Shepherds Voice

Today’s Gospel Text:  It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." John 10:22-30

Reflection: One of the most humorous aspect of life is when people ask you a question and you know for sure that they would not believe and invariably they will not.

And they will ask you again and again, requiring of you and even reprimanding you for not speaking the truth.  In other words the answer they expect is the answer that is in their mind.

Simply put: they expect an answer which is a lie!

Such is the nature of truth too; the highest truth about God and his existence, his nature and his intervention in creation. Humans down the ages have distorted it, sometimes beautifully. 

The majority prefer the God of their imagination and so whatever truth we may have of the one true living God whom Jesus has revealed, even proving by the greatest ever sacrifice of the cross, is distorted. 

A distorted lie is preferable and hence the Gospel has met with obstacles wherever it is proclaimed. The worst is when men in authority in the church have distorted this message and reduced it to a social agenda, calling for a brotherhood of humanity based on distorted lies.

Such a house will definitely not last but the damage has been done even as a severe judgment awaits these false prophets whose god is their stomach and their self-glory.

Hence, to be focused on only the Jews as breakers of this norm is another distortion,  their attitude of doubting Jesus and his Christhood should be an eye-opener for each one of us to check our conscience and ask whether we are sincere in seeking God and his wisdom, to guide us into the right path.

It is again a call to develop the gift of discerning the voice of the Shepherd who guides us amidst the clutter of the many voices that speak, some even with the greatest sense of logic but based on a wrong premise.

May the Lord in his mercy, allow not his chosen to go astray but strengthen them to listen to his voice.

Prayer: May I seek you Jesus and your voice to guide me, in all that I do.

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

The Might of God

Today’s Gospel Text:  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" Luke 4:14-22

Reflection: There are something’s in scripture that beats logic and as a result there are two thing one could do about it if not three.

Either rationalize the word by putting some cogent arguments and meaning into it or believe in the great possibilities of God, if not then the third option is to harden your heart forever.

Take for example this text: “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.”

How could a report concerning Jesus go through all the surrounding country when it seems that he has just started his ministry beginning with Galilee?

There could be two possibilities and both are tenable when it comes to God.

The first possible reason could be the great possibility of the Holy Spirit who makes all things possible and, in ways best known to him, could spread abroad the fragrance of Christ who is the anointed one of God.

On the other hand it seems that Jesus had already started his ministry even before Galilee and Luke wants to put the starting point of his ministry as Galilee, so too the other evangelists.

Could this be on account of the special place of Galilee in the prophetic word: “But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb'ulun and the land of Naph'tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”  Is. 9:1

Since Galilee was away from the seat of religion, i.e. Jerusalem, it often found itself neglected and cut off with Samaria with its semi-pagan practices geographically cutting it off from Jerusalem

Even otherwise God begins his work with what is least best and thus makes every life that is like a desert to bloom, if only one allows him room in their lives.

Prayer:  Lord we believe in your power and might, increase our faith that you may work in us freely and without any hindrance.

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

Repay

Today’s Gospel Text:    He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:12-14

Reflection: Our monetary world talks in terms of repayment. You pay and in return are repaid.

So also many actions of life including the whole justice system are based on similar principles.

There is a certain kind of logic about this system which cannot be ruled out, some even look at it as scientific and it maybe so.

Jesus is giving us a new measure and new system that will break every kind of logic and the very laws of science. It works on charity that comes from an authoritative source, which is Jesus.

It is a charity that was first practiced by him before he taught it to others. It is a charity that defies every law and ethics practiced by humans.

How can anyone so easily practice this kind of charity without expecting anything in return? Even though we may call ourselves Christian we practice what is contrary to our Christian calling to be generous beyond a certain measure; a measure which beats every human logic.

He who taught it also practiced it to the utmost when he gave himself for us sinful men in unconditional love.

When Christ invites us he invites us to practice charity in our invitation to the unfortunate and less privileged in the banquets we organize but when he practiced it he practiced it in a much more difficult manner. He offered his very self for sinful and ungrateful men who in no way can ever repay him.

No one can repay Christ for what he has done for us by his offering on the cross for our salvation.

The only repayment we can do, and which is no repayment, is a heart filled with love and lips overflowing with gratitude to God for what he has accomplished in Christ Jesus.  Yet these are mere words from our lips acceptable to God when done with a sincere heart.

Prayer:  Lord may I learn from your great sacrifice and seek to be generous with what you have given me.

  

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

What Defiles Us?

Today’s Gospel: And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." Mark 7:14-23

Reflection:  Carrying on further with yesterday’s reflection, this statement of Jesus is bold and for the worldly wise it could be scientifically untenable.  While any scientific findings and logic will say that we should be careful in what we eat and how we eat lest we ingest germs and bacteria’s and viruses. (Yes, we have to be careful; for Biblical reason refer to yesterday’s reflection) 

And here Jesus is making a bold statement: "Hear me, all of you, and understand:  there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him."  Can such a bold statement stand the scrutiny of modern day scientists and scholars? We leave that to the worldly wise.

As for me, the many years of working in God’s vineyard and the many testimonies of holy men and women down the century is an example of the inner wisdom in God’s word.

Besides the argument put forward yesterday, we could also look at things empirically; two people have contaminated food and one falls sick the other does not.  You have some who are allergic to certain food stuff and many who are not. 

Yet this is not an exercise in blame game, as if to say that the individual is the culprit in all this.  But there is a definite solution for the individual in the saving face of Jesus Christ.  

Jesus either heals or helps us with his consolation and strength to endure the pangs of suffering and lead us in the hope of eternity: where “He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:3-4

Prayer:  “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in thee! Ps 84:11-12

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

Be Satisfied

Today’s Gospel: He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:1-3

Reflection:  One of the qualities of the human mind is the spirit of inquiry; it asks questions and finds an answer or a solution.  Not all of its solutions may be perfect or right but many a times it manages to fix the immediate problem at hand. Nor are all answers, though logical, are perfect.

In the reading of toady we find a similar situation of a human mind seeking an answer to the mystery of Jesus’ glorious presence in their midst; “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Does this mean that we stop asking every manner of question and start believing? Or do we ask the many questions and start believing?

The problem is not in asking the many questions but rather the crux of the problem is this; why we ask the many questions when God himself is at work and more so when our hearts are made for him, then why do we doubt and our hearts not satisfied?  

It is so because we have not striven to know him nor seek him with all our hearts.  If only we knew him and who it is that speaks then we would have been satisfied with his mere presence.

Prayer: “Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and bring near, to dwell in thy courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, thy holy temple!”  Ps 65:4

  

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