'Stealing of Blessing'-Samuel Varghese, Gurukul

Text: Genesis 27:30-38

The just read passage Gen 27:30-38 describes how Esau the elder son of Isaac lost his blessing from the father and his cry before Isaac for the lost blessing. Isaac was also in a helpless situation. Both Isaac and Esau fell in the trap formed by Rebekah and Jacob. They steals the blessing from the father in a cunning way. This morning let us reflect together on the topic “Stealing of Blessing “. Here mother Rebekah supported and helped Jacob to steal his brother’s blessing.
The Hebrew word for blessing is ‘beraka’ It generally denotes a bestowal of good, usually conceived of materials. In the ancient near East the blessing of the father to his son was passing of his property and authority to next generation. Blessings were integral part of the Israelites liturgy and were frequently paired with curses violation of covenantal stipulation.
Today in our churches and society also there are many people like Esau, Jacob and Rebekah. Many people are denied of their basic needs under severe poverty. They can be compared to the image of the Esau. We see this image in the oppressed communities like Dalits, adivasi and women. They are eligible for the enormous blessing of God. Jacobs and Rebekahs also present among us today, By amassing wealth exploiting and living on the expense of the others, this Jacobs and Rebekahs were destroying the God’s plan for the humanity. All the development projects aim at all-round development of the Society. But eventually if fails in its aim, and it becomes ultimate blessing for the dominant group of Jacobs and Rebekahs.
They live luxuries life by stealing the opportunities and rights of the less privileged people of our Society. They make the life of the marginalized people more miserable. Jesus was also aware of this fact that is why Jesus says in Matthew 7:15 ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves’. Here Jacob also came wearing the garments of sheep’s clothing and he cheated his father and brother.
Let us introspect ourselves that we share whose image with us, we claim to be a called community, working with values of Jesus Christ, but we also silently taking part in stealing the blessing which are the inheritance of our fellow being around us. We are called to serve others without expecting anything. But today we forget our call and commitment often we take the role of a paid employees. We speak theology boldly but fails to practice it in our day today life. 

Every festival is a remembrance of blessing what God has given without any hierarchy all the people celebrated. It is also remembrance of God’s abundant blessing on all people without considering Caste, Color and Class. Let it be an occasion for us to understand the blessing of God is for all. Including Jacob and Esau without any individual difference.
Let us prepare ourselves to share the blessing that we get from the God.  Amen.

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

"Three Fundamentals for Relationship"- by Jeremiah, Gurukul

Text: 1 John 5:1-5

Shane Caliborne, a Christian activist writes in his book ‘The Irresistible revolution’ “All around you people will be tiptoeing through life, just to avoid to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe, Run, hop, skip or dance, just don’t tiptoe”.
In contrast to most N. T. Letters 1 John does not identify the author, although distinctive pasterns of style and ten references to ‘my dear children’ make it likely that the apostle John wrote it as an elderly man – which is also an early church tradition.
In this chapter John focuses on the relationship of the three fundamental elements so important to him in the knowledge of God: faith, love and obedience. Here faith requires not only that something is held to be true, but that a commitment has been made. God has taken up residence in us and a relationship has been established that one can’t help but confess (3:23; 4:2,4,15). Like the three legs of a stool, all are needed for experiencing the fullness of life that Jesus came to bring. And there are three historic facts, witnesses that are basis for entering into that fullness ( in live with O.T. law which required two or three witnesses – Deut 17:6; 19:5). Like the three legs of a stool all are needed for experiencing the fullness of life that Jesus came to bring. And there are three historic facts, witnesses that are the basis for entering into that fullness.
However in the pressured ordinaries of everyday life all this obeying and loving can just feel like hard work. Vibrant faith can appear elusive or even something to be avoided in case of too much is demanded of us. The commitment to remaining on the move on a faith journey with God can so easily be replaced by a strong desire to settle, to stay within comfort zones.(Heb 11: 13-16).
Sexual morality, gossip, church politics and the driven nature of many of our lives are some which seriously damages our relationships and go largely unchallenged. John does not explicitly mention these issues, but he does place great emphasis on the importance of loving relationships. In addressing the problems of heresy and being concerned about what his readers believe he appears especially interested in their behaviour as the evidence of their relationship with God. True belief that God is light is not about mere intellectual assent or some form of super-spirituality but is tested by whether but is tested by whether one walks in that light and obeys God’s commands. Believing God is righteous is demonstrated by whole life discipleship, and knowing he is a God of love must translate into an active love for others that is much more than warm fuzzy feelings.
The simple but radical requirement of love and obedience here points to the simplicity of Jesus’ own teaching and the response he requires of those who profess allegiance to him. This is about everyday lives marked by generosity and integrity in our dealings with others and being quick to deal with personal sin, as well as forgiving those around us their own failings. It flows from a deep heart commitment to model our lives on Jesus himself, and is outworked through active relationship with him, seeking to obey God’s commands in the stuff of our daily lives within the world he has placed us in.
In reality God’s commands are not burdensome. The secret and the means to overcoming the temptation to settle for less are already ours. When God entered into us and we trusted in Jesus we are given the relationship with him. Investment in that relationship brings an exchange of love that in turn motivates and empowers us to live the full in the everyday.
I conclude by reading another quotation by Shane Caliborne in the same book titled ‘The irresistible revolution’ “And I think that’s what our world is desperately in need of lovers- people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issue they are concerned about”.
May God bless this words....Amen. 

