Saving Spirit

Today’s Gospel Text:  But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matt 12:28-34

Reflection: The Spirit of God has a special place in our salvation.

We claim that our salvation is in Christ Jesus who is the way the truth and the life. (Jn. 14:6)

Whereas this passage of Scripture assures us that our salvation is in believing the mighty possibilities of the Holy Spirit and not to blaspheme against him nor distrust his working. 

A close look at Jesus’ statement gives us the impression that it was not so much Jesus but the Holy Spirit who actually casts the demons out.  In other words, Jesus casts the demons out by means of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the face for the action and work of the Holy Spirit. In other words he has been the perfect instrument of the Holy Spirit.

In his defense of the Holy Spirit he proves his awareness of this working of the Holy Spirit and his mighty possibilities.

In a way he reveals to all his followers about the great possibilities of the Holy Spirit; if only we don’t sin against him by our callous attitude or rejection of him, on account of our pride and self-belief. 

In other words to believe in Jesus as our savior means to believe in the Holy Spirit and his work and in no way can one separate this element from the faith.

It is not just a mere belief in the Trinity of persons, but a dynamic belief in the Trinity of person; acknowledging the role of each one in the economy of our salvation. 

This includes each one of us too who become instruments of Salvation by the working of the Holy Spirit and it includes the church triumphant who is reigning with Jesus while still working with us; the Holy Saints. 

It is ultimately the Holy Spirit who is a means of communication; a communication in which he makes God present and real to us.

Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian faith would be no different than any other religion.

if Christianity in any way looks ordinary and empty of power, inviting the many observers, both within and outside, to compare it with any other religion then it is so, many a times, on account of the absence or dormant presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the followers of Christ.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

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

Sign of God

Today’s Gospel Text: Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons"; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; 22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. 23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Luke 11:14-23

Reflection: A person who does not easily believe could always ask for a sign to believe.  Even the intellectuals would look for a sign but their rational mind betrays them.        

Extraordinary signs or miracles can influence our way of thinking yet in the midst of these signs we could always have people who could rationalize with what they have seen.

One could see a dead man being raised to life and yet not believe but instead rationalize about it either by asserting that the person was never dead or that it was staged managed or the person by chance came back to life.

These are all rational arguments and don’t take long for any mind who hears it to doubt the veracity of a miracle.

On the other hand there could be situations where subtle magic tricks could be used in order to lay claim to a miracle and thus making many who understand these crooked ways doubt the existence of God through generalization. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus perform a mighty sign of delivering a demon possessed man and some of them seek a sign from him after seeing one of those signs in their presence.

Hence miracle are not always a safe bet for us to believe in God and in his intervention in creation, even though God does work miracles in our midst even in our days for the benefit of the simple of heart who would not believe him otherwise.

But still it is no excuse for anyone not to believe in God. If one is earnest with ones rational mind then one has hope but to the one who is dishonest they will never arrive at the doorstep of legitimate faith.

When a sincere heart seeks God in all earnestness, then God reveals himself to them through his many types of leading and even solves the puzzles of the human mind according to the category that they hold on to.

To have such a sincere mind, and giving God a chance to prove his existence and power doesn’t make a person a looser, but not doing could cost them their eternity.  Humbly give God a chance!

Prayer:  O God who reigns in the highest heaven, reveal your presence to those who seek you with an earnest and sincere heart.

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

Grace and Faith

Today’s Gospel Text:  "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:17-19

Reflection: For a good teacher of the Christian faith, it is always a jugglery to balance their teaching between the law of grace and faith?

With the Christian being hammered by the word that justification is only through faith one begins to wonder what happens to the law, which Christ Jesus gives so much of importance in this passage of Scripture:

“For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”  (vs. 18)

Matthew is writing to a community that is predominantly Jewish converts who hold the law in high esteem.  

This doesn’t mean that in seeking to write to this community that Matthew has put words in the mouth of Jesus, but rather Matthew may have tailor made the teachings of Jesus to an audience that needs it.

As means for salvation, the law, as prescribed, has no value in itself in the new order of Salvation set forth by Christ.

If the diligent practice of the law saved the Israelite then in the new order set forth by Christ Jesus we are saved by faith through grace. 

Jesus Christ, who came to free us from the yoke of slavery to the law, clearly clarifies the importance of the law for himself so as to fulfill its demands, as a demand set forth by God and thus to become our savior by fulfilling every demand of it perfectly.

Then do we abrogate the law as useless? No, it is the law with its demands, which had the power over us  and which could still have the power over us if we submit to it wholeheartedly, which is useless.

In the new order set forth by Christ we live in the greater freedom of Christ's Spirit, in which we rise above the law that subjugates and kills and submit ourselves to the life giving spirit, Jesus Christ who saves.

To live by the Spirit means to live a life of much more perfection than what the law required and what is more the grace of the Holy Spirit assists us in our walk as Christians to lead a noble and dedicated life in Christ Jesus.

For a Christian the knowledge of the law is an aid in knowing the mind of the Spirit of God, who is far greater than the law he has given.

Prayer: Lord you have promised to pour out your Holy Spirit into our hearts and cause us to walk in your ways. (cfr. Ez. 36:27) 

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

What Forgiveness

Today’s Gospel Text:  Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Matt 18:21-35

Reflection: Living in a community is not an easy task, we often have to rub shoulders with those who are less sensitive or over sensitive about smaller matters and are hurt about many things that relate to day to day living.

