Tag: Jesus Christ

The shouting stones: Jealousy of the heirs…

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew2 Comments

The aim of this blog is to meditate on the vitality of praise as a natural expression of gratitude towards divine providence. In doing so, this write up identifies the praise shouted out by the stones (gentiles) as the articulation of extreme gratitude which made the natural children (the heirs) jealous. The first part of this blog mediates on ‘praise’ and in the second part, the shouting of the stones and jealousy of heirs are briefly meditated upon. 

The term providence represents  the protective cover that God freely extends to His creation. The expanse of God’s providence covers everything that He created which includes the seas, the earth, the rain, the wind, the vegetation, the animals, and most importantly, the human beings. This providence characterises and represents the nature of God which is agape (unconditional love). There is nothing visible or invisible that is excluded from God’s providence (Colossians 1:16) which would otherwise limit the scope and span of God’s love. Therefore, the creation has a greater responsibility in praising the creator for his unconditional providence. 

‘Praise’ is often misunderstood as a reciprocal relationship between man and God, thus representing a give and take approach. This means God earns praise from human beings only by answering their prayers and granting their material wishes. Further, this school of interpreters frames praise on explicit and verbal articulations in a flashy manner. Such interpretations of ‘praise’ have a selfish underpinning that could limit one’s spiritual progression. Moreover, such (mis) understanding reflects the Western culture within which interpersonal relationships are regulated by a rather conclusive ‘thank you’ (for your help) approach in contrast to the Eastern approach of extended relationship of gratitude.

‘Praise’ on the other hand is a natural, perpetual (Psalm 145:2), and unconditional acknowledgement of our eternal relationship with God Almighty. A close analogy could be the cry of a baby at birth. Following the medical interpretation, the ‘first cry’ (of the baby) represents the kick start of its lungs when it starts breathing the air for the first time. Likewise, a person born in Christ is a new being (2 Corinthians 5:17), brought into the spiritual world through baptism. And, praise is the first cry that demonstrates the spiritually newborn’s relationship with God. In other words, the newly born in Christ kickstarts breathing the pneuma (air, which is the Holy Spirit). This spiritual breathing is what praise predominantly represents. This is further intensified by verbal praise (Revelation 7:9) when the newborn joins the world of fellow beings, the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1; cf. Psalms 142:7b). 

‘Praise’ therefore is a natural phenomenon in a spiritually newborn, in the same way as breathing is. Referring back to the analogy, as soon as a baby is born, its nostrils and the mouth are cleared of any amniotic fluid so as to enable uninterrupted breathing. The very first clearing of nostrils was undertaken by God Himself – Adam was brought to life after God breathed life into his nostrils (Genesis 2:7).  However, ever since the fall, mankind has failed in expressing gratitude to and praising God. Romans 1: 21  says for though they knew God, they did not honour Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 

As said above, praise is an unconditional acknowledgement of our gratitude to God, and hence should be diffused in our breathing so that it becomes a non-stop exercise. In the same way as the ceasing of breath pronounces death, the ceasing of praise results in the spiritual death of human beings. King David said, ……so that my soul may praise you and not be silent……..forever (Psalm 30:12). King David could not stop praising even when his lips stopped, hence said, when I think of You on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of night…(Psalm 63:6). He again said, At midnight I rise to praise you….(Psalm 119:62). David could not even think of a moment without praising the Lord. For him, even the time of his sleep is a loss because he could not praise God when he is asleep.  He felt being distanced from God as he could not praise God in his sleep. And not praising God was nothing less than being dead for David as we read in Psalm 6:5. The suffocation that he experienced could be understood as the reason for his rising up in the midnight (Psalm 119:62) to praise God. 

Praise, therefore, needs to be discerned as a natural phenomenon unlimited by rituals and institutions. This means, praise cannot be timetabled and factored in as part of the ritual such as different forms of church worship only, nor can it be dictated by the churches in terms of ‘how’ and ‘when’, Praise is the umbilical cord between the creator (God) and the creation (humans), the relationship and communication which the recipient keeps seeking for, day and night. Hence it is something to be taught and encouraged as a natural phenomenon. Isaiah (26:9) defines this as the ‘yearning of the soul and the spirit, day and night’. 

