Monday, 7 April 2025
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 - Are you able to experience like Jesus joy even in the midst of your pain?
To read the texts click on the texts: Num 21:4-9; Jn 8:21-30
The
words which begin today’s text continue the theme of Jesus’ departure begun in
8:14. Here, it is his death, resurrection and ascension which will be the
focus. Though God has revealed himself in Jesus, the Jewish leaders have
refused to recognize him. This is the sin in which they will die. When Jesus
speaks of his departure, he is misunderstood. The Jewish leaders think of
suicide, but Jesus speaks of laying down his life of his own accord for the
salvation of all. The reason why they misunderstand is because they and Jesus
stand on opposite sides. They are from below and of this world, Jesus is from
above and not of this world. If they want to change their position, they can
only do so by recognizing in Jesus, God. The leaders are not able to do this
and show that they have completely misunderstood Jesus in the question they
ask. Jesus affirms that he has told them from the beginning who he is. He is
the one sent by God and it is God who affirms and confirms him.
When
they “lift up” Jesus on the Cross (which can also be translated as “exalt” and
so mean resurrection and ascension) then they will recognize him. This
statement of being “lifted up” or “exalted’ is the second of the three such
statements in the Gospel of John. The first appears in 3:14 and the third in
12:32-34. In these two cases because of the use of the passive voice, the
suggestion is that God will do the exalting. It is only here that the
responsibility for the “lifting up” is thrust on the people. Thus, even as they
crucify him, they will also exalt him and in this act recognize him as the one
who is. Even when on the cross Jesus will not be alone because the Father will
be with him.
Jesus’
words touch the hearts of many who hear him and they come to believe.
Jesus’
coming into the world was not primarily to die but to save. Yet, if this
salvation could only be achieved through his death on a cross, then so be it.
Jesus was willing for it if this was to be the only way. He was also aware that
because of his faith, trust and confidence in the Father that his crucifixion
or being lifted up on the cross would also be his resurrection and ascension,
his being exalted. Even as he is crucified, the very ones who crucify him
realize that what they have done is nailed love incarnate to the cross. This
love accepts, forgives and continues to love even from the cross.
Sunday, 6 April 2025
Monday, April 7, 2025 - Do you “feel” forgiven by God? If No, why not?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 13:1-9, 15-17,19-30, 33-62; Jn 8:1-11
Most
scholars today are of the opinion that this text did nor originally belong to
the Gospel of John and was added later. Numerous reasons are put forward to
support this view. One is that the term “scribes” used here is the only time in
the Gospel that it is used. John does not use “scribes” anywhere else in his
Gospel. Another reason is that while in the rest of the Gospel of John the
debates with the Jewish leaders are long, here it is brief. This fits in better
with the controversy stories of the Synoptic Gospels. Also the Mount of Olives
is mentioned only here in the Gospel of John, though in the Synoptic Gospels it
is frequently mentioned. Jesus is addressed as “teacher” only here in John. Be
that as it may, the text is now part of John’s Gospel and we have to interpret
it within the Gospel.
This
event takes place in the Temple. Though the law commanded that both the man and
woman who engaged in adultery would be put to death (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22),
the scribes and Pharisees accuse the woman alone and do not provide the
necessary witnesses who had “caught” the woman in the very act of committing
adultery. The intention of the scribes seems clear: it is to trap Jesus. Initially,
Jesus does not want to engage the question and so bends down and writes with
his finger on the ground. The point here is not what Jesus was writing but the
distancing gesture that he performs. Since the scribes persist in the question,
Jesus straightens up and addresses the scribes directly. The statement that he
makes takes them beyond the question that they ask to a self-examination and
introspection. Once he has raised the issue, Jesus bends down again and writes
with his finger. This time, the intention of writing is to show that he has
said all that he has to say and wants them to decide what they have to do. They
do not answer in words, but through their action of leaving the place. That all
of them leave beginning with the elders is an indication that no one is without
sin. When Jesus straightens up the second time he addresses the woman who is
alone with him since all others have gone away. The woman who is addressed
directly for the first time confirms that no one is left to condemn her. Jesus
responds by not condemning her, but also challenging her to receive the new
life that forgiveness brings.
The
attitude of Jesus to people, whether those who engaged in condemnation or the
condemned seems to be the focus of the story. The questions of Jesus to the
scribes and Pharisees and the woman allows them equal opportunity to part with
old ways after having received forgiveness. Jesus condemns no one, not even
those who condemn. However, while the woman accepts the gift of new life, the
scribes and Pharisees show their non-acceptance through their actions of going
away. It is thus a story of grace and mercy freely given by God in Jesus which
when received results in a radical transformation of a person and the challenge
of a new life.
While
it is true that this story may be seen as a moral lesson informing us that we
are not to judge rashly or point fingers at others since when we do, there will
be three fingers pointing back at us, it is also a story that goes beyond this
moral lesson to the core of the revelation that God makes in Jesus. The God
revealed in Jesus is a God who does not condemn, a God who accepts each of us
as we are and a God who even when we find it difficult to forgive ourselves,
keeps forgiving and accepting us.
Saturday, 5 April 2025
Sunday, April 6, 2025 - God does not need to forgive because God does not condemn
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11
A
Jesuit friend of mine, who is now with God, was steeped in Ignatian and Jesuit
Spirituality. He said to me one day, when he was 86 years old, “Errol, did you
know that God does not forgive.” I was taken aback by his statement and, in my
naiveté, began to quote the many texts from both the Old and New Testament that
speak of the unconditional mercy and love of God. After I had finished my
spiel, he turned to me with a twinkle in his eye and said, with a smile, “God
does not forgive, because God does not condemn”. A few months later, we met
again, but he had forgotten what he had told me and repeated the statement.
This time, I was ready and knew what was coming. However, since I did not want
to spoil the great finale for him, I pretended that I was hearing it for the
first time and again, began to quote the scripture texts of God’s unconditional
mercy, forgiveness, and love. When I had finished, he said, “God does not
forgive, because God does not condemn.” After that, every time we met, he would
begin his conversation with me by saying, “God does not forgive” and he would
end our conversation by saying, “because God does not condemn”. As I reflected
on his words, I began to think that if, as he grew older, that is all he
remembered, it was surely enough. He needed nothing more.
The
Gospel text of today speaks, not of the forgiveness of God but, of non-condemnation.
In the Gospel today, Jesus has no need to forgive the woman caught in adultery
because he has not condemned her. It is important to note, however, that Jesus
also does not condemn the condemners of the woman. He condemns no one. Many
fanciful interpretations have been given about Jesus’ action of writing on the
ground when he is asked the question. While some think that Jesus was writing
the sins of the bystanders, others think that he did not hear the question or,
that he was trying to gain time to come up with a good answer. Still others
think that Jesus was overcome by shame and embarrassment at the question and
so, stooped down so as to hide his face. Nothing in the text allows such
interpretations and it may well be that the reason Jesus bent down and wrote
with his finger on the ground was to distance himself from the situation and
refuse to play judge. Be that it may, after Jesus has challenged the accusers
of the woman to cast a stone at her if they are sinless, he bends down and writes
on the ground once again. It seems plausible to interpret this second action of
Jesus as stemming from his desire to condemn and to judge no one. He will not
even accuse or judge the very ones who have accused and judged the woman. This
is the challenge of unconditional love.
