Jesus
was busy day and night “doing” and yet a Jesus who would manage to find the
time “to be”. He challenges us today to be men and women who derive our
strength “to do” from “the one who is and will always be”.
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: Col 1:1-8; 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
(Mk 1,29). 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.
There
was never a separation between the words and deeds of Jesus, there was never a
separation between what Jesus said and did.
Will
your actions speak louder than your words today? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 5:1-6,9-11; 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.
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 Thess 4:13-18; Lk 4:16-30
"Nazareth’ has figured prominently in the Infancy Narratives of Luke, but Luke reminds us that it was where Jesus had been brought up. Jesus is faithful to the tradition he received from his fore fathers, and does not flout rules for the sake of flouting them. He is not an armchair critic. Standing to read was customary. While he taught, he would sit. There were many parts to the worship in a Jewish synagogue, and various people might have been asked to lead in reading or praying. Luke’s description of Jesus finding the place where the verses quoted from Isaiah occur probably means that Jesus himself chose this passage. The scriptures would be read in Hebrew and then interpreted in Aramaic. Jesus could have chosen a text which spoke about the glory of the Prophet, or about God’s Chosen One (see for example Isaiah 63), yet, he chooses a text where he will as Prophet and Chosen One spend himself in service.
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. When Jesus restores sight to the blind (Lk
7,21-22; 18,35) he is dramatically fulfilling the role of the one who would be “
a light for the nations” (Lk 2,32).
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. The examples of Elijah and
Elisha serve as a reminder that God’s blessings are not restricted to only a
few but are available for all. Also the blessings will not be forced on anyone,
but must be accepted with an open heart as gift. The passive verbs imply God’s
direction: God closed the heavens (4,25), God sent Elijah (4,26) and God
cleansed Naaman (4,27 see also 2 Kings 5,1-14).
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.
THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
The Gospel of Luke is generally regarded
as the third of the four canonical Gospels. Almost all scholars agree that the
author of Luke is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles.
The Gospel is known by many names. Some
see it along with Acts as narrating the history of salvation, which is divided
into three parts. This first is the time before Jesus where everything is old.
This is possibly why Luke has changed Mark 8:28 which has “one of the prophets”
as one of the answers of the people regarding Jesus’ identity to “one of the
old prophets” (9:19). The second is the time of Jesus who inaugurates the
kingdom (4:16-30) and the third is the time of the Church (The Acts of the
Apostles), which continues the work of Jesus.
Others see it as a Gospel of Prayer
because when compared with Matthew and Mark, the Lucan Jesus prays oftener.
There are seven accounts of Jesus praying that are exclusive to Luke. (3:21;
5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 9:29; 11:1; 22:32).
Still others see it as a Gospel of Women
since Luke gives special importance to women in his Gospel. In Luke’s Infancy
narrative, Mary rather than Joseph is an important figure. Only in Luke do we
find the miracles of the raising of the widow’s son (7:11-15) and the healing
of the woman with a spirit of infirmity (13:10-17). Luke alone tells us that
Jesus had women disciples who provided for him out of their means (8:1-3).
Some also see Luke as the Gospel of Great
Mercy or Pardon. This is because the Parables of the Good Samaritan (10:30-35)
and the Prodigal Son (15:11-32) are found only in Luke. While hanging on the
Cross, it is in Luke’s Gospel alone that Jesus forgives those who crucified him
(23:34).
The Gospel of Luke begins with the
announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah followed by the
announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary. Immediately after this announcement
Mary goes to meet Elizabeth who will be the mother of John the Baptist in order
to share the good news with her. Luke alone of all the Evangelists narrates an
incident in the early life of Jesus after his birth where he is found in the
Temple. Jesus begins his public ministry immediately after his Baptism and in
the Synagogue at Nazareth where he reads from Isaiah what may term as his own
manifesto and plan of action. He chooses disciples to help in his mission,
which he continues in Galilee.
A large part of the Gospel (9:51-19:27)
has been termed as the Journey to Jerusalem during which Jesus both preaches
and heals. After his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, he cleanses the Temple
but continues to teach in it even after this incident. During this time he is
questioned about his authority and other matters of the law and most of the
questions are with a view to trap Jesus. It is one of the Twelve, Judas who
betrays Jesus to the Jewish leaders. He is tried, and condemned to death on a
cross where he dies forgiving those responsible for crucifying him.
The last part of the Gospel begins with
an episode of the empty tomb in which the women who go to the tomb are asked
why they look for the living among the dead. Jesus then appears to two
disciples when they are on their way to Emmaus and chides them for their lack
of faith. Finally Jesus appears to the eleven, gives them a commission and then
is then taken up to heaven. The disciples return to the Temple in Jerusalem
with great joy.
