Characteristics of presenting the gospel- by G. Vasthi Charisma, BD IV

Text: Acts 22 :22 – 23:11

Once there was a Brahmin poojari, who heard about Jesus, and respected Jesus so much that he went in search of Jesus to a church. He took a flower basket, a bell and camphor with him. He reverently entered the church, and came to the altar, kept the flower basket near the altar, and started worshiping by lighting the camphor and ringing the bell, as he used to do in the temple. On hearing this, the pastor came and he was shocked on seeing this. He shouted to stop the pooja and said this is not the Christian way of worshiping. On hearing the pastor’s rebuke, the poojari was very much offended and he told the Pastor that he was honouring Jesus in the way which he knew. But the pastor did not listen to him and said, he’s profaning the holy place. On this the poojari went away silently thinking that ‘My Jesus is not here in this Church.’

This may be an imaginative story but this is what would happen in reality if at all. The background of this passage also reflects the same thing. Here we see Paul coming to Jerusalem temple to take over purification rites and when it was over, the problem started.  Already the Jews were angry on Paul, on hearing that he was preaching a different doctrine from theirs. So when the Jews saw him in the temple, they caught hold of him and plotted to kill him. On seeing this, the Roman soldiers rescued Paul from the Mob and brought him bound up into the fortress to know what crime he had done. When he was taken in, Paul asks permission to the tribune to speak to the people and thus began addressing the crowd in Hebrew. So the people who were shouting became very quiet when they heard him speak in Hebrew. So they all became quiet listening to him and he was explaining to them about his Apostolic call. When he mentioned as in vs.21 that the Lord has sent him to the Gentiles as well, the crowd could no longer bear it and was asked for his head.

And this passage explains that, the tribune ordered Paul to be taken in and enquired by flogging. This is a Roman practice of punishing a criminal, tying him up to the poles and beating with a leather thong to which pieces of dry bones and metal pieces are attached. Many died during it and mostly crippled for life. This is a brutal way of punishing people. But here Paul defended himself by saying that he is a Roman citizen. And again when he was taken before the Sanhedrin, where Sadducees and Pharisees were present, he introduced himself to be a Pharisee and won the support of Pharisees thereby instigating conflict between the two groups. Again he was taken safely by the soldiers.

From these incidents I could not restrict myself in bringing two things that this passage as a whole would reflect. First is that,

In the beginning of this passage in vs .22 ff, explains clearly that the crowd were outrageous, pent up with anger on Paul, that they tore their clothes and threw dust into the air, and shouted that Paul should not live anymore. What was the reason for their sudden change and anger?

Its nothing but the mention of ‘Gentiles.’ They listened to him quietly till his mention of the Gentiles. They burst out into anger when they heard him say that he was sent by the Lord to the Gentiles as well. It was hard for them to accept the unclean Gentiles into their fold as they are. They could no longer bear that God would save both Jews and the Gentiles in the same way. They insisted that the Gentiles should accept circumcision and the law. If Paul would’ve preached the restricting demands of Judaism to the Gentiles, all would’ve been well. But it was because he preached the grace of Christianity they were enraged. But Paul broke out their traditional inbuilt ideas and boldly proclaimed even after being caught up them, that he was an Apostle to the Gentiles as well.

Paul in all his manner of proclaiming the Gospel, presented the Gospel to the people in their own culture and language. There are many examples to quote this attitude of Paul. In Athens he introduced Jesus as the ‘UNKNOWN GOD,’ here he claims his Roman citizenship, in the second part of this passage that is 23:1-11, he introduces himself as a Pharisee and so on. His stand is very clear from his first letter to the Corinthians 9: 20 -23, where he says for the sake of Gospel, he became a Jew, weak, to those under the law as under the law  and became all things to all people, so as to save them. This is how Paul Presented the Gospel. He did not impose a so called ‘Christian culture’, but presented Jesus to the people in their own way.

