Inclusive Gospel- by Philipose John

Text: Acts of Apostles 10:44-47

"Naam onnalle Nammal Onnalle

Namukkudayonum ee Manninudayonum Daivamalle"

This Malayalam folk song says that all are one in the sight of God. God came to this world not to save some selected peoples, but to save all people without any color, race, cast, culture etc. Luke gospel and Acts of the Apostles mainly focused on the mission to the gentiles. In chapter 10:1f and 11:18 we can see that Luke has narrated the story of the conversion of Cornelius with considerable details.  The passage explains about Holy Spirit comes upon the gentiles and they are filled with Holy Spirit. Caesarea was dominated by gentile population. It was the head quarters of a unit of roman army with 100 soldiers headed by a roman officer holding the title of centurion, whose name was Cornelius. The meeting of apostle peter and Cornelius in Cornelius home was gods plan.

This event can be interpreted as the repetition of the Pentecost day on which the apostles and other disciples were empowered with the power of Holy Spirit. But these recipients were not those believers, who considered themselves as chosen people but those who were always considered outside the frame of Gods plan of salvation.

This is the only incident recorded in NT that Holy Spirit fell on non baptized peoples. This incident reveals baptism is not only for Jewish Christians but also for the uncircumcised gentiles. On the Pentecost day Jews filled with Holy Spirit likewise here gentiles received the gospel and at the same time they baptized with the Holy Spirit.

 ‘The wind blows were it wills, so also is the spirit’. As in the case of Cornelius those who open there hearts to Gods word will be filled with Gods spirit. Here the gift of Holy Spirit is connected to the hearing of Gods word. In v 47 “can anyone withhold the water for baptizing this people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” here peter raises this question to himself as well as to those believers who were with him. The answer was quite clear. They were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then peter and his companions were staying some more days with them is the further proof of breaking the social barriers. This demonstrates a new Jewish gentile solidarity which Christ envisioned.

Here Cornelius is a welcome example of Gods willingness to use extraordinary means to reach those who desire to know Him or Her. God does not play favorites and God does not hide from those who want to find Him or Her. The coming of Holy Spirit even to the gentiles shows that they are also part of gods plan and all are equal in front of God. There fore the mission of god is for all.

 This event teaches us that the gospel is beyond the practice of purity and impurity. God select and give vision for everyone by breaking the human made social boundaries. This can be visible in the life of Jesus Christ also. Christ is a true revolutionary who destroys all types of isolation, who protests against the evil orders and who restores the isolated one in to the social life.

How can the present days Christians avoid the mistake which peter made before he met Cornelius, by seeing one part of Gods creation as holy and another part as unholy. God united all through the gift of Holy Spirit. But today we are making separate churches in the name of cast and color. And still alienation and isolation exist among us. Here what bold theological vision we have? “Conversion is not just turning to God from sin. Turning from narrow God concepts to God who is the lord of all humans is a real spiritual conversion”.

May the god almighty help us to become the true ministers of God who can treat everyone as equals.   Amen

[Philippose John, the preacher of this sermon, is a final year BD student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

