Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 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, 12 March 2018
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - Ezek 47:1-9,12; Jn 5:1-3,5-16
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - Ezek 47:1-9,12; Jn 5:1-3,5-16
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - In which areas do I need a new Vision, a new way of looking at Persons/Things/Events?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 47:1-9,12; Jn 5:1-3,5-16
The miracle of the healing of the paralytic is
exclusive to the Gospel of John. The story is set in Jerusalem
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 reenters 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.
Am I able to
see others point of view in different situations? Do I feel threatened by
differing points of view?
Do I have
prejudices about certain individuals/groups, which do not allow me to encounter
them wholly and completely?
Am I able to
take clear stands about issues? Or am I accused of sitting on the fence, being
neither hot nor cold?
Am I afraid to
make changes because of the fear of change?
What are the hurts,
resentments, bitterness that I am carrying in my heart and mind?
Do I set limits on God’s
magnanimity and generosity in forgiving me? Have I forgiven myself?
How do I show that I have
really been forgiven?
What does it means that I
can rise, take up my mat and walk?
Sunday, 11 March 2018
Monday, March 12, 2018 - 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: Isa65:17-21; 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 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
the 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.
Audio reflections of Monday, March 12, 2018
To hear the Audio reflections of Monday, March 12, 2018 click HERE
Saturday, 10 March 2018
Sunday, March 11, 2018 - He lights our way
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Chr 36:14-17,19-23; Eph 2:4-10;Jn 3:14-21
“God made us in his image and
likeness and we have been repaying the compliment ever since.” This statement
of a wit is not far from the truth. We continue to fashion God according to the
smallness of our minds. The great mystics of many religions realized this and
so when they speak of God, they realize that, even after all is said, there
will still be much left to be said. John does the same in his Gospel.
He cautions the readers of his
Gospel in 21:25: “But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every
one of them were written down…” Yet, he does speak of the revelation that God
makes in Jesus, and of the blessing we have received in this revelation,
because it gives us insight into who God is.
The text of today begins with what
is regarded as the first of the three passion, resurrection, and ascension
predictions in the Gospel of John. Jesus will be lifted up / exalted, just as
Moses lifted up / exalted the bronze serpent in the wilderness. The term hupsoo
can mean ‘lift up’ or ‘exalt’. Although the word might indicate the physical
act of ‘lifting up’ the cross beam at the time of his crucifixion, it might
also mean his ‘exaltation into glory’. Thus, in his crucifixion, Jesus will
also be exalted, yet there is no exaltation apart from the crucifixion. The
consequence of believing in Jesus lifted up/exalted is eternal life, which here
means a life lived in the constant presence of God. Jesus dies, but only to be
raised to life and ascend to the Father.
This unconditional love of God was
made visible and tangible in Jesus, God’s Son come into the world. The Son,
given as a gift of God, was accepted by some but rejected by others. God sent
his Son so that all may have eternal life. The primary purpose of sending the
Son was to save, not to condemn. Yet, every person is free to decide whether
he/she wants to accept this free gift. Acceptance of the gift of the Son of God
means salvation; rejection means that one condemns oneself.
The people of Israel were freed
from exile in Babylon, by Cyrus, the Persian king. After being freed, they
became bound again, bound by their own desires and selfishness. They have in
Jesus salvation in every sense of the word. It is a salvation achieved through
the self-sacrifice of Jesus, the only Son of God. Because of this, all people
everywhere can have an even better life than the Israelites had under David and Solomon. The Lord’s song can continue to be sung in this new land and this new
life. People will not need to remember Zion. There will no longer be exile
or captivity. There will no longer be any mourning, weeping, or sorrow. The
coming of God’s Son has turned all sorrow into joy and every tear has been
wiped away.
This insight is extremely important
for our lives as well, because it means that, if we accept it, our lives will
never be the same again. God could have, like in the past, sent yet another
messenger or even another message. Yet, he opted for the most extreme of
measures when he sent a part of himself. It is even more stunning that this Son
was sent, not to judge, but to draw people to God through love and forgiveness.
The primary task of Jesus, as his name suggests, was to be salvation to all.
The all inclusive nature of this salvation, and its availability to the whole
human race, is something that is possible only for God.
But not everyone accepts this
salvation offered by the Son. Though the light has come, some preferred the
dark. The reason why they preferred the dark is because they did not want
either their deeds or their person to be exposed. Fear ruled their hearts.
Those who opted for the light opted for freedom and love.
This idea is reiterated in the second reading of today in which the Christians at Ephesus are given an insight into the unconditional love of God which, because it came when they were sinners, proves that God’s love is a gift and not something earned. To show that the gift has been received and not spurned, they are called to live lives worthy of this great gift or God’s love.
This idea is reiterated in the second reading of today in which the Christians at Ephesus are given an insight into the unconditional love of God which, because it came when they were sinners, proves that God’s love is a gift and not something earned. To show that the gift has been received and not spurned, they are called to live lives worthy of this great gift or God’s love.
Today’s readings give us an insight
into who God is in Jesus. They state simply that God is, and will always be,
unconditional, magnanimous, and bountiful love. This calls us to a new hope and
a new courage. They say to us that, even when we are in extremely difficult
situations and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, God
continues to be there with us, walking ahead of us, guiding our path and
lighting our way. They say to us that, at moments when we think all is lost and
we have no hope, we must not give up or give in. They say to us that, even at
those times when we cannot fully understand why things happen the way they do
and we are tempted to through in the towel, God continues to offer hope and
consolation.
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