The smaller matters of injustices and wrong that take place daily may be easily handled with the grace of the Lord and a generous heart.

But what happens to a repetitive hurting process which many a times seems deliberately intended? 

This is where arises the difficulty, because our patience is tested and so too our faith in God.

There is always room made for justification for holding on to the many hurts and bitter moments of life. We could lose out on the greater work that the Lord could be doing or wanting to do in and through us as his instrument.

By holding on to hurt, bitterness and unforgiveness we could miss out on the Lord’s plan to use us as his instrument of salvation and to bring glory to his name.

The onus to seek forgiveness from the ones whom we have harmed, within the community, is to act brotherly and to forgive is to act like a brother who cares.

How can we not forgive a fellow Christian, more so when they have asked for forgiveness or is already repentant of what they have done?

In the parable Jesus brings out the truth of the fellow servant who begs and pleads for mercy and despite all his pleadings for mercy and forgiveness he is not forgiven. 

Petty attitude, self-centered behavior, short sightedness are all fruit of a sin that doesn’t allow the divine grace to work in ourselves but rather allows our own passions to play the dominant role.

Prayer:  Strengthen and teach us to forgive Lord as you forgave your enemy.

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

Prophet

Today’s Gospel Text:  And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away. Luke 4:24-30

Reflection: Does anyone wants to be a servant of the Lord? I am sure many of us would want to be one.

We want to serve our great Lord because we love and want to follow him whatever the cost. We know that we love him because he first loved us and still continues to love us and without his love we would always have difficulty loving him.

But how many of us would want to become prophets of the Lord, seeking to speak his voice, on his behalf?  This means; seeking to know God’s mind and speaking his mind to a wicked and perverse generation, which never stops from rebelling against the Lord.

  

It means, many a times, speaking to a stiff-neck people who are hardened with the cares of the world and would not care about their creator nor give him the obeisance that is due to him.

It also means correcting that generation of people both ordinary and those in authority over their hardness of heart for turning away from the Lord and even leading the folk, redeemed by the blood of Christ astray or for feeding on these lambs of Christ.

Who will stop them if not the voice of the prophet who speaks the unpleasant words, which convicts, hurts and disturbs.  It may disturb to such an extent that the hearer feels that their very existence is at stake.

The words of the prophet maybe no murderous action but yet his words have managed to intimidate the murderous wicked man, with evil intent.

Though this is the fate that awaits any prophets, their existence is a must in any generation. How else can the wicked claim that they were not warned about the impending judgment, for their rejection of God’s word?

"Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" Num 11:29

Prayer: Lord, if thou will then prepare my heart and my lips to speak thy word.

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

Why Suffering?

Today’s Gospel Text:  There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo'am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, 'Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. 9 And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" Luke 13:1-9

Reflection: Suffering is a great mystery and the human mind seeking an answer to every problem attributes it to some cause or the other but it is not always a perfect answer or they may be true only at a surface level. 

For example: the headache may be caused by walking in the sun but the underlying reason could be something else. Yet one could be satisfied with the shallow answer because a correction done in one’s lifestyle, by not going out in the sun, could solve the problem. 

Similarly, whatever reason the many may give and which may be true at the surface level but for us Christians who know the truth we cannot be satisfied with any answers given by the rational mind and world except the one that comes from the Lord through his word.  

At the same time, A Christian need not wait to look for that logical answer because at the end of the day their suffering will have meaning and a definitive place in their salvation.

Hence, even if they seek the meaning and reason for sufferings then it is only for a reason; so that they may have the strength to face it or have or know how to seek the Lord ‘s help for healing.

While the birth of many religions are a means to ward off sufferings, Christ Jesus came to teach us to embrace it with thanksgiving and praise so that through it God could perfect us as the sculptor perfects the image or as gold is tested and purified in fire.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. Heb 2:10

    

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 2:3

Prayer:  Lord, grant me the grace to participate in your sufferings especially in this season of grace.

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

Spiritual Man

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable: 4 "What ---- 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.  25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'" LK 15:1-3, 11-32

Reflection: Why do people avoid making friends or avoid going to a new place or a gathering of peoples? Is it on account of pride or vengeance or a lack of respect towards the invitee? Could be!

But there could be another reason, which is normally a dormant subconscious activity in the minds of people who would want to fellowship and go for such functions or gathering. This discomfort could be on account of variety of subconscious factors.

Similarly, some people could attract, it is not just pretty and handsome people we talk about, but also people with certain charism’ too.

But if one is hurt then the very one that could normally attract could now become a repellent. 

Similarly, there is an attraction which could be in any realm or area of talent; in such situations one could be attracted to sports and sports people or politics or academics or particular talents or types of services.

But there is an universal appeal to the spiritual realm too wherein people could get attracted to people who are spiritually bent and may seek to follow them.

Here one must be cautious and remind oneself that spiritual and spirituality doesn’t automatically qualify the spiritual for a following, they can also be deceivers; wolves in sheep clothing.

    

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  Matt 7:15

  

So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matt 23:28

One way to judge them is to look at the fruit they bear and that too we need the Lord’s help and grace; for even otherwise our salvation is in the Lord, who has established for us the institutions necessary for our salvation.

Prayer: Lord, you guide me by your right hand always, to walk in your path. 

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