Some of the characteristics unique to
Luke’s Gospel are as under:
1. The Gospel of Luke is the
only Gospel, which narrates the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist,
and his birth. The birth of Jesus is announced to Mary (not Joseph as in
Matthew). Luke alone narrates the ascension of Jesus into heaven.
2. Only Luke narrates the
incident of Jesus being found in the temple (2:41-52). This is the only
incident from Jesus’ childhood that any evangelist narrates.
3. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus
goes back to Adam the first human being (3:38) unlike Matthew’s, which begins
with Abraham. Luke alone gives us the age of Jesus when he began his ministry
(3:23).
4. In Luke alone we find the
parables of the Good Samaritan, the Publican and the Pharisee who went to the
Temple to pray, the rich man and Lazarus, the lost coin, the prodigal son, the
unjust steward, the rich fool who would tear down his barns and build greater
barns in order that he might store his goods, and the story of Zacchaeus, who
climbed a tree in order that he might see Jesus. Each of these parables and
stories illustrates what Luke regards as an essential characteristic of Jesus’
work.
5. Compared to the other
canonical gospels, Luke devotes significantly more attention to women. The
Gospel of Luke features more female characters, features a female prophet (2:36),
and details the experience of pregnancy (1:41-42). Prominent discussion is
given to the lives of Elizabeth
and of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Ch. 2).
6. Luke portrays Jesus as
extremely concerned about the poor and those who were considered social
outcasts. Already in the Sermon on the Plain, the Lucan Jesus pronounces a
blessing on “the poor" (6:20) unlike the Matthean Jesus whose blessing is
pronounced on the “poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3). Three parables in Chapter 15 (the
Lost sheep, the Lost coin and the Lost Son) are told one after another because
the Pharisees and scribes complained about Jesus’ table fellowship with tax
collectors and sinners.
7. Luke mentions the Holy Spirit
more than the other two synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark. John the Baptist is
filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born (1:15); next, John's mother
Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (1:41); before long, John's dumbstruck
father Zechariah is also filled with the Holy Spirit (1:67). Jesus is conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit (1:35). The Holy Spirit reveals to the aged
Simeon that he will see the Messiah (Christ) before he dies (2:26-27). John the
Baptist announces that the powerful one coming after him will baptize with the
Holy Spirit and with fire (3:16). When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit
descends on Him in bodily form as a dove (3:22), as God the Father confirms
from heaven that Jesus is "My Son, whom I love". At this point Jesus is
"full of the Holy Spirit" (4:1), and is "led out by the Spirit
into the wilderness" (4:1), where the Devil tempted Him for forty days.
Having successfully resisted the Devil as a man (4:4:8:12), Jesus returns to Galilee
"in the power of the Spirit" (4:14). Luke uses all these references
as a build-up to Jesus reading the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue: "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me" (4:18-19). 'The
Anointed One' is 'the Messiah' in Hebrew, 'the Christ' in Greek. The total
involvement of the Holy anointing Spirit at every step of the way (conception,
babyhood, childhood, extended family, baptism, temptation and inauguration to
ministry) proves that He, Jesus, is the Anointed One, the Messiah, and the
Christ.
To read the texts click on the texts: Dt 4:1-2,6-8; Jas 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mk7:1-8,14-15,21-23
At
first glance, it might seem to us that Moses is advocating, in the First
reading of today, what can be termed as a quid pro quo attitude or what may
also be termed as an “If …then” way of proceeding. He seems, at first glance,
to be saying that they will be rewarded if they obey and follow the commands
that he gives them which have come from the Lord. However, this is certainly
not so. What Moses is advocating instead, is an attitude of being true to
oneself and the way to do this is to put into action the words that one speaks.
It is an attitude of obeying the commands of the Lord. In other words, it means
to do what one says. The reason why Moses does is because he is aware that this
kind of attitude can have only one consequence and that is peace within oneself
and thus, peace with everyone else. This is because it will show a sense of
wisdom and discernment in the one who lives in such a manner. One who lives in
this manner will live as a friend of God.
In
the second part of the second reading, James says the same thing as Moses does,
but in different words. He asks his readers to be, not merely hearers of the
word, but doers. This “doing” has to be shown primarily in concern for the
poorest of the poor and those who are regarded as the scum of society. However,
even before this exhortation, he makes a noble theological statement. This is
the basis and foundation for the “doing”. He affirms that everything that is
good and perfect comes from the Lord who remains constant. This gift, that is
good and perfect, was shown in the fullness of time in the Gospel but more than
that, in the one who brought the Gospel, Jesus Christ the Son of God. It was in
Jesus that God showed his faith in human beings in action. The appropriate
response to such an unimaginable gift of God and his faith in us can be shown
only in deeds and not words.
