Jesus and the fox: declaration of an all-out war (Luke 13:31-33).

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew4 Comments

This blog is based on Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees who brought seemingly important information- ‘Herod wants to kill you’. A second reading of verse 31 reveals that it is not only the plain information that they brought to Jesus, but an advice coated with friendly overtures-‘get away from here’.

It does not require a great deal of intelligence to discern the intention of Pharisees. Before getting into this, let us have a quick look at Herod. Setting aside historical facts, from the very own words of Jesus, he is a ‘fox’. The first thing that comes to our mind about a fox is its cunning nature. Foxes are a nightmare for farmers for they steal their livestock and causes severe environmental damages. It is reported that foxes inflict an economic loss of around 100 million dollars to Australian economy each year.

It is interesting to see the way Jesus exposes the Pharisees that pretended good will to Him. It is like killing two birds with a stone when Jesus replied ‘go and tell that fox’ (Luke 13:32), for it implies that Herod is a fox, and hence is primarily unclean; and secondly, that they though being Pharisees are in league with the unclean. Let us have a look at these two points in detail:

  1. Herod equated to fox

Leviticus 11:27 says, ‘All that walk on their paws, among the animals that walk on all fours, are unclean’. Accordingly, fox is an unclean animal. The uncleanness of Herod is clearly visible from his life history. For instance, Herod built a city to honour his Roman overlords, named Tiberius. This city was built on top an old Jewish cemetery, and hence was unclean for a pious Jew to enter. Only the gentiles lived in the city of Tiberius. The sly nature of Herod is also evident from the above act when he pretended to be a friend of the Jews.

Herod was dirty with his personal life as well, as is evident from the immoral life he lead. His relationship with Herodias, wife of his brother Philip (Matthew 14:3-4)was against the social norms. Moreover, the dance which culminated in the martyrdom of John the Baptist was performed by none other than his own step-daughter, before the company (Matthew 13:6). No noble family would allow their daughters to dance in public in those days, as it was a shameful thing. The dirt of Herod and more of Herodias is visible here when their daughter is not only allowed to dance in public but also offered a reward (Matthew 13:7).

  1. Pharisees in league with the unclean (Herod)

The word Pharisee means one who is set apart (for God). Being the strict custodians of Lord’s law, the Pharisees are meant to keep themselves immaculately pure, with no physical contact or association with impure and unclean. For instance, in Luke 11:38 we read that the Pharisees were amazed at to see that Jesus did not wash before dinner. At another instance, they questioned Jesus about His disciples not washing their hands before eating, and thereby breaking the tradition of elders (Mark 7:5).

The corruption and degradation of ‘the separated’ (Pharisees) is exposed by Jesus when they brought the news about the (so called) plan of an unclean person, Herod(Luke 13:31). Without having close proximity to Herod it would have been impossible for the Pharisees to spy out such a sensitive information, more importantly because Herod always feared political unrest as is evident from the case of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:5).

Further, we read that Jesus asks the Pharisees who brought the news of his destruction to go back to Herod and convey His message (Luke 13:32). Thus, Jesus returns the unclean (Pharisees) to the unclean (Herod). This act of Jesus could be linked to Deuteronomy (23:14) where it says, ‘Because the Lord your God travels along with your camp, to save you and hand over your enemies to you, therefore, your camp must be holy…’. Jesus as God our saviour came to rescue the mankind from its enemy, Satan, the lord of impurities. Thus the act of Jesus is to keep His camp clean and safe from all impurities. This is further evident from Jesus’ swift action inside the Jerusalem temple where He drove out the sheep, cattle and dove sellers, and the money changers (John 2:14-16), and thereby reasserting that ‘my house shall be called a house of prayer’ (Matthew 21:13 cited from Isiah 56:7c).

In league with the fox, the Pharisees themselves have turned into the ways of the fox. The Pharisees, instead of leading and guiding Lord’s people have turned into exploiting and killing God’s children as is evident from the following:

  • They tied up heavy burdens on the shoulder of others but they themselves did not lift a finger to move them (Matthew 23:4),
  • They locked people out of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:13,
  • The manipulated the Law of Moses (Matthew 23:16, 23, 25 & 27),
  • They were the killers of prophets, sages, and scribes (Matthew 23:30-35).

Binding the two actors, Herod and Pharisees, we see a league of foxes, as enemies out to destroy Jesus’ ministry. Unveiling the foxes brings forth Satan and his army; with Satan in place of Herod as the lead, and the demons in place of the Pharisees that follows Herod instead of Lord God. Let us again have a look at these two actors bit more in detail, this time with Satan in place of Herod the fox, and demons in place of the Pharisees:

Satan’s work through Herod-

The justification for drawing the parallel between Herodand his fox-ways could be linked to Jesus’ statement exposing the nature of Satan as ‘a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him……..for he is a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44). Further, in Genesis (3:1) Satan (appeared in the form of serpent) is identified as ‘crafty’. The crafty nature of Satan could further be discerned from his way of using Pharisees to convey the information instead of going directly to Jesus. Remember, Satan was defeated thrice attempting to fail Jesus with temptations (Luke 4:1-13); and he won’t dare to go directly as Jesus had already exposed and defeated him in the tests.

The Pharisees in league with Satan

The Pharisees are in violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:2-3), as they are following Satan instead of Lord the God. This violation is exposed by Jesus in his statement to the Jews, ‘You are from your father the devil’ (John 8:44).Thus, the Pharisees, instead of supporting Lord’s ministry are seen throughout as spoilers of the kingdom of God. Neither do they enter nor they allow anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:13-14). The information coated in kindness was actually to dissuade Jesus from doing Lord’s work (see John 9:7 & 10:37).Satan was trying to destroy the vineyard that Jesus was planting, or rather re-planting (see Luke 20:9), using the Pharisees, as could be linked toSong of Songs (2:15) and Ezekiel (13:4)- foxes ruining the vineyard and false prophets as jackals.

The distractive and destructive forces of Satan and his allies are ever active in this world. Hence, Saint Peter cautions that Satan is like a prowling lion always looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Let us have a brief look at this with reference to Lord’s ministry during the early churchdays:

  1. Thessalonians 2:18: ‘For we wanted to come to you……but Satan blocked our way’. We could see even today so many people wanting to do Lord’s work but are blocked by many worldly forces.
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:9– Satan will use all power signs, lying wonders, and every kind of deception. This is evident from many pseudo ministries commercialising the gift of Holy Spirit, so as to fulfil selfish motives rather than the will of God.
  3. 1 Timothy 1:19– It is also not uncommon to see many enthusiastically stepping into Lord’s ministry but eventually failing to keep the true faith intact and work in good conscience. This especially happens when the ministry start prospering with money and fame. 1 Peter 5:9 advises to resist Satan and remain steadfast in faith. We should always be aware of the schemes of Satan (2 Corinthians 2:11).
  4. 1 Timothy 5:15: ‘For some have already turned away to follow Satan’. These are the kind of people that jumps into the ministry without adequate preparation and entrenchment in the word of God, and gets carried away by Satan. Hence the advice of Saint Peter for self-discipline and remaining alert is very important (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus said, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:62).

Now, let us place ourselves in the situation Jesus was when the Pharisees brought the distractive information. Let us ask ourselves as to how we would react and respond to such a situation if it happens today. The distraction from Satan comes in various different ways in our lives. It could be through family pressures, time constraints, social standing and reputation, adverse societal conditions, risk of losing friendship and relationships, fear of creating disharmony, and all that we can think of. This is where the challenge of living in comfort overcomes true life in Christ. Unfortunately many or most prefer a gospel of worldly comfort and are averse to sufferings which entails Lord’s ministry in this world. Jesus said, ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth’ (Matthew 10:34). He also said, ‘those who want to follow me must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me’ (Mark 8:34). The spiritual attitude and determination of Saint Paul is articulated in his declaration, ‘neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39).

Coming back to the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees:

Jesus’s response is extremely audacious amidst a politically volatile context, as it involved direct confrontation with the rulers. Jesus said, ‘go and tell that fox…., and detailed what He planned to do- two days of ministry in this world and one final blow on the third day.