Tale of the riches- by John Haide Manukonda

Text: James 1:9-11
James writes about the rich and the poor in today’s reading, but it is important to remember that James is writing primarily to Jews who are facing some very serious trials and tests. He tells them to consider it pure joy when they face different kinds of trials because they are learning to trust God and become complete in God. Some of their trials may have included social persecution for their faith, or possibly living on the short end of favouritism from some of the people in their own church family.
So James writes to encourage the poor and to correct wrong attitudes about those who overlook or mistreat them. He did not miss the emphasis on money and possessions in teaching of Jesus. We will find that in four different passages James discusses the issue of money and possessions. Today we will consider the first of these passages in James 1:9-11. In this passage, James addresses our attitudes related to wealth and poverty. He challenges us to view people and possessions through Christian eyes that see things through the framework of godly values.
The standard view during the days of James was that spiritual standing was indicated by material standing. The poor were ignored or punished by God and deserved no special courtesy. The wealthy were blessed by God and should be shown favour. So, the wealthy were viewed as spiritually blessed and worthy of special treatment while the poor were considered spiritually poor and treated poorly. (See James 2:1-4). James uses the example of the wild flowers which appear for a time and then are scorched by the arid winds and die.
So it is with possessions and their possessors. They are here for a very short time and then they are gone. The point is that we cannot place eternal significance on that which is temporal. Material wealth does not last. We cannot depend on it to secure eternal blessing.
The issue of money has been a prominent one from the inception of the church. Jesus had a lot to say about poverty and riches. 16 of 38 parables dealt with money/possessions. 1 out of every 10 verses in the gospels i.e. 288 verses deals directly with money. The Bible has 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2000 that deal with money/possessions. So the way we use whatever wealth we have is pretty important to God.
James speaks about the Lofty Status of the Poor – lofty in the sense that the Lord is the defender and provider for those who live in poverty, who do not know how their basic needs will be met. The Bible shows us very clearly how much God cares for the poor. Exodus 23:11 says during the seventh year let the land lie unploughed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it.
Leviticus 19:15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great but judge your neighbor fairly. Deuteronomy 15:11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your brothers, sisters and toward the poor and needy in your land.
The NT also tells believers to remember to treat the poor with love and do something to help them when you are able. This is very pleasing to God! Selfishness and greed, however, have no place in the heart of a Christ follower.
Riches can also test your faith in God. Wealth has a tendency to so confuse a human being’s perspective that it can lead to eternal consequences. It takes deliberate action to keep our priorities straight in this culture. The trial that rich people go through is that they tend to believe to be self-sufficient. They tend to trust in themselves so much that they can’t bring themselves to trust in God. When a rich person trusts in his wealth and applauds himself for earning such a fortune, it must sound kind of silly to God.
James talks about the Low Status of the Wealthy. For a wealthy Christian this could mean low in the sense of servant hood- using the resources God has blessed you with to serve the poor and needy. Also low in that the wealth is only temporary. The economy of death and dying renders everyone penniless. James uses the example of the wild flowers which appear for a time and then are scorched by the arid winds and die. So it is with possessions and their possessors. They are here for a very short time and then they are gone. The point is that we cannot place eternal significance on that which is temporal. Material wealth does not last. We cannot depend on it to secure eternal blessing.
Jesus indicated that it was very hard for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom (easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle). Matthew 13:22 “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. It is unfair to say that all rich people are selfish and bent on evil. Several Bible characters like Abraham, Job, and Esther were wealthy, but they used their wealth to honor God and to help those in need around them also, they did not put their trust in wealth to give them their sense of value. They overcame all the temptations of wealth. True worth comes only from the One who is worthy – worthy of all that we are and do.
George Barna conducted a survey that showed 50% of Christians consider money to the primary indicator of success. 19% of Christians believe you can tell how successful a person is by examining what they own. It is difficult to avoid being products of our culture. However, the Bible offers us guidance and answers to how we should view wealth and poverty. Some of the richest people on this earth have nothing to show for themselves financially! Some of the most impoverished souls are those who have exchanged what really mattered for what amounts to a temporary permit.
There are some believers who abandoned all their riches and possessions and live in celibacy. They don’t care what happens around them but target on eternal life by living spiritually. God doesn’t want this from his children. Use your wealth and time to empower the oppressed and poor. As Matthew 25: 40 depicts “Just as you did it to one of these who are members of my family you did it to me”. It clearly indicates that the poor, sick and the down trodden are the members of God’s family and engaging them in their need and suffering is the will of God.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. wrote "The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money".The prosperity doesn’t determine the value of a person. The final measure of a man or a woman is based on their response to their Creator and neighbour. All human beings have value because God created them. Paul writes in 2 Cor. 8:9, “ For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich”. Jesus identified himself with the poor, sinners and oppressed and paved a path to follow in his foot steps. Rich should not boast of their wealth and prosperity but should be humble and poor in spirit. Christian’s response to poverty is to be kind to the poor, defend the poor and share Christ with the poor. The question now is where are we? And how are we to respond? May the comforting God be with us to discern our ways. Amen. 

[John Haide Manukonda, the preacher of this Sermon, is a final year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute Chennai, India.]

Faith: A road of challenges- by Vinod Easow

Text- Hebrews 11: 17-24

The book of Hebrew is often a debated book on its authorship and content. Ignorance in these matters, however, does not seriously affect the understanding of the epistle's message. The message remains timeless and relevant whatever the circumstances out of which it arose. The passage to which we listen today speaks of a meaningful faith as well as the meaning of Faith. Having introduced the description of faith in vv. 1-3 the writer draws on an elaborate canvas on how the faith is demonstrated.
We see the faith of ancestors in the passage we read as exoduses of faith. Those exoduses were characterized by their faith counting on a God rather than on the securities offered by the world. In other words those journeys were embarked from the comfort zones of the life. Abraham leaves his land and relatives and sets off to an unknown land. Moses leaves all his pomp and glory for the sake of this faith. They could win over each and every trial they had to face footing on this faith. They challenged the structural constructions of the society, and by becoming wanderers they negated institutionalized life style. This faith journey moulded an inclusive covenant community.
Today as we claim ourselves as a faith community it is required of us to ponder whether we are putting our faith on God or on power structures. Our ancestors in faith leaped in an unconditional faith without reckoning the end results of it. Today much of our faith is conditional. For much of us, church offers a steady, uninterrupted and unchallenged career and we are more or less comfortable with that. In contrary to the faith of our ancestors we are always mindful about the results. As a result of it the mission of the church loses its direction.
Dear friends when Moses put faith in God, the pain and pathos of his brothers and sisters are revealed to him. This emboldened him to set forth for their liberation. Jesus in his earthly ministry was not preaching an invisible God rather he was living with paining human lives and comforting them. The faith journey is not an exodus in search of an invisible God but it is the constructive response to the pain and pathos of fellow human beings.
Sabarimala is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site in southern India. People travel from miles away in pilgrimage staking their money and health. They could read as they reach the temple it is written “Tatwam asi” which means “it is you itself”. The devotees recognise that the God they went in search for resides in themselves, in their fellow brothers and sisters. The faith journey for which God calls everyone compels us to see the God in ourselves and the God in our brothers and sisters.
Daya Bai was a Roman Catholic nun who came out of the comforts of an institutionalized career to identify with the poor and the marginalized. She changed her name from Mercy Matthew and is living in Madhya Pradesh among adivasis as one of them. Daya Bai heard the call for a faith journey and responded affirmatively risking her life and career. Adv. Cyrus was a leading advocate in the High Court of Kerala. He risked his career, family life for the sake of his calling and went to the impoverished backward villages of Orissa. These life stories retell the faith journeys voyaged by the ancestors. Do these stories inspire us? Do these stories disturb us? Let us examine ourselves in the light of these life stories. Amen 