Jesus
offers an invitation to such a response, in the Gospel text of today, to those who
focus on the Law and not love, and to those who give too much importance to
human traditions and not enough to what God deserves. The invitation and
challenge is to move from lip service to heart service and to move from empty
words to loving action. Even as he does this, Jesus invites the crowd who are
listening to understand that it is not merely external action to which he is
inviting them. The action that they are called to perform is a loving action
and this is possible only if that loving action first finds root in one’s
heart. If, instead, the heart is filled with selfishness, corruption, and
negatives, then the actions that flow from such a person will not be very
different from these attitudes and will break rather than build.
Thus,
even if the focus in all three reading seems to be on DOING, it is not merely
on doing that the focus lies, but on the kind of action that one will do. For
Moses, the right kind of action is following the commands of the Lord as
summarized in the Ten Commandments. These call for right action with God and
the world. They call one to realize that every creation of God is precious and
to be honoured. For James, the right action is expressed in reaching out
tangibly and practically to the least of the members of Society and making them
feel wanted and loved. For Jesus, the right action stems from the heart. Thus,
one must always ensure that the heart is filled only with positives so that
what comes out from there and into action will be positive. The German mystic,
Eckhart von Hochheim, or as he was more commonly known, Meister Eckhart, put it
wonderfully well when he said: “You should bother less about what you ought to
do and think more about what you ought to be, because if your being were good
then your works would shine forth brightly.”
This
is not always easy to achieve as is evident from the Gospel text of today. All
too often, we might make the mistake of focusing a little too much on the
external action and not give enough thought to the inner disposition. Our focus
might be, too often and largely, on the body and not enough on the heart. Like
he called his listeners two thousand years ago, Jesus continues to call us to
imitate him in having a pure heart from which the right actions will flow. This
will result in our following the statutes and ordinances of the Lord and
practicing a religion that is pure and undefiled. It will result in the world
we live in becoming a better place and furthering the kingdom of God that Jesus
inaugurated.
Often
times, our understanding of Christianity has been one in which we are content
if we have not done “any wrong”, but rarely ask whether we have done “any
right”.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 4:9-11; Mt 25:14-30
A talent is a large sum of money, equal to the wages of a day labourer for fifteen years. (In Luke 19 12-28, the figures are much smaller. There are ten servants and each receives a “mina” which was only one sixtieth of a talent, and worth 100 denarii and translated “pound”) In Matthew, however, there are three servants and they receive different amounts. The first receives five, the second two, and the third, one. The first and the second use the money to earn similar amounts in return. The third, buries it in the ground. The point that the parable seems to make here is that we are called not merely to “passive waiting” or strict obedience to clear instructions, but active responsibility that take initiative and risk. Each must decide how to use what he/she has been given.
Often times, our understanding of Christianity has been one in which we are content if we have not done “any wrong”, but rarely ask whether we have done “any right”. We are content like the third servant to give only grudgingly, and not with the freedom that we are meant to have.Is there
enough oil in the lamp of your life? If not what will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1Thess 4:1-8; Mt 25:1-13
In the parable of today we will hear of the ten bridesmaids, five of whom were prepared and five unprepared, five of whom had oil and five of whom who did not. We are told that five were foolish and five were wise right at the beginning of the parable, because we cannot tell this just be looking at them. All ten have come to the wedding; all ten have their lamps burning; all ten presumably have on their gowns. The readiness is what distinguishes the wise from the foolish.. Five are ready for the delay and five are not. Five have enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the bridegroom arrives; the foolish ones have only enough oil for their own timetable.
It is easy to be good for a day if goodness is seen only as a means to an end. It is easy to be merciful for a day if mercy is seen only as a means to an end. However, if we see goodness and mercy and everything that is positive as an end in itself, then it is possible to be good and merciful and positive always. We are called then to be like the wise ones with our lamps always burning so that we will then be able to welcome the Lord whenever he comes.Some
of us regard being good as a burden. This is because we may associate goodness
with being serious and sombre and not enjoying every single moment of life. On
the contrary, goodness means exactly the opposite. It means that one is in the
present moment and so living it as fully as possible. It also means that for a
person who does this there is no need to worry about the day or hour when
he/she will be called simply because such a person is always ready.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 3:7-13; Mt 24:42-51
We will hear for the next few days’
readings from Chapters 24 and 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, which are known as
the Eschatological Discourse. The word Eschatological comes from the Greek word
“Eschaton” that means “the last things”, “the things of the afterlife”. In
these chapters, Jesus speaks to all the people about how they must behave in
the present, if they are to expect to be judged with mercy in the future. In
the text of today, the disciples are asked to “stay awake”, because no one
knows when the hour of departure will be. The disciples are called to be busy
with the assigned mission not with apocalyptic speculation. The wise servant is
the one who obeys not calculates.
Some of us regard being good as a burden. This is because we may associate goodness with being serious and sombre and not enjoying every single moment of life. On the contrary, goodness means exactly the opposite. It means that one is in the present moment and so living it as fully as possible. It also means that for a person who does this there is no need to worry about the day or hour when he/she will be called simply because such a person is always ready.