The two days of ministry is Jesus’ war with the demonic forces in this world. On the third day He will be captured and killed. But, after His death, as we read, Jesus went straight into the Sheol, the core dwelling place of Satan and handed him the final deadly blow by liberating the souls through the proclamation of gospel to them(1 Peter 3:19).

In short, Jesus’ response to Pharisees should not be viewed as just a human interaction but a spiritual communication. He is in-fact talking to the demons hidden within the Pharisees, who would take the report back to their boss, Satan. This style of communication is seen in another instance, in the case of the Gerasene demoniac. There, we can see that Jesus is not talking to the man but directly to the demons (Mark 5:1-13).

I wish to conclude here with a note that foxes are everywhere around a committed Christian. Those who are in league with Satan won’t have much trouble and their ministries and Christian lives are smooth, popular in the worldly sense, andmaterially prosperous. This is because the lovers of this world are loved in return (John 15:19).Every word, deed and act of commitment (to Jesus) is provocative to Satan and his army, upon which he will initiate attacks. This is the reason why Jesus said, ‘In the world you face persecution, but take courage; I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).Genuine followers of Christ are hated by this world because they do not belong to this world (see John 15:18).

When we make all kind of excuses (no matter whether it is for missing family prayers, fellowships or Sunday worships, or for not being proactive with Lord’s ministry), we should, for a moment, think about the lives of Jesus’s disciples. Most of them had family, parents, siblings, wife and children. But we do not know who took care of them or what happened to them as the disciples travelled around the world and were martyred in foreign countries. The Bible is silent about this subject. But we know that the ‘crown of righteousness’(2 Timothy 4:7) is on their heads, and they are sitting on their thrones (Matthew 19:28).

We must not make excuses because it is not by our might or power, but by the spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)that we work for Jesus Christ.

Lord be kind and have mercy upon us. Amen.

Possessions and Eternal Life: A study of the conversation between Jesus Christ and the rich man (Part 2)

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew1 Comment

Matthew 19:16-21; Mark 10:17-22; and Luke 18:18-23.

In Part-1 we analysed about inherited possessions. Part 2 is about shared possession. As discussed in Part-1 we are looking into demonic possessions and the origin and continuity of demonic possessions which down the generations becomes strongholds.

Part-2 is about shared possessions. Shared possessions, as the phrase suggests, are the sharing of demons among the living. For example, in Genesis 3:1-6 we read that Satan entered into Eve through the fruit which she ate. Eve is now possessed with Satan or demon (demons are the subordinates, Satan being the head). Eve then reaches out to Adam and shares this possession, and makes Adam too to commit the same disobedience which she committed a moment back. In this way, the demonic possession is shared between Adam and Eve.

Another sharing of possession is seen in Genesis 6:2. Here the sons of God (another group of angels that later joined Lucifer) took wives for themselves from human beings. Thus God’s angels become fallen angels who then enter human beings. Here both the angels and the ‘daughters of men’ are equally the culprits, rebelling against God, thereby sharing evil possessions.

Again, as mentioned in Part-1, Ham saw the nakedness of his father and committed sin thereby being possessed. In Genesis 9:22 it is written than Ham went and told his two brothers what he saw. This act of Ham was demon prompted so as to share the evil by passing on to his two brothers, Shem and Japheth. Apparently, the other two brothers resisted as we read in the following verse.

Esau, son of Isaac and brother of Jacob, is seen entering into unholy alliances, and offcourse demonic, when he took wives from the Hittite (also called Hethite) tribe who were the descendants of Canaan (Genesis 10:15). Thus the demons which descended down the generational line among the Canaanites now found a new family line to share, through Esau. In this way, the promises made to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac are now being deprived of Esau due to his unholy alliance.

The demons are further seen invading God’s chosen (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) generation’s line by using the tactic of sharing, this time through one of the sons of Jacob. It is written that Judah separated from his brothers and settled independently- obvious that when we leave our fellowship we are prone to demonic attack. Judah was not an exception, as he married a Canaanite and settled in an alien land (Genesis 38:2). The demon/s thus shared by this Canaanite daughter with Judah is/are seen articulating into the worst of actions as detailed later in this chapter (see Genesis 38:13-19).

The above examples suggest the need for alliances and combinations to be holy in Lord’s sight, corruption of which is a sure sign of demonic interference. Saint Paul appeals in Romans (12:1) ‘to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God’. In Leviticus 10:1-2 Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aron offered unholy fire before the Lord. As a result fire came from God and consumed them. The act of these two was in violation to the instruction of Lord regarding incense as detailed in Exodus 30:34-38. In this case, we see an unholy combination of items, where holy items were mixed with impure/unholy items. Any such foreign interference should be treated as demonic, and is corruption. For example, the life of Adam and Eve with God was holy until Satan interfered and corrupted the atmosphere in the Garden of Eden. In Malachi (2:8), the priests are blamed for corrupting the covenant of Levy and weakening laws instructed by Lord. Corruption and weakening happens when sharing occurs between impure and pure. Now, whether it is regarding human relations or the materials handled by humans, it needs to be holy as acceptable to Lord. Saint Peter exhorts to long for the pure spiritual milks so as to receive salvation (1 Peter 2:2). Further, he says that we are called to a holy priesthood, and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). Hence it could be concluded undoubtedly that those who are holy of God must not handle or interact with unholy things, and similarly, unholy people must not handle holy things. In short, we should be clear about what others are sharing with us- is it demonic or holy.

God’s people are holy, and hence their interactions and mixings must be careful, failing to which there will always be a chance of sharing corruption and impurity- which is demonic. As mentioned above, Judah left the house of Jacob for a gentile wife and hence is cut off from Lord’s favour (Malachi 2:11). Later in his own tribe we see the great King Solomon attracted to many gentile women and marrying them, and eventually falling into the disaster that his gentile wives turned his heart away from God towards other gods (1 Kings 11:3-4). In both these cases, we can see the fall of Lord’s chosen through the sharing of their precious possessions with demonic possessions; for the foreign wives are ‘daughters of foreign gods’ (Malachi 2:11), and hence demonic.

It is important for the true followers of Christ to be cautious about the possessions they share either by giving or by accepting. Jesus said, ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearl before swine’ (Matthew 7:6). A person holy to God cannot unite with un-holiness or else fall is certain. Our body, soul and spirit are united with the body of Christ, hence Saint Paul said, ‘……it’s no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ (Galatians 2:20). Being transformed into the body of Christ, we must not allow demonic possessions to be shared into our lives. Paul cautions in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16 if we commit adultery (adultery in Bible also means worshipping idols) a sharing of possessions takes place as holy body and demonic body unites to become one. In such a situation our holiness will be corrupted and destroyed by demonic possessions, for ‘bad company ruins good morals’ (1 Corinthians 15:33). Please also read 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. Our spiritual joy is kept intact when we ‘do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of the scoffers’ (Psalms 1:1). In this way, we won’t be sharing any demonic possessions.

It’s obvious to think, how then a true Christian can survive in this world. In a world full of demonic activities we will then have to leave the world (1 Corinthians 5:10).  However, Romans 12:2 assures that when we are transformed in Christ, we also receive renewal of our minds so as to ‘discern what is good, and acceptable, and perfect’. The gift of discernment of spirits (holy and demonic) (1 Corinthians 12:10) is important for a believer to avoid fall. Saint Paul is strict to instruct ‘Do not even eat with’ the demonic (1 Corinthians 5:11).

It may be worth mentioning here about the demonic possessions waiting to be shared through some sporting and entertainment activities, as an example. For instance, cruel sports involving animals such as bull fighting, cock fighting and dog fighting are demonic in the sense that people who cheers and watches are either demon possessed already or are lured by the demons to share their possessions through bloodsheds as a result of such fights. Similarly, boxing and fighting in rings are demonic as they are controlled by demonic forces to destroy the bodies- again through spilling blood. In the case of Gerasene demoniac it is mentioned that he bruised himself with stones (Mark 5:5). This was a demonic custom, as part of the practice of initiation among idol worshippers and occultists as stated in 1 Kings 18:28. We have around us many such traps with demons waiting to share their possessions. Once entered into a person, the demons start their job of multiplying by inviting other demons into the person’s lives- thus sharing possessions (see Matthew 12:45). A legion (could be between 1000-6000) was present in the poor Gerasene guy (Mark 5:9). This is a bad effect of generational sin as well, that unless delivered a demonic possession may keep multiplying down the genealogical line by means of shared possessions.

