Transformation to the Likeness of a child : Matthew 18:1-9

Transformation to the Likeness of a child

By Samuel Azariah

Text: Matthew 18:1-9

Introduction:

A family along with their 9 months child sleeping on the terrace of their house. A 28 year old drunken man at midnight came to the terrace and kidnapped the girl child then brutally raped her and caused for the death of the child. By the time the family realises and find the accused and took the child to a hospital, the child was declared dead. There was a struggle in my heart why such things happen in this world and started to think on what Bible say about children? How people in the Bible treat children especially Jesus? These questions lead me to prepare this sermon. The text chosen was a known text to every one where Jesus explaining His disciples about the Reign of God by taking children as example. His explanation caught my attention that He invites everyone to be like children, that is why I titled my sermon as “Transformation to the Likeness of a child”

Almost all interpreters of this section of Matthew’s Gospel have considered Matthew 18:1-35 as a literary unit. Because 18:1 is looked as the beginning and 18:35 as the end. Chapter 19 conforms that with the beginning verse “when Jesus had finished saying” and also we could observe the location had changed (Galilee), the audience (Pharisees) had changed and the form had changed. But, this pericope is part of a larger teaching unit of Jesus (18:1 - 19:15) in which the people are instructed about “childlikeness and the kingdom. “This section begins (18:1-5) and ends (19:13-15) with references to children as model recipients of the reign. Each pericope speaks about two kinds of people that are “Vulnerable and Responsible”

The vulnerable group are the children in the text and are presented as valuable and worth restoring/protecting. The responsible group is called to humility in restoring those who might not seem worth saving, but on whom Jesus places special value.

In Telugu there is a saying about children which is “Pillalu Daiva samanulu” that means children are equal to God. But why the atrocities on children happen daily, are we not failing to give importance to children in our lives? If not then there is a wrong understand in us that we are superior to the children and we are looking at them as vulnerable beings. Through this text Jesus is calling us to transform which is my first point

First point: Jesus calls for transformation

In response to the question raised by the disciples “who is the greatest” Jesus responsewas interesting. He called a child, placed the child among them, and told them that unless they change and become as little children, they will never even enter the reign of God.

Jesus calledthem to become like children in order to enter the reign of God(Matthew 18:3). Indeed, he called them to convert and become like children. So adults need to be converted to enter the reign of God. Here Jesus spoke about the conversion of character, attitude and as person. He proposed that, by using the example of childlikeness to illustrate the “entrance requirement” for the reign of God. It also encourages us to recognize that children are by virtue of their inherent childlikeness already heirs of the reign of God.

A child in the ancient world was without status or rights, completely dependent on the good will of others to care for him or her. Jesus did not tell the disciples that they should have faith like a little child, but they need to become like little children. Jesus further specifies what this means in the following verse: “Whoever humbles themselves like this little child is the greatest in the reign of God” (Matthew 18:4). The disciples around Jesus were talking about who is greater among themselves. Jesus understood their pride and suggested them to humble themselves.The power and status in the reign of God is knowing one’s total dependence on God which counts as greatness in the reign of God. We are all “little ones” before God, are completely dependent upon God for the breath of life here and now and for the life to come.

His reign is filled with people who are dependent on Him, who are humble and powerless simply like children. After this Jesus took the argument one step further in saying, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). Jesus humbles himself in identifying with a little child at that time that is with the one without power or status. Many times in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus identifies with those who are powerless, needy, and marginal, and says that our response to such persons is nothing but our response to Him(10:40-42; 25:34-46). Which symbolises Jesus as a person who humbled himself throughout His life. So humbling oneself is nothing but becoming like Jesus.

But the reality of our world is totally different, children are the most vulnerable, the most abused, and the most at risk. Child prostitutes, Child labours, Child rapes, Child-trafficking…. It’s a tragic fact that about one third of the world’s children live in extreme poverty today. 30,000 children died in poverty today in the world. Just like yesterday. Just like tomorrow. One child dies every three seconds, largely from preventable causes, rooted in poverty and its effects. We are all part of this reality so Jesus calls us to realize and repent which is my second point

Second Point: Jesus calls for repentance 

Matthew shows the greatness of the “little ones” by showing how far the responsible group required to go to preserve/restore them. They are to seek, restore, forgive and protect them. The vulnerability and the humility of children resembles their greatness. Those who become like children deserve the same protection and care Jesus calls his followers to extend that to children.

The entire section is designed to answer the question raised,except first verse. Matthew 18:2-19:15 answers the question of the disciples, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” It is clear that they assumed that, they themselves were undoubtedly in the reign of God. What they wanted to know was which of them was greatest in it.Jesus responds by using children in both to answer their question, and to help them re-evaluate their assumption. It is those who humble themselves (18:4) who are great. Moreover it is only those who have converted to childlikeness who are in the kingdom at all (18:3 and 19:14).