This
love was manifested to the people of Israel, as narrated in the first reading
of today, when, through the words of Isaiah, the Lord promised the people a
“new thing”. This was because the “former things” were not remembered anymore.
They were forgotten and erased. The “new thing” which the Lord will do is make
a way in the wilderness. He will travel like a shepherd on this way, and will
lead his flocks to safety and nourishment.
This
is also the “new thing” that Paul is convinced he has received and, because of
which, all the old or former things are of no consequence whatsoever. They are
to be counted as refuse when compared with the gain of knowing and experiencing
the unconditional forgiveness and love of God made manifest in Jesus. This is
also made explicit in the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus said, “Do not sin again”. He is not stating what is required for
acquittal. He is acquitting freely and without reservation. This unconditional
love has to become the starting point for a new life that one is challenged to
live.
The
readings of today are thus a consolation to everyone, no matter to which
category we may belong. If we are like the scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel
story of today, quick to condemn others and point fingers at them, the readings
are saying to us that God will not condemn us or point a finger at us. We have
been forgiven for this sin and forgiven unconditionally. If we identify with
the woman in the Gospel story, then to us, too, the message is that our sin has
been erased and that we have been forgiven, unconditionally. However, no matter
with whom we identify, the next step after having experienced the forgiveness
of God in Jesus is, like Paul, to forget what lies in the past and to press on
to what lies ahead. And, what lies ahead, is only unconditional forgiveness,
mercy, and love. Will we press on?
Friday, 4 April 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025 - Will you understand that God will reveal himself to you in ways you never even considered? Will you find him in everything that happens today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer11:18-20; Jn 7:40-52
The
invitation of Jesus to the thirsty to come and drink from the living water that
he will give leads to the discussion among the people which begins the text for
today. While those who come on hearing this invitation regard Jesus as “the”
prophet, others explicitly call him the Messiah. Still others question whether
Jesus could really be the Messiah because of the popular belief that the
Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Yet it was also true that some believed that
the origins of the Messiah would be a mystery and no one would know where he
would come from. These contrary views lead to a difference of opinion and
though some want to arrest Jesus they do not lay hands on him.
When
the police return to inform their masters that they could not arrest Jesus
because they had never heard anyone speak like him, they are accused of having
also been deceived by Jesus and taken in by his sophistry.
Nicodemus
who is also one of the Jewish authorities speaks on behalf of Jesus and reminds
his companions of the law and a hearing that was required before judgement. His
question is ironic and seems intended to bring out that his companions
knowledge of the law is a matter of doubt. They respond to Nicodemus in the
same way in which they respond to the temple police. They deride him and assert
their seemingly superior knowledge of scripture. Though they are emphatic that
no prophet is to arise from Galilee, this knowledge is faulty, because the
scriptures do speak of the Galilean origins of the prophet Jonah. John intends
to convey through this assertion on the part of the Pharisees that they had
misunderstood both the origins of the Messiah and who he is. Traditional
messianic categories are inadequate because they rely on prior assumptions and
expectations rather than judging Jesus on the basis of what he reveals about
himself: that he is the one sent from God.
Jesus
will always remain bigger than anything that we can ever imagine. Our most
intimate encounters with him must make us realize this. He cannot be captured
by the concepts, words or images that we use and while these help us to get to
know his better, they will always be inadequate. Yet, this does not mean that
we cannot know him as intimately as we want to. He reveals himself to each of
us according to the level of openness we possess.
Thursday, 3 April 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025 - Will you open your eyes, ears and heart and SEE that God is present in our world even today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Wis 2:1,12-22; Jn 7:1-2,10,25-30
The
feast of the tabernacles was originally a harvest festival and was linked to
the journey of Israel in the desert after the exodus when they stayed in tents
or booths. It was a seven day festival that brought great joy and during this
festival people lived in booths to remember their sojourn and God’s
graciousness to them. The liturgical rites performed during this festival,
included water libation and torch-lit processions. These form the background
for the discourse of Jesus during this festival.
The
crowds are surprised to see Jesus teaching in public despite the death threats
and so wonder if he could indeed be the Messiah. They also wonder if the
authorities know that Jesus is the Messiah but are denying it for some reason.
Soon, “reasonableness” gives way to insight and intuition when the crowds go
back to their stereotypes. They “know” where Jesus comes from and since no one
will know where the Messiah comes from, Jesus cannot be the Messiah. The fact
is that the crowds know only one aspect of Jesus’ antecedents. Jesus informs
them that they are not aware that his real origin is in God. One will only be
able to recognize and know Jesus when one realizes that he comes from God and
has been sent by him. This upsets the listeners and though they try to arrest
him, they cannot do so, because the ordained hour set by God has not yet come.
The
crucial question here is whether or not one perceives Jesus as having been sent
by God. The answer to this question determines whether one is on the right
track or engaged in only superficial reflection. One reason why the authorities
could not recognize Jesus as having been sent by God was because they had made
up their minds already. They refused to let God work in the way he wanted. They
decided how God must work and how the Messiah would come. They “knew”. This
“knowledge” led to their being closed to the revelation that God made, so that
even after he came, they continued to look for another.
God
continues to come to us in various disguises and forms. He comes in persons,
events and situations. If we decide in advance how he must come, then there is
the danger that we too might continue to miss him and not be aware of his
presence. The way to be able to find him in all things and all things in him is
to be open and receptive and let God be God. It is to open our eyes, ears and
every fiber of our being to the revelation that he will make and to be prepared
for that revelation in the most unexpected persons, places and events.
Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Do you believe in Jesus? How will you show that you are a “believer”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Exod 32:7-14; Jn 5:31-47
The
text of today contains the second part of the discourse of Jesus in response to
the outrage of the Jewish leaders because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. It
can be seen to be divided into two parts. The first part speaks about the
witnesses John and the Father who testify to Jesus’ claims and the second part
about the rejection of Jesus and the unbelief of the leaders.
The
witness that Jesus offers is not his own since no one can legitimately or
validly bear witness on his own behalf. The first witness Jesus mentions here
is John the Baptist who in the Gospel of John is portrayed more as a witness
rather than as a precursor or Baptist as he is in the Synoptic Gospels. In
witnessing to the truth John witnessed to Jesus since Jesus is the truth.