[Vinod Easow, the leader of this meditation, is a third year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India]

Church at Smyrna: Heroic Endurance of outward persecution- by Jaya Jesudas Pudi

Text: Rev: 2 8-11
In 155 A.D, the Bishop of the church of Smyrna, Polycarp, was 86 at that time, was given the opportunity to renounce Jesus. The magistrate who did not want to see the old man die, said “What harm is there in saying, Lord Caesar?” But Polycarp refused. When they entered the stadium, where the executing took place, there tried again saying “Swear by the fortune of Caesar, repent and say, ‘Away with the atheists”.
The old man cried, “Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he never did me any injury, how then can I blaspheme my king and my savior?” He was punished burnt alive.
What did I tell you this story? Polycarp shows us, it was exceptionally difficult to live as a Christian in ‘Smyrna’.
A Short Glance at Smyrna: Smyrna was a city of wealth and culture. She was built in a place of beauty. Smyrna fore saw the rising power of Rome and built a temple to Emperor Tiberius. Smyrna was a center for emperor worship. It means Christian confession that “Jesus is the lord” was in direct conflict with the Roman confession that “Caesar is the lord”.
Assertion that all is endured: Christ said “I am the first and the last” (v 8). To Christians in Smyrna and among the world experiencing persecution and martyrdom this title of Christ is very comforting. This title is a reminder that life and death are in Christ’s hands. The lord used 2 words to describe the fierceness of their persecution.
Living Christ spoke of their ‘tribulation’: The word suggests that they were undergoing fierce persecution. Their property was confiscated, their citizenship revoked and many were thrown in the prison. But that was nothing compared to the tortures of many experiences.
Living Christ spoke of their ‘poverty’: The word speaks of abject poverty, possessing absolutely nothing. They lived in destitution. Their poverty was due to their faith, because they were Christians that had lost everything. They had lost their business, houses lands and all earthly possessions.
Temporary duration of the affliction: In spite of their poverty Jesus said “Be though art rich” (v 9). If they didn’t have anything how could they be rich? These believers lived by Paul’s admonition. ‘If ye be raised with Christ, Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of god. Set your affections on things above, not on the things in the earth” (Col 3: 1-2).
They were materially poor but were spiritually rich. When the world looks at the church at Smyrna all that it sees is a lack of worldly goods and desperate human poverty. But when the Lord Jesus looks at the church of Smyrna he sees in another dimension- the spiritual.
Today the church is feeling proud of this earthly wealth, property whatever it has. Does it have heavenly wealth, how is their spirituality. But friends remember the day may come when this world will take us and our property. The day may come when they threaten us with death. The day may come when our testimony becomes a death sentence in this world. If that day ever comes, take comfort that all of you are giving up is what you would have lost at some point or anyway. Even if everything you have is taken away, including your life, the treasures you have laid up in heaven are safe.

Promise of the final reward of Eternal life: Therefore do as Jesus said in “Be thou faithful unto death”, he promises them “Crown of life”. The Christians of Smyrna are urged to be faithful. What encouragement it must have meant to them? When lord told them He knew what they going through as a church. He told them not to fear things they were going through or would go through in future. Jesus promised them” I will give them a crown o life” Their faithfulness had not gone unnoticed and neither would it go unrewarded. The crown Jesus spoke of was the “stephanos” or the ‘victus crown’.

Smyrna was famous for its athletic games. A crown was trophy for the champion. If we have been faithful, we will receive the prize of victory- eternal life (James 1: 2). The message to the Smyrna church is to remain faithful during suffering, because god is in control and his promises are reliable. How are we today? How is our church today? It does not matter hope few or how simple you make the great primary truths and principles of Christianity to be, which have been brought to light and set forth in the world of human thought by Jesus Christ as the essential principle of Christian system, or church.
 For a church has no right to exist until and unless it is an active or working church. A Christian has no right to his/her Christian comforting and hopes until and unless he/she is an active working Christian. There are spheres for every one of us. We must find for ourselves what ours is. Nobody will tell us. Having found our spheres, the text has its message for us “Be though faithful”.
Our work may be witness, prayer, influence, giving, teaching, writing, ministry, or any other forms of social services. : be though faithful” no man ever sees the nobility of human life until and unless he/she learns to put success second and faithfulness first. Let us not feel proud of this earthly riches and wealth but let us feel proud of having heavenly victory and gift of eternal life.
[Jaya Jesudas Pudi, the leader of this meditation, is a final year BD student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute]

'Being Rich toward God' -by Prince John

LUKE:12:13-21

Luke’s gospel gives special emphasis to the gentiles and the poor.

The subject of coveting arises in Luke because of an interrupting request by someone in the crowd. Apparently this person had detected in Jesus a fairness of spirit that would qualify him to settle a dispute over an inheritance. Jesus is asked to be a referee, but he refuses. Rather than acting as judge, Jesus states a proverbial truth in v.15 and elaborates with a parable in vv16-20.

We might have seen several warning boards in our roads. It helps us to move away from danger, and not to fall in danger. In the Bible also we can see several warning messages. One of the messages is in Luke 12:15 "Take heed and beware of covetousness". There we can see that one’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of possessions.