The
challenge of today to each one of us is to bother less about what we ought to
do and think more about what we ought to be, because if our being were good
then our works would shine forth brightly.
How
will you ensure that your being is good today so that your works too might be
good?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1Thess 2:9-13; Mt 23:27-32
The text of
today contains the sixth (23,27-28) and seventh (23,29–36) woes begun in 23,13.
The sixth Woe concerns “whitewashed tombs”. As a public service, tombs were
whitewashed to make them more obvious, since contact with the dead and with
graves, even if unintentional, transmitted ritual impurity (Num 19,11-22). This
was especially important to pilgrims at Passover time, who would not know the
places they visited. The point that Matthew makes is “ostentatious exterior,
corrupt interior”. The seventh and final Woe extends the tomb image and
modulates into the concluding theme: The rejection of the prophets God has
sent.
The challenge
then to each one of us is to bother less about what we ought to do and think
more about what we ought to be, because if our being were good then our works
would shine forth brightly.
In
a world in which we refuse to believe unless we first see, Jesus seems to be
saying to us like he said to Nathanael “First believe than you will see”.
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 21:9-14; Jn 1:45-51
Bartholomew
was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathanael
(mentioned in the first chapter of John's Gospel). According to the Gospel of
John, he was brought to Jesus by Philip. It is Nathanael whom Jesus calls “an
Israelite in whom there is no guile”. Though Nathanael is not mentioned in any
list of the Twelve, Bartholomew is mentioned by all the Synoptic Gospels and
also the Acts of the Apostles. One reason why Bartholomew is identified as
Nathanael is because in all the lists of the Twelve Bartholomew is named in the
company of Philip.
Unlike
the first two disciples who followed Jesus (1:35-40), here Jesus invites Philip
to discipleship. Even more significant that the call of Philip, is what happens
to Philip as a result of his call. He cannot remain silent about it and wants
another to know and encounter Jesus. Thus, he finds Nathanael and bears witness
about Jesus. This he does in two ways. He first points Jesus out as the
fulfilment of all scripture and then he refers to him as “Jesus, son of Joseph
from Nazareth.” This witness seems to bring out both divine and human origins
of Jesus and once again reminds us of the mystery that Jesus is and continues
to be. Immediately after Philip’s testimony, there is resistance on the part of
Nathanael, yet Philip does not argue but responds in the words that Jesus had
used to invite the first two disciples: “Come and see”.
Though
having an opinion about where the Messiah would come from, Nathanael remains
open to another revelation. Though sceptical, he is willing to be convinced.
Jesus addresses Nathanael as an “Israelite” which signifies his faithfulness to
the law and is used here in a positive sense. He is without guile because
though he has questions and even doubts, he is open and receptive and willing
to learn. Jesus’ intimate knowledge of Nathanael and the revelation that he
makes to him leads to a transformation in Nathanael and he comes to faith. He
responds to Jesus with a confession and though he begins with Rabbi, he moves
on to recognizing Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel.
However,
Jesus responds by pointing out to Nathanael that this is only the beginning of
the revelation that Jesus makes. If he continues to remain open he will
experience even greater things. By means of a double “Amen”, Jesus points out
to Nathanael and to others there that he will be the bridge between heaven and
earth. He will be that place and person in whom the earthly and divine
encounter each other. He as Son of man will make God known.
Scepticism
and cynicism are common among many people. While this is not a problem in
itself, what causes the problem is when these lead to a closed attitude. In a
world in which we refuse to believe unless we first see, Jesus seems to be
saying to us like he said to Nathanael “First believe than you will see”.
Focus
not so much on law but on love, not so much on self but on God.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 1:1-5,8-10; Mt 23:13-22
The text of today contains the first three of
the seven Woes that Jesus pronounces against the Pharisees of his time, because
they gave more importance to human laws, rules and regulations than to the law
of God, which was the Law of Love. The polemic is against placing too much
value on the way one appears to others, which can be a form of idolatry. So
understood, hypocrisy is not merely a transgression, but represents a lack of
trust in God, a turning away from God toward what others think as the point of
orientation of one’s life. This was the reason for their single-minded focus on
the law and it blinded them to all else that really mattered. Consequently, the
human person was relegated to the far extreme. Jesus seeks to correct their
understanding and ours, by asking them and us to focus not so much on law but
on love, not so much on self but on God.
The
first of the three woes (23,13) is also found in Luke 11,52, but whereas the Lucan
Jesus pronounces the owe because the Pharisees “take away the key of
knowledge”, The Matthean Jesus pronounces the woe because they “shut the
kingdom of heaven against men”. They do not enter themselves, nor do they allow
others to enter.
The
second woe (23,15) is exclusive to Matthew, and continues the imagery of the
first woe. Here the Pharisees are accused of converting others to their
beliefs, but this results in the converted being worse than they were before.