But from verse 6 He explained that we are putting stumbling blocks, which means we are hindering the reign of God to prosper. He warns them that it is better for them to kill themselves. Ending one’s own life is considered as the sin but God spoke about those who hurt children or hinders people who are trying to be children. Jesus said “occasions of stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom stumbling block comes.” There will be temptations of treating children lower than adults, not giving them opportunities, not raising voices against the violence on children…. He suggested us to come out of the temptation and repent. It may be a painful process but Jesus wants us to go through that pain in order to become like children and entre into His reign.

Of course, cutting off hands and poking into our eyes, will not keep us from Hell fire. Sin doesn’t abide in the muscles of the hand or in our optic nerve butSin resides in our heart. The hand only expresses what the heart desires. Jesus was not insisting us to self-hurt. He is only showing us the importance of the case. The hand might cause an offense, but the eye may be the means of being offended. Rather it was through “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” that we permit temptation to enter our own souls. If the eye wasthe only way that we could be offended, then perhaps blindness would be a good thing. But that is only one entrance to the soul. Jesus was only referring to these things to point out the seriousness of His primary point. Why should we repent is because we are insensitive to the things that are happening around us especially about children. In the illustration mentioned in the beginning there was a small agitation by the family members of the child and the next day everything went off. Even in the case of Asifa there was nothing done by the society for the justice to the child’s family. The church and the Christian community was so numb towards these issues as well.

That is why India ranks 9^th in the world in child labour, India topped the list in malnutrition list in the world. India having more young people than any other country in the world has the highest rate of child rape, it is a very pathetic situation which came because treating the children as weak and vulnerable andwho cannot raise their voices against elders. For that Jesus is calling to repent. Every one of us should realize that a sexual abuse of each single child is a moment of suffering for all people, a denial of our humanity, arejection of our own future and an attempt to destroy the beauty of God’s creation. For all this we are being part directly or indirectly, so Jesus calls us for the repentance. Do not be a stumbling block to these little ones rather become one in order to be in His reign. At least now we all must understand and make our voices heard against such instances and show the love of God toward the poor and vulnerable which is nothing less than sharing Good news. Let us examine ourselves….

Conclusion Points:

At its simplest level, this story tells us that Jesus loves and welcomes and blesses children and so should we. Jesus uses this opportunity to reiterate one of His most common points about Godly concern/leadership. To abuse the trust of a child is the greatest sin we can conceive, to love and protect them is the finest gift we have to offer.

Jesus himself is portrayed as the one who both restores and protects the weak and vulnerable and also as the one who makes himself weak and vulnerable “like the child.”In all the Gospels, we see God’s tender heart for children. His willingness to devote time to them, His recognition of their social status, and His zeal for protecting their innocence demonstrates His high regard.When it comes to temptation, we’re all responsible for our own behaviour. But here Jesus wants His listeners to understand the dangers of being the vehicle through which temptation comes. If our behaviour leads innocent children astray, it’s better to be thrown into the depth of the sea than to face the judgment of Jesus.

Scripture Reading : Judges 11 : 29-39

Scripture Reading : Judges 11 : 29-39

Purushamedha/Yajna:   Sacrifice as act of  deconstructing God's willingness to save people.

Introduction:

When my father was one month year old , he was very sick and my grandparents have no hope about my father will be alive. But my grand mother, she had suffered a lot, she was always taking my father on her lap because my father's head was continuously bleeding . This time was very unbearable pain for my grandparents especially my grandmother. One day she took my father to Church and She prayed to God, " If you heal my son I will give you " .  After two months my father' head was slowly stop bleeding and he was heal. In the year 1969 when my father got a job (Head Master) my grandfather was so happy but my grandmother was not. She had made a vow like Jepthah's to the Lord. Finally she told my father about her vow. My father also  agree to sacrifice his job like Jepthah's daughter. My father he left his job and join Theological College in the year of 1970 , in Jonsen  Theological College , Kotpad in Odisha.   This was told by my grand mother , she is no more but I am thankful to God. This event is closely near in the Jepthah's daughter . Based on this my father life experience  I would like to entitle my Sermon is  Purushamedha Yajna: Sacriice as act of  deconstructing God's willingness to save people.

Context:

The book of Judges was written between 1051 B.C. and 1004 B.C., after Saul become king but therefore David had captured Jerusalem. Given its emphasis on the importance of righteous leadership and its traditionally close association with Ruth, it was likely composed very early during David's reign.