One of the bad effects of technological advances is the levelling of breeding ground for sharing evil possession. For instance, mobile and internet technology have accelerated the spread of pornography, abuses, rape and other demonic activities. A person once caught in this web is certain to further indulge in perversions and thereby collecting more demonic possessions through sharing.

A lot more can be written about shared possessions, but let me conclude here, it is better to exercise precaution so as not to fall. However, if fallen, make sure to immediately repent and cleansed in the blood of Christ, for His blood cleanses us from all the sins (1 John 1:9), no matter, how grave our sins are (Isiah 1:18).

                                                                                                                                       to be continued……

 

Possessions and Eternal Life: A study of the conversation between Jesus Christ and the rich man (Part 1)

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew4 Comments

This blog is about the conversation between Jesus and a rich man inquiring about eternal life as reported in Matthew 19:16-21; Mark 10:17-22; and Luke 18:18-23.

The primary focus of this blog on Matthew 19:21 and Mark 10:22 which states that the man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had ‘many possessions’. The Greek word for possession means property, land, estate and so on. Webster dictionary defines possession as having control (over something).

The man in the above scenario is obviously rich and had many possessions. In legal terms possession is a title of ownership with full liberty to exercise the right over someone or something. For the purpose of this study I identify three types of possessions as discussed below:

  1. Inherited possession: Inheritance could be defined as an extension of the past. For instance, we inherit many biological characteristics (even diseases as modern science identifies) from our parents. These are genealogical in nature as it is through the genes that such characteristics and traits are transferred. In my previous blog I discussed in detail about generational curses which is relevant in this context as well. In Psalms 51: 5 King David grieves about been conceived in sin. This clearly means that no one is born in this world without sin and everyone (by default) inherits sin, because of the fall of Adam and Eve. Jesus Christ is the only exception to this inheritance as Mary was conceived by Holy Spirit, and hence born without sin. Through Adam and Eve humanity has inherited sin as a possession. Lord looks up from heaven for an exception to this inheritance but finds none (Psalms 14:2-3). Job (15: 14-16) in his righteous spirit admits that no one is pure but in a sinful state. By inheritance one is legally the natural heir of a possession. Saint Paul figures this out that one is by nature children of wrath which means sinner by nature (Ephesians 2:3). We can see this in the nature of Cain that he inherited the spirit of deception (Genesis 4:7) which was passed on from Satan to Adam through Eve Genesis 3: 4-6; 1 John 3:12). In Romans 5:12 Saint Paul reinstates the nature of sin as being inherited that even though sin entered through one man, Adam, death, as the wages of sin (Romans 6:23)  spread to all because all have sinned. This shows that sin has spread across the generation due to one man, Adam. No one can deny the fact that we are sinners or we have inherited sins. 1 John 1:8 says ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…’ and as stated above deception belongs to Satan.

 On the contrary, the rich man tried to justify himself that he had been righteous by following the commandments since his youth. The Greek word for youth actually means the entire former part of the age commencing from birth. This means that the rich man was trying to deny that he has inherited sin. Instead he was just relying on his memory only which dates only so much back.   We should know that Jesus knows not only our present, but our past and future as well, in the light of Hebrews 13:8– ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’.

 It is important for us to know how curse is inherited. At the outset please be informed that unless we open the gate demons cannot enter inside our lives. The moment we commit a sin we enter into a legal agreement with demons by means of which they obtain the right to enter and dwell in us.  In other words, by committing a sin we rebel against and detach from God and link with Satan. In this way, a sinner is possessed by demonic forces. This demonic possession continues down the genealogical line until the covenant is broken- and the only way to get ransomed is through the precious blood of Christ (see 1 Peter 1:19).

 The rich man in this text certainly had possessions as it says he was rich. His material possession does not seem to be genuine and honest as we could make out from Jesus’ stand against it. Please note Zacchaeus was also rich but his possessions were mostly acquired by fraudulent means (Luke 19:8). This denotes that he simultaneously had demonic possessions. By announcing to give away his wealth Zacchaeus denounces the possessions which withheld him from eternal life, and is delivered from his sinful possession through salvation (see Luke 19:9). It is interesting to note that Zacchaeus did neither ask for eternal life nor was told what to do, but was still granted. Whereas the rich man asked for eternal and was clearly told what to do but still failed to follow Jesus.

It was very important in the life of Zacchaeus to give away his wealth as his wealth entailed demonic possession. James 5:4 states that the cries of the deprived and oppressed have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. Now, who knows how the ancestors of the rich man have accumulated wealth. In the case of Zacchaeus we clearly know that the wealth was inappropriately amassed.

 

We certainly have a divine way to break the generational curses.  Isiah (53:5) says ‘by his stripes we are healed’. Since Jesus is there for us today and forever we ought to be aware that He keeps a tab on our activities. This means that we do have the opportunity to break away and come out from our generational curses- and it is only through the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9), which cleanses us from all sins/unrighteousness. By ‘all sins/unrighteousness’ it means ‘irrespective of past, present or future. This realistic claim also has evidence in the prophecy of Ezekiel (18:14-20) where it says that if the son decides not to follow the sins of his father but walks in righteousness he is promised to be rewarded. Therefore, if we repent our sins as well as the sins of our ancestors we receive deliverance, as promised by God (Leviticus 26:40). We see this in action when Nehemiah prayed and God responded favorably (Nehemiah-7).

It is possible that we may not have heard of or aware of our generational curses. However, our ignorance does not absolve us from those curses. More importantly, even if a person of latter generation resolves to lead a righteous life in God, s/he is prone to be overpowered by the demons within as they have not been cast out. This is where the importance of fellowship and ministry comes. James 5:15-16 should be read in light of this. Besides, Jesus commissioned his disciples to cast out the demons (Mark 3:15). Thus, there are three steps to come out fully from the clutches of curses: 1. Repent our sins, 2. Get the demons cast out (deliverance), and 3. Accept the body and blood of Christ.

Please note, in terms of generational curses, parents are like a protective umbrella for their children. They are responsible for protecting their children from the attack of demons by providing spiritual guidance and protection (see Proverbs 22:6). On the contrary, if the parents get involved in sinful activities they are destroying the protective covering of their kids, as well as passing on the demons to the next generation- thereby being cursed.

By the holy and precious blood of Jesus Christ.

                                                                                                                              to be continued…………….

Obedience, worship and peacemakers: Case analysis of the Syro-Phoenician woman

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew7 Comments

Mark 7:27 – ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs’.

Mark 7:24-30 reports an important incident that occurred during the ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew (15:21-28) also reports this incident and quotes Jesus’s response to the Syro-Phoenician/Canaanite mother.

A brief genealogical background of this woman would help us to better understand the whole context related to this incident. The Canaanites were called Phoenicians by the Greeks, and Syro-Phoenicia simply identifies this region as the Syrian part of Phoenicia, to distinguish from the North African Phoenicia. The origin of Canaanites could be discovered in Genesis 10:15-19. Canaan was the grandson of Noah, and the son of Ham who not only saw the nakedness of his father, but further maligned himself by exposing his father’s naked to his two brothers, Shem and Japheth. By committing this sin, Ham brought the curse on his son Canaan as we read in Genesis 9:25.

Though the sin was committed by Ham, the curse fell on his son Canaan. Exodus 20:5 says that God punishes the children for the iniquity of the parents. This is termed as generational curse descending down through children and grandchildren, continuing until repented. We see the same in the case of Cain as well, where God said to him that ‘sin is lurking at the door’ (Genesis 4:7).

