Who is on your Prowl?

Scripture/Bible:  Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." 49 But one of them, Ca'iaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all; 50 you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish." 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called E'phraim; and there he stayed with the disciples. John 11:45-54

Reflection:  Jesus had just performed a marvelous and good deed of raising Lazarus from the dead and now the above text tells us that some of these who were there went and reported the same to the Pharisees. Wherein, they in turn gather up with the council along with the chief priests.

In local language we call them chamchas:  An obsequious person who could be one who goes and tells tales to the authorities and they entertain them because they serve their own insecurities.  These act like spies. 

I don’t see any reason why these men of God need to have such spies to report to them about activities when they themselves are not sound in their thinking and so as not show trust in God but trust in their Chamchas. God help those in authorities if these spies:

1) Are not objective in their reporting

2) if they have their own axe to grind or are beneficiaries, either in cash or kind, of any action taken

3) If the ones in authority has some axe to grind against that someone

4) it could be a combination of point 2 & 3  or

5) it could a combination of all the above points.

This could happen anywhere, not just in civic politics, in work situation in a household or even in the sacred precincts of church politics.

Why does it happen?

Because we have our pet ideologies and programme which are contrary to the truth and we could be convinced, at least initially, that we are right and then subsequently we may have been cautioned by some prophetic voices or the opposing party or an investigative agency.  By this time they may have received so much of accolades, especially from their yes men or coterie that they further promote their agenda through surreptitious deception  and then when confronted with the truth, it becomes now more of a face saving exercise. 

Otherwise, it could happen with a certain amount of legitimacy when enemy is active and you need to pre-empt the enemy.  But in a sacred institution it could be a bad precedent to even think of one more so when the assurance of God’s protection is with us.

Hence these chamchas belonging to one of the above categories could be let loose in order to gain some information or weak points in order to hit out or vanquish the enemy who is nagging them.

But as for us; “What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us?” Rom 8:31

Prayer:  The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Ps 18:2

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