The common tendency of human beings is to acquire maximum wealth. The rich usually get reputation in society without taking into consideration the ways in which they have earned it. Those who accumulate wealth further attempt to catch hold of more possessions. Here Jesus is trying to remind us of a fundamental truth and for that purpose he introduces a parable. This story might come to Jesus’ mind from an untimely death of a rich man. The parable illustrates the fate of the man who loves neither God nor neighbor. There are some reasons to call him a fool. At this juncture, it is extremely important to recognize these reasons in order to be rich toward God.In any event, the topic of wealth is prominent in Luke's writing. Above all Luke shows Jesus as the friend of outcasts and sinners. But the outstanding characteristic of this book is that it is the universal gospel and it has been called "The gospel of the underdog". Jesus Christ is for all human without distinction removing all kinds of barriers.

He was not concerned about the uncertainty of life

Here we see this young man uttering some words to himself such as relax, eat, drink, and be merry. He thinks that he can be the unchanging owner of all his possessions utilizing unlimitedly as he wished. He is never aware of the fact that there may be interruptions to his desires. The psalmist’s voice in psalm 39:4-5 is very much relevant here: "…let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a few handbreadths and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight." The world has so far witnessed the emergence of many leaders and revolutionaries who made their presence felt, but ultimately defeated by death. Alexander the Great thus said moments before his death: "My hands should lie outside the coffin, because people should know that I came to this world empty-handed and returning likewise". So no one can escape the reality of death, whether it be rich or poor, educated or illiterate, youth or the aged etc. But the thing is that we need not be upset with the uncertainty of life but we must be aware of it.

He never saw beyond the self

V.19 he says to himself "you have ample goods laid up for many years". He believes that nobody has any partake in his possessions. Perhaps we may also have the same attitude towards our possessions. But we must affirm that the blessings and possessions which are given to us is God’s trust on us. If we give priority to that conviction, then only we get motivated to share our possessions.

The evil is not in the treasure or in laying up treasure, but in laying up treasure for oneself. It is a devotion to self not to God, and gathering up solely for the self is, therefore, a sin according to the judgment of Christ.

Pope John Paul VI made a statement in his UNO conference "there are enough resources here to all people in this world. But the accumulation made by some hands is the cause of poverty and marginalization." This is very true. God granted us the resources not to be grabbed by some people, but for equal distribution. Sometimes we see the same attitude in the church itself. It is a sad aspect that their primary motive is the accumulation of wealth which is the offshoot of self-centeredness. The rich man looks himself through his wealth and says "you have ample goods laid up for many years. It shows how narrow minded he is. So there is no wonder in God calling him a fool. Are we truly aware of this matter?

He was ignorant of the life beyond

Most of us acknowledge that this life is temporary. But some of us don’t know what is beyond this earthly living. For this assurance, our lord Jesus Christ died and resurrected for us. This man was rich in his worldly possession. In Rev. 3: 17 we read the satisfaction of the church in Laodicea: "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing". But what the spirit of God said to them? "You are wretched, pitiable, poor blind and naked. We are very much concerned about this perishable body. But the Luke passage says: "Ones life doesn’t consist in the abundance of possession". Then what is the base of life? John 17:3 says "And this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent". So knowing Christ is the base of our life. Do we have this knowledge? If we are not realizing that our health, knowledge, wisdom which are the gifts of God, we are fools in front of God. So those who store up treasures for themselves are not rich toward God since they give little heed to the life beyond.

There is a contrast between "laying up treasure for oneself" and "being rich toward God". God cannot be enriched or impoverished. That man is rich toward God who lays up treasure in heaven, and so he is rich indeed. By being rich toward God he becomes rich forever. So the great duty of all, irrespective of the rich and the poor, is to become rich toward God.

[Prince John, the preacher of this sermon is a final year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute.]

'THE RESOLUTION OF GOODNESS TOWARDS EVIL' by Ajay T.Oommen

Scripture Text: 1 PETER 3: 8-12.

“An eye for an eye only ends up, making the whole world blind” This is a powerful quote of Mahatma Gandhi.
A society could become a just society, only when everything is paid in a befitting measure. The state, law and constitution ensure that, not only services and virtuous actions are to be paid, but also each and every evil should be repaid. It is one of the primary functions of the state and judiciary, to make sure that, the evildoer is repaid with a punishment, which is equally evil. In this structure, if the victim needs retaliation, the ultimate option would be another evil. This is the logic that is working out in every society.
However Christian Ethics have something else to propose. In I Peter 3: 9, we see the exhortation, “Do not repay evil for evil and abuse for abuse.”
Does it seem logical? Yes, that only makes Logic.
Evil things happen in a society, which continues to “contain evil”. If we are about to repay evil by an evil, we are going further to contain a greater evil.
We need to admit that evil could not be exterminated. But it could only be transformed. Evil as we perceive, was never been created. It is only “perverted goodness”. Goodness that got perverted gets transformed into evil. The goodness that confines to individual selves, or to the interest of particular communities, could become an evil for others. So we need to be cautious that, every goodness has a prospect to get perverted, depending on the space it works. The same gives us hope also. Even though evil could not be exterminated, it could be transformed into goodness.
Such a counter practice is named as a life of blessing in the text. What else could be a blessed life, other than the one which transforms the evil into blessing?
There are some characters in the bible who have foreseen that, their life trajectories eventually may lead them to inestimable evil. As they got engaged with this knowledge, they took a deliberate deviance from the “acceptable goodness” of their time and space. Though many civilizations and societies fall, as their goodness eventually got perverted into evil, the men and women who took this deliberate deviation became blessed, and a blessing to the society and the nation.
This deliberate deviation is what we have seen in verse 11, saying, “turn away from evil and seek peace.” Both these imperatives obligate us to choose a counter culture that demands an earnest commitment. The blessedness of Abraham must be seen in this light. Often we comprehend the blessedness of Abraham as a preferential grace of God. However we need to reassess this understanding in the light of this passage.
The innate goodness of Abraham compels him to go out of the land of Ur, into a nomadic life to preserve his goodness, without being perverted. He gives away the green pastures that he had, to his nephew, and thus once again he dismantles the prospect, that his goodness may get perverted. This earnest commitment of Abraham to preserve the innate goodness in him without being perverted, helped him to continue as a blessing for the nations.
So friends, if we are going to repay evil for an evil, we are not exterminating the evil. But rather, “we contain a greater evil.” We have the scope to transform evil into goodness, since all evil manifestations are perverted goodness. At the same time, it should be our longing, to keep the innate goodness, without being perverted.
May God help us to have these earnest commitments to lead a blessed life and to be a blessing to all. Amen

