about them today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Phil 2:12-18, Lk 14:25-33
The sayings in these verses are addressed to the large crowds that are following Jesus. Those who wish to follow are asked to consider the cost of that following and to check whether they have it in them to persevere. Three conditions are laid down to following. The first (14,26) is renouncing family ties. This of course does not mean hating family, but means not letting anyone including family come in the way of following. When it comes to a matter of choice, following Jesus must take precedence over family ties.
The second condition (14,27) is carrying
one’s cross. While in Luke 9,23 the challenge is to “take up” one’s cross, here
it is to carry it. This means that the disciple who intends to follow Jesus
must be prepared to fact the same fate as Jesus, which will include rejection,
ignominy and even death.
Before the third condition of giving up
possessions (14,33), two parables are told to illustrate the folly of failing
to consider what following would entail. These parables are found only in
Luke’s Gospel. The first (14, 28-30) is about a man who intends to build a
tower, but would not do so until he has first counted the cost of doing so.
This calculation is done not after he has begun the work, but before he begins
it, in order to ensure that he can finish what he has begun. If he does not do,
he will be ridiculed. The second parable (14,31-32) is about a king who before
he can go to war with another king would first ensure that he has enough
soldiers and strength to resist the other. If he realises that he does not have
enough, prudence will demand that he not start the war, but instead sue for
peace. In the same way anyone who wishes to be a disciple must first count the
cost and only on finding that he/she has the strength to persevere, must dare
to follow.
The third condition (14,33) is that of
giving up possessions or total renunciation. This means that nothing or no one
can be allowed to come in the way of following Jesus on mission. If one allows
oneself to be restrained by things or persons, one cannot be a disciple in the
true sense of the word.
We can come up with numerous excuses why
following Jesus today is not easy. However, no matter what they might be, they
will still remain excuses. If we are determined to follow and are convinced of
his call, excuses cease and following begins.
Monday 4 November 2024
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - How have you responded to the invitation that God is constantly issuing?
To read the texts click on the texts: Philippians 2:5-11; Lk 14:15-24
The setting for the parable in these
verses is the meal introduced in 14,1. It is known as the parable of the great
supper or banquet. After the host has sent invitations to those whom he desired
to come for his banquet, he sent his servants to call those guests when
everything was ready. The guests however began to offer excuse. The first
excused himself because he had bought a piece of land which he wanted to go and see. This excuse is absurd, since no one would buy a piece of land without
first inspecting it. The second excused himself because he had bought five yoke
of oxen, which he had to go and see, which again is absurd for the same reason.
These excuse bring out the fact that it is material possessions and their hold
on the persons concerned which prevent them for responding to the invitation.
The third guest allows family commitments to hinder his response. While such a
reason is plausible, it serves to highlight the fact of the total rejection of
the host’s invitations. On hearing the excuses through his servants, the host
is angry. He now reaches out to the poor, the crippled, the lame and the
blind. This list is identical to the list mentioned in 14,13 and the ones
whom Jesus challenged his host to invite. Since there is more room, a second
invitation is sent in order to fill the banquet hall. The point being made by
the parable is that many of those who take for granted that their places are
reserved will find themselves out of a place and their place taken by those
whom they considered unworthy. While the invitation of the host is
important to enter the banquet hall, one excludes oneself from it by the choice
that one makes.
Procrastination is a sin of many of us.
We keep putting off till later what we can and sometimes must do now. To get
over this sin one needs to start now and not later.
Sunday 3 November 2024
Monday, November 4, 2024 - When was the last time you did an act without expecting anything in return? Will you attempt to do such an act today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Philippians 2:1-4; Lk 14:12-14
In the context of the meal to which Jesus was invited and in which he noticed how guests chose places of honour, the Lucan Jesus directs these verses to the host. The challenge in these verses is that the host not invite others in order to gain a private advantage. The four groups that one must not invite (friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbours) are balanced by the four groups that one must dare to invite (the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind). The point of inviting the latter group is that they will not be able to repay the favour. The reward or repayment for such an act will come from God himself.
If we understand that unconditional love
means expecting nothing in return from the person that one loves, then we can
understand what Jesus is inviting us to in the text of today. However, many of
us like to keep a record of the right that we have done for others so that they
might do the same for us. Our relationships are built on barter rather than
love.
Saturday 2 November 2024
Sunday, November 3, 2024 - If you love God you must love your neighbour.
If you wish to read the texts click here: Deut 6:2-6; Heb 7:23-28; Mk 12:28-34
The
question of the scribe in the Gospel text of today must be seen in the light of
the numerous commandments, statutes and ordinances that had become common at
the time of Jesus. There was much debate about which was first and most
important. According to some there were 613 commandments, 248 of which positive
{Do} corresponding to the number of organs/limbs/bones of the human body and
365 negative {Do not} corresponding to the tissues/veins/sinews of the human
body. Thus the question was of great significance to them.
The
Great Commandment as explained by Jesus contains three key elements in
Christian faith: (a) belief in one God, (b) whole-hearted devotion to God, and
(c) love of neighbour. What does it mean for us today to say “the Lord our God,
the Lord is one”? It means in a word one pointed worship of God. This is
because we tend sometimes to regard things as God. Some of these may even be
good things like our jobs, vehicles, televisions sets, mobile phones,
computers, family, political causes or even theological systems. That the Lord
our God is one God is a reminder to all of us that only God is and must be
absolute. All else is relative, temporary and passing.
The
exchange between Jesus and the scribe becomes itself something of an
illustration of what love of neighbour means. Even though the exchange occurs
in the middle of a dispute (12:28), a running argument between Jesus and
representatives of the parties and leaders of the religious establishment,
Jesus and the scribe are able to transcend the party strife and cross the
dividing line of hostility to confess a common faith. Because they join
together in the conviction that there is no commandment greater than love of
God and neighbour, they are able to treat each other as neighbours. Both the scribe
and Jesus have stepped away from the “us” versus “them” categories. Their
mutual affirmation is an island of reconciliation in a sea of hostility. The
scribe recognizes Jesus as the great Teacher; Jesus recognizes the scribe as a
pilgrim moving toward the kingdom. Their lived out common devotion to God and
neighbour silences the debate (12:34).
For
the larger majority of us it seems easier to love God rather than neighbour.
Jesus knew this and that is why though he is asked ONLY the FIRST, he also
gives another (which is not really another but like the first). At the end of
his reply Jesus says: “There is no commandment greater than these”. By wording
it in this manner rather than “There are no commandments greater than these”,
Jesus has effectively made it ONE COMMANDMENT.
In
other words, if we say we love God, then we must love our neighbour. We cannot
have one without the other.
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