However, John was a mere lamp and not the light so though his testimony is true
there is another witness far greater than John and that is the works that Jesus
has accomplished after being sent by the Father. “Works’ here seems to refer
not just to the miracles that Jesus worked but to the whole of his ministry. These
works are the works of the Father and so bear witness to him and to the
relationship that Jesus shares with him as Son. Since Jesus as Son does what
God as father commands him to do, Jesus completes the Father’s own works. The
third witness is the Father himself. God himself cannot be seen, yet, he has
been made visible in Jesus and the Jewish leaders have refused to believe the
God made so visible.
The
scriptures also testify on behalf of Jesus and though the leaders search and
study the scriptures because they seek life, they refuse to believe what they
learn there, namely that Jesus is the one who gives life and life in abundance.
This is because they are unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is not
Jesus but Moses himself who will accuse them of unbelief. This is because Moses
also testified to Jesus and despite his testimony, they have refused to
believe. If one believes what Moses wrote, one has to believe in Jesus, there
is no middle ground here.
It
is not easy to believe in Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical
change in one’s life’s orientation. Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from
selfishness to selfless, domination to service and fear to love and not many
are inclined to make this change. Most of us are content to live our lives
insulated from others and preferring to live as islands rather than as
community. We pretend not to know who we are and what our calling is. It seems
easier this way. However, as the Gospel text makes clear there is no middle
ground and if one is not willing to live the kind of life that Jesus invites us
to as his disciples, then one is a non-believer.
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - Jesus revealed the Father through all that he said and did. Will you reveal Jesus by what you say and do today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 49:8-15; Jn 5:17-30
These
verses contain the first discourse in the Gospel of John. It is made up of many
closely related themes. The Jews are outraged that Jesus has healed on the
Sabbath and in answer to this outrage Jesus answers them in the following
verses. To the charge that Jesus was making himself equal to God, Jesus answers
that he as Son can do nothing apart from the Father. He is completely dependent
on the Father and merely does the Father’s work. The Father reveals all that he
does to his Son including raising the dead and giving them life. Thus the Son
shares in the life giving work of the Father. The Son has also been given the
power and authority to judge. This implies that everyone is under the Son’s
reign and rule, and thus must confer on him the same honour that is conferred
on the Father. The one who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father
since it is the Father who has sent the Son.
To
hear the Son’s word and believe in God opens the gift of eternal life. The
alternative is judgment. This judgement will be based on the response to the
Son in the present. Those who accept him and do good will be granted the
resurrection of life whereas those who reject the Son and thus do evil will go to
the resurrection of condemnation. The now will determine the later, the present
will determine the future. This part of the pericope ends with an idea
expressed earlier namely that the Son can do nothing on his own and will do
nothing on his own, because he seeks only to do the will of his Father.
Monday, 31 March 2025
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - In which areas do I need a new Vision, a new way of looking at Persons/Things/Events? Am I able to see others point of view in different situations? Do I feel threatened by differing points of view?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 47:1-19, 12; Jn 5:1-16
The
miracle of the healing of the paralytic is exclusive to the Gospel of John. The
story is set in Jerusalem and the miracle occurs during one of the Jewish
festivals though John does not specify which one. Later in the narrative we are
told that the day of the festival was also the Sabbath and this adds to the
significance of both the festival and the Sabbath and thus the miracle and the
controversy that follows. Festivals in John are used as a platform for a deep
revelation of the person of Jesus and this festival is no exception.
John
gives a detailed description of the place where the miracle was performed as if
encouraging the reader to place him/herself in that place. Three kinds of invalids
are mentioned: the blind, the lame and the paralyzed. These are at the pool
waiting for the stirring of the water. Popular belief was that an angel was
responsible for the stirring of the water and thus for the inexplicable
bubbling at the surface. Of these one is singled out. He is a man who has been
ill for thirty-eight years, which symbolizes that his illness is almost
permanent. At this point the text does not tell us what his illness is. Jesus
picks out this man and again we are not given a reason. Did he come across to
Jesus as the one most in need? Was he the only one who did not have someone to
help him? We are only told that Jesus “knew that he had been there a long
time”. Jesus initiates the miracle by approaching the man. Yet, he does not force
his healing on the man as is evident in the question that he asks him; “Do you
want to be made well?” The man does not answer the question but begins his
litany of complaints. He has already set limits to what he believes can be done
for him. He does not expect the impossible. Jesus responds to the man’s
complaints with three imperatives: “stand up, take your mat and walk”. That
Jesus’ words are effective and transformative is evident in the fact that the
man was made well. He obeys Jesus’ commands to the letter: “He took up his mat
and walked”.
Immediately
after the miracle, there is an objection on the part of “the Jews” (which here
refers to the Jewish authorities who oppose Jesus and not the Jewish people in
general) because the man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath and this
constituted work which was not allowed on the Sabbath. The man responds that he
is simply obeying what Jesus asked him to do. The Jewish leaders prefer to
focus not on the fact that he had been made well, but on the one who told him
to violate the Sabbath. The man cannot respond to the question of the Jewish
leaders about who Jesus is, since he does not know Jesus.
At
this point Jesus re-enters the story and finds the man in the temple confirming
that he has been made well and speaks to him about sin. He invites the man to
move from the mere physical healing to spiritual healing. The man on
encountering Jesus again, announces to the Jews that it was Jesus who made him
well. While some see these words of the man as pointing Jesus out to the Jewish
leaders, others interpret them as an announcement of the man about who Jesus
is. Again the leaders refuse to focus on the positive action of the man being
made well and focus instead on the violation of the Sabbath. This is why they decide
to persecute him.
Two
issues are brought out in this story. The first is that of illness. While we
may be able to see with the eyes of our head, it is possible that we too like
many of those who were at the pool may be psychologically or spiritually blind.
We may not be able to see another person’s point of view and imagine sometimes
that ours is the only correct viewpoint. We may also be blind to the sufferings
of the numerous people around us and close ourselves in on our own small
worlds. We may have the facility and use of both of our legs, but may have
given in to lethargy or laziness. We may have lost the desire and drive to do
what we have to do. We may be able to use all our limbs and move about freely,
but may have given in to fear. We may also be carrying resentments, bitterness,
anger, jealousy and even rage in our hearts because of which we are paralyzed
and not able to move freely.
The
second issue which the story brings out is that of law versus love. Like the
Jewish leaders we are also guilty sometimes of focusing too much on the law and
not enough on love. Like they were not able to focus on the man’s wholeness but
only on the violation of the Sabbath, so we are sometimes prone to focus on the
negatives rather than on the positive. We prefer often to give a negative
interpretation to a person’s actions and words rather than a positive one.
The
miracle thus calls each of us to give up the blindness of our heart and the
lameness of our mind and the paralysis of our spirit and to focus on the
positive of God’s unconditional healing and love made visible in Jesus.