The brief conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus on His triumphal entry to Jerusalem brings forth the former’s ignorance or rather misunderstandings about praise. The Pharisees did know that only God Almighty deserves praise (Psalm 115:1). However, they probably did not know that praise is a natural phenomenon like breathing, which the creation cannot hold back, especially in the presence of the creator. 

In the same way as the newborn cries, if a person maintains the characteristics of a newborn, praise will just occur. Jesus had already stated explicitly …..unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). The Chief Priests, Pharisees and the scribes were spiritually mature and should have actually led the praising of the Lord who was in their midst. Unfortunately, they were so myopic with materialism that they neither could recognise ‘Immanuel’ nor could guide anyone to Him. Jesus once rebuked them as ‘spoilers’ who lock people out of the Kingdom of heaven, neither going in themselves nor allowing anyone to enter (Matthew 23:13). 

When the Chief Priests, the Pharisees and the scribes opposed the praising, Jesus had to remind them with a counter question, …..have you never read, Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself? (Matthew 21:16). In other words, Jesus asked them to do their homework before raising an issue about the umbilical cord that connects the creation to the creator. Unfortunately the custodians of faith did not know or rather conveniently forgot Psalm 8:2 which Jesus had to remind them. Jesus also added, I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out (Luke 19:40), again reminding them of what was written in the Old Testament book Habakkuk 2:11. 

The second quote of Jesus (from Habakkuk 2:11) links praise to ‘the children’. This can be better understood by referring to John the Baptist’s warning …….God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham (Matthew 3:9). These Pharisees should have been the same people who lined up to get baptised by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:7). Whilst anyone who gets baptised is turned to become a new creation, the same seems to have only hardened the Pharisees as they were trying to kill Jesus, as He reminded, If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me……this is not what Abraham did (John 8: 39-40). It means the natural children of Abraham (the Israel) could not sustain their status and God started looking towards stones (the gentiles) to get children for Him. 

The brief conversation between the Pharisees and scribes on one side and Jesus on the other, could be numbered as the third and final opportunity granted by the Lord to the former to repent and change, and reactivate praise as spiritual breathing. The first opportunity was at the time of their baptism, the second one in their conversation with Jesus and the third one again immediately before the triumphal entry of the Lord to Jerusalem. From a spiritual perspective, the Pharisees and their allies had the final opportunity to return to a praise oriented relationship with the Lord, before He ascended to heavenly Jerusalem. Sadly, it did not happen as evident from Jesus’ lamentation Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing (Matthew 23:37); and ….if you, even you, had only recognised on this day the things that make for peace (Luke 19:42). 

The chosen children of God (Israel) rejected their Father, as a result of which the stones (gentiles) were given the opportunity to receive that status (Matthew 8:10-12). The entry of this new group of children could be termed as the glorious and historical moment in God’s Kingdom. The new entrants who were accepted as the children of God received an opportunity to praise the creator, a privilege that rested with God’s chosen- the Levites were officially appointed to praise God walking before the ark of the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:4), and later to offer praise to the Lord in the temple (1 Chronicles 23:5). 

The quality of the praise by the gentile converts is given in Acts 10: 45-46 where it states that the Jewish converts (to Christianity) were astounded by the way the former were praising the Lord. The discerning factor here is the realisation of John the Baptist’s statement about raising children from stones (Matthew 3:9), and more importantly, Jesus’s warning which implied ‘if you keep quiet, these stones will shout out’ (Luke 19:40). 

If the praise of the newly born children of God (the gentile converts) were found astounding, it must have been a zero-defective praise. The Jewish converts would have only expected a deficient praise from the gentile converts as they were just born and missing could be obvious. As the chosen children of God, the Jewish Christians might have thought that only they knew how to praise in perfection. In fact they cannot be blamed just in case they thought in that line because there are seven types of praise identified in the Old Testament which obviously the gentiles would not have known. 

These seven types of praise are: 

1. Barak (to kneel or bow down before the Lord) (Psalm 72:12-15 & Psalm 103); 

2. Halal (to shine, boast or celebrate) (1 Chronicle 16:4 & 23: 5) ; 

3. Shabach (to shout loudly or command) Psalm 63:1-4; 

4. Tehillah (to sing unrehearsed, or unplanned praises) (Psalm 34:1 & 40:3); 

5. Towdah (to extend or raise one’s hands to give thanks for something that has not been received yet) (Psalm 50:23 & 17:26); 

6. Hodah (to extend hands vigorously as in complete surrender) (2 Chronicles 20:21 & Psalm 9:1); and 

7. Zamar (to touch the string in rejoice) (Psalm 150 & 92:1-3). 

The meaning of the Greek word to describe the praise of the gentile converts used in Acts 10:46 is ‘extol’ which is not just ordinary but a higher and enthusiastic form of praise. This means the praise by the newborn children of God covered all the seven types of praise- no wonder why the Jewish Christians were astounded. Moreover, it would not be a surprise if the heirs became jealous of their privileges being shared or even taken away. 