This is what is probing us to ask a question to ourselves, How are we going to present the Gospel, the Good news of Jesus Christ to the people around us? Are we going to impose our culture, our values and in-built ideas? Or are we going to present Jesus as the one whom they knew?  How about taking Paul as an example?

Secondly, here in these two incidents when Paul was caught up before the authorities, he wisely escapes punishment by defending himself as a Roman citizen in one place where it would be appropriate and as a Pharisee before the Sanhedrin. For it is against the law to punish or bind a Roman citizen during those times. When he said that he is a Roman citizen by birth, the tribune was afraid and they stopped enquiring him.            In the Sanhedrin, Paul saw Sadducees and Pharisees being present and he successfully divided the assembly by claiming the doctrine of the Pharisees in believing in the resurrection. A tumult broke out and again he has to be taken in safely by the soldiers.

This attitude of Paul reminds me of Jesus’ saying in the Gospel according to St. Matthew 10:16, ‘Be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves.’  Jesus when sending out the disciples advised them that they are being sent as sheep into the wolves and so they ought to communicate His message wisely but without hurting people who heard it, as harmless as dove.

Defending the truth requires the wisdom of a serpent so as to discern the situation and act accordingly. Jesus Himself in Luke 4: 29 -30, when the people led him to the brow of the hill, that they might cast him off headlong, he passed through the midst of them and went his way. There was Christ’s wisdom in not giving himself into the hands of his enemy, as he had to preach the Gospel in other cities too. In the same way, Paul also many times has proven himself willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, but at the same time, he do not want to do the same needlessly as here in this passage. So he claimed his right as a Roman citizen, thereby obeying Jesus’ word of being wise as serpent, so that the gospel will be proclaimed elsewhere through him.

Therefore the second question that this passage puts before us is, taking this example of Paul, How is our conduct today in defending the truth? Are we being as wise as serpents?

As we close lets ponder upon these two questions.. Is it hard for us to embrace the truth to include the excluded and grant access to God’s liberating grace via a different route than the one we’ve already taken?  And are we being as wise as serpents? How about Paul’s example in these two aspects? 

Let us examine ourselves and may the Lord speak to us through his word.   Amen.

[This meditation is led by G.Vasthi Charisma, final year BD student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

 

Habakkuk 3:1-16 By Prince John, BD IV

Text: Habakkuk 3:1-16

As we go through this Bible verses we can see that, prophet Habakkuk is offering a prayer here. A similar prayer can be found in psalms 77. By acknowledging God’s supreme power, Habakkuk is praising God’s personality, strength, and motive. Through out this passage we can find the subjugation of creation into the creator. None of the creation can domain over the creator. The end of the second chapter is concluding with the saying “let all the earth keep silence before Him”. So according to the prophet he was praising a God who is unimaginable and unbeaten. Habakkuk's memory of Yahweh's "deeds" (v. 2) reverts to the events surrounding the Exodus, in keeping with the Lord's repeated injunction to Israel (e.g., Exodus 13:3).

Our God is a God of wrath and consumable fire, although He/She is gentle and mercy to His/Her own people and anointed, it is very clear in Exodus. There we can see the wrath, kindness and mercy of God. Through illustrating these characters of God the prophet is declaring his prayer. When God extend His/Her care and concern to his people in Exodus, at the same time God punish the wicked and sinners, God cast them into the sea. So that here the prophet also praying “In wrath may you remember mercy” (2b) Because he knows that God will keep safe and sound those who loves, even in the midst of His/Her wrath . He believes that “God looked and made the nations tremble” (3:16) the psalmist also says in 7:8 “The lord judges the people according to their righteous. The opening parallel lines of v. 8 refer to the "rivers" and "streams" both as witnessing the anger of the Lord. 

The waters of the Jordan may be envisaged but more likely the word "rivers" normally plural, as here is equivalent to "sea”. The Lord's dramatic conflict with the "sea" echoes his dominion over the waters of Creation and the Flood a complex of events that pervades Israel's literature as a pattern of future salvation and judgment, Exodus and Sinai alike are the incarnation of events with universal significance.