It has been seen as an apologetic for Israel's monarchy, an explanation for Israel's failure to experience abundant blessing in the land, a polemic against pre-monarchical idolatry, etc. The consequences of that idolatry, however, were not limited to Israel's political misfortunes. Yahweh and the people on the problem of pardon for sin and confession of sin, where the confession does not seem to be enough for pardon : it is necessary to eliminate the strange gods and their cult. The people oppressed by their enemies, they cry out to the Lord who raises up a judge for them. This does not happen to them. The Lord refuses to raise up a judge for Israel and only grows impatient at the end, through without raising up anyone. Israel's sin lay in serving the Baals , the Ashtaroth and the foreign gods; their cry to Yahweh is not only a cry from oppression but leads directly into an acknowledgment of sin, and it is to this that Yahweh responds in indignation.

Background :

The modification in our understanding of the nature of the early monarchy conforms perfectly with the picture of the essential nature of the tribal society which here emerge: it is an independent social structure . A hierarchical structure, such as the monarchy state requires , means a complete break with the social , political, and economic   principle on which tribal society based. In Jephthah there is also a leader who, at the head of his military band, supplied a precedent for later effort to forge Israel into a single monarchic state.

It was strictly hierarchical with a clear distinction between  rule and ruled. The king, with the nobles and professional soldiers, was supported by taxes levied on an increasingly impoverished subject population, whose alternative to severe impositions were either slavery or rejection of the system. This was a system whose gradual decline had clear economic causes but which nevertheless preserved until well into the Israel period. The role of kinship in these societies is a secondary or considerably weakened. Positions of influence and authority would be filled by the king from family, while basic to the rural village community was the individual family. Religion was both polytheistic and thoroughly anthropomorphic in its mythological expression. The Israel lived in tribal societies free from the power of a centralized government and yet subject to threats of anarchy and extinction.

Sacrifice has been one of the central events in all religion. Sacrifice is the tokens of praise and present to God. Burnt offering  a sacrifice was totally burnt. It means "that which goes up (in smoke)". In this read passage sacrifice is honouring of Yahweh also meant acts of sacrifice involving human beings. The offering of sacrifice was understood as a human response to God's summons. It also as act of deconstructing God's willingness to save people.

 On the basis of this theme , Firstly...

1. Sacrifice as Gift  (29-33 VV)

A Gileadite mighty warrior Jephthah, being born of a prostitute (Sex worker). He had been rejected by his sibling not any family shame or humiliation but with the existence of temple prostitutes (Sex-workers) and polygamy it would be fairly common for children of different mother to be in the same household. He does not receive any divine call at a single moment.  During a conflict between his family members and the Ammonites, he crosses over into Ammonite territory and makes a vow to Yahweh. His making of the vow is an act of unfaithfulness. Jephthah desires to bind God rather than embrace the gift of the Spirit.  It is clear that Jephthah's vow is accepted by Yahweh, because he defeats the Ammonites in a "very great slaughter", but to fulfil his promise when his only daughter emerges from his house to greet him.

The first words of Judges (11:29 ) "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah ," as it describe his victorious over the Ammonites. Yet verse (11: 30) says " And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord." This raises the question of whether the Spirit led Jephthah to make the vow. The text does not explicitly say that the Spirit prompted Jephthah's vow. In fact, throughout Judges , it is evident that the empowering of the Spirit not prevent one from making foolish and sinful decisions. The Hebrew word hayywotse esher to mean "whoever" or " whatever", and indeed the participle is used elsewhere of both inanimate objects (Num.21:13;32:24) and persons (Jer 5:6;21:9). Likewise, the infinitive liqrathi  mean "to meet" can refer to both animal and people(Judg. 14:5; Job. 39:21). Yet when liqrathi and hayyotse are used together, the phase always refers to persons. This vow as rash, manipulative, self-interest or faithless.  

Jephthah thus takes a risk of vow; few people apart from his daughter and possibly his wife could have come out from his house to meet him. His vow begins with pressuring language ; If you will give..., it's may suggest that Jephthah is pushing the bargaining mode of discourse to its limit. The chosen savior, endowed with the spirit of Yahweh, is nevertheless unsure of divine help and insecure about his future among those who had once rejected him. Therefore , he implores the deity, If you will give...,this means his words is doubt, not faith; it is control , not courage.

 In Verse 32-33 . The Spirit of Yahweh is a gift to Jephthah what he wanted in the way he wanted it. The idea of gift prompts those sacrifice made in time of great adversity or frustration and also of profound hope. Life is above all a gift, whether in the midst of abundance or in difficulties.  To be led by the Spirit is always to be led into activity and into the battle for God. Whatever our strength and weakness, the secret of our usefulness is our availability to our God. Jephthah was a mighty warrior . Because of his tragic family life, he had become strong to survive.  Burnt offering , The word olah means "an actual sacrifice literally burnt on an altar. The Lord gave Israel a stunning victory a stunning over Ammon, and the Israel was able to capture twenty cities. These included Aroer, at Reuben's southern border just north of the Arnon, and Abel -Keramim .