Biblical history reveals that sin continued through generations among the Canaanites. This is why Abraham made his servant to swear by the Lord that he will not get a wife for his son Isaac from among the Canaanites (Genesis 24:3). The curse on Canaanites is sounded apparent in Isiah 23: 1-4, the curse on Tyre and Sidon (the regions where the Canaanites lived). Please also note that Sidon was the son of Canaan (Genesis 10:15). The curses on the Canaanites are further mentioned in Jeremiah 47:4 and Ezekiel 28:21. Apparently, by the time of Jesus, the Canaanites were fully drenched in sin with idol worship and other sinful activities.

Jesus replied to the Canaanite/Syro-Phoenician woman that she did not belong to ‘the children’ (Mark 7:27; Matthew 15:26). By now, I hope it is clear why this woman is not considered among the children. It may not be her fault or sin, but it is a curse continuing through the generations. Let us have a look at as to who is considered as a child of God:

Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). H. G Dr Geevarghese Mar Osthathios of blessed memory describes the cross as a symbol of peaceful relationship in the vertical and horizontal realm. By horizontal realm H.G means peace and harmony among our co-beings in this world; and in the vertical realm- a peaceful relationship between God and mankind.

A true child could be considered as one that has a peaceful relationship with God the Father. Peace with the Father means complete obedience and unconditional surrender to his will. Both these qualities are found in Jesus’ life on earth. Philippians 2:8 states that Jesus was obedient to the point of death. In the prayer at Gethsemane Jesus surrendered Himself to God’s will (Matthew 26:39), demonstrating complete obedience. Even at a tender age of His earthly life, Jesus displayed obedience as is evident in Luke 2:51- ‘Then He went down to with them…and was obedient to them’.

We are made righteous through the obedience of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 5:8-9). Romans 5:19 states ‘by the one man’s (Jesus Christ) obedience the many will be made righteous’. This means that it is through obedience (to God) that we achieve righteousness. Obedience then, could be discerned as an inbuilt attitude towards Christ, in the same way as Saint Paul expresses- ‘…….and we take every thought captive to obey Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Jesus has shown us through his life and teachings that by complete obedience we establish a peaceful relationship with God, and in turn get marked as children of God (John 1:12).

On the contrary, non-peaceful relationship with God stems from disobedience, which in fact is rebellion (against God). Isiah 14:12-14 tells us how Satan, once a trusted and powerful angel rebelled against God and was thrown out. This incident is further mentioned in Revelations 12:4&7 where Michael the archangel fought against Satan (dragon) and was thrown out.

Obedience is a covenantal relationship with God practiced in the form of worship, whereas, rebellion is disobedience and the breakage of that covenant. Therefore, when we submit ourselves to our heavenly Father in complete obedience we are in a state of worship. In this state, God dwells in us and we in Him (see Revelations 3:20). Worship is the state in which we unite with God. Psalms 22:3 states that God is enthroned on the praises (worship) of Israel. When we are disobedient, we accept Satan as our father, and submitting ourselves as his children (see John 8:44), thereby worshipping him.

We discussed above about generational curses which affected the Syro-Phoenician woman. We may wonder, is there anything like generational blessings as well. Of course yes. In the same way we suffer from generational punishments we can enjoy generational rewards as well. For instance, Levi and his descendants were born years later after Abraham died but still Levi received the blessings which Melchizedek bestowed on Abraham. The Bible says that Levi was in fact present in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek blessed Abraham (Hebrews 7:10). If so, it could be presumed that Syro-Phoenician woman is also entitled for some blessings as she is a descendant of Noah, and we read that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Moreover, he received blessings from God (Genesis 8:21; 9:1). Therefore, it should be apparent that in the same way as Levi was in the loins of Abraham, the Syro-Phoenician woman was in the loins of Noah.

If this is the case, then why was this woman refused to be heard by Jesus. Noah and his children were in complete obedience to God and hence were in a state of worship. But Ham, his son, rebelled later and fell from the state of worship and was cursed. We should not forget that God’s promises and blessings are eternal (see Isiah 54:10) and, God never changes (Malachi 3:6). It is our sins that clouds God’s presence, promises and blessings. As we read in Isiah 59:1, ‘Lord’s hand is not too short to save………….rather your iniquities have been barriers………and your sins have hidden his face from you……’ Ham was blessed along with Noah but later he sinned and invited Lord’s wrath. The later generation of Canaanites continued in the sins and never desired for the Lord. In Malachi 3:7 God says ‘Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you’. The Canaanite woman decided to return to the Lord and Lord accepted her, keeping His promise.

Most of us feel uncomfortable with Jesus contrasting ‘children’ with dogs (Mark 7:27). The reason could be better understood from Revelations 22:15 which states, ‘Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood’. Thus, it could be discerned that dogs are equated to other satanic activities listed in this verse. Therefore, we may deduct and discern that Jesus is actually bringing out all sorts of sins practiced by the Canaanites. The sinful practices of Canaanites made them worshippers of Satan which was exposed by Jesus.

However, here is an exception that this woman though suffering from pathetic sinful conditions decides to walk out of the clan and return to the Lord. The woman in a way is confessing to Jesus about her generational sins and at the same time refusing to return to her sinful past. She rather prefers to be under the table of the children of God and rely on the crumbs. She realised that remaining humble in the presence of Lord is worthier than enjoying the pleasures of sins back home. We see the same approach in Moses when he preferred to be called a child of God and share ill-treatment with the people of God rather than being called son of Pharaoh, and enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin (Hebrew 11:24-25).

Obedience to God is not only during the time of happiness but even when we are in severe hardship. Jesus’s obedience was visible even when He was crying loud and in tears (Hebrews 5:7). This reflects the true and genuine love of children to Father. The Canaanite woman approached Jesus with a strong and unwavering faith. She did not give up at the discouraging words of Jesus as it sounds to others. Instead she discerned in her spirit the essence of Jesus’ words. And, it was meant for her salvation. She accepts her state as a dog due to the demonic stronghold/s (2 Corinthians 10:4) established due to her ancestors giving entry to them. Entry to demons in our lives occur due to many ungodly behaviours (for example see Ephesians 5:3-4; Galatian 5:20-21). It was Ham her forefather through whom demon gained foothold and eventually became a stronghold down the generation. However, now, after the Canaanite woman receiving Jesus, her daughter is delivered from demon. In other words, through one woman the following generation is blessed.

Jesus said, ‘if you love me, you will obey my commandments’ (John 14:15). Obedience to the commandments makes us children of God, transforms us into a state of worship; and true children of God always have peace both vertically (with heavenly Father) and horizontally, which is fellowship with our brethren.

Are you my beloved readers suffering from generational sins which you may or may not be aware of? Now is the time to repent and return to our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:9). No matter the gravity and age of sins, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us (1 John 1:7). Let us rely on that holy and propitiating blood of Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.

God bless you my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Faith in Jesus versus Reasoning: Who should I follow?

Fr Dr Saji K MathewLeave a comment

Matthew 2: 2

‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage’.

The magi mentioned in this section are popularly believed to be wise men functioning as advisors to monarchs, and practiced astrology and dream interpretation.

If we look closely into the above verse two forms of nature could be seen:

The first part of the verse in question form ‘Where is the child………king of the Jews’ displays a more human nature whereas the second part of the verse, “For we have observed his start at its rising…….’ has a divine nature.

Looking further closely into the verse in terms of its chronology, we can see that the second part of the verse happened prior to the first part of the verse. Therefore, to begin with, the wise men observed an unusual star at its rising. Reading further down through the chapter, the star at a later stage guided them to the birth place of Jesus.

We see a gap between the first viewing of the star and the same star guiding them later, after leaving Herod’s place. This means, after observing the star they probably did not follow the star but instead decided to go to the King’s place. This was apparently a wrong move as we can see later in the following verses.

The observation of the star was not because of their human capabilities (wise men) but divine mercy, as we read in Luke 1:78. It appears that the wise men probably were overweighed with their own mental faculty rather than spiritual guidance. This is not uncommon in our spiritual journey. In the book of Revelation (2:4) the angel of the church in Ephesus brings the message of Jesus Christ- ‘But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first’. Jesus spoke to a rich man ‘……you lack one thing…….’ (Mark 10:20). The one thing that we lack is the first love of God and the memory of our experience at the beginning of our journey with Lord.