 In Gen 11 when people gathered to build a city and a tower for themselves and try to challenge God, but God confused their language and scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth. Because human plans was against the will of God. Neither can act nor can any creation work against the will of God.

Even the mountains, river, seas can’t impede the plan of God. That’s why the prophet says in (3:13) “You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed”. Like a pillar of cloud and by the pillar of fire God will be with them. vv9, 11 he gives the assurance that the battle is the Lords, the same faith we can also finds in David’s life. During his teenage he went to the philistines with courage and bold and he challenged by the words “(1sam 17:47) the Lord doesn’t save by sword and spear, for the battle is the Lords”. He keeps this assurance until his end, not only in David’s but lives of Abraham and Moses also. We should also submit ourselves in front of our forefathers God who will not leave us nor forsake us and His word is true. “He make us tread upon the heights” as prophet believes.

Till today God’s love continues towards us through His only begotten son Jesus Christ. God who reveals through His son is not a God of rage but a God of patience, mercy and eternal love. Because his love and mercy is everlasting and will never end. Behold our sin and unworthiness, still for us he chooses to die. He celebrates victory over the chain and bondage of wicked through the tools of patience and obedience. So let us find comfort and refuge under the shadow of that Gods rock. Amen 

[Prince John, the leader of this meditation, is a Fourth year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India]

Cry of women against domestic violence- by John M. Haide, BD IV

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Raising up a new Generation to Transform the World- by Joice Esther, BD IV

Text: Mark 6: 14-29

"I study well. But my sir Nagesh will hit me on my head always. He will come to our home he will sleep on my mother's bed. When I go to my mother to sleep near her, he will throw me from the cot. My mum will do nothing but laugh, on seeing this. One day I got severe hurt in my head and it was bleeding because of his cruel act. The two will drink something from the bottle and will start dancing and they will tell me to clap for their dance. My mum will also beat me if I ask her for food or I go to sleep near her in the night. My sir will drop the ashes of his cigarette on my head, and when I shout unable to bear the heat, he will put off the cigarette by pressing it on my lips. He will kick me if I cry unable to bear the pain. I don't know my father, my mum said my father died and now I should call my sir as my father. How can this cruel man be my father?"

This was the story and cry of a 6 year old girl named Dhanusha, who was admitted into a hospital for treatment, as she was deeply wounded with the hot iron rod on her toe, and several other wounds all over her body caused by a hot iron box, a blade, and a lit cigarette.

Who is the cause of this cruelty? It was none other than her own mother who had an illegal relationship with her old friend named Nagesh soon after her break up after 6 months of her marriage life. In order to hide their own mistake they two started torturing this poor innocent 6 year old girl. And when this girl Dhanusha innocently told the neighbours about what is happening in her home, they two got angry and rebuked her. And finally a woman neighbour reported this case to the police. Now Dhanusha is being taken care by the government.

Open any daily newspaper today and the headlines will proclaim the real life stories of abuse from around the world and from all stratas of society. We live in a society in which physical, emotional, verbal, spiritual, racial and sexual abuse is seldom out of the news. The story and the text make me to think to look at the issues where one generation afflicts pain and suffering on the vulnerable generation of children. At the same time the children are the sources of wisdom and community life for us.

One of the first things children are taught on their first day of school is how to stand in line. Eager to please, they become good at it. The tragedy is that, too often they find themselves at the end of society’s line. And that is where they stay, while others with more size, influence, and resources jump in front of them. This is what happens to children in today’s world all the time. Something has to be done on their behalf. We get only one pass at childhood , and yet it dictates the quality of the rest of our lives. What we think, feel, experience, and endure in this earliest phase is the single most important indicator of what the rest of life is going to be like.

