Saving Presence

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing." 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Matt 8:23-27

Reflection: What was happening there in the boat? Can be a question that can still be asked in our time as: What is happening?

What a confusion it must have been there:

Jesus was in the midst of his own dedicated disciples and the boat was dangerously swamped by the waves.

In the midst of all these things Jesus is fast asleep while on the other hand the dedicated disciples must have been petrified with what was taking place.

They could have knelt down and prayed to the heavens and called on the Lord God almighty; for did they not learn it from Jesus the necessity of prayer and trust in God.

But they knew that the Lord  was already in their midst and it is only he, the savior, who could save them.

And if he the savior could save them then what was wrong in their prayer to him: "Save, Lord; we are perishing." (vs. 25b)

Then, why were they rebuked by the Lord for such a prayer to him who alone could save them from the lurking danger?

The problem was not so much in the correctness of the prayer but the faith behind the prayer.

The panic shown by the disciples was a clear indicator and it did not communicate faith in the Lord.

When Jesus is in our midst, and that is what he has assured us, then why are we afraid and panic and trust not his saving action.  Do we have to look at the waves and waver or do we have to look at the Lord and be silent?

In such situations God may appear sleeping but he is still in charge of his beloved and is in every way concerned about their survival, even unto eternity and much more than we are about ourselves.

Prayer: O God of my salvation, I believe in your saving power, help me never to lose trust in.

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

Beastly Men

Today’s Gospel Text:  "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. 7 "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matt 7:6, 12-14

Reflection: This again brings us back to the debate on Christian love, mercy and compassion.

It is meant especially for those who think that to be a Christian means to love and only love and nothing but love- a love without doctrine and based on ignorance. 

If above teaching had not come from the mouth of Jesus but instead even if it would have come from a good saintly Christian, of our present time, then we would have cast stones in return for these pearls which are holy.

Indeed we as Christians are called to love and love every human being irrespective of cast, creed and colour.

But the question remain; what do we do with the beasts or more plainly put; what do we do with those who think only like beasts, i.e,  like dogs and swine’s?

And what do we do with those who refuse to accept the love of God which comes to us as wonderful pearls of sound teachings? 

To what extent can we love them who deliberately opt to be beasts and prefer to be treated like one.

But there may be beasts among human beings who may acknowledge their situation and feel the need for a savior and may be looking for help. That would be a altogether different situation. 

In fact, we all could be one in some measure or the other but some may either through ignorance or hardness may want to continue in their folly or they could be some who acknowledging may want to change. 

A true Christian in his heart desires that all humans act and behaves like a human and receives the respect of a human being and are fed with the sacred things which God has revealed through his beloved son Jesus Christ.

Dog hood and swine hood may not be a permanent situation and Christ Jesus as savior can save anyone who comes to him and transform them from an unclean beast into the image of man; into his own image and likeness.

This very reason he came and this reason he endured all things like a true human being in order to show us the demands of being human and what is more he affords us the grace to be so, if we ask for it.

Prayer:  Jesus my savior, I pray that I may be like you in all things and it is only you who can transform me in totality.

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

Householder

Today’s Gospel Text: "Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet. Matt 21:33-43, 45-46

Reflection: How do we want to treat God? Do we want to treat him like a master or do we treat him like an outcast or a criminal or a villain or a landlord or a taskmaster, etc. etc?

We who are capable of double speak and double standards treat God in every way negative than how in reality we are supposed to treat him.

We may say we love him and our actions can prove us wrong, we may claim to serve him and yet in all probability may be serving our own interests, if anyone insults God we will even defend him, but as per the Christian doctrine it may be no defense of God, of whom we believe can defend himself and yet chooses not to, many a time.

We may be even spiritual and deep within, many a time, hypocritical, but the worse is when people want to remain where they are, in their hypocrisy.

Out of the many attributes of God taught by Jesus, who came to reveal to us the reality about ourselves and God is this attribute of God as a householder and we as mere stewards or tenants.

This means even though he is a Father to us or a Shepherd to us, the primary attribute always remains and in the light of the primary attribute we see the great love of God, viz. that he still comes to us in order to reach us at our level, in our particular situation as Father, Shepherd or Savior.

This means that if we don’t accept this relationship which God wants to establish, by introducing himself as Father, good Shepherd, Savior then we need to at least accept his reign, as the master and householder who will ultimately call everyone to render an account.

The parable makes this truth absolutely clear and what is more the parable also brings to light the hostility with which we relate to God and his servants.

Even among the spiritual category of men, if anyone thinks that they have never rejected God or hurt his anointed ones or done harm to them, then they need to ask God’s Holy Spirit to convict them of their blindness.

Prayer:  Jesus Lord and Master of the universe, you deserve all praise and glory, more so for revealing to us the Father's glory. 

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

Savior God

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55 and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. Mark 6:53-56

Reflection: It can happen anywhere and in any situation, given the conditions, whereby we look at people from our own narrow categories.

So we could have chocolate uncles, gossip aunty, helping aunty, fighting Tom, flirting Mini, etc..

Many a times our categorization only helps in reducing people to a category and force render them handicapped as if they are not capable of handling any other business.

But the worst is when we deal with God in the same way and the Lord will not easily protest and does oblige us in order to prove his love to us.

In the gospel we find that the people now seem to look at him as a healer and bring him their sick from everywhere so that they may even touch the fringe of his garments and get well.

It is fine and the Lord doesn’t mind we turning to him for healing but if we do not acknowledge the Lord as our savior and merely look at him as our healer and happiness provider then we could end up crucifying God in our midst.

He is to be known for his own sake and hence he the Lord is not just a healer, but a savior who has labored in our midst, by even shedding his blood.  His toil is not just sweat but his own precious blood, shed on the altar of the cross to the very last drop.

He is the crucified savior, the one who died in our place in order that we might be saved from the eternal punishment.

If we then look upon him as our savior then our approach too towards him will be different and we would seek to be instruments, like a true and dedicated disciple, learning from him and carrying his yoke upon us rather than merely seeking his healing all the time.

Prayer: Teach us O Lord your way and grant us your saving help.

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