[Ajay T. Oommen, the preacher of this sermon, is a final year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute,Chennai, India]

A friend, of the poor - God, by Georvin Joseph

Scripture  Portion: James 5: 1-6

As I tried to interpret this passage today I had to face two temptations. One is to view that the message of this passage would be best left, safely back in the first or second century, where it originated. Another is to use them as the basis for the revolutionary denunciation of everyone who happens to be well off. Without doubt this is a difficult passage, and we shall understand it properly only if we are aware of the kind of writing we are dealing with and of its setting.

James 5: 1-6 is one collection with basic content and its forms of expression intimately relating to a long history of theology and piety, according to which, the rich and powerful are per se, enemies of God and appointed to destruction, while the "poor and wretched" are considered as the innocent friends of the Lord of Hosts. Though the Old Testament by no means glorifies poverty as a good thing in itself, many strands of Israel's literature plainly depict God as unequivocally on the side of the poor. In Deuteronomy 15: 4-11 God wills that there should be no poor at all in Israel, and the prophets like Amos, repeatedly announce Yahweh's support for and the protection of the poor.

As the poor are "friends of God," so also are those who are concerned for them as recorded in Ps. 41:1; but the enemies of the poor are ipso facto, that is by the fact itself enemies of the Lord. Similarly, in the Wisdom literature riches are often the subject of warnings, while poverty is linked to humility and godliness.

Jesus and the first Christians ministered and taught in an atmosphere impregnated with such ways of seeing things, and the New Testament is profoundly influenced by it. Therefore, when Jesus spoke of the poor as heirs of the Kingdom and denounced the rich, or suggested that it would take a miracle for the rich to be saved, he not only had a ready audience but was in fact placing himself, in the midst of poverty based piety. It was not simply an accident in the history that, in the first decades of the church, Christians were drawn from the lower strata of the society. Nothing could be more evident than this in the whole of James and especially in the text with which we are dealing.

For James the Christian community is made up chiefly of poor people. This is as it should be, given the risks attached to wealth. As time passed by, however, persons of means are beginning to come in. One purpose of James’ writing, therefore, is to warn the church against the dangers of riches and worldliness going hand in hand, and to remind believers about poverty and righteousness which had a noble pedigree among them.

The prophetic genre is obvious in the first verse. We hear not an admonition to repent but a proclamation of judgment that is surely coming. Those "who have great possessions" are the rich in society who oppress the poor and, by implication, the church to whom James address also, by showing partiality to the rich is encouraging this oppression as we see in 2:6-7. He is not just exhorting members of a congregation but making a statement about God's view of things in the community at large. The wealthy power-brokers will weep and howl, their riches will rot, their fine clothes will become moth-eaten, and their money will rust. The silver and gold of the rich have tarnished because it has lain idle and not been used for the benefit of any. This neglect will now testify against the owners. Even in the last days the rich have gone on accumulating treasure. This they have done by defrauding their workers, and both the unpaid wages and the labourers themselves testify against them before the Lord like the blood of Abel crying out. The rich have existed "on earth" in luxury and self-indulgence, stuffing themselves on the "day of slaughter". The definition that the rich as the enemies of the poor is reiterated in the final verse. The downtrodden are both humble and pious offer no resistance to their destruction at the hands of the powerful, but their murder will not be forgotten in the judgment.

What then are we to make out of this fiery, tradition-laden diatribe that James has chosen to record an evaluation of wealth? Can it in fact be taken over as a text supporting an egalitarian revolution, as an unvarnished call for the abolition of wealth and the redistribution of earth's treasure?

Clearly there are enormous dangers in wealth. If we possess it, we must beware of it. The rich who remains to be rich can ‘un-inherit’ the Kingdom of God more easily than others, knowing what God truly values. If those who have great possessions are in the church, and the church herself, critique themselves. Let the poor ones in the church know where the trust is truly to be put. Let the powerful "outside," be reminded in no uncertain terms, of where God's concerns and commitments are focused. God's eye is on the poor and the wretched. Let everyone who has means, in the church or out of it, know that there is assuredly One who watches over the helpless, the alien, the orphan, and the mistreated toiler. There will be a reckoning in due course.