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

"Turn Back" by Biji Panchiyil, Gurukul

Text: Luke 15:11-24.

 One day a policeman went on his night rounds. On the way, he saw a man searching for something under the street light. He asked the man, what he is searching for?. The man replied that he was searching for his lost key. The kind hearted policeman joined in the search. Even after a long time, they couldn’t find the key. The policeman asked the man “Are you sure that the key is lost here?” Then pointing to the other side of the road, the man replied that “I lost my key there, but as there is no light there and enough light here, I’m searching here”.
In this passage alsowe can see such a person who was searching for pleasure in the light supplied by the world. This is mentioned in the gospel according Luke chapter 15:: 11-24, which is a familiar parable to us. The meaning of life lies in the type of choices that one makes.
In verse 13, we can see that the young man went in search of the pleasure under the world’s light. For that he broke his relationship with his father and his family. His priority was to enjoy his life in this world rather than to be an obedient son in his family along with his elder brother. He tried to find pleasure outside his family relationships. But his search for finding pleasure ends in a pathetic situation. His efforts finally failed. Verse 15 says that, in the end he landed among the pigs, which is a shameful association for Jews. 

In this modern world also, we are searching for worldly pleasures by breaking our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Like the younger son we also thinking that ‘our money, our property and our friends will give us ultimate pleasures. Sometimes it brings pleasure, but it will last for a short time only. They are like bubbles in the water which tempt us but will not exist for long.  

Dear friends many times for worldly pleasures we break our relationship with our God. But in verse 17 we can see that when the young man came to his sense he returned to his father’s love and care. Finally he found pleasure in the relationship with his father and his family. Sometimes we may also realise our pathetic or shameful association but we never tried to return rather adjust with the situation. Vainly we continue our search. But we have an opportunity to return. We have to use it.
It’s the time for us to return to our relationship with God. The God of the Bible always wishes to live with us. There are times for everyone when we come back to ourselves and realise so many things, our failures, our mistakes, what is good is to be done and what is not, but the question is how far we make use of it. We should remember that a loving father is waiting for us. The broken relationship has to be re-established in our life with our God which will always give exact happiness in our life
This is the time for us to realise and to think about ourselves, whether we are standing inside or outside in the relationship with our Heavenly Father? If we are outside in the relationship it is the time for us to return from the midst of the pigs to the love of the father.
Friends, returning to the relationship is always painful initially but, it ends in a rejoicing experience, it is what God is expecting from us today.

[Biji Panchiyil, the leader of this meditation is a first year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

Republic day- by Rev. V.M.Mathew, Gurukul

Text :Genesis 49:22-26

Today we are celebrating our country’s 60th Republic day. This day is a day of remembrance to remember our countries great struggle to attain freedom and to become an independent Republic. I salute and remember our great leaders who led our country to be the biggest democratic country and also the struggle that they went through for this great achievement. Remember that day, When Great freedom fighters were igniting a true mission in our heart. Architectures of constitution were exploring a noble vision in our brains. Visionary leaders were casting a feeling of righteousness in our souls. Shapers of future were charging a spirit of discipline in our bodies.

