Finger of God

Today’s Gospel Text:  but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again." John 8:1-11

Reflection: What may have preceded this plot of setting this woman, who was caught in the act of committing adultery, before Jesus?

I am sure they may have been culprits themselves who may have not got their pound of flesh. 

How can a woman alone commit an act of adultery? If she was caught in the act then where is the accomplice in such an act?

Jesus must have picked-up the wicked trap of these extra-smart Scribes and Pharisees?

What then did he write on the ground that spoke so loud and clear to their conscience?

The scripture tell us that Jesus wrote twice on the ground with his finger? Did not God write the Ten Commandments with his finger on two different tablets? Which means in two sittings at one time! 

  

"And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex 31:18 (Dt. 9:10)  

When God’s finger is at work, there is no room for hardening of hearts (cfr. Ex. 8:19)

Jesus action of bending down to write for the first time suggests that they had notoriously broken the first  part of the commandments and it was their blindness and  hardened hearts that persistently kept on prodding him for an answer to their loaded query.

When he bent down the second time, they knew that the second half of the 10 commandments spoke to them loud and clear, they heard what was being written; “And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it … (vss. 8-9a)

God’s finger spoke in the Old Testament and it can speak again too, it speaks to our hearts to set us free from the yoke of the evil one, who keeps oppressing us towards slavery to sin and wrongdoing. (cfr. Luke 11:20)

Prayer: All powerful God, raise thy finger against every power of evil that may be at work in this thy servant so that I may serve you in the freedom of heart.

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Let him Speak

Today’s Gospel Text: Nathan'a-el said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" 48 Nathan'a-el said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathan'a-el answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:46-51

Reflection: “Come and see.”

We know seeing does not really help us because of our limitations in seeing what we really need to see, of comprehending reality.

I may be traveling in a speeding car and keep my eyes open to see the dangers ahead as if me keeping my eyes open will help me avoid the dangers of life or take preventive measures to escape an accident.

When it comes to seeing ourselves, many people may be able to see us and point many things about ourselves, we too may be able to see ourselves perfectly in many areas of ourselves and yet may never be able to see ourselves as perfectly as we are.

How can we take perfect decisions in life when we do not know ourselves? We may be able to see some of the mistakes we make in life, some immediately, some after some time, some after years have passed and some because someone or something has pointed it out to us. But there may be many which we may never see and never realize. 

How do we know for sure that we have never made many mistakes in life? What is success, if that is the criteria by which go?

One of the most intriguing thing that I have observed in people, is that you point a mistake to people and they are proved wrong and yet they still continue to proclaim or do what is wrong and evil. That’s because they have gained their power and position in society on account of this false thoughts, which society has legitimized and approved as true on account of its own folly or because it is a compulsive disorder, they suffer from.  

If such is the sad distressing situation of human life, then we are living dangerously in a society which approves of evil and untruth and yet life goes on, many a time without a major calamity to shock us and we are comfortable with piecemeal solutions to our problems.

Unless we allow God to speak to us as did Nathanael, who in his zeal to come and see would definitely have failed if not for the revelation of Christ about him, we will fail too.

Allow Jesus to speak to your heart, he is alive and still speaks. Ask him to reveal to you yourself, your true worth and you will be saved from all your troubles.

Prayer: In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Ps 18:6

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us