We can draw an analogy of this incident to that of what happened at the return of the prodigal son. In Luke 15:25-27 the elder son was caught in a similar situation where he felt his status as the heir to his father’s household being challenged. The music and dance at home could be equated to the praise of a newborn, which the father explained to the elder son that his brother was dead, but is now a newborn (Luke 15:32). Praise as an expression of gratitude is something that could be discerned in the prodigal son when he was unconditionally accepted by his father. Jesus gave the example of two debtors and asked Saint Peter, who would love the money lender more, to which the disciple replied, ……the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt (Luke 7:43). 

This means, the degree and quality of praise has  a strong relation to gratitude which would be more who are accepted not on merits but by the grace of God. Hence, the people like the prodigal son and the sinful woman (Luke 7:36f) who otherwise had no hope in their life, when forgiven of their sins, started praising with full intensity, outstanding the natural heirs. For instance, even though Nicodemus was a high profile Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, still struggled to understand what Jesus meant when he was told to be born again (John 3:3). Whereas, the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 wasn’t told anything but from the very moment she saw Jesus, knelt down in tears and started bathing His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair (Luke 7:38). The reason for her act was because there was no one else in this world except Jesus who could bring her back from her sinful past to a normal life. The gratitude of the woman flowing through her tears could be discerned as natural praise for us to emulate during the Lenten season, and especially during the Passion Week. 

The Great Lent and especially the passion week facilitates everyone to be born again. The forty days of Great Lent could be considered as our journey to the heavenly Jerusalem. In the same way as Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was ‘triumphal’, we too have the opportunity for a triumphal entry to the heavenly Jerusalem. We can only triumph if we become like a newborn. In order to enter, we need to raise up the weights of our sins unto the Lord. Psalm 55:22 says Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. 

Therefore, let us lift our burden of sins up along with the palm leaves during the Palm Sunday procession and the worship throughout. In that way every stone will change and will become eligible to shout out. It will of course be an envy to the fallen (Satan), but a proud moment for the children of God. 

May God bless us.

Fr Saji. K. Mathew

…since I am a virgin

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew2 Comments

Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin (Luke 1:34)

Day one of the Advent Lent marks the beginning of a 25 days journey culminating in the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mother Mary was the entry point of the saviour to this world. As such, reception of the Lord at this entry point draws great significance. God has made human beings with a free-will. It means human beings have the freedom of choice to make decisions that they deem right or wrong. Mother Mary as a human being was not an exception to this. She could outrightly reject the announcement of a pregnancy outside the wedlock. Apparently, Mother Mary did not do so but wholeheartedly submitted herself to the will of God to be accepted and conceived in her womb. 

Though the spiritual discourse about faith is conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), Mother Mary could not accept what angel Gabriel communicated to her about the spiritual conception, and hence sought further clarification. There is a prima facie double standard exhibited by angel Gabriel in a similar situation as we read in Luke 1: 20, when Zechariah the priest asked how will I know that this is so? (Luke 1:18). One may ask why Zechariah the priest was punished whereas Mother Mary was extended a patient hearing. The answer to this question could be found in angel Gabriel’s statement. He said, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God (Luke 1:19). The expansion of this statement leads us to look into Zechariah’s position. He was the priest of God, and, like angel Gabriel, he also stood in the presence of God. Hence, Zechariah should have known that as a priest, he is a responsible receptor of God’s message and shall convey it to the people of God. It could then be genuinely asked, if the representative of God is unable to believe in God’s promises, how would he be able to carry and deliver the same to the people of God.  

As Zechariah stood in the presence of God, he did not need a confirmation of God’s voice. As an honest and committed priest, Zechariah could have easily discerned the angel as his co or fellow being in the service of God. The doubt expressed by the priest of God unveils his inability to feel the presence of God as well as see his fellow beings who also stood in God’s presence. 