Mrs. Prathibha Patil the president of our country addressed our nation yesterday and said “India has the privilege of being a great civilization; today, it is the world's largest democracy and its people have the commitment to fulfil the promise of it being a great nation.”

Let us meditate on the text.
The larger context of today’s assigned text is the final words of Jacob the patriarch. In the biblical material the patriarchal pronouncement generally concerns the destiny of their children with regard to fertility of the ground, fertility of the family and relationships between family members. Blessings or curses pronounced by the patriarch of the family were always taken seriously and considered binding, even though they were not presented as prophetic messages from God. Chapter 49 is the first long poem in the bible where Jacob addressing his twelve sons on his death bed. This is also popularly known as tribal saying mentioning the 12 tribes of Israel. It is also called the testament of Jacob. This includes blessings and curses and it also includes the dreams of this great patriarch about the future of the tribes of Israel. Ten out of the twenty five verses refer two of the tribes Judah and Joseph. The text assigned for today’s meditation contains the words of Jacob about the tribe of Joseph. The word Joseph is derived from the Hebrew word yasaf which means to increase. As the meaning denotes Jacob is dreaming about the tribe of Joseph to increase and flourish in the land. In His dream about the tribe of Joseph, he points towards three imageries. These imageries are well fit to any tribe or any nation

1. The tribe is a fruitful branch (bough).

Verse 22 says “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring, his branches run over the wall.” The image of a righteous man flourishing like a tree planted by a river is well known in Old Testament. The dream of the patriarch about this tribe is that it should be a fruitful branch. The repeated use of the Hebrew word ‘porat’ in verse 22, which means fruitful, is obviously for the sake of emphasis of this imagery. The branches are not only fruitful but also run over the wall. The fruitful branch that covers the wall signifies the inclusion of the entire creation. The branches that cover the entire wall cannot ignore or exclude anyone from its fruitfulness. The branches run over the wall can even extend its fruitfulness to those who are outside the wall. The centre and the periphery, the privileged and marginalised, the rich and the poor, the literate and illiterate, they all will come under this fruitful branch. The human and non human world and the nature will be included in this fruitfulness. A country like our country should be like a fruitful branch which serves its people and the non human world. We are boastful about our countries progress and economic growth but we need to ask who are benefitted out of these progress. Mukesh Ambani can build a house, the Antalya, spending 6000 crores, Vijay mallyas and shrukh khans can own an IPL team. Is this what is meant by a fruitful branch?

2. The tribe is a fearless bow

The second imagery that the patriarch dreams about this tribe is that it will be like a fearless bow. Verse 23 and 24 depicts the tribe as a bow which remained firm and his hands and arms were agile. The bow is used metaphorically as the symbol of strength and power. The "archers" denote the adversaries of Joseph and the arrows shot at him from his various opponents were envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude etc. The archers fiercely attacked him but his bow remained like a fearless bow. Today as we celebrate our countries republic day our dream about our country is that it should remain like a fearless bow. The archers are very strong and arrows shot at our country are enormous. Can our country withstand the attack of these archers? The terrorist’s attacks, the mounting allegations about corruption, the increasing number of farmer’s suicides, the caste issues, the politicisation of religion; we can keep on listing the names of the archer’s. Can our country remain like a fearless bow?

3. The tribe is with a comprehensive blessing

Verse 24 -26 talks about the blessing the tribe is going to experience. Blessing is a powerful theme in the theology of the Old Testament. Claus Westermann is one of the chief proponents if this theme. He says God's blessing is universal, for all living beings. In these verses we understand that the nature of the blessing which is pronounced by the patriarch is a comprehensive one. The Blessings of heaven ‘shamaim’ - i.e., ample descents of rain and dew, which are so necessary for promoting the growth of vegetation. The Blessings of the deep ‘tehom’ - i.e., springs and rivers in the earth, which contribute to moisten and fertilize the soil. The Blessings of the breasts and of the womb, ‘Sadayim’ and ‘rehem’- i.e., a numerous and healthy progeny of descendants of male and female, as well as of cattle. The dream about a tribe, which enjoys the comprehensive nature of the blessing. These blessings are the gift of the almighty, El shadai and it was a free gift. Our great country was blessed comprehensively by the almighty. But in order to satisfy the greed of the few, these blessings are being plundered and exploited. Our natural resources are depleted in the name of development and progress. The multinational companies like Vedantha Aluminium in Niyamgiri, Orissa and Coco cola in plachimada are the examples of this dangerous looting of our natural resources. One of the village girl in Niyam giri asked the officer of Vedantha aluminium “This land is my mother. She has given me food, water and clean air. When I die, she will take me back into her womb. Tell me, would you be willing to sell this mother? And if so, then at what price?” Can our country experience the comprehensive blessing of the almighty?