The
third woe (23,16-22) accuses the Pharisees of trying to find loopholes in the
law in order to suit themselves. They interpret the law to suit their
convenience.
The Lord constantly asks
each of us: Will you also go away?” Peter’s answer was; “Lord, to whom shall we
go? You have the words of eternal life”.
What will my answer be?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jos 24:1-2,15-18; Eph 5:21-32; Jn 6:60-69
"The Road not
Taken", by Robert Frost ends with these words:
I shall be telling this
with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages
hence:
Two roads diverged in a
wood, and I –
I took the one less
travelled by,
And that has made all the
difference.
Today, like last Sunday,
the theme of the first and third readings centres on that of making a choice.
The choice here is whether to take the road not taken or the road less
travelled, confident that it will indeed make a difference.
In the first reading,
Joshua invites the people to choose which God they will serve. Will they choose
to serve numerous gods, or will they choose to serve the one true God? Joshua
clearly opts for one true God. He decides to take the road less travelled. The
people, remembering the great acts that God had done for their forefathers,
prudently decide that they too, like Joshua, will follow the one true God. To
be sure, their decision was prompted by their experience that, in the past, God
had come to their rescue and revealed himself as a gracious and redeeming God.
He had revealed himself as a caring and compassionate God. Yet, it was a decision
and a choice that they made for the one true God.
This, however, cannot be
said of the people to whom Jesus addresses a similar question in the Gospel
text of today. These people find the following of the true God too difficult
and so, opt out. These people were not able to make any sense of what Jesus was
offering them. They could not understand how he could give them his flesh to
eat and his blood to drink. Since they could not understand with their minds,
they decided not to follow Jesus any longer. They preferred to stay in their
ignorance. However, Peter, who serves as the spokesperson for the twelve, makes
the choice for Jesus and so, for the true God. He, too, like the people, does
not understand completely what Jesus is offering, He, too, like the people, is
not able to make total sense of how Jesus could offer himself as food and
drink. However, he knows that, in following Jesus, he is following life. He
knows that taking this road and making the choice for Jesus will make all the
difference.
The problem of choice
that the people and the disciples faced is a problem that we face even today.
We are, at every moment, called to make a choice. Just because we are baptized
does not necessarily mean that we have opted for Jesus. Just because we go to
church regularly does not mean that we have made a choice for the one true God.
The choice that we make for the one true God is a choice that has to be shown
in action.
This action is what the
Christians of Ephesus are called to in the second reading of today. It is
action that has to be lived out first in family relationships. Wives and
husbands and all other members of a family, and members of the larger family of
the Church, have to live lives of submission and love for one another. Jesus
Christ continues to be the model for such lives and relationships. Just as
Jesus did not consider his own comforts as more important than those of others,
so must members of the family put the interests of others over and above their
own. Since all who believe in Jesus are members of his body, they must live their
lives centered on Christ.
The living of a
Christ-centered life is a constant challenge and calling. We can never assume
that we have made the choice for Christ once for all. This is because it is a
decision that has to be renewed every day. Even as we are faced with this
challenge, Jesus does not offer proofs or miracles to make our choice easier.
He does not promise a life of ease or comfort. He does not suggest that
following him will mean that all our problems will be solved or all our
questions will be answered.
On the contrary, he makes
it clear that following him will mean hardships and difficulties and sometimes,
we may have more questions than answers. He makes it clear that following him
will mean that the road ahead may not always be even or the going smooth. He,
however, constantly invites us, beckons us, and challenges us to follow. He
constantly asks: Will you also go away?” Peter’s answer was; “Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”.
What will my answer be?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ruth 2:1-3,8-11; 4:13-17; Mt 23:1-12
Moses’ seat is a metaphorical expression representing the teaching and administrative authority of the synagogue leadership, scribes and Pharisees. Jesus condemns only the practice of the scribes and Pharisees and not their teaching. Matthew makes three points. The first is that they say but do not do, the second is that they burden while failing to act themselves and the third is that they act for the wrong reasons: to make an impression on others. “Phylacteries” is the term Matthew uses for the tephillin, which were small leather boxes containing portions of the Torah (Exod 13,1-16; Deut 6,4-9; 11,13-32) strapped to the forehead and arm during the recitation of prayers in literal obedience to Deut 6,8. The “tassels” were attached to the prayer shawls, and the most important seats in the synagogue refer to the place of honour at the front facing the congregation, occupied by teachers and respected leaders. The term “Rabbi” was a title of honour.
In
his first letter John makes a telling point when he says that the one who says
that he/she loves God whom they cannot see but cannot love their brother/sister
whom they can see are liars.
Will
you show your love for God by first loving those around you? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Mt 22:34-40
Matthew has written Mark’s story (Mk 12,
28-34) and made what was a scholastic dialogue in to a controversy. Unlike in
Mark where the scribe is friendly, here the “lawyer” (the only occurrence of
“nomikos” = lawyer in Matthew) is hostile, and the question is asked to “test”
Jesus (only the devil and the Pharisees are the subject of the verb, “test”).