One day of my Childhood when I was taking bath with my friends in a pond, while I was taking bath unknowingly went into the deep in the pond. And I was about to drowned and there is no hope to live. Just I raised my hand up and cry to God, “If I die , send my dead body to my home, if not then give me life”. At that movement God heard my cry and miraculously saved me through an unknown friend. I was not favour with my parents and relative because I was not good person, not good in education and other things, they looked me like a destroyer of all things, even my schoolmates and friends were was rejected me like Jephthah was rejected by his family and tribes .

Today we as a Called out community  also doing   same ,  we may be strong in  one side but other side what we are? Jephthah had been rejected by people but accepted by God. The God delight to do that. We would have seen that God could use in Jephthah , an illegitimate outcast with violence and survival. But the God took him into his agent. No one is so "worthless " that God cannot use him or her for his glory! Our past may not be dishonourable as Jephthah nor our gifts so unusual, but the God who used Jephthah will use us as we trust Him. God uses the least that have been rejected one. We as a called out community how much we are care for the people who were born like Jephthas, how much we concern about them. Jesus also rejected by His own people, we may also be rejected by the family, church, and society but God has chosen weak and least in the world to shame the strong. (1Cor.1:27). We despair of our own usefulness before the Lord because of fame, money, position, power. We put so much value in the impressive things of the world. Consequently, we end up trusting things and  missing the blessing of the Lord. In this sense Jephthah is a stunning rebuke to all who complain or make excuses for lack of service or who fail to look to the Lord in sheer, unadulterated dependence.

2. Sacrifice as Communion: (34-39b)

Verse 34.                                                                                                                                      

Jephthas victory over the Ammonites leads him predictably to the threshold of his own home:"Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his home" (11:34a) this statement recalls Jephthah 's vow , and so it evokes anticipation, even anxiety. Just at that moment  his daughter came to meet him with timbrels (tuppim) and dancing (meholot). Jephthah's daughter came through the door in true Israelite fashion to acknowledge the victor. But the joy of victory was short-lived for Japhthah.  His daughter is his sacrifice ; she must die for his unfaithfulness. She comes alone, and no words of a song appear on her lips. She was his only child, besides her he had neither son nor daughter. The daughter of the mighty warrior Japhthah is nameless. Her father is of illegitimate birth; her mother is never mentioned; her grandmother was a harlot(Sex-worker) and her grandfather cannot be identified . So the girl emerges as an isolated figure in the tradition of Israel as well as in this particular passage. With timbrels and with dances it appears to have been an ancient custom for women to go forth to meet returning conquerors with musical instruments, songs, and dances.

Verse 35- The joy of the victory was suddenly turned to sorrow when Jephthah saw his daughter and remembered his vow. When he saw her, he tore his cloths...It is a gesture of despair , grief, and mourning. He mourns for himself , not for  his daughter. He cries "Alas, My daughter..." the word "alas" is an expression of pain . It is same as crying "Oh".  You have brought me very low (hakraa hikrateni) it's  for purpose of religious reverence, or from feebleness and exhaustion, especially when overcome in battle. You have become the cause of great trouble to me... She had innocently and involuntarily become a source of unspeakable distress to him. Her joy alone has changed the day, and lost the comfort of that victory which she enjoyed to see won. His exultation was changed to humiliation and grief. His daughter had done to him what Ammonites could not.  Faithfulness to an unfaithful vow has condemned its victim; father and daughter are split apart in deed and destiny.   

Verse 36- My father, if you have open your mouth..., do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth..., this is a bitter and terrible cry broke out from her mouth  as well as her father. This is also model of adoption. Her generous self-devotion , therefore is still entitle to our highest commendation.

Verse 37- I may go and wander, on the mountain and bewail my virginity, my companions and I ..., She is righteous , She is noble . An oath has been given to God and she will do her duty. She goes into the mountains for a time, her garden of Gethsemane, and bewail the bitter cup of her virginity. She want to live , to experience life. But she bends her will . The daughter of Jephthah obeyed the will  of the Lord Almighty , the one who kills and makes alive, the one who wounds and heals (Deut. 32:29). This is the time used for slacking, relaxing, losing one's hold upon any things. Bewail my virginity , To a woman of Israel child bearing was everything . Yet for her this was to be denied .

Verse 38-39.