As we celebrate our country’s republic day today let us reflect upon the current situation of our country on the basis of this message from the Bible. Is our country a fruitful branch, is our country a fearless bow and are we able to experience the comprehensive blessing from the almighty. If not we all have to take decision to contribute to our great country. Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam in one of his republic day speeches said “India can become a developed nation only if everyone contributes to the best of his or her ability and capacity”.
We all have something to do to our country. May God bless us through these words
Jai Hind
[Rev.V.M.Mathew, the leader of this meditation is a first year MTh student (Old Testament ) in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

"Dreams"-Abraham Sudeep Oommen, Gurukul

Text: Judges 7:9-14

 “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where the words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake…..” These words are from the poem of Rabindranath Tagore which clearly depicts his dream about a nation that fosters human values and upholds the dignity of its citizens.

The book of Judges is one of the most exciting, colourful, and disturbing books of the Bible. It combines stories of political conspiracy and assassination, rape and murder, courage and fear, power and greed and so on. The story of Gideon, the fifth judge of Israel, is the story of a leader who fought for Israel against the Midianite oppression.

 Bible presents Gideon as a cowardly, hesitant man who is often doubtful of God’s ability to accomplish what God has promised. We can see Gideon often asking signs to confirm whether YHWH is present in his assignments. As we read in the passage, this dream is also one of the elements that God used to convince Gideon about God’s presence and providence.

 Dreams were considered as one of the ways that God could communicate to people. Early in Israel's theological tradition dreams were a vehicle for God’s revelation. The dream report was the literary form which was used to describe such a religious experience. In other words here the dream format is a literary tool in the hands of this biblical author for affirming theological beliefs about a transcendent God who faithfully directs the history of the people.

 Though till today the content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst proposed that the dream, may communicate something that is not being said outright. Recent researches on dreams also suggest that dreams refer to past memories saturated with powerful feelings. It may be also an outcome of one’s earnest ambitions or aspirations that are kept in their mind. Dreams may be also related to one’s experience.

 Thus from this point of view we can see that the dream and its interpretation in this passage as a longing ambition of two persons who are in the Midianite military camp who were anticipating a freedom from it. Through their dreams we can have an entry into their experiences of sufferings and also a hope of liberation. These two men were expecting the divine intervention that their lives may get transformed. When they discuss the supernatural narratives of the dream, their wish of divine intervention they believe to have come true.

 This passage reminds us about many people who are suffering because of the extensive militarisation in different parts of our country. The continuing stay of military forces in many schools and tribal hostels in Chattisgarh to fight the Maoists are creating similar dreams in the minds of children who are the promise of the future. Can’t we think that Irom Chanu Sharmila who fought against Armed Forces Special Power Acts envisioned a similar dream when the Assam Rifiles Force brutally muruded the civilians. We should also critically evaluate whether our country is crushing the life Dr. Binayak Sen and Arundhati Roy who shared thier dreams against the parochial interpretation of nation.

 Like Tagore, many of the Christians too had a dream about our country. They considered it was their duty to dream and work for an independent India where there are no inequalities. The struggle for the temple entry for the outcastes in Kerala, led and supported by many prominent Christian leaders was also an example of the all encompassing nature of their dreams. The mission activities of Christians in the field of health and education can also be considered as a part of the nation building process.

 Friends, as we are going to celebrate another republic day, do we have a place for our country in our dreams? Do we give space for other’s dream? Do we dream a country which is committed to the primary education of all the children, which gives equal priority to rural development as it is given to urban growth, which gives the essential services like food, health and education for all. Let us dream for honest and principled leaders who could bring about a radical change in our country by bringing down the rate of corruption. Into that land, O God let our country awake..Amen.

 [Abraham Sudeep Oommen, the leader of this meditation is a final year student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]