The lawyer addresses Jesus as “Teacher”, which is an indication of insincerity,
because in Matthew, believers address Jesus as “Lord”. The rabbis counted 613
commands (248 positive and 365 negative), and some regarded all commandments as
equal. The question of the lawyer may have been intended to draw Jesus into a
debate and get him to make a statement that could be interpreted as disparaging
toward the Law.
In his answer, however, Jesus brings
together two Old Testament texts that existed separately and in different books
of the Bible. The commandment to love God alone was found in Deut 6, 4-5 and
the commandment to love neighbour was found in Lev 19,18. These two, Jesus
brings together into one, making them dependent on each other. This combination
is distinctive of the Synoptic Jesus.
In his first letter John makes a telling
point when he says that the one who says that he/she loves God whom they cannot
see but cannot love their brother/sister whom they can see are liars (1 John 4,20).
Unless
we can show through our deeds that we are Christians, our celebration of the
Eucharist will remain at the theoretical and ritualistic level, having no
relevance to our lives.
Does
my faith show itself in action? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Judges 11:29-39; Mt 22:1-14
The second part of the parable of the
Wedding Feast has often troubled many, because they are not able to understand
why the one without the wedding clothes was cast out, when a few verses below
the servants are told to go out and invite both good and bad. The question that
arises is - How could those unexpectedly herded into the wedding feast
from the streets wear the expected clothing, which all but one seem to do? The
point is that realism is sacrificed to theological meaning. In early
Christianity, the new identity of conversion was often pictured as donning a
new set of clothes, the language of changing clothes was used to express the
giving up of old ways and adopting the new Christian identity (see Rom 13,
12-14; Gal 3,27; Eph 6,11). The man was thus expected to have the deeds of an
authentic Christian, which he does not have.
We sometimes attend the Eucharistic
banquet without the appropriate garb, which is a faith that shows itself in
action. This “dead faith” renders us unworthy, and in danger of being “cast
out”. Unless we can show through our deeds that we are Christians, our
celebration of the Eucharist will remain at the theoretical and ritualistic
level, having no relevance to our lives.
Is
the work that you do reward in itself? Or do you expect another reward?
Are
you good because of fear of punishment or hope of reward? Or are you good
because it is good to be good?
To read the texts click on the texts: Judges 9:6-15; Mt 20:1-16
The parable of the labourers in the
vineyard, who are paid the same wages for unequal work, is exclusive to the
Gospel of Matthew. Many are of the opinion that the original parable ended at
20,13 or 20,14a, and what follows from 20,14b –16 or 20,14-16 are Matthean
additions. The parable narrates how the landowner himself goes to the market to
hire labourers at different hours and even at the eleventh hour. While the
first group of workers is told explicitly that they will be paid the day’s wage
which was one denarius, while the others are told that they would be paid
whatever is right. When the time for payment arrives the focus is on the
groups hired first and last, with the last being paid before all the other.
They are paid one denarius, which is the day’s wage. The last are also paid
what the landowner agreed with them. Since the parable does not speak about the
amount work done by each group or say that those who were hired at the eleventh
hour did as much work as those who were hired in the morning, it leaves the
reader stunned. This ending upsets and challenges conventional values. The
point that Jesus seems to make in the parable is that the tax collectors and
sinners will be given the same status as those who have obeyed the law.
The additions by Matthew stress the
jealousy and envy of those who were hired in the morning. The objection is not
to what they have received but about the fact that the others have received as
much as they which they regard as unfair. The difference is that they have
received what is theirs through their hard work and effort; the others have
received what they have because of the landowner’s generosity.
If one can identify with the group who
complains, then it is time that one checks one’s motivation whenever one does
good, because if one does not, one will continue to get frustrated at what one
sees happening around one. Is the work that you do reward in itself? Or do you
expect another reward?
The
point is not so much that God will prevent the rich from entering the kingdom,
but that their riches will be an obstacle in their path.
How
would you define “kingdom of God”? What/How much are you willing to give to
acquire the kingdom?
To read the texts click on the texts: Judges 6:11-24; Mt 19:23-30
Immediately after the rich young man departs, the next words of Jesus are to his disciples. Matthew reformulates it as an “AMEN” saying. The word “Amen” occurs thirty-two times in Matthew. Beginning some of his pronouncements with “Amen” was a unique aspect of Jesus’ own authoritative speech. Amen is not a Greek word, but a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Amen” which is a responsive affirmation to something said previously. In this context, it is used to make the pronouncement of Jesus solemn. The pronouncement is about the impossibility of a rich person entering the kingdom of God. Jesus clearly reached for the most extreme illustration of impossibility, and the disciples got the point.