Sunday, 30 March 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025 - Do you believe in God only when things go the way you plan or do you continue to believe in all circumstances? Is your God only a miracle worker or is he a God with you and for you?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 65:17-21; Jn 4:43-54
The
healing of the royal official’s son (4:46-54) which is part of our text today
begins after the dialogue with the Samaritan woman (4:1-42). The first two
verses of today’s text (4:43-45) serve as an interlude between the two stories.
John uses the saying of the prophet having no honour in his own country, to
show why Jesus came to Galilee. In John, Judea is Jesus’ own country and since
he was not accepted there, he had to go to others including the Samaritans.
Like the Samaritans, the Galileans welcome him.
The
first verse of the miracle story that follows is an introduction narrating the
case. The son of a royal official is ill in Capernaum. The mention of Cana and
a summary of the first miracle of turning water into wine anticipate another
miracle. The healing in this miracle, however, is done at a distance. The
official makes a request for Jesus to come down and heal his son who is at the
point of death. The immediate response of Jesus is directed not to the official
alone but to all. That Jesus did heal the official’s son is an indication that
his words are not meant merely as a rebuke, but go deeper. Though the people
will base their faith in him merely on signs and wonders, Jesus invites them to
realize that these are not what will motivate him to act. He will act only in
accordance with the will of God. Human expectation cannot determine his action.
Even after hearing this seeming rebuke, the official is not deterred. He
perseveres in his request. With a word and from a distance, Jesus performs the
healing. The official’s faith is Jesus is seen in his obedience to the command
to “Go”. He does go on his way.
The
attestation of the miracle is provided by the servants of the official who meet
him when he is still on his way to his home. The official on further enquiry
realizes that Jesus is the one who has performed the healing and is led to
faith. The man now believes in Jesus, not only in Jesus’ word.
At
the end of the miracle John remarks that this was then second sign that Jesus
worked after coming to Galilee. In his Gospel, John always refers to the
miracles of Jesus as signs.
Sickness
and brokenness are very much visible in our world today and most are in need of
some form of healing or another. At times doctors are not able to diagnose an
illness and at other times when they are and perform a complicated operation,
ask the patient and family members to pray and have faith. There is only so
much that they can do, the rest is in God’s hands. The official in the story
had probably gone to Jesus as a last resort (his son was not merely ill but at
the point of death) after having explored and exhausted all other avenues. He
is single minded in his purpose and will let nothing deter him. He believes and
perseveres. His faith gains for him not only his son’s life but also the gift
of faith in Jesus.
This
means that faith cannot be based on external signs alone and remain at that
level. If it is and does, then one will look at Jesus as a mere miracle worker.
The focus here would be only on the actions of Jesus and not on his person from
which his actions flow. If one is able to go beyond the action to the person of
Jesus, then one will also be able to see who God is: God with us, for us and in
us.
Saturday, 29 March 2025
Sunday, March 30, 2025 - The Prodigal Father
To read the texts click on the texts: Jos 5:9-12; 2Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
The
Parable of the Prodigal son is more aptly named the Parable of the Prodigal
father. The real prodigal, profligate, wasteful character in the story is not
so much the son as it is the father. It is the father who is wasteful in his
love. It is the father who is profligate in his forgiveness. It is the father
who is prodigal in his unconditional mercy and compassion. This Parable is
unique to the Gospel of Luke and is set in the context of the murmurings of the
Pharisees and scribes because Jesus eats with “tax collectors and sinners”.
There
is no rationale in the demand of the younger son. His demand was such that it
would result, not only in breaking family ties, but also in regarding his
father as dead. The father, however, holds back nothing. He gives all he can
give to his son; he gives his very life. The granting of the demand of the
younger son results in his progressive estrangement. He first leaves home and
his father and goes to a faraway country. He also mismanages the money given to
him. He spends it all on loose living. His descent into poverty and deprivation
is swift. He descends so low that he agrees to work for a gentile, in a gentile
land, tending swine. Swine were an abomination to Jews, who were prohibited
from raising swine. The man who would dare to breed swine was considered
cursed. The younger son becomes a total destitute.
However,
when he is at the depth of his degradation and in the midst of mire and filth,
he comes to his senses. That he is serious about his return is shown in his
actions. He prepares his act of contrition, his plea for mercy and then, gets
up from the mire and begins the journey to his father. While the son is still a
long way off, the father runs to meet him. In the first century, it was
considered undignified for grown men to run. The father sets aside respect and
dignity. The son begins his speech but is not allowed to complete it. The
father interrupts his son even before he can finish, He gives instructions to
his servants to bring a robe, a ring, and sandals, all of which indicate that
the son is given back his original place as son. The call to kill the fatted
calf is a sign that the return of the son is to be regarded as a time of
celebration. The dead son has come alive. The lost son has been found. All sin
is forgiven, all iniquity is pardoned, and all guilt is erased by the embrace
of father and son.
This,
however, is only one part of the parable and has to do with the vertical
dimension and reconciliation. It has to do with one’s relationship to God.
The
second part of the parable, in which the elder son is introduced, has to do
with the horizontal dimension and is equally or possibly more important. The
elder son neither addressed his father, as father, nor his brother, as brother.
His focus is on merit and what he thinks is rightfully his. This also leads him
to point to the faults of the younger son, his brother. His father, however,
wants him to focus on the joy and delight of welcoming his brother who has come
back from darkness to light and from death to new life.
While
many of us can resonate with the first and third parts of the parable, namely
the demand of the younger son for his share and the unforgiving attitude of the
elder son, we find it extremely difficult to believe or even fathom the centre
of the parable which concerns the forgiveness of the father. There are two
possible reasons for this. The first is that our image of God is warped. We
concentrate only on the judgement, anger, and wrath of God. We forget God’s
unconditional mercy and love as revealed in Jesus. The second reason is that we
expect God to behave with us like we behave with others. Since we are often
unforgiving, like the elder son, we think that God will be unforgiving with us
as well. However, the truth is that we have been loved first. We have been
forgiven first and we have been pardoned first. We have been accepted totally
and completely by God.
Even
the first reading of today speaks of the mercy that God had on the people when
God rolled away the disgrace of Egypt for Israel and they were given the
privilege of eating of the produce of the land. God erased their sin and
accepted them, even with their failings and their faults.
The
readings of today throw up a dual challenge. The first is to believe, and know,
that God forgives unconditionally no matter how grave our sin might be. It is
to accept totally the immeasurable depth of God’s boundless love. It is to
realize, in the depths of our hearts, that God is always willing to take us
back. The second challenge that follows from the first, and is related to it,
is our acceptance and forgiveness of others as God forgives us.
This
is the challenge that Paul issues to the Corinthians in the second reading of
today when he invites them to be ambassadors for Christ. Anyone who claims to
be a disciple and follower of Christ has become a new creation and has been
reconciled to God.