The punishment awarded by angel Gabriel was an eye opener for Zechariah. He possibly learned for the first time in his life that priesthood is not just inherited but a profession called by name (Isaiah 43:1). The words and deeds of a priest need to be aligned to his spiritual discernment received as a grace when he stands in the presence of God. Jesus said Let your words be Yes, Yes or No, No; anything more than this comes from the evil one (Matthew 5:37). On the contrary, Zechariah is seen applying his rationalist mind and questioning his fellow servant in Lord, angel Gabriel. The overwhelming of one’s spirit by his/her mind could result in a random and thoughtless response than a spiritually guided one. Hence, Saint Paul exhorts the faithful en-masse to redirect their tongue to thanksgiving: Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4). Zechariah could better make use of the situation to thank God when he received the most precious gift that he was actually seeking ever since his marriage with Elizabeth.

Mother Mary’s question, how can this be, since I am a virgin is not just an innocent question but a cautious response. Unlike Zechariah who had the privilege to stand in the presence of the Lord, Mother Mary was a layperson. However, her status in the lower hierarchy of ranks was not an excuse for abstaining from the discernment of the scripture, as evident from the below paragraph. Saint Paul later cautioned in Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed. 

There is  insufficient ground to blame Mother Mary for not outrightly accepting the message conveyed through angel Gabriel. Neither can she be blamed for asking a question in this case. The justification for the Mother’s question could be found in an incident that provoked God to anger- When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose Genesis 6:1-2. Please note, the Hebrew tradition identifies the sons of God as angels (also see Job 1:6; 2:1 & 38:7). 

If Mother Mary had suspected the intention of the angel or tried to confirm that the message was true indeed, it only confirms her familiarity with the scripture. Moreover, the Mother’s query could be accepted as something that could be emulated in a world struggling to distinguish between true and fake messages. In a world where the preference is for leadership over followership, there is increased competition among the corporate churches to attract followers in quantity over quality. The tactic used to multiply is unfortunately faked messages that feed itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3). As a result, the discourse has vastly shifted from a ‘witnessing’ church to a balance-sheet based church, thus nullifying the “Great Commission” – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). 

Mother Mary’s question to angel Gabriel represents the witnessing church needing confirmation- that the message is truly from God. Saint John exhorts, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…..(1 John 4:1). In line with the Genesis 6:1-2 tragedy, Saint Paul further cautions, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

Unlike the way how angel Gabriel dealt with Zechariah, Mother Mary was treated with compassion. We read the detailed explanation of the angel, ….the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…(Luke 1;35). The true body of Christ (the church) should experience and witness the shadow of the Most High and the brooding of the Holy Spirit, both undoubtedly absent from a balance-sheet oriented church. Unlike the latter, a witnessing church will be devoid of marketing gimmicks, beats of heavy metals (music), las-vegas style lightings, and demonstration of human powers. Instead, there will only be a sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12). In fact, Mount Horeb could be interpreted as a shadow or prototype of a true church. Prophet Elijah misunderstood the strong mountain splitting and rock shattering wind as the arrival of God (1 Kings 19:11), but was proved wrong. He was again wrong interpreting the earthquake and fire as the Lord’s arrival (1 Kings 19;11-12).

The arrival of Messiah was awaiting a heroic welcome from the people of God. The latter wanted their national and community pride kindled with an earth shattering entry mode of the Messiah as is stated in Isaiah 64: 1-2 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 

To the disappointment of many, none of those things happened. Instead a trusted lieutenant was sent to an innocent virgin. Unlike a pompous summit or a red carpet visit to the hall of fame, the entire meeting took just a few minutes which silently marked the end of an age and the beginning of a new era for the world. Interesting and noteworthy is the brief exchange between the angel and Mother Mary that encompassed the greatest question ever asked (how can this be, since I am a virgin) and the answer to it which communicated the most powerful of all the words (Holy Spirit and Most High).  

May God bless you. Amen.   

The Great Lent: A Pilgrimage to Re-discovery.

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew6 Comments

Once again we are entering into the season of divine wash, a journey of forty days to get refreshed in the passion and eventual resurrection of Christ.

Great lent is core to the spiritual life of Christians, especially for the Orthodox believers. It is a combination of solitary march and collective procession looking forward to renewed salvation gracefully showered by Jesus Christ.