After witnessing the star at its beginning, the wise men might have sat down together and started using their secular knowledge to scientifically analyse about the star and the way to Christ. When Jesus speaks to us through dreams, revelations, signs, or messages via God’s servants, we tend to analyse them in terms of its benefits, risks, social stigmas and so on before believing or following. We must remember that there is a parallel demonic force constantly trying to induce negative thoughts and distractions working in this world (see 1 Peter 5:8). Also remember, Satan tried to distract even Jesus Christ through temptations. If we follow the demonic way, we will end up losing God’s long term plan for us.

Divine revelations can only be analysed and understood through divine wisdom as opposed to worldly wisdom, ‘for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God’ (1 Corinthians 3:19). As we read in the book of Daniel (chapter 2) Daniel and his companions did not interpret the dream using human wisdom but rather sought God’s help. Unlike Daniel, Jonah tried to work out a human alternative (Jonah 4:2) for God’s revelation and subsequently set off to a different direction against divine will (Jonah 1:3).  Daniel acknowledged that ‘…….for wisdom and power are his’ (Daniel 2:20). It was only after complete submission to Lord that Daniel received the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. We also read in this book that human wisdom failed to interpret the dream (Daniel 2:11). A complete submission to Lord could be termed as ‘faith’.

‘Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’ (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the armour to drive away Satan’s distractions (see 1 Peter 5:9).

One may wonder how to obtain this faith. Faith derives from the word of God. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. Therefore, faith has its roots in the word of God. If the word of God abides in us we have the assurance of faith (John 15:7). The strength of our faith could then be linked to the strength of the word of God in us. Joshua was assured prosperity and success in leading the nation to the Promised Land, provided he did not get distracted from the word of God (Joshua 1:8).

A reasoning mind or the quantity of secular knowledge is no match for divine faith. If Abraham followed his reasoning mind he would not have become the father of many nations (Romans 4:18); instead he hoped against hope, which means he completely submitted himself to the faith in Lord when a son was promised to him at the age of around 100 (Romans 4:19).

The wise men must have followed their minds of reasoning which eventually took them to Herod’s palace looking for Jesus. From a worldly perspective where else should a king be searched for? Had they followed the star right from its beginning, they would have been taken straight to Jesus. Unfortunately, the reasoning mind must have distracted them. We must have a strong conviction of faith that nothing of this world should be able to distract us. Saint Paul testified his faith when he said, ‘Who will separate us from the love of Christ?’ (Romans 8:35). Where there is love there is faith. Our love of God is either false or selfish when we do not entrust full faith in Him.

When the wise men came out of Herod’s palace, the star was again visible and it guided them to Jesus (Matthew 2:9). When Jonah repented Lord forgave him (Jonah 2:10). When the wise men completely surrendered to God by kneeling in front of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:11) they were given further revelations about their future course of action. Jonah’s complete submission led him to be recommissioned for God’s mission (Jonah 3:1).

Let us sit back and reflect: are we following our worldly rational mind or divine soul. Rational mind always look for the satisfaction of the mind through reasoning whereas faith follows unseen realities. Saint Paul wrote to Corinthians, ‘for what can been seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Let us pray:

Oh Lord Jesus, please empty my mind of reasoning and strengthen my faith in you, for you are the way, truth and life. Amen.

Healing through faith in Jesus Christ

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew3 Comments

John 5:1-15 tells us one of the powerful healing performed by Jesus Christ. This blog aims to understand the attitude of the sick man and his approach to get healed, from his limited conversation with Jesus Christ. The blog will then proceed to re-establish the fact that Jesus is the one and only way to salvation.

The Bethzatha (or Bethsaida) pool In Jerusalem was a source of some sort of miraculous healing for the sick. The stir up of water in the pool occurred perhaps from some underground sources such as an irregular flow of spring. The sick that get washed in this spring got healed as implied in John 5:7. However, there was a cost associated with it, that only those who threw themselves into the disturbed water only would get healed, leaving the rest to return and wait for the next stir up.

It would not be a surprise if the sick waiting for the ‘stir up’ have had trained their eyes and their body to be alert to the stir up of water as we all know how much concerned we become when we fall sick or our health is affected. However, the situation here (Bethzatha) had created a ritualistic dogma among the people that those who follow the dotted lines only would be saved. To put it another way, if you jump at the right time (when the water stirs up) you will be healed; if you miss you continue in your suffering.

Lord Jesus approached the man who was ill for 38 years and initiates a conversation asking him, ‘….Do you want to be made well’ (John 5:6). In most of the other cases reported in the gospels it is either the sick or their friends or relatives approaching Jesus with healing request. But, in this case, we see a proactive Jesus offering healing to the sick man. This highlights the purpose of His incarnation and ministry- “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isaiah 61:1; also see Isaiah 58:6).

This man appears to be entangled in the web of ‘this worldly’ process of healing by believing that the only way to get healed is to follow the steps of wait, watch (for the water to stir up) and jump. This is akin to various non-Christian beliefs where there are many complicated and non-achievable steps to attain salvation. But, here stands ‘the way’, for Jesus said, “I am the way”- John 14:6). Jesus fulfilled all the complicated processes for human salvation as instructed in the book of Leviticus by shedding His precious blood once for all (Hebrews 9:12). Thenceforth we have no other means for salvation except through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The sick man here has his salvation standing in front of him offering complete healing but is unable to realise it as could be made out from his reply.

A lesson for us to learn is- it is not that Jesus is nowhere near during our hard times but our failure to see and feel His presence which in turn hinders the flow of blessings. Jesus asked the man whether he wanted to be healed, but the reply was not an instant ‘yes’. Rather, the sick man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me” (John 5:7). Before we analyse his response, let us try to understand his illness. This man was a sinner as is evident from John 5: 14, and was completely invalid and unable to move (John 5:5-6). Connecting these two together we may discern that the man has granted entry to too many demons into his life that he lost even his mobility. We see a similar person possessed with so many demons that he lost all his senses to lead a normal life, in Luke 8: 27. The Gerasene man was possessed with a legion of demons (a legion numbers around 6000). In short, we can infer that the sick man waiting at the portico was full of sins to the extent of complete possession by demons. And now, he just needs a physical healing perhaps just to continue with his sinful life. He probably did not realise the fact that sin not only destroys the body but the soul as well.

Jesus said, “…though seeing they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matthew 13:13; Mark 8:18; John 12:40; cf. Jeremiah 5:21).  The sick man here can see Jesus standing in front of him but cannot realise; he can hear Jesus with his physical ears but is unable to comprehend. The apparent result is an indifferent response to the offer for healing. Because of the inner blindness and deaf condition the man has only one response, “no one is there to help me into the pool” (John 5:7). There are two angles to this response:

  1. As mentioned above, the man is pinned to the belief in ‘healing by processes’ as against ‘healing by faith’. Healing by processes is a series of activities and trials as detailed in the book of Leviticus (for one instance see Leviticus 14). On the contrary healing by faith is non-procedural. For example, the servant of the centurion was healed by faith (Matthew 8:13). Jesus told Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Saints Paul and Silas told the jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household” (Acts 16:31). The power of faith is so strong that even a size of faith as small as mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
  2. This is more for those involved in counselling and deliverance ministry: the person with demonic possessions (not all) may try to divert the focus by hijacking the subject of the conversation. As we see in this case, Jesus is asking for healing but the man is talking about the process. It is important not to let the demons take control of the situation and distract from the healing process. This is probably the reason that Jesus did not prolong the conversation but ordered the man to take his bed and walk (John 5:8). Please note, unlike many modern day healers and deliverers Jesus did not engage in a stage drama to perform deliverance and healing. Jesus said, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

It is clear from this biblical section that the reason for illness in this man’s case was his sins. Jesus demonstrated without explicitly stating that He has the authority and power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). He has shared this power to His anointed ones (John 20:23). The sick man in this case only aspired for physical healing but Jesus gave him full healing (body and soul). Jesus also cautioned him not to sin again as it will be disastrous (John 5:14). Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Therefore, let us train our body and soul to be Holy and acceptable our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Beginning of the end………Jesus said…..