So if it is all that God in fact wills justice for the poor, are we not required to be imitators of God as far as we can be? In a day when we do not look for an imminent End to set things right, can we hear the Word spoken and yet do nothing, when we obviously could do a great deal? In our contexts the church is hardly a tiny, helpless minority who cannot envision and strive for such changes of overthrowing the established economic order. When we know where we are and who we are, and the plain meaning of James' portrayal of what God is up to in these matters, how can we in good conscience remain content to leave intact the crippling inequities with which so many of our sisters and brothers must daily compete? When we ourselves live gospel in the very existence of the here and now we just can’t remain content, but we ourselves become the change we envision.

Let the spirit of God guide us to walk this talk in our daily lives. Amen.

[Georvin Joseph, the preacher of this sermon, is a final Year Student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

A STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION -Matthew 15:21-28

Rabia, is a Muslim woman, who lives in Malppuram district of Kerala. She is a differently abled woman. She lost the movement of her legs and is only able to lie down and do the necessary needs of her life. But she was not ready to surrender to her inabilities and she took it a challenge and used these inabilities for the struggle of her liberation and for the liberation of her society. She turned her room to a class room. First, she learned how to read and write and then taught her fellow beings the first letters of knowledge. This process of teaching changed the entire society and the society became a literate one.
The passage explains the encounter and dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. This was not just a dialogue but it was a struggle. This was a struggle for the healing of her daughter and a struggle for the liberation of her race. According to the Jews, she was not one of the God’s chosen people but a gentile by birth and apparently by religion. She was a Canaanite too and lived in Phoenicia. She was descended from the ancient enemies of Israel. Tyre and Sidon was located on the Mediterranean coast approximately 35 miles north to Mount Carmel. These were ancient and well known cities of Phoenicia. Jews considered these as gentile cities and were not spoken of favourably in the Old Testament. She had no claim either of kindred or religion.
This passage also reveals the voice of pain of a woman and her race. She approached Jesus as a healer for her daughter and also she acted as a liberator not only for her daughter but also for her people. I would like to draw your attention to this struggle for liberation of the Canaanite woman.
1. She had overcome the hurdles for liberation
The reason behind her approach to Jesus was the sickness of her daughter. The Canaanite people were the most hated race by the Jewish. That was a time when no person from the context of a gentile background would have dared to come to a Jewish citizen. There was huge gap between the Jews and the Canaanite people. But she had overcome this gap by approaching Jesus with her problem. Firstly, she overcame the purity and pollution concepts of the then society. She had broken this concept by publically approaching Jesus. She can be understood as a representative of her race to break this boundary of purity and pollution. Secondly she was a woman. A Canaanite woman can be compared to a Dalit woman in India who is oppressed twice, as a Dalit and as a woman. A Canaanite woman was a symbol of oppression, who was oppressed by the Jews and by her own community. Even inside the Jewish community women were oppressed and were not allowed to come publically and speak to a male. But she broke these barriers for the liberation of her daughter and for her community. Thirdly, Jesus’ responses were a hurdle to her. She came to Jesus and said “have mercy on me Lord son of David, my daughter is tormented by a demon.” The first response of Jesus was a mere silence. This silence was severe than words. Again the disciples requested Jesus to send her away. Then Jesus responded by saying that he was sent only for the Jews. This was a very weak response by Jesus. And again she came to Jesus and requested for help. But the response of Jesus was a strong humiliation. But she was not ready to surrender to these responses. She overcame these responses by her faith and commitment toward her cause of liberation.
What is the significance of these hurdles in today’s context? There are people and communities around us who are longing for liberation. Liberation is only possible when we are able to cross the boundaries and hurdles. She crossed the boundary of purity and pollution, the boundary of gender and caste and the boundary of humiliation.
2. She used humiliation as a tool for liberation
She had to undergo the humiliation throughout her encounter with Jesus. His disciples wanted to send her away without addressing her voice of cry. She was not just telling about her struggle but she was crying. The Greek word used here is ‘craiso’ that means to cry or scream. Even this cry did not change the mind of disciples. They wanted to avoid her from that scene. Jesus’ responses were even more humiliating. Jesus announced that he has come to the world for the lost sheep of Israel. The final response of Jesus to her plea was even more tormenting and Jesus compared her to a dog who eats from the fallen loaves from his master’s table. She might have remembered the prayer that the Jewish people used to pray, “thank you Lord for not making me a woman or a Dog.
She used these words of humiliation to respond to Jesus. She was strong enough to turn her humiliation as a tool for the liberation. She argues with Jesus using Jesus’ own words to say that If Jesus had come as a saviour to the world then she and her community will also be a part of that. Humiliation was not a new thing to a woman like the Canaanite woman. This was her experience throughout her life. Now she has decided to turn that humiliation as a tool for her own liberation.
The story of Daya Bahai tells us about the opposition and struggle she had to undergo when she reached the tribal villages of Madhya Pradesh. Her name was Mercy Mathew and she belonged the Catholic Church in Kerala. She joined the Sisterhood of the church and wanted to become a nun of the Catholic Church. But before finishing her training period she left the church and went to the villages of Madhya Pradesh. She had to face humiliation and opposition from her own church, from the land mafia, from the police department, political leaders etc. But she was not ready to give up her struggle for the tribal communities. Today she lives as a tribal and continuing her struggle for the liberation of the marginalised people.
We have a number of brothers and sisters who live a life of humiliation and condemnation. But they are not able to come out of their struggles. But the Canaanite woman, herself became a channel of liberation. We as Christians have the responsibility of liberating our brothers and sisters from their oppressive structures. But we normally make them silent by humiliating them. We want the poor and the dalit to remain poor and dalit. For that we humiliate them and use them. We always want them to eat the crumbs that fall down from the table and not the meal at the table. But the Canaanite woman was not willing to submit to these injustices. She turned that system and used that as a tool for the liberation.
3. She used her God-consciousness and theological affirmations for liberation
Jews had a false understanding that they are the custodians of God and theology. But here she also affirmed her God consciousness and theological beliefs. The first verbal encounter begins with her cry of "Lord" and "Son of David." In Mathew, "Lord" is addressed to Jesus only by true believers, and "Son of David" is used by the marginalized of society, who recognized the Messiah of Israel, whom the leaders of Israel reject. The woman knows that her insight of faith gives her no claim on the Jewish Messiah; But she affirmed that she also have the right to accept Jesus as her Liberator. Persisting in the face of discouragement, the woman of faith "comes" to Jesus and "worships" him. The word used here is proskyneô, a favourite Matthean verb for the proper act of reverence toward Jesus. She repeats her petition with heart-rending simplicity: "Lord, help me." Like the Psalmist, she is at the end of her rope. She also affirmed her faith by saying that she also has the right to eat from the crumbs. In a way, she was saying that she also has the right to have the liberation from God. She did not think about the consequences of her public statements about this God consciousness. Jesus accepted her as a woman of great faith. She overcame the hurdles and humiliations through this God-consciousness. She called to Jesus as the son of David and affirmed the prophetical declarations about the coming of a messiah as the liberator of the whole world.
Let me conclude my message. The story of the Canaanite woman gives us a challenge to overcome our struggles in the path of liberation. She used the humiliation and condemnation as a tool for her liberation. Even in the midst of the struggles and pain she had a strong God consciousness and she affirmed this without fear. Church is the called-out community of God. We are entrusted with the task of becoming the channels of liberation. Can we be the channel of liberation amidst humiliation and pain? Can we participate in the struggles of our brothers and sisters who are still oppressed by caste, colour and gender. May the almighty God bless us to be the channel of liberation. 