The Great lent helps us to renew our relationship with Jesus Christ by way of knowing Him better as well as committing ourselves to His kingdom with gratitude, for the reason that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to us (John 3:16). God the Father unselfishly gave His most precious treasure, His son to us. Though we cannot pay it back in the same coin, there is a natural obligation, What shall I return to the Lord for all His bounty to me? (Psalms 116:12).

My soul yearns to know (Psalms 84:2) who this Father Son duo are……..and then I discovered that Jesus had showed me the way (John 14:6) by physically going through the journey of lent (Matthew 4:2).

Therefore, I need not waste my time trying to find a way or develop a tool or instrument to know the duo, as the third member (Holy Spirit) guides me to follow Jesus’s way (lent). I find this amazing trinitarian unity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) the driving force of my Lenten journey.

As was Jesus’ journey, walking on the earth for three and half years, Great lent is an advancement through the toughs and terrains of this world. Concomitantly, we are aided by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 4:1) and holy angels are close by waiting to see us triumphant (Matthew 4:11).

This blog is an attempt to caution the readers about the traps laid by Satan to sabotage our Lenten journey:

1. Richard Dawkins, renowned evolutionary biologist and author of many books is a hardcore atheist, as evident from many of his writings and related activities. He was once asked how should one respond to a person who believes in God. Dawkins’ answer was: ‘mock them” and “ridicule them”. Mocking and ridiculing are a couple of things one may have to encounter in the course of the Lenten journey. Jesus, during His passion was mocked and ridiculed by the Jews, Roman soldiers, and even the thief nailed besides Him (Matthew 27:31, 41; Luke 23:37).

Shaming by way of ridiculing and mocking would be the first of several steps Satan may adopt to dissociate the pilgrims of lent. Satan does not always need hardcore atheists like Dawkins to get this done. Neither does he need to burn midnight oil to find people to do this. It could be from our own family members, friends or wider society. Satan’s goal is not only to sabotage our lent, but he also uses this opportunity to de-civilise the faithful and may even go to the extent of de-humanize them. Jesus has already cautioned about this: They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God (John 16:2).

Even if such extremes may not happen to most of us, still we are prone to mocks and ridicules, from our immediate circles as mentioned above. But this is a  compulsory part of our Lenten journey in the same way as was it with Jesus Christ. Jesus being God still had to go through the hardcore temptations.

So what do we achieve passing through this tumultuous journey?

The benefits are bi-pronged. The first prong is all what we achieve in this life; and the second one is the ultimate reward waiting for us in heaven.

In terms of the immediate achievement, the hardships such as facing and undergoing mocks and ridicules would help us to shed the absolutes and prejudices. Absolutes and prejudices are evident in the words of Satan in his conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden, You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). This absolute statement was an attempt to make Eve believe that Satan knows the inside out of God. On the contrary, for the faithful, knowledge about God is not absolute but an ongoing quest. The Bible says, No one has ever seen God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12); Who has known the mind of the Lord (Isaiah 40:13: Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

Same as absolutism, prejudice also is demonic as it distances one from the will of God. Saint Peter’s prejudice about gentiles (Acts 10:14) worked against evangelism for which he was called. Hence God dismantled it when he was taken to Caesarea as instructed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:19-20). And we read later in Acts 10 that the walls of prejudice was completely dismantled, representing a milestone in Saint Peter’s missionary journey.

Therefore, by withstanding and surviving the mocks and ridicules as well as many other temptations (this could be both physical and mental), Lenten pilgrimage enables to alternate the course of Christian life towards achieving better proximity with God.

2. By explaining about the potential hurdles, I have not tried to be an absolutist, or else I commit the same mistake against which I took a stand. This puts me in a situation whereby I am in a state of retreat during the lent season. As we know, a retreat is a temporary withdrawal to reflect, think through and re-strategize so as to advance better. This puts our Lenten journey into ‘silent mode’.  Lent is a time to talk less, avoid all loose talks and restrain from similar things. Saint Paul instructed Ephesians, Entirely out of place is obscene, silly and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4).

John Keats (+1821), an English romantic poet, in one of his poems criticizes Sir Isaac Newton for destroying the beauty of rainbow by analyzing light with a prism, and splitting it into different colours. What this means to us is God and His works are to be experienced rather than to be put under the lens or dissected on the table. Evidence based approach to faith is insignificant in comparison to experience based faith. In fact faith is the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Saint Paul had not seen Jesus but just heard and experienced him, starting from the gates of Damascus (Acts 9:3-6). Saint John talks about things that were heard, seen and experienced (1 John 1:1) but never claimed that he knew Jesus well (though he was the dearest of all the disciples). We also read Jesus’ words to Saint Thomas, ……………blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe (John 20:29).

