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Tuesday 30 April 2013

Ruler and the widow

Reading Luke 21:1-4; 18:18-30
The world we live in has a materialistic overdose everything is measured by how much we own materially. But in reality materials don't matter much for an optimistic life. In the gospels we meet a young man who was rich, young and he was a ruler of some sorts. Many would agree that this Person has best of the possibilities. But sadly he Could not rise up to the challenge of life. Jesus called this young man to share in life in a grand way.  
However world is not without a hope. There is another amazing story which talks about a widow with two coins and nothing to lose. Look at the difference between them, one was rich with material but the other was rich in attitude towards life. She was the one ng man to Share in life in a grand way. 
Look at the difference between them, one was rich with material but the other was rich in attitude towards life. She was the one who went home to sleep peacefully, I bet.  
Talking about sleeping, remember Jesus who was sleeping when everything and everyone was sinking. Jesus was fast asleep,  that was his confidence in his father.   Dear friends we are called for this attitude of life. To live our life to the fullest enjoying each moment and trusting in God.   Just thank God for all the blessing and be filled with Thanksgiving.

Monday 29 April 2013

Gods in Human Form...

Reading
Acts 14:7-18

Paul was called Hermes in the city of Lystra. Hermes is a god in Greek Mythology. Hermes is responsible for bringing messages from the Gods. The function of Hermes is to interpreted the messages of God to Humans. He is someone who is between both the worlds. He brings messages to humans by putting them to sleep and bringing them visions and dreams.

Its interesting to read that the people of Lystra called Paul Hermes because he was the one who was speaking. People of that city found similarity between Paul and Hermes in the way he spoke. They knew that the message of Paul was from the Gods. That could be one striking similarity but there is also another function that Paul did which Hermes could not or would not do.

While it is the function of Hermes to interpret the messages of God to Humans. Paul here interprets the gesture of that man who was sitting and listening to him. Paul could see that this man had faith to be healed and he healed him in the name of Jesus Christ. Here again Paul unlike Hermes did not put that man to sleep but rather he woke him up to reality and made him realize that he could walk again. This is something distinct of Paul.

The people of the city thought that God's have come in Human Form, which speaks for Paul's true representation of his maker. Paul represented not Hermes but God. 

Wednesday 17 April 2013

the other side of the Sea...

"When they found him on the other side of the sea..."
John 6: 25

Reading
John 6: 25-35

People found Jesus after he fed them with bread on the other side of the sea. They were looking for him in earnestness finally when they found him on the other side, they could no longer accept him (John 6:60). What went wrong so quickly?

If we take this whole episode in an allusion to the Exodus[1] of the people of Israel from Egypt, people of who followed Jesus had their liberation when they had fullness of bread. They were seeking Jesus across the sea. When they found him Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." Now the words "comes" and "believes" carry a huge significance in the light of Exodus event. The word "comes" in Greek means "to follow" and "believes" means "to entrust". In Exodus event people of Israel were given "manna," bread from heaven, but later they murmured and did not trust God. Here in the same way Jesus had given them bread, now if they need life they need to follow and trust him in order to receive eternal life.

How are we coming to Jesus? Are we coming to him as to follow or to receive something? How are we believing in Jesus? Believing as in to completely trust him and entrust our life? He is the bread of life and in order to receive it and be free from hunger and thirst, we should receive Him.

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[1] Many scholars have consensus on this view for example cf. James F. McGrath, John's Apologetic Christology Legitimation and development in Johannine Christology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001, 172-182.