In response to Peter’s question, which
must be seen as a continuation of the preceding dialogue (for taken by
itself, Peter’s question seems purely selfish) Jesus affirms the eschatological
reward for those who have not depended on their own
goodness/talents/abilities/righteousness, but acknowledge their dependence on
God’s free grace.
What
is the wealth that has so possessed you; so as to leave you unfree to say a
total YES to Jesus? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Judges 2:11-19; Mt 19:16-22
The story found in Matthew has sometimes been called the one of “The Rich young ruler”. However, these words appear nowhere in the New Testament, and is a conglomerate of the figures in Mark (rich), Matthew (who alone adds “young”) and Luke (who alone adds “ruler”). Matthew alone gives us a picture of a youth, twice calling him “a young man”. He would thus be a person in his twenties. He addresses Jesus as “teacher’, which signals that he is an outsider – in Matthew, real disciples address Jesus as “Lord”. In his answer to the young man, Jesus is portrayed as an advocate of the Law rather than its opponent. In response to the second question of the young man, Jesus takes him further to “perfection”, which does not mean “to be blameless”, but rather to be “whole”, “undivided” in love.
However, he
was not able to say YES to the call of Jesus not merely because he was a man of
great wealth, but rather because instead of possessing wealth, he let wealth
possess him. This “being possessed”, did not leave him free, and consequently,
he was unable to make a free choice.
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev11:19; 12:1-6,10; 1 Cor15:20-26; Lk1:39-56
Today
we celebrate two significant and related events. These are The Assumption of
our Blessed Mother and Independence Day. Both are celebrated on the same date:
August 15.
The
reason why these events are related is because they are both about Freedom.
Independence is celebrated as freedom from foreign rule and domination to
self-rule and governance and the Assumption may be seen as a freedom from this
limited and incomplete life to the bliss of eternal and perpetual life.
The
verses which make up the Gospel text of today are commonly known as “The
Magnificat” or Mary’s hymn of praise. It seems to have been modelled on the
prayer of Samuel’s mother, Hannah, in 1 Sam 2:1-10 and contains many Old
Testament concepts and phrases. It communicates a picture of Mary as someone
quite steeped in scripture. It reveals God primarily as a God of the poor. God
is the one who will vindicate the poor by removing the rich and mighty from
their positions and raising the lowly.
The
hymn may be seen to be divided into four parts. The first part consists of
praise to God for what he has done in and for Mary; the second part speaks of
God’s power, holiness and mercy; the third part shows God acting as a Sovereign
in reversing social conditions in favor of the poor and downtrodden; and the
fourth and final part recalls God’s mercy and promises to Israel.
The
hymn speaks of the effects of the Lord’s coming for all of God’s people. It
begins on a note of salvation as Mary acknowledges her dependence on God. It
was the grace of God that sustained and brought her to the position in which
she finds herself. She has not achieved anything on her own, it is all a gift
of God and thus, Mary acknowledges her humble state, referring to herself as
God’s servant. She is to be called “blessed’ because God, in his mercy and
goodness, had raised her to this level.
God
has shown this mercy and goodness to the poor by showing the strength of his
arm, by scattering the proud, and deposing the powerful. The poor, on the other
hand, have been raised, and the hungry have been filled. God remembers not only
those of old but also the present generation. He is a God not only of the past,
but also a God of the present, the now.
The
stress on God as a God primarily of the poor stands out in Mary’s hymn of
praise. In a world where the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor,
poorer, one wonders whether the Magnificat is a hymn that can make sense to the
poor, to those of low degree. Yet, it is important to remember that God’s ways
are not our ways and so, the poor must, in confidence, sing this song as their
song. The confidence with which Mary sings this song runs through the entire
hymn. She uses past tense to denote God’s future actions, thus expressing that
God will indeed accomplish his will, and the poor will be vindicated. What is
important for the poor to realize is that they, like Mary, need to continue to
open themselves to all that God wants to do in them. They need to continue to
acknowledge their dependence on God by doing all that is required of them and
then, leaving the rest in his capable and strong hands.
Even
as we do celebrate these events, we need to ask ourselves serious questions
both as Indians and Christians. Can we be really free when caste distinctions
result in murder and rape? Can we be really free when freedom to speak the
truth is met with physical violence and threat to life? Can we be free when the incidence of female
foeticide is so high in our country and where in many places the girl child is
seen as a liability and burden rather than a blessing? Can we be really free
when we are so intent on destroying our natural resources for selfish ends and
then have to wonder whether we will have enough rain to see us through the
year? Can we call ourselves Christians when we will not do anything about these
atrocities and continue with our lives as if it does not concern us?
Are
we really free? Are we truly Christian?
Let
the celebrations of Independence Day and the Assumption of our Blessed Mother
be wake-up calls for us to rouse ourselves from our slumber and do something
tangible to right the wrongs.
As
Christians we are blessed in that all that we receive from God is not through
any effort on our part but is given gratis. We have only to receive. Even this,
however, is difficult because sometimes we mistakenly think that it is our
effort that brings us what we have.