Friday, 28 March 2025
Saturday, March 29, 2025 - Does the content of your prayer include despising or condemning others? Has pride prevented you from encountering God? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Lk 18:9-14
The
parable that forms the text today is knows as the Parable of the Pharisee and
tax Collector but is not so much about these persons as it is about the
disposition for prayer in any person. It is exclusive to Luke. The parable is
addressed not to the Pharisees, but to those who “trusted in themselves that
they were righteous and regarded others with contempt”. This could be a
description of any self-righteous person.
The
two men who went up to the temple to pray are introduced as a Pharisee and a
tax collector. Pharisee means “separated one” and the Pharisee in the parable
takes this prayer position. He stands apart or by himself. Though he begins his
prayer with thanksgiving, it is soon clear that it is not genuine thanks, but
self centered. He is aware of the presence of the tax collector in the temple
and regards him with contempt even as he prays. The Pharisee makes clear that
he follows the law perfectly and obeys even the injunctions to fast and give
tithes. He asks nothing of God probably because he thinks he is self-sufficient.
By
contrast the tax collector will not dare to come near but stands “far off”.
This indicates his position before God. He does not consider himself worthy.
While the commonly accepted posture of prayer was with hands folded and looking
up to God, this tax collector stands with his head bowed and “would not even
look up to heaven”. Instead he beats his breast in acknowledgement of the fact
that he is unworthy and a sinner. His prayer is God centered. He cedes all
power to God. He has nothing to boast about.
The
comment at the end of the parable makes clear its intent. The Pharisee returned
to his home without having been made righteous, but the tax collector was
accepted before God.
Those
who trust in their own righteousness will regard others with contempt, and
those who regard others with contempt cannot then bring themselves to rely on
God’s grace. Therefore, persons who exalt themselves over others and boast of
their virtue before God will discover that they have cut themselves off from
both, and persons who are aware of their need for grace and forgiveness will
not be able to despise other people.
The
nature of grace is paradoxical: It can be received only by those who have
learned empathy for others. In that regard, grace partakes of the nature of
mercy and forgiveness. Only the merciful can receive mercy, and only those who
forgive will be forgiven. The Pharisee had enough religion to be virtuous, but
not enough to be humble. As a result, his religion drove him away from the tax
collector rather than toward him.
Thursday, 27 March 2025
Friday, March 28, 2025 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Hosea 14:2-10; Mk12:28-34
In
Matthew 22:35, the lawyer asks the question about the great commandment in
order to test Jesus; in Mark he is not hostile and does not intend to test
Jesus. As a matter of fact Mark mentions at the beginning of the incident that
the lawyer thought that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well and at the end of
that response, he commends Jesus for his answer. Jesus responds to the lawyer’s
question in the words of the “Shema”, which speaks of love of God (Deut 6:5-6),
but adds also the love of neighbour (Lev 19:18). The scribe’s response to this
is to acknowledge Jesus’ answer as correct and to add that following these
commandments is greater than sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus concludes the
dialogue by stating that because the scribe has recognized what his priorities
are, he is not far from the kingdom of God.
Love
of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour. The two go together.
Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when we reach out in love
to someone else. While Paul gives a
beautiful description of what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13,
my own definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025 - Which is the demon that has possessed you and does not leave you free? Will you attempt to get rid of that demon today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23
The
onlookers respond to the exorcism of a demon that made a man mute, in different
ways. While there are some who are amazed, others attribute Jesus’ power to
cast out demons to Beelzebul and still others ask for a sign from heaven. This
is an indication that no one doubted Jesus’ power to exorcise and heal. They
attributed it to different sources. In his response to this charge and test,
Jesus says that since exorcisms represented a direct assault on Satan’ power
and kingdom, it is clear that he cannot be on Satan’s side. Also, if Jesus’
exorcisms’ were performed by the power of Satan, the same would have to be said
of other exorcists belonging to their community. Instead Jesus’ works indicate
that the kingdom of God has indeed arrived. Through his exorcisms, Satan’s
power is broken. In the simile of the strong man and his castle, Jesus
explicates that he is the stronger one who overpowers Satan who had guarded his
kingdom well till this time. Finally Jesus invites his listeners to take a
stand for him. The saying here is strong. If one does not positively opt for
Jesus, one has opted against him. The time now is for decision and choice.
Once
he has answered his critics (11:17-23), Jesus moves on to exhort his listeners
to fill their lives with the kingdom of God, because it is possible that
despite the exorcism, if a person persists in his old ways, he will be
possessed once again and this will be ever worse than before.
While
there is no doubt that Jesus did exorcise people who were possessed by demons,
we must avoid getting caught up with exorcisms ourselves. Rather, today there
are many subtle forms of “possession” which are more dangerous than “external
possession”. Some of these are consumerism, selfishness, ignorance and a better
than thou attitude. We need to ask the Lord to exorcise these demons from our
lives.
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - When was the last time you performed an action without any expectation of reward? Will you perform one today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Mt 5:17-19
These
verses contain what are commonly known as the “theme” of the Sermon on the
Mount. In these verses, the Matthean Jesus makes explicit that he is a law
abiding Jew. His attitude towards the Jewish law is fundamentally positive.
However, Jesus also makes explicit here, that he has come not merely to confirm
or establish the law, but to fulfill or complete it. This means that he will go
beyond a purely legal interpretation to a broader perspective. He will remove
the focus from the mere external and concentrate on the internal. The focus
will be more on the attitude than merely on the action.
While
laws, rules and regulations are necessary and help towards order, it is also
possible that they can become ends in themselves and not as they are meant to
be, means to an end. We might follow in some cases the letter of the law, but
miss out on its spirit. We might even follow the rule or law only because we
are afraid of getting caught and punished and not because we are convinced of
it.
Monday, 24 March 2025
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - The Annunciation of the Lord - Will you like Mary say "Let it be done to me" and let the Lord do in you.
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa7:10-14;8:10; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38
The
Annunciation of the Lord is the beginning of Jesus in his human nature. Through
his mother and her courageous YES, Jesus became a human being. The point of the
Annunciation is to stress that Jesus did not come down from heaven as an
“avatar” but rather that in every sense of the word; he was totally and
completely human. Another related point is that God “needs” the co-operation of
human beings to complete the plans God has for the world. One of the most
beautiful examples of co-operating with God is that of Mary and her
unconditional Amen.
The
text chosen for the feast is that of the Annunciation as narrated by Luke. It
relates the scene immediately after the announcement of the birth of John the
Baptist and contains the announcement of the birth of Jesus. There are many
similarities in the annunciations to Mary and to Zechariah. The angel Gabriel
is the one who makes both announcements. Both Zechariah and Mary are called by
name and exhorted not to be afraid. Both ask a question of the angel, and it is
the angel who tells them what name each child is to be given. It is the angel who predicts what each child
will turn out to be. However, even as there are similarities, there are
differences in the narratives. While the announcement to Zechariah comes in the
Temple and as a result of his fervent prayer, the announcement to Mary comes
(apparently) when she is in her home and it is unanticipated. While Zechariah
and his wife Elizabeth are advanced in age, Mary has not yet stayed with her
husband, and so is a virgin. The birth of John to parents who are past the age
of child bearing is a miracle, but even greater is the miracle of the birth of
Jesus, who would be born through the Holy Spirit, and to a virgin. Even as John
the Baptist goes with the spirit and power of Elijah, Jesus will be called “Son
of God”. Luke clearly wants to show John as great, but only the forerunner of
the Messiah, Jesus, who is greater.