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew4 Comments

Many parts of the world are in turmoil. During the last few months, the disturbances and conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and some African countries have regularly occupied almost all media spaces. There are pro and anti stands and voices against military and militant actions. The images aired out from the fields of conflicts are disturbing to human minds and is appalling.

Since the last few days of my prayers, I have been trying to meditate on the question, where do I stand in these conflicts? Should I or shouldn’t I take a stand? As usual, I again go back to the word of God to find answer to this question. This blog is a reflection of my meditation on the disturbing conflicts and unrest occurring in different parts of the world.

Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:6-7). If I try to discern these verses, then I should keep quiet realising that these things are destined to happen. Moreover, in a way I should be happy that whatever Jesus said is coming to pass which in turn enhances my faith in Him.

But, my human mind switches and questions, can’t you see innocent blood of men, women and children splattered? Can’t you see the homeless, refugees, people with lost limbs? The questions continue touching almost challenges under the sun such as winter chill, scorching sun, flood, starvation, thirst and so on which the affected are facing. All these thoughts and questions in my meditation led me to Matthew 24:22 where Jesus said, “………but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short”. I got a partial and temporary relief that these won’t last very long for there are elects of God taken care of. I then started thinking about ‘the elect’.

Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). This sheds some understanding on ‘the elect’ and I need to make sure that I am one of the elects. So how do I make sure that I am one of the chosen rather than remaining ‘called but not elected’? Jesus said there will be trials and tribulations for the ‘called’ leading to loss of faith and increased inactivity, but only those who stand firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Further, Jesus also said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and, in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…..” (Matthew 7:23). I guess I now have a fair understanding of being left called but not elected. And I earnestly pray that I am elected and remain so forever.

Coming back, the issue of should I or should I not react to the incidents related to the beginning of end times (Matthew 24:8) could now be related to the duties and responsibilities of ‘the elect’. We do have many examples of the duties and responsibilities of the elect from Matthew 24:46; 25:13; Mark 13:35; and Luke 12:37. But what exactly should I do in these trying hours? This intriguing question led me to the Bible section which I read the other night, Mark 14:32-41.

Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane is very touching and is full of hyper tension due to the incidents that followed- betrayal, arrest, trials, torture and death. Matthew (26:36-46) and Mark (14:32-42) reports that Jesus took Peter, James and John with him, from among the disciples, but Luke (22:39-46) only mention disciples in general. In any case, it is to be noted that Jesus withdrew to be in prayers during that particularly difficult time. This was the first step towards sourcing an answer to my question as to how should I respond/react to the disturbing incidents reported from around the world. I should be awake and spend time in prayers as Jesus did, so earnestly that my soul gets overwhelmed (Matthew 26:38) and my sweat turns into blood (Luke 22:44). Therefore, imitating Christ (Ephesians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 11:1), I come to the conclusion that street demonstrations, protest meetings or even sanctions will not achieve the result which prayers can.

I presume that Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane was unique for he was probably praying for those souls who are to be destroyed for revolting against God Almighty. In other words Jesus was probably praying for all those from Judas to the High Priest, Pilate and King Herod. I have grounds to presume this because Jesus taught to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Now, this is a massive spiritual warfare where we take the fight right into the enemy (Satan) camp.

The only way to win a war, especially when we are right inside the enemy’s camp is better coordination and collaboration. In Christian terms we call it fellowship. Jesus sought prayer fellowship from the disciples at Gethsemane in the fight against Satan but unfortunately the disciples fell asleep during those crucial hours. Just imagine the commander fighting and the members of the battalion sleeping when there is continuous fire from the enemy. Having said this, it does not by any means imply that Jesus could not fight the battle alone and needed the help of disciples. Rather, it was a lesson taught to the disciples the importance of fellowship in Christian life.

In conclusion, I wish resolve that I should remain awake as much as possible and pray so that I do not fall in the trap of demonic powers. Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation….” (Mark 14:38). If I follow the world, demonstrating on the streets and protesting against the atrocities only, then I am fallen, as Satan has no problem with us doing anything else except praying and meditating on the word of God. Prayers can move mountains which human actions cannot. Let us submit ourselves to God Almighty.         

 

Jesus: the first fruit

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew4 Comments

The punishment of fig tree by Jesus is one of the miracles that many people struggle to understand. Mark (11:13) states that “it was not the season for figs”. Therefore, what Jesus did could be argued as against ‘natural justice’, and unrighteous. However, we should be aware that God’s righteousness and the righteousness of this world are different as pointed out by Jesus in Matthew 5:20.

This blog is a meditation on the cursing of fig tree by Jesus as reported in the gospels of Matthew (21:18-22) and Mark (11: 12-20).

Jesus was hungry:

The very thought of hunger connects us to a condition in our stomach as empty or the need for filling. However, we should know that there are two types of hunger, of that of the body called physical hunger, and that of the spirit called the spiritual hunger. In John 4:34, Jesus contrasts the spiritual food against worldly food as ‘fulfilling God’s will and accomplishing God’s work’. Again, in John 6:27, Jesus instructs to ‘work for food that endures to eternal life rather than for food that spoils.

Jesus’ primary mission on earth was to fulfill the will of His Father (John 6:38; 4:34). And, we realise through His words and deeds that Jesus was extremely keen and committed to it, up until the last minute on the cross. As the creation is expected to respond to Jesus’ mission, it is obvious that any non-performers will be removed.  For example, when the bridegroom came only those virgins who were ready went in with him while the rest were ignored (Matthew 25:10). Similarly, the fig tree was a non-performer for it could not produce any fruit when the Lord came. Jesus said, every branch that does not bear fruits will be removed (John 15:2).

Jesus: the lord of seasons

Rather than depending on the seasons, the fig tree should have submitted itself to the Lord of seasons to produce fruits. Moreover, the tree tried to cheat the creator by covering itself with leaves (Mark 11:13). If the season was not for fruits, neither was it for leaves. Reading through Mark 11:13 we can gather that seeing plenty of leaves on the tree Jesus walked towards it hoping to see at least one fruit. This is a lesson for us. At many a times we exhibit ourselves as spiritual outwardly, but in essence we are not.

Jesus may not have approached the fig tree intending to collect a bag full of fruits. Apparently, Jesus, like anyone else should have known that it was not the season of figs. Therefore, in all probability Jesus approached the fig tree hoping to pluck a pre-season first ripe fruit. This argument could be substantiated with references from the Old Testament. For instance, Hosea 9:10 compare Israel to the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season. Similarly, Micah 7:1 prophetically states that ‘there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger’.

Jesus: the first fruit

Those who are familiar with farming would know that there appears a fruit before the bulk of them appears at the full season. This first fruit is an excitement to the farmer and a hope towards enjoying more fruits from the tree later. Further, as is mentioned in Isaiah 28:4, this first fruit is an immediate grab. This first fruit is a lead for other fruits to follow. The chosen race of God, Israel was considered as the first fruit as per Jeremiah 2:3. But, we know how Israel drifted away from God. Hence, Jesus Christ became the first fruit for us to follow (1 Corinthians 15:23).

As mentioned above, what happened to Israel as the fruit producing tree, resulting in the imposition of God’s curse?

The fallen trees

In the Garden of Eden we see that instead of behaving like a responsible creation, the tree allowed Satan to succeed in convincing Eve followed by Adam to defy God’s advice (Genesis 3). If an animal (serpent in the Garden of Eden) could speak and convince a human being, the tree as God’s creation could desist Eve from disobeying God’s commandment. This may sound illogical but remember, first of all, trees do have life and they do respond to various environmental effects. Secondly, in the book of Jonah (chapter 4) we see how the plant responded to God’s plan in order to teach a lesson to the prophet. I will explain how trees respond with some examples later in this blog.