The mountains as a solitary place. She crying the loss of opportunity to bear children, she is showing that she takes such communal responsibility seriously. She might have two months to prepare herself for her new vocation and to get herself for her new vocation and to get herself for her new calling, to bewail the fact that she would never be a mother.

In this passage we can see two different ways for sacrifice. The first one is that Jephthah offered his daughter as a human sacrifice or second one is that He offered his daughter as a living sacrifice. "To present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship". (Rom. 12:1). Jephtha's daughter as not only having value of atonement but foreshadowing the crucifixion of Jesus. Sacrifice is in places like this that the economic readjustments are imposed and they do not give life but take it away from the poorest sectors. This is where injustice is administered under the pretext that economic practice has nothing to do with social justice but is meant to generate wealth. To confront this dominant scheme is to make a sacrifice. To affirm life we have to offer life like Jephthas's daughter. What St. Paul wrote to the Romans is consistent with the words of Jesus:...unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.(Jh.12:24).

A child is born out of wedlock and deceit resulting in rejection by his father's family. This occurs everyday in modern society. Growing up the son of a prostitute would not be an easy life. The probability that this child would grow up experiencing such things as a lack of food, shelter, love, and guidance far outweighs the possibility of anything else. This man, unsure of his identity , struggling to simply survive , is suddenly approached with the opportunity of acceptance , power , and financial prosperity.

Theological Reflection:

The sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter is the story of a father who gives up his only child for the sake of the people Israel. Does not her story call us to Christ? Does not sacrifice of this daughter remind us of the sacrifice of God's Son? Does not her self-sacrifice  tell us  of the sacrifice of our parents. A father sacrifices his only child for the sake of the people and for the sake of a promise. The child obeys willingly, but laments the duty. Are not Jephthah and his daughter closer to Jesus . In the Christ , this sacrifice of daughter by father is taken up, assumed by the flesh , recapitulated , communicated to divinity. The communion experienced cannot exclude God. When the community comes together, whether to celebrate a joy or share a sorrow, God is invisibly present. Human sacrifice is never accepted to God. It is condemned throughout the Old Testament ( Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 12:13, 18:10; Exodus 20:13). The relationship between God and the Israelites  seems to be much like that of a parent who continually has to rescue his child from her own wrong doing.

Conclusion:

Jephthah's actions  and his daughter sacrifice should speak to us today. We should also be a people of our word. When we tell someone we will do something , we should do it. When we tell someone we will be somewhere at a given time, we should be there. Jephthah's daughter advanced God's reign because in her youth and innocence , she showed us how much we need Jesus. In the same way, child victims of exploitation are never "just" victim. Their lives and deaths are never in vain so long as there are friends who will acknowledge them, be changed by their memories, and use their lives point to our desperate need for hope in Christ. This is the truth of the reign of God expressed in flesh and blood, that God has chosen the weakest, the lowest, and the most despised to reveal Godself , to show divine power.

We are called to develop an intimate and wonderful relationship with God. Our relationship must be constant and not conditional . We must be close to God both during our good and bad times of our lives. In looking at the life of Jephthah , we can see how human nature works . Jephthah was an unwanted man in his family and the entire community . We must have a close relationship with God to the point that God is the center of our lives.

I would like to  conclude my sermon with this quotation  said by a famous person Kyndall Rae  " Lament is one of the ways you refuse to give up on justice... Lament is a form of radical honesty that entrusts our woundedness  and the world's brokenness to a God we expect to listen and Care. 

Sermon on John 21:15-19 - "Do You Love Me?"

Sermon on John 21:15-19 - "Do You Love Me?"

Introduction

In our Scripture reading Jesus turns to Peter and asks, three times, "Do you love me?"

"Do you love me?" This question gets right to the heart of the matter. It deals with the central issue between us and God. God doesn't ask what church or kingdom activity we are involved in. God doesn't want to know if we are a theological conservative or liberal. God detours around our stand on church issues like women in ecclesiastical office and inclusive language. God doesn't question the amount we give to church and Kingdom causes. Rather, God focuses on our hearts. He asks if all that we do and say and are flows out of our love for Jesus Christ.

In the movie "Fiddler On The Roof", a man asks his wife if she loves him. In response she reminds him of everything she does for him: cooking, sewing, cleaning, bearing and raising his children, washing, and so on. But the man wants to hear more. He wants to hear if her heart has any passion for him. Jesus, too, is feeling our pulse for a passionate, burning devotion. He wants to know, "Do you love me?"

Along this line, notice the first question asked of those who professed their faith this morning:

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, do you love and trust him as the one who saves you from your sin, and do you with repentance and joy embrace him as Lord of your life?"