Here,
too, like in the case of the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist, God
intervenes in human history. Mary though
betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet lived
with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year after
the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She has
opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was gripped
with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it is the
angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes the
announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that he will
accomplish.
In
response to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both
questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt
and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is struck
dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith. Mary
did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked only
for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This will be
accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the child
will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is not
merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s
generous gift in the Spirit.
The
evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the
pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not
merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all
that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s
trusting, obedient response.
Today,
many assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a
good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured
one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed
as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the
essence of God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity
mask its scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part
in God’s plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that
God would have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an
important example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk
to self.
When
we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her
whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your
will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed,
Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she
could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of
today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us that we, too, like Mary,
might be able to say YES to everything that God wants to do in our lives. It is
a challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too,
might be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.
Sunday, 23 March 2025
Monday, March 24, 2025 - Have you set limits on where, when and in whom God can work? Will you leave God free? Will you let God be God?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Kgs 5:1-15a; Lk 4:24-30
The
text begins with the words “Truly I tell you” which is used six times in the
Gospel of Luke and always to introduce a solemn statement. Luke alone uses it
here to introduce the proverb that follows. This proverb is found also in Mark
(6:4), Matthew (13:57) and John (4:44), but in a different form there. In Luke,
the proverb is given in a negative form and “hometown” may also be translated
as “home country”. This leads to the interpretation that Jesus will be rejected
not only by the people of Nazareth (his hometown) but also by the whole of
Israel (his home country).The references to Elijah and Elisha are to reinforce
the statement made namely that the blessings of God were not restricted to one
particular group or community but were available to all peoples. No one was
excluded from the graciousness of God and from his bounty. This statement of
Jesus enraged the people who were listening to him and drove Jesus out of their
town. Though they were hostile to him, Jesus did not let that deter him, but
continued to do what he was meant to do.
This
scene suggests that the basis for their hostility toward Jesus was a difference
in the way they read the Scriptures. The people of Jesus’ hometown read the
Scriptures as promises of God’s exclusive covenant with them, a covenant that
involved promises of deliverance from their oppressors. Jesus came announcing
deliverance, but it was not a national deliverance but God’s promise of
liberation for all the poor and oppressed regardless of nationality, gender, or
race. When the radical inclusiveness of Jesus’ announcement became clear to
those gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth, their commitment to their own
community boundaries took precedence over their joy that God had sent a prophet
among them. In the end, because they were not open to the prospect of others’
sharing in the bounty of God’s deliverance, they themselves were unable to
receive it.
Not
only is this scene paradigmatic of Jesus’ life and ministry, but it is also a
reminder that God’s grace is never subject to the limitations and boundaries of
any nation, church, group, or race. Those who would exclude others thereby
exclude themselves. Human beings may be instruments of God’s grace for others,
but we are never free to set limits on who may receive that grace. Throughout
history, the gospel has always been more radically inclusive than any group,
denomination, or church, so we continually struggle for a breadth of love and
acceptance that more nearly approximates the breadth of God’s love. The paradox
of the gospel, therefore, is that the unlimited grace that it offers so
scandalizes us that we are unable to receive it. Jesus could not do more for
his hometown because they were not open to him. How much more might God be able
to do with us if we were ready to transcend the boundaries of commun
Saturday, 22 March 2025
Sunday, March 23, 2025 - Questions without answers
To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 3:1-8a,13-15;1 Cor 10:1-6,10-12; Lk13:1-9
In
the play “Hamlet”, there is a scene in which Hamlet says to his friend,
Horatio: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt
of in your philosophy”. Hamlet could well have been talking about God. No
matter how much we think we know about God, he will always remain a mystery. We
will know only so much and no more. There will always be more to know. The
readings of today highlight this reality.
The
first reading of today narrates Moses’ encounter with God. This encounter is
one of both revelation and concealment. God was, is, and will be, and yet, this
is not all that God is. Moses would never be able to fully understand or fully
comprehend who God really is. Even so, the “name” of God reveals power,
fidelity, and presence. God is revealed through this “name” as one who is able
to make something from nothing, one who can make the impossible, possible. God
is revealed as one who will remain faithful, even in the face of infidelity,
and one who will be eternally present to people. God will be there when called
upon. God will help when asked.
In
the Gospel reading of today, Jesus makes a similar point about the mystery of
God. Here, the point made is about God’s action. We can never fully understand
God’s ways. There is no answer to the question of why the Galileans, whom
Pilate had killed, had to die or, why it was that the specific group of
eighteen, on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, had to be crushed under it. Our
finite minds can never come up with plausible and believable answers to these
questions. They will remain mysteries. Yet, in the parable of the fig tree, and
even more, through the life and mission of Jesus, God is revealed as one who is
willing to give humans a chance to improve. God is revealed as one who will
continue to wait for humans to return to him. Since this is so, rather than
speculate on the question why, Jesus invites the people to repentance.
The
repentance that Jesus calls the people to is a change of mind, heart, and
vision. It is a practical rather than speculative response to God and to life.
It is an attitude that realizes that we will never have the answers to all the
questions that we can ask. We will never be able to answer credibly why one
person is stricken with the dreaded disease of cancer while another is healthy.
We will never be able to answer plausibly why one mother should deliver a still
born baby and another, a baby full of life. We will never be able to answer
believably why a young person dies in an accident because of the negligence of
someone else and why another, in the same vehicle, survives. In the face of
conundrums like these, there is but one response. That response is to accept
what happens as God’s will and plan for us. This does not mean that we develop
a fatalistic attitude. This does not mean that we must do nothing but accept
our fate. It does not mean that we must throw our hands up in despair because
there is no use at all. Rather, it means a response of faith and trust in a God
who will always do what is best for us.
Paul
speaks of this response in the second reading of today when he interprets the
Exodus event. At the time it happened, the people who went through it were not
able to comprehend it. They complained and grumbled. They thought that God was
not on their side. They thought God was unconcerned about them and their
plight. Yet, as has been shown, God was on their side, even when they could not
feel or see God’s presence as tangibly or as readily as they would have liked.
God continued to go ahead of them, lighting their path and guiding their way.
God was always present, even when they did not know it. The challenge for the
Corinthian community is to learn from this event that God does not abandon
people. Even in the face of the severest trials, even in the face of the hardest
hardships, even in the face of the sternest challenges, God is there and does
provide a way.