Children are the most numerous and most needy people on the planet. Never in history have there been so many children and never have so many of them been at great risk. Children make up nearly half of the world’s population. The 4/14 window describes a demographic season of life comprising the years between ages 4 and 14. The term 4/14 window was introduced by Dan Brewster. It is an urgent appeal to consider the strategic importance and potential of the 1.2 billion children and youth in the 4/14 window. It is a plea to open our hearts and minds to the idea of reaching and raising up a new generation from within the vast group. A generation can experience personal transformation only by ripping apart the predominant generation, and by rebuilding a new generation in order to become agents for global transformation. This is what we cull out of today's passage.

Ripping apart the Predominant Generation

The marriage tangles of the Herod family are quite incredible, and their inter- relations are so complicated that they become almost impossible to work out. Herod Antipas was married to a daughter of the king of the Nabataean Arabs. He had a brother in Rome also called Herod. The gospel writers call this Roman Herod, Philip. This Herod who stayed in Rome was a wealthy private individual who had no kingdom of his own. On a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas seduced his brother's wife and persuaded her to leave his brother and to marry him. In order to do so, he had to put away his own wife by breaking two laws. He divorced his own wife without cause, and he married his sister- in-law, which was a marriage, under Jewish law, within the prohibited relationships. Because of this adulterous marriage and Herod's deliberate seduction of his brother's wife John the Baptist without hesitation rebuked him. In spite of John's rebuke Herod still feared and respected him, but with Herodias, it was different. She was implacably hostile to John and determined to eliminate him. She got her chance at Herod's birthday feast. She was a woman who did not hesitate to use even her own daughter to achieve her own cruel ends.

It was infinitely worse that she used her daughter for her evil purpose and made her as great as a sinner as herself.

There is little to be said for a parent who stains a child with guilt in order to achieve some evil personal purpose. Here was a royal princess who acted as a dancing girl. For a royal princess to dance in public was a surprising thing, because in those days, kings are pleased by the dances of the prostitutes. In this passage, both Herodias and Herod played a negative role by being a reason for the destruction of the life of Salome. We need to reflect on the manner in which they destroyed their daughter’s life. Herodias wished to eliminate the one man who had the courage to confront her with her sin. When her daughter danced and pleased the king and was given an opportunity to choose whatever she wants, the little girl Salome ran to her mother innocently as any other child would do in order to know what she wants. She strongly trusted that her mother would suggest the best thing but Herodia used that innocence not for the betterment of her daughter but for herself. Children believe that parents are the ones who would choose the best thing for them and parents are the ones who know what is good for them.

But in this passage we are forced to ask the question whether the family is a safe place for children. If we want to answer this question the answer would be a big “NO” because Herodias and Herod have placed a foundation to destroy the future of Salome. Chaitanya and Nagesh as we see in the illustration have been a foundation to destroy the life of Dhanusha to achieve their evil ends. What makes parents to lay such a foundation to the destruction of their children’s lives? Our society is possessed by the demon of patriarchy, casteism, dominance of adults over children, economic and fundamentalistic religious attitudes. The psychological remnants of patriarchy are like a psychosis that affects most of the children's thoughts and actions. Parents are the first teachers and children are taught to obey their parents without questioning. In this passage we find that the head of John the Baptist is no way useful for her betterment but still she did according to her mother’s word. Even Dhanusha, though she does not like to accept her mother’s friend as her father, she was forced to do it. This is how the society enforces on children the desires of others or elders.

Statistics show that children are the most fragile, unorganized and thus exploitable human beings,- the main targets of abuse. 10 million children suffer forced prostitution; malnutrition kills 35,000 children under five every day. The number of street children has grown to 100 million. Fifteen million children have been orphaned as a result of Aids. According to the World Health Organization, 85% of the world's orphans are between the ages of 4-14, orphaned girls are easy targets for sexual exploitation. The Orphaned boys within 4/14 window often turn to crime or drugs and prone to become abusive in adult relationships. Abusive child labour and trafficking are serious threats in many parts of the children's world. Children are sold for different kinds of exploitation and slavery, for pornography, for forced labour, and for organ transplantation. Most of us are aware that poor children are at risk, actually all children are at risk. Millions are at risk from poverty, but millions are also at risk from prosperity. Many children have everything to live with but nothing to live for. The above statistics urge us to draw our attention to the unheard cry of the children who cry within themselves to rip apart the predominant structure and to rebuild a new world of their own and thus to form a new generation.