In the book of Jeremiah we read that the trees provided shade for the Israelites to commit adultery. The situation became so grave that God tells Jeremiah that every tree has facilitated to Israel’s adultery (Jeremiah 3:6). Israel lay down under every spreading tree as a prostitute (Jeremiah 2:20; 3:13). God charged Israel through Hosea (4:13) of burning incense to idols under oak, poplar and terebinth, as the shades were found pleasant.

In both the above paragraphs we see that instead of producing fruits for God, the trees produced fruits for Satan. Israel ate those fruits and got lost in demonic indulgences. Jesus said, “……a tree is known by its fruit, for men do not gather figs from thorns……” (Luke 6:44). Moreover, it is important that the tree produces the right fruit (see Isaiah 5:2).

Coming back to the focus of this blog, three issues are identified:

  1. The tree tried to cheat Jesus by covering itself with leaves and not having the first fruit ready for its creator. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for the sharp contrast between their external and internal self (see Matthew 23:1-39 & Luke 11:37-54). Pharisees tried to command respect for themselves through their dressings (Matthew 23:5) and public display of faith (Luke 20:47). We come across such people and organisations including parishes and congregations where the focus is on the display of faith without essentially containing it. For example, purity is preached but not practiced; faith is blown out without conviction. It is sad to see buildings and mansions as parallels to the tower of Babel replacing pillars of faith. God’s children are distracted and misguided by external glories; and it appears that the age of Pharisees and Scribes have returned.
  2. The tree could have produced a fruit as it’s companions did (a spiritual comparison) in Luke 17:6 & 19:4 as follows:

In Luke 17:6 we see the sycamore fig tree as ever ready to respond to the faith of disciples. Jesus, pointing to this fig tree, assures the disciples that if they have faith, this fig tree will uproot itself and move off. We see here the willingness and acceptance of the promise which the fig’s creator made in its presence. Thus, in the assurance of Jesus, we see a projected interaction of faith between human beings and vegetation. This faith interaction applies to human-animal relationship as well, as we read in the book of Daniel where the lions responded to Daniel’s faith by remaining friendly (Daniel 6:22).

Similarly, in Luke 19:4, the sycamore tree plays a friendly role of supporting a sinner named Zacchaeus to view Jesus from its branches. Because of the tree Zacchaeus could see Jesus and Jesus Zacchaeus. This eventually led to Zaccheus’ conversion. What better fruit could this fig tree produce than saving a soul and his whole family? Here again we can credit the fig tree as a facilitator of faith.

  1. As discussed above, we read in the book of Jeremiah that the trees facilitated God’s children to commit adultery by courting with foreign gods and idol worships. The people of Israel did this under every tree of the land. This was in opposition to the purpose of God for the entire vegetation. For instance, we read in Psalm 104:14 that God causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth. It is apparent from this verse that the purpose of vegetation is to bring forth fruit. This primary responsibility was found missing when the Lord visited the fig tree (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13). Jesus indeed had warned prior to this incident using a parable that a man could not find any fruit when he went to a fig tree planted in his vineyard (Luke 13:6). Jesus further warned that such trees will be destroyed, pointing towards the judgement day.

Let us therefore…….    

            ……..commit ourselves into the hands of our Lord so that he may fill us with Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help us to produce the best fruit for God. Let us recollect how Holy Spirit came on Mother Mary and enabled her to produce the best fruit the world has ever witnessed, Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Savior. Amen.                               

Transfiguration of Jesus: then and now (Part 2)

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew4 Comments

Part 1 of this blog tried to discern the purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration as the revelation of Christ as the Son and God both. Transfiguration enabled the disciples to preach the gospel of the kingdom in which Jesus is seated on the throne in his full glory (Revelations 1:14; 4:3; 5:13;Daniel 7:9). This article attempts to enliven the transfiguration so as to realise it’s value in our lives because it not just another historical event but a vibrant spiritual experience.

Jesus lives and hence we also live (John 14:19). Jesus lives through us every moment of life. This is made realistic by following his instruction, “……do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24). In every holy Eucharist service, Holy Spirit descends on the earthly bread and vine which undergoes transfiguration into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

We may question about the need for the transformation of earthly bread to heavenly bread. Can’t we just eat the bread of our sweat and still have life? The answer is no as per the scripture. Jesus said “……unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). The bread we take to Lord’s altar is not the flesh of Jesus Christ, nor the grapes juice His blood. These are simply perishable things and won’t give us eternal life (John 3:18; 6:49). Therefore, they need to undergo transformation so as to become the flesh and blood of Christ so as to give us eternal life.

In John 6:25-27, we see Jesus looking beneath the surface of individuals who followed him, and criticises them on their pursuit for perishable food. The advice, “Do not work for the food that perishes….” (vs.27) is for all of us. It is unfortunate for many of us that our purpose of following Jesus is to achieve worldly satisfactions and material successes. For such people, the relationship with Jesus is only short term and ceases the moment the supply stops. We are not called for a perishable relationship with Jesus but an eternal one which continues even after our physical death (John 11:25).

Our worldly baggage could be equated to perishable bread. We waste our energy, time, money, space, and our entire life in pursuit of them, at the cost of these being spent for spiritual pursuit. This doesn’t mean that we are not supposed to think about our worldly needs but it is all about priority. God has promised us all the riches (Deuteronomy 8:7) provided we follow his commandments (Isaiah 1:19). Further, in Matthew 6:33, Jesus advises to give first priority to the kingdom of God, and in turn we will be supplied with our worldly needs. People who prioritise their selfish needs over Jesus are actually those who do not know who God is (see Matthew 6:32).

As happened during transfiguration we should bring out the Spirit of God dwelling in us to the surface of our lives. In order to do this Jesus advises us to exchange our worldly baggage (perishable bread) with friends who live in eternal dwellings (imperishable) (Luke 16:9). Here we see friends of this world versus friends of heavenly (eternal) places. Friends of this world belongs to Satan (John 14:30) but we are not supposed to be (John 15:19). Friends of heaven/kingdom of God are those who are spiritual (unlike non spirituals), and are blessed with the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 2:14-15; also see I Corinthians 12:8). Hence, a spiritually smart person will always be able to see the crisis ahead and will get his perishable bread converted to eternal bread as soon as possible.

The official place for conversion of perishable bread to imperishable bread is our church. Two mutually contributory transfiguration processes occur during holy Eucharist: 1. Transfiguration of human souls, and 2. Transfiguration of bread and vine on the altar.

1.Transfiguration of human souls: Church is not a place to exchange worldly things. Rather it is the house of God for spiritual exchange which happens through prayer (Matthew 21:13). It is the most reliable place where our sins, infirmities, weaknesses, concerns, worries, anxieties, sicknesses, debts, and anything and everything worldly and material are to be exchanged. As we see in the scripture, Jesus lost his temper when he entered Jerusalem temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-15; Luke 19:45-46; John 2:13-17) because the primary purpose of the temple as a place to exchange the pain and burden of the common mass with Lord’s peace was hijacked by the custodians and converted into “thieves’ den”. The temple of God was built by King Solomon with the specific purpose of spiritual exchange as we see in the dedication prayer of King Solomon (1 Kings 8:31-52).

Church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18&24; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 5:23) into which we take all our weaknesses and sins to get exchanged, for Jesus said “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Once we are relieved from the burden of sins and infirmities we will find rest in Christ. In order to achieve this, we must undergo the process of transfiguration as exhorted by Saint Paul in Romans 6:21-22. We must replace our stony heart with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) because a stony heart is wicked whereas a heart of flesh is full of Holy Spirit. Therefore, in order to undergo transfiguration, we must break or tear down our stony heart in front of our compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, which is what an exchange process in the church is all about (see Joel 2:12-13).

2.Transfiguration of bread and wine on the holy altar: As mentioned above, we cannot have eternal life “unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood” (John 6:53). Therefore, yes, it is the body and blood of Jesus Christ that we take and not bread and wine. We take our worldly baggage in the form of bread and vine on to the holy altar where it undergoes transfiguration into the body of blood of Christ. In fact it is the Spirit of God which transforms bread into Jesus’ body and wine into his blood. This was the same Spirit that Peter, James and John witnessed through the shining face and clothes of Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). In short, the process of transfiguration is the work of Holy Spirit, which we witness on the holy altar of the church.