Humility
is a funny thing. Once you think you’ve got it you’ve lost it. What do you
think of this statement?
To read the texts click on the texts: Josh 24:14-29; Mt 19:13-15
The text of today is on the one level about Jesus’ attitude to children, but is more importantly and on a deeper level about the kingdom. While in Mark and Luke the children were being brought to Jesus that he might “touch” them (Mk 10,13; Lk 18,15), in Matthew the children are brought that he “might lay his hands on them and pray” (19,13). These two acts are the typical acts of blessing by a revered teacher and Matthew intends to show that Jesus is regarded as such by the people. Jesus goes further than the blessing to make a pronouncement about who will inherit the kingdom, and he identifies not just the children but also “such as these”. This means that anyone no matter of what chronological age will inherit the kingdom if he/she receives it without presumption and self-justification.
As Christians we are blessed in that all that we receive from God is not through any effort on our part but is given gratis. We have only to receive. Even this, however, is difficult because sometimes we mistakenly think that it is our effort that brings us what we have.No
matter what state of life one chooses, one must remain faithful to one’s
commitment in that state of life. The grass seems greener on the other side,
but only till we go to the other side.
To read the texts click on the texts: Josh 24:1-13; Mt 19:3-12
The context of today’s reading is immediately after Jesus has finished instructing his disciples (19,1-2) in the “Community Discourse” (18, 1-35). The text is found also in Mark 10, 1-12, but Matthew has made some changes to suit his purpose. In Matthew, Jesus begins his response to the Pharisees question about the legality of divorce by going back to Genesis 1,27 and 2,24 (in Mark the quotations from Genesis come later). In Matthew, the Pharisees respond to Jesus’ quotation by citing Deut. 24,1, which allowed divorce, and this prompts Jesus to move to the situational application. The union of husband and wife is the creation of God and must be regarded as such (in Mark, they respond in this manner after a question from Jesus about what Moses commanded them). Matthew omits 10,12 of Mark, which reflects the Gentile provision for a woman’s initiating a divorce, since this is not applicable from his Jewish perspective. Matthew adds an exception clause; “except for unchastity” as he did earlier in 5,32, and in doing so makes the teaching of Jesus, a situational application rather than a legalistic code.
19,10-12 is
exclusive to Matthew, and in them Jesus responds to the comment of the
disciples that it is better not to marry. Those “who are made eunuchs by men”
seems to refer to the pagan practice of literal castration as a religious
practice, and this is rejected by Jesus. Those “who have made themselves
eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” seems to refer to those who choose to
remain celibate in order to concentrate more fully on the kingdom, rather than
get weighed down by family cares.
We
expect to be forgiven by other when we do them harm after we have said sorry,
and sometimes if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them even more. We
need to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness
from us.
To read the texts click on the texts: Josh 3:7-11,13-17; Mt 18:21-19:1
The text of today is the conclusion to Matthew’s “Community Discourse” (18,1-35). It begins with a question from Peter about the number of times one is expected to forgive. While Peter proposes seven times, Jesus’ response far exceeds that proposal. The number seventy-seven can be understood in this way or even as four hundred ninety (seventy times seven). The point is not so much about numbers but about forgiveness from the heart. If one has to count the number of times one is forgiving, it means that one is not really forgiving at all. The story that follows in 18,23-35 about the king who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents (a talent was more than fifteen years wages of a labourer) and that same servant who would not forgive another servant who owed him a mere hundred denarii (a denarius was the usual day’s wage for a labourer) makes the same point.
We expect to be forgiven by other when we do them harm after we have said sorry, and sometimes if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them even more. We need to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness from us.To read the texts click on the texts: Deut 34:1-12; Mt 18:15-20
Though Matthew
means that the one who sins against another is a member of the Church, he also
means that that person is a brother or sister. One needs to avoid scandal or
embarrassment as far as possible and so the matter must first be sought to be
settled between the offended and the offending party with the offended taking
the initiative. If this does not work, then two or three must be taken to the
offending party to work for the reconciliation. If this too does not work, then
the local church will have to intervene to set things right. If the offending
party will not listen even to the members of the Church who might be the
leaders or some members of the congregation, then the person concerned must be
expelled. Though this may sound harsh and does not seem to fit in with Jesus’
command to forgive innumerable times (18,22), the point seems to be that it is
possible that at times the best way to make a person see sense is to resort to
harsh measures. Also, the good of the entire community is in view.
Jesus himself
will ratify the decision of the community and assures them of his presence when
they are gathered together in his name. He also gives them an assurance of
their prayers being answered when there is a unity of minds and hearts in the
community.
There are some
people who are incorrigible. Even with these, however, every attempt must be
made to win them over and regard them as part of the community. After
everything possible has been done and they still refuse, then they can be left
to their own designs.