Rebuilding a new Generation:

A society is constructed always to the desires and the knowledge of the adults but never the children have been the locus and focus of the construction of the peaceful society. Herodias daughter fulfilled the desire of her mother by requesting the king to give the head of John the Baptist who rebuked her mother’s illegal relationship. Dhanusha suffered a lot innocently without sharing her sorrow to anyone. She tolerated her agony for her mother’s desire. This is the plight of many children who are used by their parents to fulfill their own selfish desires. In the contemporary society we find many fathers abusing their children especially the targets being daughters of sexual abuse in order to fulfill their desires. The unfulfilled desires of the parents are imposed on their children. Whether something destroys the future of the children is rarely considered.

For children, today is all about tomorrow, by nature, they look to the future, since so very little of life lies behind them. Everything worthwhile is “in front.” the future is waiting to happen for them. In their mysterious and wonderful minds, children observe, absorb, and apply a tremendous amount of information from their earliest moments. They are busy discovering their world, finding their place in it, figuring out what they might do. It is delicate and formative span of time. When children live in a nurturing, safe environment surrounded by family, friends, and a supportive community of people who love them, believe in them, and affirm their lives, they dare to dream of what they might become, which will be a helpful instrument in rebuilding their future through which a new generation can be formed.

Children are more than what we think they are. They can do more than what we think they can do. Their dreams today will become the realities of tomorrow. Herodias and Herod have placed a negative influence in the mind of Salome. Herod was a man who could take a firm stand on wrong things, even when he knew what was right; and such a stand is the sign not of strength but of weakness. He honored a foolish oath and broke a great law. He made his reckless promise to Salome without thinking. He kept his promise to Salome because he had made it in front of his companions and was unwilling to break it. He feared their mocking, their laughter; he feared that they would think him weak. He was more frightened of the criticism, and perhaps the amusement, of his guests than the voice of the conscience. This is what happening in our life, many a time we give importance to others and what they will say about us, in this serious search we forget or refuse to listen or learn from our own children.

Their daughter from childhood would have learnt to obey their parents and do what ever they say, but it is the responsibility of the parents to guide the children in the right path not for their own selfish gains but for the betterment of the future of the child. Children who learn from the present experiences continue to live in their future based on the values learnt in the past. In this passage Salome is taught to take a life of an innocent individual and for sure this definitely would have made an impact in her future. Her parents have through this incident taught her that life is dispensable. Children should be laid with a positive foundation so that when they understand that they need to rip apart the predominant generation they also understand how to rebuild a new generation. Unlike, the parents of Dhanusha and Salome we are called to unlearn from them and to motivate children in building a new future and rebuilding a new generation.  

Conclusion:

Mark’s gospel portrays Jesus’ love and attitude towards children. The teaching about the place of children in the kingdom of God contains three truths; first, children model the essence of saving faith and discipleship. Becoming like them is required in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Second, to welcome a child – that is to accept, love, value, and respect a child – is to welcome Christ himself. Finally, as Jesus made very clear, whoever neglects, abuses, hinders, or turns away a child from faith will face God's severe judgment. The gospel elevates children to the place of honour in the kingdom and acknowledges their moral agency. Children are addressed as responsible members of the family of God. Mark 6:14-29 portrays how irresponsible parents for their selfish desires spoil and rupture the future of the child. Dhanusha cannot imagine a father in her mother’s friend who was very cruel to her. The illustration and the gospel portion portray the negative attitude of parents. But at the same time we cannot generalise that all parents destroy or make a negative impact on the children’s lives. There are many parents who gave up their desires in order to fulfil our desires. Today’s children are tomorrow’s rulers. If today they are moulded in the right path, we contribute to the nation a good ruler so that they can rip apart the predominant structures and strive to rebuild a new transformed generation. As we celebrate children's Day, two days from now, and this year as International Children's year, we are encouraged to raise up a new generation which transforms the world of the children for a better world.