My intention is to focus on anti-absolutism and drum-beating. The tentacles of social media is so far reaching that it is not difficult at all to see anything and everything related to the divine uncovered and made explicit. Orthodox tradition insists life with Jesus as a divine mystery. This entails there are things, such as our partaking in the body and blood of Christ, that should be treated in confidence. Great lent is a journey to reach and receive the body of Christ which was broken and the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, for our salvation. Therefore, given the tough terrain of lent that a faithful has to tread through, one should not wear the robes of a propagandist (of lent) during the Lenten period. Lent is not a show object nor should one attempt to exhibit as had Jesus cautioned in Matthew 6:16:18.

In the same way as a rainbow pleases our eyes, lent is a spiritual enjoyment. If I attempt to explain lent, I am probably forgetting my most important challenge, to defeat the temptations of Satan. Jesus could have continued with His ministry alongside the forty days fasting. But He did not. He placed Himself in solitude talking only to God the Father. So should we during the Lenten season. Psalms 46:10 tells us Be still, and know that I am God.

As a priest, I shall maintain utmost silence by endeavoring not to set the pulpit on unholy fire by bullying the innocent faithful and hammering them with unbearable guilt and remorse, and simultaneously claiming my lent as the best lent in comparison to the lent observed by my parish members. Rather, my silence should be my sermon, and a guiding spirit to all the faithful.

3. So what do we achieve by observing the Great Lent?

An Orthodox Lenten prayer goes somewhat like this, Oh Lord, if my wrongdoings are taken into consideration, I will not be able to stand anywhere near you. But I depend on and plead for your mercy.

Lent is a vehicle that takes us to God’s throne of grace to receive His mercy (Hebrews 4:16). The mercy that we receive is not because of our zero-defective works but due to God’s great love (Ephesians 2:4-5; Psalms 51:1-2; Psalms 103:8; Micah 7:18). As mentioned in the early lines of this blog, God so loved this world………, that He is gracious enough to cover us with His mercy.

Having said, God’s love cannot grow or flourish in malicious, contaminated and polluted environment. Unfortunately, this world is full of those things and hence filthy. But God has given us the Great lent to attempt cleaning our lives, which would then help clean our environment. Therefore, it could be said that lent is an act of systemic cleansing which is not confined to a few peripheral acts such as restraining from a set of food items but a holistic process.

Lent is central to our spiritual life. The Great lent helps us to make Jesus the joy of our life and our temporary difficulties (such as fasting and abstinence) a peripheral thing. As we read in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, for we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Therefore, Great lent is an attempt to make Jesus central to our lives. The temptations of Jesus demonstrates the preferential option of the centrality of faith over the centrality of worldly life. In fact Jesus’ first response to Satan builds the umbilical cord between the two, faith in God and worldly life, in the sense that life in this world is nutritiously fed by the faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus never negated the significance of life in this world. If Jesus told Satan I am not worried about my life, it would have given devil an opportunity to claim the ownership of the lives of people. In fact, life is a gift of God. It was God in the Garden of Eden that breathed life into the nostrils of the first man, Adam (Genesis 2:7). It should therefore be assumed that Jesus was careful in His conversation with Satan during the temptation.

Lent is a training to equip us to fight back the nefarious designs of the devil, a forty days journey of perseverance, till our faith is entrenched in Jesus Christ, as a conviction rather than a leisure or an extracurricular thing.

Soon after Hitler visited Paris in 1940, Andre Boulloche, a courageous member of French Resistance wrote a letter to his father:

The country can only be saved by a complete moral resurrection, something that will require the works of men of all good will………I think I can contribute a great deal. And if more troubles lie ahead, isn’t my duty present?

As we get ourselves dirty toiling and moiling throughout the year, and moreover Satan has found an opportunity to deceptively benefit from our tiredness by visiting our weakened faculties of life, as the above quote says, it is time for us to stand up, against devil and defend not only our families but our church to pave way for a spiritual resurrection.

In short, the achievement from Great Lent is a renewed self, vibrant family and a Church that re-emerges to witness her spouse, Jesus Christ.

O Holy Lent, come in peace.