I.The Reason for the Question

Why Jesus asked Peter this question? The reason goes back to what happened in the high priest's courtyard after Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Three times Peter was asked if he was one of Christ's disciples. Three times Peter denied this because he was afraid: he was afraid that what was happening to Jesus would happen to him; he was afraid he would be arrested; he was afraid he would be slapped and beaten; he was afraid he would be condemned to die by crucifixion.

But notice what Jesus does: not once does He bring up Peter's fear and denial; not once does He remind Peter He had predicted this would happen. You see, Jesus is not interested in the fruit of the denial tree; rather, He is interested in its root. So Jesus does not ask, "Simon, why did you deny me?" Rather, He asks, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

The lesson here is obvious: Jesus is telling Peter and us that all moral failures point to a collapse of love. Faulty behavior, wrong behavior, immoral behavior, disobedient behavior all reveal an imperfect love. Pick any saint and any sin. Think of Moses striking the rock. Think of Samson and his relationship with a heathen woman like Delilah. Think of David and his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. Think of Ananias and Sapphira and their lie against the Spirit of God. Think of Paul's persecution of the church. Everyone of their failures, everyone of your failures, everyone of my failures, points to something lacking in love for God and Christ.

"Do you love me?" If your love is lacking, then you are bound to fall.

But there is also another lesson here. If all moral failure points to a collapse of love, then all moral triumph points to a flourishing of love. Pick any saint and any moral triumph. Think of Joseph as he faced Potiphar's lonely but lovely wife. "Come lie with me," she said. Joseph got out of there before he sinned against God and Potiphar. Think of Daniel praying to God at the open window facing Jerusalem even though such prayer was against the law. Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remaining on their feet while everyone else bowed before the golden statue. Think of Elijah and the 7,000 who refused to worship Baal. Think of King Josiah who repaired the Temple, reestablished the Law, and restored the priesthood. In each and every case their moral triumph indicates that their love for God was alive and real and flourishing.

"Do you love me?" If your love is flourishing then you are bound to lead the victorious Christian life.

"Do you love me?" What happens when we answer: "Yes. Yes, God, I love You. Yes, Jesus, I love You. Yes, Spirit, I love You." What happens? Notice the final two words Jesus says to Peter: "Follow me!" Do you see the connection? I can follow Jesus only when I love Him. I can be His disciple only when I love Him. I can deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him only when I love Him. I can profess Him and join His church only when I love Him.

Have you ever wondered how fans can stand in line for hours to buy tickets to a Mass Hero or a Cricket match? It is because they love the hero or Cricket match. Love makes sacrifice a privilege, service an honor, suffering a joy. We see that in the life of the Lord Jesus. We see that in the life of the disciples. We see that in the life of the Apostle Paul. We see that in the life of the first century Christians.

"Do you love me?" The bottom line is this: the Lord Jesus wants our love. Think of the Great Commandment that God gave and recorded in the Old Testament: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength." God, in Christ, wants our love. And, He wants our love no matter what. He wanted Peter's love, even though Peter denied Him three times. The Lord Jesus wants your love: no matter how faithful or faithless you have been, no matter whether you denied Him or professed Him, no matter how strong or weak your faith may be, no matter how you have fallen into sin or practiced righteousness, no matter what!

"Do you love me?" What is your answer?

II The Test of our Love

A Whenever I start my computer it does a self-test. It checks that everything is working before I can start working on it. It checks the ROM, the RAM, the hard-drive, the graphics card, the floppy controller and drives, the internal clock. They all have to work before the computer will proceed. In the same way I need to do a self-test to make sure that all systems are go. I need to do a self-test to determine my answer to Jesus' question: "Do you love me?"

What do I look for? What test do I give myself? How do I know if I love Him?

The first part of my self-test is the Peter test: do I confess Christ before men or do I deny Christ before men? There is a reason Jesus asked Peter the same question three different times: do you love me? do you love me? do you love me? Jesus didn't have to remind Peter of the awful thing he did. The three questions mirrored the three denials in such a way that Peter was cut to the heart. Jesus didn't say it, but Peter certainly was left thinking, "If I love Jesus how could I deny Him three times?"

If I love Jesus then I confess Him and do not deny Him. I think of what Jesus says in Matthew 10:

(Mt 10:32-33) "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (33) But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Those who love Jesus are not ashamed to confess Him before men. If we love Jesus, if we truly love Him, then we do not deny knowing Him the way Peter did. If we love Jesus, if we truly love Him, then we stand before the world and the church and say what we hear this morning: "I believe in Jesus. He is my Savior and my Lord."

How do I know if I love Jesus? The second part of my self-test has to do with good deeds. Do I have a history of good intentions, warm fuzzies, and spiritual feelings or do I have a history of real deeds? Are my good deeds left undone or do I actually reach out in love? My brothers and sisters, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This saying is not found in the Bible but it could be and maybe should be.