Amen.

[This sermon was prepared and preached by Joice Esther, Fourth year BD Student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India]

 

Pluralistic Perspectival Reading on John 4: 16-26 by Fourth Year BD Students of GLTC&RI

Text :John 4: 16-26 

Introduction

The Gospel of John is predominantly theological in comparison with the other gospels. His initial assertion--"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us" (John 1:1, 14) declares that Jesus was no ordinary person. He was the incarnation of the eternal God, who chose that means of revealing himself perfectly to human.

In the gospel we see that Jesus was an inclusive messiah, one who came for all. Jesus broke the social barrier and went through Samaria. He proves that there are no Jews, no Samaritans, no higher and lower but all are equal in the sight of God.

Christianity and Islam:

No believing Muslims accept the idea of sources or human influence as having a bearing on the Quran, for he holds that it is, in its entirely, revealed by Allah. Not only do Muslims reject the historical-critical method of investigation of Quranic material, they similarly reject and oppose any attempt to explain the Quran and its contents in purely historical terms. . It is divinely revealed in its entirety and one doesn’t investigate God, it is accepted as Arab Muslim say “bila kaif” or without question.

Old Testament parallel in the Quran:

A. The One god:

Pre-Islamic poetry frequently used the term “Allah” not name only but the conception of his unity as well. Thus the unique designation of God was most probably not the result of Jewish or Christian teaching.

B. Revelation:

It’s a cause of wonder that there is only one direct quotation in the Quran that parallels a biblical reference and that is Psalm 37:29.

Four sets of scriptures are singled out in the Quran as being given by the divine revelation.

The Tawrat (Pentateuch) given to Moses, the Zabus (psalms) to David the injil(Gospel)to Jesus;and the quran to Mohammad. All are to be received and believed alike for all confirm one another.

C. The prophet are chosen by God:

The concept of prophet are closely parallel to Hebrew model but the Word was not the Judeo-Christian term “nabi:,prophet,but the Arabic designation “Rasul” messenger.

The prophet in Islam is the divinely appointed viceroy of Allah with even kings being a little lower in status. After many inner conflicts he was eventually convinced that he was Allah’s chosen spokesman and once set on this course, there was no turning back.

D. The Last judgment:

Quran stresses that on this fateful day each will stand or fall accounting to his own recorded deeds, also present the possibility of some awful calamity befalling that transgressor in the present life.

Application

Christianity and Islam share common elements about origins, worship one God who is benevolent, judgement, prophetic .there are elements where they differ too.

In view of the history of religion wars in the past, the present situation where Muslim brothers and sisters feel wronged by the Christian west, one walks in to a vitiated atmosphere.

Islam also denies that Christ died on the cross and questions the concept of the son ship of God.

Though we cannot draw absolute similarities, Jesus walks in to a location where animosity to him can arise from social, cultural and especially religious background.

Jesus draws the conversation into one about deeper meanings of life in terms of in quality, quantity and about an authentic worship of God that demands that one move beyond a handful of fixed rituals. Such a discussion bound to make one reflect.

Jesus also uses His ability to see in to a person’s life. In our setting this could mean that we use our own gifts creatively with discernment and sensitivity.

One cannot in the end avoid a discussion about Jesus himself. But the above themes can be useful rather than engaging in polemic from the outset.

Jesus had something precious to offer and he was not overawed by a potentially explosive and different situation. Instead John’ Portrayal of Jesus shows him engaging with sensitivity and honesty. The ending of the engagement is very positive- people realise that Jesus is the saviour of the world. Our hope is that we could learn lessons from this passage to share the precious gift- the Lord Himself in a way that will result in similar outcomes.

[This Bible study is Prepared by:Anima Samad, Sudhir Kumar Burh, Yacub Kumsr Mundu, Alex Das, Byju Eapen, John Allwyn, Dr.Samuel Sidhartha swamidoss, BD IV Students of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India]