This
remains the challenge for us, even today. Though science and technology have
made much progress, and though we have found answers for many questions which
we did not know earlier, it is also true that there remains a great deal that
we do not know. There are, indeed, more things in heaven and earth than are
dreamt of in our philosophies and theologies.
Friday, 21 March 2025
Saturday, March 22, 2025 - How would you define your relationship with God? What names do you use to address God? What does this tell you about your relationship?
To read the texts click on the texts: Mic 7:14-15, 18-20; Lk15; 1-3, 11-32
The
setting for the Parable of the Prodigal son (more correctly called “The
Prodigal father”) is the same as at the beginning of Chapter 15 and concerns
the murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes because Jesus eats with “tax
collectors and sinners.”
Direct
taxes (poll tax, land tax) were collected by tax collectors employed by the
Romans, while tolls, tariffs, and customs fees were collected at toll houses by
toll collectors, the group that appears frequently in the Gospels and is not
entirely accurately identified as “tax collectors.” Toll collectors paid in
advance for the right to collect tolls, so the system was open to abuse and
corruption. The toll collectors were often not natives of the area where they
worked, and their wealth and collusion with the Roman oppressors made them
targets of scorn.
Those
designated as “sinners” by the Pharisees would have included not only persons
who broke the moral laws but also those who did not maintain the ritual purity
practiced by the Pharisees. The scandal was that Jesus received such outcasts,
shared table fellowship with them, and even played host to them.
The
beginning of the Parable which speaks of “two sons” indicates that the focus is
on their relationship to the Father and not to each other as “brothers”. The
demand of the younger son is disrespectful and irregular. There is no rationale
here. He was breaking family ties and treating his father as if he were already
dead. The father divides his life among them. As soon as the younger son
receives his share, there is a progressive estrangement. He goes into a faraway
country which indicates gentile land and mismanages the money given to him. He
spends it all on loose living. His descent into poverty and deprivation is
swift. He descends as low as to agree to work for a gentile and in a gentile
land. Swine were an abomination to Jews, and they were prohibited from raising
swine anywhere. The man who would dare to breed swine was considered
cursed. Human beings even ate carob
pods, which were used as animal fodder, in times of famine. This is an
indication of the complete destitution of the younger son. He comes to his
senses when he is at the depth of his degradation and in the midst of mire and
filth.
There
are four parts to the speech that the younger son prepares
1. An address – “Father”
2. A confession – “I have sinned”
3. Contrition – “I am no longer worthy”
4. A Petition – “treat me as one of your hired
servants.
The
journey begins with coming to himself and ends with his going to his Father. It
means learning to say ABBA again, putting one’s whole trust in the heavenly
Father, returning to the Father’s house and the Father’s arms. That the younger
son is serious about his return is shown in his action. He gets up from the
mire and begins the return to his father.
The
father’s response is mind boggling. While the son is still a long way off, he
runs to meet him. In the first century it was considered undignified for grown
men to run. The father sets aside respect and dignity. His only focus is his
son. The son begins his speech but is not allowed to complete it. The father
interrupts his son even before he can finish. He gives instructions to his
servants for a robe, ring and sandals all of which indicate that the son is
given back his original place as son. The call to kill the fatted calf is a
sign that the return of the son is to be regarded as a time of celebration. The
dead son has come alive, the lost son has been found.
Even
as the celebration is on, the elder son is introduced. When he is informed
about the reason for the celebration, he sulks and refuses to enter the house.
Like in the case of his younger son, the father goes to meet his elder son.
However, while he does not have to plead with the younger son, he does so with
the elder son. The elder son does not address his father as “Father”, nor does
he refer to his brother as “brother”. His argues his case on the grounds of
merit and what he thinks he rightfully deserves. Even as he does this, he
points to the failings of the younger son. What then is the point of being
good?
In
his response to the elder son, the father first addresses his son as “Son”
though he was not addressed as “Father” and also reminds him that the younger
son is also his brother. Reconciliation for the younger son meant
reconciliation with his father, but for the elder son it means reconciliation
with his brother. There is thus both the vertical dimension and the horizontal
dimension of reconciliation.
Much
of the fascination of this parable lies in its ability to resonate with our
life experiences: adolescent rebellion; alienation from family; the appeal of
the new and foreign; the consequences of foolish living; the warmth of home
remembered; the experience of self-encounter, awakening, and repentance; the
joy of reunion; the power of forgiveness; the dynamics of “brotherly love” that
leads to one brother’s departure and the other’s indignation; and the contrast
between relationships based on merit and relationships based on faithful love.
Unfortunately,
we usually learn to demand our rights before we learn to value our
relationships. The younger son was acting within his rights, but he was
destroying his closest relationships in the process. How many times a week will
a parent hear one child say to another, “This is mine. Give it to me”? Children
quickly learn to demand their rights, but it often takes much longer for them
to learn how to maintain relationships. Governments and law courts defend our
civil rights, but how do we learn to defend our civil and familial
relationships?
From
a distance, the “far country” can be very appealing. Young people leave home
for fast living. Spouses move out to form liaisons with exciting new partners.
The glow that surrounds the far country is a mirage, however. Home never looks
as good as when it is remembered from the far country.
The
journey home begins with coming to oneself. That means that the most difficult
step is the first one. The younger son had to face himself in the swine pen of
his own making before he faced his father on the road. Pride can keep us from
admitting our mistakes; self-esteem may require us to take decisive action to
set right the things we have done wrong.
Although
the opportunity to restore relationships and remedy wrongs begins with coming
to oneself, it requires more. We must go to the person we have wronged. Was the
younger son just seeking to improve his situation, or was he seeking
reconciliation with his father? The direct confession in his interior monologue
confirms the sincerity of his intent. Neither the younger son’s pride nor his
shame mattered as much as his need to restore his relationship to his father.
He did not ask for his filial privileges to be restored. He did not even ask
for forgiveness. He merely stated his confession. When the prodigal son came to
himself, he came to his father. . . .
The
temptation a parent faces is to allow the child’s separation to become
reciprocal. If the child separates from the parent, the parent may be tempted
to respond in kind. The parable’s model of parental love insists, however, that
no matter what the son/daughter has done he/she is still son/daughter. When no
one else would even give the prodigal something to eat, the father runs to him
and accepts him back. Love requires no confession and no restitution. The
joyful celebration begins as soon as the father recognized the son’s profile on
the horizon.
Insofar
as we may see God’s love reflected in the response of the waiting father, the
parable reassures all who would confess, “Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you.” The father runs to meet his son even before the son can voice
his confession, and the father’s response is far more receptive than the son
had dared even to imagine. The father’s celebration conveys the joy in heaven.
The picture is one of sheer grace. No penance is required; it is enough that
the son has come home.