Max Lucado illustrates the kind of love taught by Jesus by relaying this experience:

The best example of love that I can think of occurred at the death of my own father. I remember a lady who was a distant relative of our family. She drove six hours to get to the funeral. She walked in the house and went immediately into the kitchen and began washing dishes. I didn't even know she was there. She straightened up everything and helped prepare for the meal. She came to the funeral. After the funeral, she came back and did the dishes again, got in her car and went home. As far as I know, she never said a word. She never introduced herself. But when I looked around, I realized that love had been in our house.

How do I know if I love Jesus? The third part of my self-test has to do with obedience. Jesus says,

(Jn 14:15) "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

I think here of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis because of his testimony. Bonhoeffer was willing to follow Jesus, even if it meant death.

How do I know if I love Jesus? The fourth part of my self-test has to do with priorities. Who or what do I love best and most? Am I first? Is it money? It is things? Or, is it Jesus? Those who love Jesus love Jesus first: not weakly, faintly, and intellectually but passionately, personally, and devotedly. Their love for Christ overwhelms every other love of life.

How do I know if I love Jesus? The fifth part of my self-test has to do with feeding sheep and lambs.

Three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Three times Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Three times Jesus responded, "Feed my lambs ... Take care of my sheep ... Feed my sheep."

There is a connection between loving Jesus and feeding His sheep. Every time we reach out to feed and care for the sheep and the lambs we are loving Jesus. If we love Christ, we will find a lamb and feed it. Think of our youth ministry needs: leaders for youth group and Early Teen Ministry, counselors for Cadets and GEMS, teachers and helpers and song leaders for Church School, leaders for Story Hour, nursery attendants. By feeding the lambs we love Jesus.

Conclusion
"Do you love me?" Jesus indicates in our passage the kind of death Peter would die for the Lord. We know from church history that Peter died like the Lord: he was crucified. Imagine that: the one who loudly denied the Lord ended up gladly dying for Him. There is no doubt that Peter died loving the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

"Do you love me?" Jesus knew the answer. He knew Peter loved Him. And the apostles knew that too because Peter – fallen Peter – ended up being one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church. Here is a lesson that within the grace of God even the greatest of saints can have horrible sins and yet be a leader in the church.

"Do you love me?" God stops us in our tracks with that question. In our headlong rush through life He wants us to look at our hearts, to do a self-test.

"Do you love me?" I hope your answer is "Yes. Yes, God, I love You. Yes, Jesus, I love You. Yes, Spirit, I love You."

But, no matter how much we love Him, we can never love Him enough. Our love for Him can never match His wondrous love for us, a love which led the second person of the triune Godhead to die on the cross and be buried in the grave.

Charles Spurgeon tells of a Mr. Welch, a Suffolk minister, who was noticed to sit and weep; and one said to him, "My dear Mr. Welch, why are you weeping?"

"Well," he replied, "I can't tell you." But when they pressed him very hard, he answered, "I am weeping because I cannot love Christ more."

"Do you love me?"

The Once-in-a-while Cuppa: Musings moving Forward

The Once-in-a-while Cuppa: Musings moving Forward
Ascension Day 3: Intercessor
Hebrews 4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The letter to the Hebrews is a powerful exposition of Jesus Christ as High Priest, offering Himself as a sacrifice on the cross on our behalf. But the story does not end there. Jesus, after his resurrection ascended into heaven in bodily form. We have been discussing what this means for you and for me. Today, we look at one of the most important on-going ministries of Jesus: that of Intercession. The Cambridge English dictionary describes intercession as the “act of using your influence to make someone in authority forgive someone else or save them from punishment.” The letter to the Hebrews eloquently describes how Jesus, after offering himself as the perfect sacrifice, now carries on the ministry of the perfect High Priest who, having ‘passed through the heavens’ (biblical language for the ascension), now intercedes for us.

These verses in Chapter 4 give us two assurances. Firstly, this great High Priest knows our weaknesses. Because Jesus was born into humanity, he tasted the limits and frailty of the human body and spirit. He knew hunger, thirst, betrayal, agony, death – the whole gamut of human experience. He also knew temptation – whatever we have been through, he has been through (v15) with one important difference – he did not sin. Because of that, He remains perfect, and yet, he knows what it is to be human.