[This sermon is prepared and delivered by Liju Raju ,  a final year BD Student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

The Loser and the Lost: Rethinking Pastoral Care in India

Scripture lessons: Ezek. 34: 8-16 , 1 Pet. 5: 1-4, Luke. 15: 1-10.

“Jesus sent me to witness to the lost” (In India) shouted a Canadian Missionary during a heated discussion between the conservatives and liberals in a Kodaikanal School Church Council meeting. According to him the “lost” are people of all non-Christian faith backgrounds and the liberals, who according to his standards, were not “true Christians”! The Canadian was convinced that he was doing God’s work of preaching the Good News to the “heathen” in India. His aggressive and often inhuman mission incited serious troubles both within the school campus and outside; and his mission did not end up peacefully. The usage of terms such as “lost”, “shepherd” etc. are not uncommon in Christian circles.
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke’s gospel take us right into the context namely, the character of the Shepherd/Owner. God, the Good Shepherd, is concerned about the lost. In this meditation, I want to focus on the first parable and occasionally refer to the one of the lost coin to reflect on the significance of the “shepherding ministry” or pastoral care in India today.
The passage shows that the sheep owner diligently searches for the sheep. The parables are set in a controversial context in which Jesus angered the Jewish religious leaders by welcoming and sharing the table with the outcastes and the wretched in the Jewish society. The two parables use a common theme apollymi (meaning lost) and heurisko (meaning found). The context of the first parable reflects a Palestinian farming setting. In the Old Testament God is described as Israel’s shepherd (Is. 40: 11); by contrast, in the New Testament, the image is limited to Jesus’ parables (Lk. 15: 1 ff). Both in the Old Testament and Christian literature the Shepherd image also represents leaders of the people who did not serve the sheep well. Yahweh denounces such faithless shepherds (Ezek. 34), who for their personal gains, ignored and scattered the sheep and neglected their care. The true nature and character of God manifested through the parables interest all of us. They are examined under three headings.
1. The diligently seeking God:
God the Shepherd is one who searches for the lost and the least. God invests much effort and is genuinely concerned about the search. Should one sheep get astray the Shepherd leaves the 99 secure in the field and brings back to the fold the frightened and disoriented sheep. The lost one is temporarily more important than the rest who do not need care right now. Because of the high value of the sheep it is no token search. In spite of the hurdles along the way, the search is stopped only when the lost one is found. The focus here is on the shepherd’s diligent searching than on the straying. Jesus takes the place of God who performs the acts of God. The seeking of the lost needs certain other qualities as well.
2. The courageous God:
The diligently seeking God is also a courageous God. Here courage does not mean the tough/strong image but the calm, fearless shepherd who is willing to take risks to the extent of self sacrifice for the lost one. The shepherd in the parable took two risks: first, the risk of leaving the 99 behind; second, readiness to face any unexpected event in the act of saving. The diligence and courage sustain the shepherd to continue the search till the lost is found. The obstacles on the way do not block the shepherd from searching.
The shepherd image is a paradigm for God’s care and concern. Jesus who fulfills the ministry as the Good Shepherd is the forerunner of the ministry of shepherding. Alastair Campbell, a British Pastoral Theologian, finds in Jesus’ words, deeds and sufferings the character of a courageous shepherd (Alastair V. Campbell, Rediscovering Pastoral Care,1986). It is inclusive of, but is not limited to, Jesus’ relationship with his parent God, his certainty of the supremacy of love, his courage to move and eat with the outcastes and the marginalized of his time, to share bread and wine with his betrayer and even to allow himself to be tortured until death. The inner wholeness and oneness with God and humanity are crucial to Jesus’ image as the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd’s task does not end with searching and finding the lost one but includes rejoicing and celebrating also.
3. The rejoicing and celebrating God:
When the lost is found there is much rejoicing. The parable describes the joy of the shepherd who finds the sheep which was separated from the company and the host. Rejoicing and celebrating are not private and exclusive ceremonies. The shepherd invites neighbors to join the feast. God takes more delight to celebrate with the repentant outcastes than with the Jewish religious leaders. Their righteousness does not make God rejoice. Because of their attitude, they separated themselves from the table fellowship. The parable of the lost coin has the same ending. There the woman finds the lost coin after a diligent search, and when found, she includes her women friends and neighbors in the celebration!
The shepherd image in the parable of the lost sheep is central to pastoral care. The term “pastoral” which is often associated with the image “shepherd” is not merely a function but a “perspective”, an “attitude” or “point of view” (Seward Hiltner, Preface to Pastoral Theology, 1958). Seward Hiltner, a North American Pastoral Theologian, argues that this “perspective” should govern all activities of the church.