If
this is the picture of God’s joy in receiving a sinner coming home, then it can
also give assurance of God’s love to those who face death wondering how God
will receive them. In the end we all return home as sinners, so Jesus’ parable
invites us to trust that God’s goodness and mercy will be at least as great as
that of a loving human father.
The
elder brother represents all of us who think we can make it on our own, all of
us who might be proud of the kind of lives we live. Here is the contrast
between those who want to live by justice and merit and those who must ask for
grace. The parable shows that those who would live by merit can never know the
joy of grace. We cannot share in the Father’s grace if we demand that he deal
with us according to what we deserve. Sharing in God’s grace requires that we
join in the celebration when others are recipients of that grace also. Part of
the fellowship with Christ is receiving and rejoicing with others who do not
deserve our forgiveness or God’s grace. Each person is of such value to God,
however, that none is excluded from God’s grace. Neither should we withhold our
forgiveness.
The
parable leaves us with the question of whether the elder brother joined the
celebration. Did he go in and welcome his brother home, or did he stay outside
pouting and feeling wronged? The parable ends there because that is the
decision each of us must make. If we go in, we accept grace as the Father’s
rule for life in the family.
Thursday, 20 March 2025
Friday, March 21, 2025 - Will you give God his due by sharing with at least one person who does not have today? If God were to visit the vineyard of your life and ask for fruit what would your response be?
To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28; Mt 21:33-43, 45-46
This
Parable is known variously as the parable of the wicked tenants or the Parable
of the Vineyard. While the parable in Mark has been allegorised, it is not
clear whether there was a non-allegorical parable going back to Jesus. Those
who are of the opinion that there was a non-allegorical parable interpret it to
mean that just as the tenants took radical action, so radical action is
required in order to gain the kingdom. Others see the parable to mean that the
kingdom will be taken away from Israel’s false leadership and given to gentiles
and sinners. Still others see the parable to mean that God does not abandon and
relentlessly seeks and searches for them and longs for a response from them.
In
Matthew, this parable is the center of Jesus’ threefold parabolic response to
the chief priests and elders. The first of these is about the two sons
(21:28-32) and the third is about the great supper (22:1-14). He also links it
to the previous parable of the two sons by means of common words like vineyard,
son and the common theme of both which is doing God’s will rather than paying
lip service.
In
Matthew, the one who gives the vineyard to tenants is a “landowner” and not
simply a “man “as he is in Mark. This helps Matthew to use the term “Lord”
towards the end of the parable. The vineyard is described much like the one in
Isa 5:1-7 which indicates that Matthew intends the vineyard to be read as
“Israel” which it is in Isaiah. If in Mark the man who hired out the vineyard
wants only his share, here he wants all the fruit. This indicates that God’s
claim on the human person and all possessions it total and not partial. There
are no half measures with God. It is all or nothing. The two groups of servants
which are sent before the Son probably represent in Matthew the former and
latter prophets whom God sent to Israel to bring the nation back to him. It is
only after the two groups of servants are abused and murdered that the
landowner decides to send his Son. In Matthew the son is first taken out of the
vineyard and then killed (unlike in Mark where he is first killed and then
thrown out of the vineyard) to correspond with what actually happens at the
passion and death of Jesus (27:32). In Mark the question about the response of
the owner of the vineyard is asked and answered by Jesus, while in Matthew,
Jesus asks the questions and the Jewish leaders answer and through the answer
pronounce their own condemnation. The tenants had been unfaithful and will have
to pay for this unfaithfulness. The quotation of Ps 118:22-23 here results in
increasing and intensifying the condemnation of the tenants to whom what was
given was given in trust. Since they have been proved untrustworthy and unfaithful,
they will be denied further tenancy and others will be given the vineyard to
tend.
The
Jewish leaders realize that the parable is about them and this only hardens
their stance against Jesus and strengthens their resolve to destroy him.
All
that we possess is given to us in trust. This means that while we may use what
we have, we have also to be concerned about those who do not have and be
generous with them. Selfishness on our part leads to our thinking that we must
use the things we have exclusively without even the thought of sharing them
with others.
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025 - Can I be accused of sins of lack of concern, inability to assess the reality of situations, closing my eyes and ears to the injustices around me, being caught up in my own small world? Does my reflection on sin include “sins of omission”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer17:5-10; Lk 16:19-31
The
parable of today has often been titled as the parable of “Dives and Lazarus”.
It can be seen to be divided into three parts. If in the first part the focus
is on rich man’s (who is not named. The term “dives” in Latin means “rich”)
opulence and wealth, in the second part it is on his death and burial. In the
third part which is the longest there is for the first time in the story, a
dialogue. It is between the rich man and Abraham and is the climax of the
story.
The
story begins by describing the rich man and his dress and food. The “purple and
fine linen” may signify that he was a high ranking official, since the Romans
had set standards regarding who could wear purple and how much purple they
could wear. In contrast to the rich man there is a poor man who is named
Lazarus. He is the only character in Jesus’ parables to be given a name. The
name Lazarus means “God helps”. The fact that he is at the gate of the rich
man’s house signifies that though the rich man could see Lazarus, he was not
aware of his existence. He is so caught up in his world of material things that
this results in his inability to see reality right before him. Lazarus would
have been content with the bread which was used to wipe the grease from the
hand of the one eating and then thrown under the table. However, even this he
did not receive. Instead, dogs fed off his sores.
The
death of Lazarus is no surprise. However, the detail that is added is that
Lazarus is carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. This detail brings
to mind that God indeed comes to Lazarus’ help.
The death of the rich man is described in a short sentence which brings
out strikingly the transient nature of all his opulence and wealth.
In
the third part, there is dialogue between the rich man and Abraham. Lazarus
does not speak at all. He is in the bosom of Abraham. Being “in the bosom” of
Abraham may imply that Lazarus was the honoured guest at the eschatological
banquet, feasting while the rich man was in torment. In the request that the rich man makes of
Abraham to let Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue,
he calls Lazarus by name which indicates that he knew who Lazarus was and yet
refused to look at him on earth as a person. In his response, Abraham reminds
the rich man of his and Lazarus’ past and of the chasm that separated them
then, but which had been erected by the rich man, and which still separates
them now. It is admirable that even in his torment the rich man can think of
others (even if they be members of his own immediate family). He makes a second
request of Abraham to send Lazarus as a messenger to warn his brothers. Abraham
responds that the brothers have already received enough and more instruction
and if they have not heeded that they will not heed another. The rich man tries
one final time to convince Abraham to send Lazarus as one who has gone back
from the dead. Abraham responds by telling the rich man that for those who
believe no proof is necessary and for those who do not no proof is sufficient.
The
rich man in the story is so caught with the things of the world and with his
own self interests that these prevent him from even becoming aware of the needs
of another. A number of questions to which there are no easy answers are raised
by this parable and we must keep reflecting on them constantly if we are not to
lose touch with reality.