From the above paragraph, it is evident that the presence of Holy Spirit is a must for transfiguration to take place (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Therefore, it is a responsibility of all present in the church to contribute towards the descending of Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God won’t descend if the church is filled with evil spirits. Before entering the church we should make sure that we initiate the process of transfiguration praying as David prayed, “Create in me a clean spirit, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10). The moment we sincerely say this prayer, the strongholds of demons within us will start getting dismantled. Moreover, through this prayer we cease the authority of Satan over us and allow Jesus to be in charge of us. If all those attending the Eucharist have this same objective, the church will become a ‘heating plant’ for the Holy Spirit to act. The heat from a contrite heart and submissive (to Lord) soul along with prayers enable the transfiguration of the bread and vine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Further, the transfiguration that the people initiate as soon as they enter the church reaches fruitful conclusion when they partake in the body and blood of Christ. Once Jesus’ real body and blood enters into us we are into Christ and hence a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In this we, transfiguration of souls contribute to transfiguration of bread and vine, and vice versa.

Churches across the world exist for only one purpose, to experience and witness the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Any other businesses or activities, if given primary importance, no matter how important or relevant they are to the socio-politico-cultural situations, are only distractions to the primary purpose of the church’s existence. Please remember Satan’s primary aim is to distract us from Jesus Christ.

May Lord’s name be glorified, Amen.

Transfiguration of Jesus: then and now (Part 1)

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew6 Comments

Matthew 17:1-5 narrates about Jesus’ transfiguration, and as witnessed by Peter, James and John. This topic is divided into two parts, the first part analyses the even and in the second part, I will try to explain how we could realise transfiguration in our lives.

The Greek word used for transfiguration is metamorpho. According to Webster’s dictionary metamorphosis is a major change in the appearance or character of someone or something. Jesus’ transfiguration however, does not mean that prior to this event He was only an ordinary human being. But, it was meant to communicate to the representative pillars (Peter, James and John) of the Church that Jesus is the Son of God. The internal reality (divine nature) of Jesus is made visible to the disciples through transfiguration. Thus, we are walked into the new and eternal reality by unveiling Himself through transfiguration (Hebrews 10:20).  

Let us have a look at as to what happened during transfiguration of Jesus:

  1. His face shone like the sun (vs. 2)
  2. His clothes became dazzling white (vs. 2)
  3. Moses and Elijah appeared talking to Jesus (vs. 3)
  4. Peter spoke to Jesus (vs. 4)
  5. A voice from the bright cloud witnesses and acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God (vs. 5).

 1. Jesus’ face shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2; Luke 9:29)

When the glory of God fills us our face will shine like sun. Moses was filled with the glory of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29). As we see here with Moses and Jesus, the shining of face is a reflection of God’s shining face through his chosen ones. Numbers (6:25) states that “The Lord make His face to shine upon you…”. Therefore, we are expected to actively radiate the shine of God’s glory through our lives. Saint Paul exhorts us to awake and arise from dead so that Christ may shine on us (Ephesians 5:14). From both the above verses it is apparent that the origin of the shining is from God. This could be further substantiated through John 1:9 about the true light. Psalms 36:9 states that “…by Thy light we see the light”. The light that we see and experience is to be shared with the world around us, and not to be contained within us.

 2. His clothes became dazzling white (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:3; Luke 9:29)

Clothing and fashion has been a topic of keen interest since the Old Testament times. It is very relevant in our times as well. God’s children are His chosen ones and accordingly are clothed with specialised dresses. At the outset, we need to know that there is a huge difference between worldly clothing and divine clothing, as compared by Jesus regarding Solomon’s clothing and that of the lilies (Luke 12:27). God’s children are clothed specifically (Numbers 28). A person in Jesus is clothed not with perishable fabrics but with divine ones. This was evident from Jesus’ clothes that the woman with haemorrhage was instantly healed when she touched His cloak (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:27; Luke 8:44). In Acts 5:15 we read that the shadow of Saint Peter was enough for healing. Similarly, the handkerchiefs and aprons carried from Saint Paul’s body worked towards healing and deliverance (Acts 19:12).

Therefore, it is important for a believer to make sure that his/her clothes radiate the divine glory of Jesus. It is extremely important to safeguard even our clothes from demonic forces as is exhorted by Saint Jude (Jude vs.23). We are expected to be prepared always to be eligible for the BIG MARRIAGE SUPPER (Revelations 19:9) with acceptable (to Lord) dressing or else we will be thrown out (Matthew 22:12). As Isaiah delighted for being clothed in divine glory (Isaiah 61:10) we too should be.   

3. Moses and Elijah appeared talking to Jesus (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30)

The presence of Moses and Elijah is variously interpreted by Biblical writers. Not getting into those debates and interpretations, my humble belief is linked to the nature and essence of Jesus Christ.

The biblical meaning of the name Moses is ‘taken out’ or ‘drawn forth’ (see Exodus 2:10). Other meanings of this name are ‘son’ from the word ‘mes’ (Egyptian) and ‘deliver’ (Hebrew). Encompassing all these meanings, Jesus, the Son is drawn forth from God the Father (John 1:14).The presence of Moses acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, drawn forth from the Father and has come to deliver us from the bondage of sin.

The name Elijah means ‘my God is Yahweh’. The life and works of Elijah were dedicated to ensure that Yahweh was the one and only God, in accordance to the first commandment that ‘I am the God and you shall have no other gods (Exodus 20:2-3). Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). God the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father (John 17:21). Thus, it is apparent that Jesus is God. The presence of Elijah tells us Jesus is God (John 1:1; John 8:58; John 14:10; Titus 2:13).

In short, transfiguration of Jesus revealed to the disciples that Jesus is the Son and God both, and the glittering shine of face and clothes represents the Holy Spirit proceeding into the world (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:1).

 4. Peter spoke to Jesus (Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33)

Peter along with James and John were left speechless at this vision. A few seconds later however, Peter mustered some courage and spoke to Jesus suggesting to make three tents, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. The scripture also states that Peter did not know what he was talking (Mark 9:6; Luke 9:33).

As stated at the beginning of this blog, the purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration was to reveal to the world through the disciples that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and has been sent by God the Father. During the Old Testament times it was God the Father, law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah). The Old Testament is converged in Jesus Christ and in New Testament it is God the Father, Jesus the Church guided by Holy Spirit. The veil of Sonship and Fatherhood is removed with Son of God physically present and God the Father made visible through the Son (John 14:9).

5. A voice from the bright cloud witnesses and acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 17: 5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; 2 Peter       1:17)

Peter’s suggestion was immediately responded by God the Father from heaven telling “….this is my beloved Son……hear ye him”. Peter is thus corrected by God from heaven that the primary focus of the Church must be on Jesus Christ, the saviour and redeemer, and not law and prophets. This is further confirmed by Jesus’ own words “a new commandment I give to you………” (John 13:34). The author of Hebrews (8:13) states, “when He said, “a new covenant”, He has made the first obsolete…”. Please note ‘made obsolete’ doesn’t mean replacement of a wrong thing with a right thing, rather it means law and the prophets are fulfilled (Luke 24:44). This message is clearly conveyed to Peter during the transfiguration event.

To sum up, Jesus’ transfiguration event was not a mere demonstration or performance of miracle; rather it was for a specific purpose. It was aimed to tell the world that Jesus is the Son of God so as to believe and have life in His name (John 20:31). Moreover, it is made clear that Jesus has been sent by God (John 17:23), and He fulfils the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17). The light which shone the face and cloth of Jesus represents the presence of Holy Spirit. In other words, transfiguration depicts the visualisation and realisation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore, our aim should be to experience the Holy Trinity in our body, soul and spirit in its fullness, and radiate this divine light through our words and action.

Lord Jesus have mercy upon us and bless us.