One of the things I have come to know is that when we go through a major difficulty, pain or sorrow, we find it hard to believe that anyone can understand “the depth of my pain.” Many may tell us “I understand.” But it would seem to us that nobody quite understands unless they have been in the exact same situation and been through the exact same pain. I have a colleague who is an insulin-dependent diabetic. Sometimes in the office during the day when I look a bit washed out, he would ask, “Are you okay?” All I need to do is say, “I had low sugar in the early morning.” And he would just nod his head and say, “I understand.” And I know he does. Another one asked me, “How, ar?” And I answered, “Low sugar.” And he broke out in a broad smile and said, “Good, what. No more diabetic, mah!” Only an insulin – dependent diabetic would understand the whole gamut of sensations, conditions and feelings that are contained in those two simple words: low sugar. It helps when someone truly understands. It gives us confidence or as the passage puts it, ‘boldness’ to come to the throne of grace.

The second assurance is that when we come in boldness to the throne, we will “obtain mercy and find grace” in our time of need. There is no rejection at the throne. The throne of grace understands our weaknesses. That is why mercy is given. The throne of grace understands our frailty. That is why grace is given. This is an awesome assurance for two reasons: 1) I will receive help whenever I need it, and 2) I will receive help in whichever form I need it in. Make no mistake: it is what I need, not what I want. I may want help in the form of money or a car. It does not mean that is what I get. Instead I may receive strength to go through the troubles or a peace that abides. Not exactly what I asked for, but definitely what I needed.

So, now that I have this intercessor on high, what does it mean for me? Have you ever been in so much trouble or been overcome by such sorrow that you could not pray? Guess what? You have got two members of the Trinity (never mind your pastor and everybody else!) praying for you! You have got inside connections within the Trinity! When you cannot pray, he prays for you. When you are unable to form the words, he prays for you. When you do not want to pray, he prays for you. When you are in sin, he prays for you. When you are in trouble, he prays for you. When you cannot make sense of the world, he prays for you. Isn’t that amazing? All of which would not have happened if Jesus had not ascended into heaven. So, come boldly to the throne of grace. He has saved a spot for you!

Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the darkness of death you have raised your Christ
to the right hand of your majesty on high.
The pioneer of our faith, his passion accomplished,
has opened for us the way to heaven
and sends on us the promised Spirit.
May we be ready to follow the Way
and so be brought to the glory of his presence
where songs of triumph for ever sound:
Glory be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Glory be to God for ever.
Amen.

CORONA for a reason

Have we ever imagined that we would survive without going to office..? Staying at home without even having chance of going out..??

Never! Even when we are in our vacation time, we tend to go to different places to enjoy the beauty of those places but have we ever enjoyed and admired the beauty of our own place, the love of our own family…???

We yearn to be loved by our loved ones without even spending quality time with them…! So God is so graceful that He gave us this opportunity to regain our true happiness in union with Christ and family.

So this isn’t just a Quarantine time…!

It is our Quality time..!

Let’s raise our standards, our quality of relationships and widen up our knowledge by coming together in the presence of the Almighty, being together in the resemblance of the Almighty and progressing together with the presence of the Almighty!!

What had changed??

In the reflection of the days spent these are some of the changes from the regular rhythmic life..!!

v Communion with our Creator:

“Grace is when God gives us Good things that we don’t deserve!

Mercy is when He spares things that we deserve!

Blessings are when He is generous with both!”

Yes, truly we can never run out of reasons to thank Him and praise Him for He is good all the time. Even if we thank Him as much as we breathe, the blessings we receive are always greater than our thanksgivings..!

This quarantine time has definitely increased our quality time with God together as a family. Participating in the Holy Eucharistic celebration from home and praying Holy Rosary mediating the mysteries of Christ proves that Church is not just the building; rather Church is the union of God’s own people. This deepens the dependency we have on God than on ourselves.

v Communion with our Family:

“Family is like music; some high notes, some low notes but at the end it’s always a beautiful and soulful song”

Yes, truly we either take the high notes or the low notes form the song but never had enough time to hear the whole beautiful song amidst the workloads and repeated regular chores..!

This quarantine time has absolutely freed us from the regular lifecycle

But now, this is not the case..!

v Compassion towards the Society:

“God never allows pain without a purpose..!”

Yes, though we are going through a tough and painful time let’s grow through from what we are going through. It’s the time to prove the power of the intercessory prayers. The power of our earnest prayers. Though we are unable to go out and help people in person, we remember each and everyone who are suffering in this period of time and plead God to provide them and help them to overcome this difficult situation with good health.

Also we do remember and thank the people who are working for the well being of the humanity during this time of lock down

·       Doctors

·       Nurses

·       Other technicians

·       Ambulance drivers

·       Corporation workers

·       Government staff

To conclude with, as said before, this isn’t just a quarantine time, It is Our Quality time!

Choose it! Use it! Grow from it!

CORONA is no more a pandemic fear for us, it is also a reason for a purpose to evolve ourselves and align ourselves towards the will of God!