Both the parables calls for a paradigm shift in the way we conceive and practice pastoral care in India. I want to briefly comment on three aspects.
First, if pastoral care and counseling are to be relevant to India they should be informed by the multi-faith, multi-cultural and socio-economic realities of her people. Pastoral Counselling is more than a one to one conversation in the comforts of the counselor’s therapy room. It is facilitating the compassionate encounter of a loving and caring God in the painful moments of the troubled person’s crisis. In this encounter the humans are the “living human documents” (Anton T. Boisen, The Exploration of the Inner World, 1952); in other words, the broken, wretched or outcast bodies become the reference point of the theory and practice of pastoral care. For instance, our ministry among the Persons Living with HIV/AIDS is not to them but with them in the sense that their infected bodies become, in Dr. George Zachariah’s words, “authentic texts” (George Zachariah, “Ethics in the Time of HIV and AIDS: Celebrating Infectious Memories for Positive Living”, Asian Christian Review, Vol 4: No: 1, Summer 2010) or subjects of pastoral ministry. Thus theology is not borne out of the professor’s study or a method of “God management” (K.M. George, The Silent Roots, 1994) using verbal and theological jargons but it is borne out of theological reflections on the raw realities of human lives. It is pastoral theology at its best.
Second, pastoral care is a community task. The man and the woman in the parables rejoice and celebrate the finding of the lost sheep/coin with their neighbors. It is important to note the leadership role of the woman in the parable of the lost coin. Pastoral care and church leadership are not the prerogatives of a group of male clergy. Therefore, they need rethinking along gender equality lines. This is a challenge to churches and institutions which are not even willing to consider women for pastoral ministry and other leadership positions. In spite of the many social services that the church and its agencies are engaged in, many of them seldom share their resources and function exclusively in providing care. As a faith community we need to reflect on how we must go beyond our narrow ecclesial and ethnic clan consciousness and theological differences to minister to people who do not belong to our fold. As a hospital chaplain, I was confronted by many people of non-Christian backgrounds regarding my openness to ministry with them. Often I am spiritually urged to break my ecclesial norms to provide pastoral care including sacraments to people and their families in crisis! Giving a plate of food to a hungry person, a glass of water to a thirsty person, offering a word of prayer where needed, a moment of solidarity with the marginalized, a helping hand to a visually handicapped, all these may not receive recognition in the national or world conference of theologians and church leaders but they too are acts of care in God’s name. I compare my painful experience of being refused drinking water in the cafeteria of a Christian organization in Chennai with the Chennai Jain community’s compassionate act of providing drinking water in clay pots to the public!
Third and last, but not the least, is the narrow understanding of the term “pastoral” in churches and even in theological institutions in India. The term should not be confined to the function of a pastor or those who teach and learn pastoral care but it should govern all our Christian activities. It is a sad reality that in most of the theological institutions, pastoral care is given the lowest priority, be it the appointment of faculty or the motivation given to the students to specialize in this field. But, very recently, there are some optimistic signs from the Serampore Senate (University) to promote pastoral care in theological institutions. My point is that, not only pastoral care and counselling but all activities in churches and theological institutions also need to have a pastoral perspective. With reference to Gurukul College this includes the Gurukul cultural fete and even the finance campaign which will be inaugurated at the end of this week. For me finance campaign is, in addition to collecting money for the college (which is important), our rededication to the bold theological vision and mission of our college. It also includes responsibility and accountability to the donors, the churches and the public who entrust us with their material resources to be used for God’s glory.
Many years ago, our group of theological students from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, visited the United Nations General Assembly hall. Our guide took us to various sections sponsored by each member nation. In one area I noticed that the ceiling was not completed and I asked the guide for the reason. He replied that the European nation which undertook that work intentionally left it incomplete to constantly remind the UN of its unfinished task. Sisters and brothers in Christ, the current realities in today’s world is a reminder of the church’s unfinished pastoral ministry and mission. May the Spirit of God inspire us to follow the great Shepherd, Jesus the Christ, to fulfill God’s ministry and mission. Amen. 

[Rev. Fr. Dr. George Varughese, the leader of this meditation, is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Christian Ministry in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai,India.]