One must not rush through Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17. One must take time with it, because Jesus's genealogy could preach. It witnesses to
God’s love that crosses all national, racial and gender
boundaries to incorporate people of all types into one- big-happy-family of
God.
Jabbok: A Place of Wrestling....
Friday, June 20, 2014
Jesus' Genealogy could Preach!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Only Love Remains
It is amazing that Jesus after resurrection still carried the marks of his crucifixion on his new body (John 20:24-27). This death defying, wall penetrating, heaven ascending powerful new body carried only those marks from his old body that spoke of his obedience to God and self sacrificial love for others. As Paul says in 1Corinthians 13:8, only love never ends. It always remains. A good reminder for us who seek after things of this world. Nothing remains. Our degrees, our wealth, our beauty, our social status, our stocks and bonds will one day cease to be nothing. Ecclesiastes 5:15 reminds us of this fact. It says, "As they came from their mothers womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands." The only thing that does follow us into our after life is our love for God and others. Let us remember that as we hear these words tonight: This is my body broken for you...
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Why the Blood?
In Exodus 12 we read about the first Passover and God's instruction to the Israelites to put blood on the doorposts as a sign for God so that when God passes over Egypt no plague would come upon the Israelites (13). Someone asked a very good question. Did an all knowing God need a sign of blood on door posts to know? I would argue that the blood marking was more for Israelites than for God. It reminded the Israelites that they were no more righteous than the Egyptians. It is the blood that protected them and not any inherent righteousness. As God's judgment passed over Egypt, the Israelites were protected by the blood Moses also reminds them in Deuteronomy 9:4-5 that it was not because of their righteousness that God has been gracious and generous towards them. The Bible is about God's grace from the beginning to the end. The same is true of the blood spilled for our sin on the Good Friday. It is not any inherent righteousness on our part that makes us deserving of God's grace, but it is the blood offered for us that makes all the difference. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
Monday, April 14, 2014
On the Way to Easter
Mark 8:27-10:52 is known as the travel narrative of
Jesus. Disciples are on the way with Jesus to Jerusalem for the last time, and
three times Jesus mentions his suffering and the disciples fail to grasp what
it means to follow Jesus.
First of all, in Mark 8: 27-37 we read that on the way with
Jesus, even though Peter declares Jesus as the messiah he fails to grasp Jesus'
suffering. When Jesus mentions his suffering Peter rebukes him. For Peter
messiah, the king of Israel is supposed to win victories, and not suffer and die. Peter had a worldly
view of things that hindered his understanding of the divine plan of God that
was about to unfold through the cross. Jesus rebukes him in return, and
explains to the disciples that following Jesus means denying the right to be in
control over one's life. It means taking up the cross. That is living by God's
will for one's life even if it leads to suffering just as Jesus did. As Jesus
explained, in order to have the eternal life that we all desperately seek we
have to be willing to lose our earthly lives for him. A paradox!
Secondly, in Mark 9:30-37 we read that on the way to
with Jesus, Jesus once again mentions his suffering. But the disciples still do
not get it. In utter shameful contrast they argue about who was the greatest.
Since Peter, James and John had the sacred privilege of witnessing Jesus'
transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8) they must have thought that they were better than
others. But Jesus tells them in order to be first in the kingdom of God they
have to be the last, a servant of all. After all, according to Jesus, God
identifies with the children who were regarded as the powerless nobodies, the
last in that culture. Another paradox!
Thirdly, in Mark10:32-45 we read that on the way
with Jesus, Jesus yet again mentions in vivid details his suffering. The disciples still do not get it. Yet again
in contrast James and John who witnessed Jesus' transfiguration ask that they
be placed in positions of power when Jesus is enthroned. Therefore once n
tells them that following Jesus means participating in his suffering. It means to
give up the worldly notion of power and
success and become a servant of all. After all, Jesus the Son of Man, a
powerful divine being according to Daniel 7, came to serve and not to be
served. Yet another paradox!
We Christians are all on the way with Jesus, because
this Christian life is a journey. But do we get what it means to follow a suffering God?
Intellectually maybe, but existentially?
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Ash Wednesday Reflection
Thanks to the Catholic commentator Mary Healy for pointing out in her fine commentary The Gospel of Mark that Mark mentions twice in chapter 14 that Peter was warming himself at the fire (54, 67). While Jesus was being interrogated, falsely accused, spit on and struck Peter was seeking after his own comfort and safety as he warmed himself by the fire. Isn't it true of all of us who claim to follow Christ? Instead of identifying with our crucified lord we tend to seek after our own comfort and safety. I heard of a prosperity-gospel preaching church in Africa that changed its name from Calvary to something else. According to them, the name Calvary is too negative.
According to ancient tradition Mark as a disciple of Peter wrote down his gospel based on what he heard Peter preach. This is well attested by Papias, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus and Origen. If this is true then one could see in the writings of Mark the holy torment that Peter went through as he remembered in minute detail his failure that night when he denied Jesus. I could hear Peter say, "Can you imagine while my lord was being abused I was busy warming myself by the fire." I could see Peter shaking his head in regret as he holds back his tears. When we hurt the one we love, even once we have been forgiven, it never completely goes away. But it always comes back to haunt us. There lies the measure of true love. Peter who once boasted of his dedication to Jesus (Mark 14:29), remembered in all humility his failure.
Ash Wednesday is all about that type of remembrance and repentance; remembrance of how much we continue to fall short of the glory of God and how much we need to turn around to Jesus. Monday, February 10, 2014
The Biblical Foundation for Unity Among Christians
The biblical foundation for unity among Christians is that we have One God and One Christian experience. Much of our conflicts in this world are based on differences such as racial, national, political, religious and personal differences. When upper caste Hindus oppress and subjugate lower caste Hindus in
Yet Apostle
Isn’t it interesting that what is of any significance in our lives, things that have eternal significance, Paul says, are things that we share in common as Christians, one God, one body, one hope, one faith and one baptism. Therefore, why do we let things such as race, economic status, political affiliations, personal preferences, things that don’t and never will get us into God's kingdom divide us?
Saturday, February 1, 2014
True Love
Saw
the movie "Frozen" with my wife and kids today. It is interesting
that the movie is about true love expressed through a self-sacrificial gesture
that brings life to Anna and to her town. As prince Hans lifts his sword to
kill Elsa sister Anna runs over and puts herself between the sword and Elsa.
She takes the blow for Elsa. As a result she does not die. But her true love
brings life back to her frozen heart that would have ultimately killed her. As
a result also life in terms of Summer returns also to the kingdom of Arendelle
that lay in the frozen death grip of winter. This is
the story also of Easter. True sacrificial love bringing life and hope of
restoration to a dying world. Jesus death on the cross for the sins of the
world and his resurrection usher in a new life. Frozen hearts are now softened
towards God, and death now also melts
away under the heat of an everlasting life. It is so interesting that even though a
secular world celebrates this love through this movie it mocks Christianity for
its belief in such a love expressed through the cross of Christ! It is
foolishness they say. Yet they crave it so much that they dream of it through a
150 million dollar movie.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25: For the message about
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
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