Amen.

I shall not sit nor bow my head, for my lord Jesus Christ is coming soon

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew2 Comments

‘…………………stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’ (Luke 21:28).

The above exhortation is the conclusion of Jesus Christ’s prophecy regarding His second coming.
The aim of this blog is an attempt to put on track the way one should focus on Jesus’ second coming. There is no dearth of preaching, teachings, and writings available on the second coming of Christ. In the recent past, blood moon was the subject of analysis and discussion regarding Jesus’ second coming. Interestingly, even the dates were calculated and announced about His coming. That particular date has passed in the year 2015 but the ‘second coming’ has not happened.

The above verse said by Jesus starts with ‘when these things begin to take place….’ Christian world in general has attributed this time towards the ‘second coming’. However, if we travel back through the history of this world, it would not be difficult to see the signs in the sun, moon, and stars as well as on the earth. Therefore, these phenomena have had been happening ever since. The world has been in turbulence ever since Jesus left, and even in the immediate time after He left. Saint John warned ‘Children, it is the last hour……….so now many antichrists have come’ (1 John 2:12).

Saint Peter cautioned of scoffers indulging in selfish teachings 2 Peter 3:3-4. Therefore, it is necessary to rightly understand about Jesus’ second coming. This write up is a humble attempt to look beyond words for the actual goals of Jesus’ exhortation.

As Saint John cautions, antichrists started working on earth ever since Jesus descended to save the mankind. Satan who disguised as snake in the Garden of Eden to destroy the first Adam is now dressed as antichrist to whisk away the children of second Adam (Jesus Christ) (see 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:12-19). The intention of this antichrist is to steal, kill, and destroy (the children of God) (John 10:10). Therefore, it could be discerned that end time has always been there in the lives of mankind ever since Jesus cautioned of it. Moreover, the signs listed in Luke 21:25-26 are also visible and felt from time to time, even though the degree of turbulence is increasing as we approach Jesus’ arrival.

Speculation of time about Jesus’ second coming has only led to playing into the hands of Satan’s. Though many people became more spiritual (perhaps out of fear), it soon vanished as the D-day passed without anything happening and leaving no traces of Jesus’ coming. Apparently, it affected the faith of many leading to a state that they now ignore not only about the second coming but also their core faith in Jesus Christ. This was cautioned by Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 24:23-24), later forewarned by Saint Peter as ‘scoffers out with selfish teaching’.
It appears to be a human tendency to analyse the business of the source than utilising the resource. For example, when Saint Peter asked Jesus about the future of Saint John, Lord’s reply was ‘if it is my will……….what is that to you’ (John 21: 22) In other words, Jesus’ response to Peter was ‘it is none of your business’. Similarly, about His second coming, Jesus said, ‘but about that day and hour, no one knows………………nor the Son, but only the Father’ (Matthew 24:36: Mark 13:32). Therefore, it is not our business to know about Lord’s second coming. If it is something confined to Godhead, then who is so impatient about Jesus’ second coming. Using the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 12:8) it won’t be difficult to know it is Satan, because he is scared of his own destruction at the second coming. Therefore, Satan is trying to use humans to speculate so that he could plan and execute his destructive activities accordingly. What is important us is, ‘He will come again as He went’ (Acts 1:11: John 14:3), which also ought to be the fabric of our faith.

Yes, I believe, Jesus will come again, and when He comes (no matter when) I will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). But, I do not want to speculate on the time of His arrival, for that day will come like a thief, which means unannounced (2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Matthew 24:42-44). Therefore, to be in ‘His glory’, we should do what we are expected to do, which constitutes the core of our life in Christ.
The title verse of this blog points to Jesus’ exhortation: ‘stand up’ and ‘raise your heads’ (Luke 21:28).

Stand up:
One needs confidence in self to stand up; and in Christian life, it is the demonstration of our strength achieved through full faith in Jesus Christ. As a toddler fights against the gravitational force and succeeds to stand and walk, children of God get liberated from demonic forces to stand up and well. As we read, the crippled woman who was bent over was freed from the bondage of Satan, and was able to stand straight (Luke 13:13, 16). To the man lying for thirty eight years by the side of Beth-zatha pool, Jesus said, ‘stand up, take your mat and walk’ (John 5:8). In another incident, Jesus forgave the sins (liberation for demonic force/s) of a paralytic man and asked him to stand up, take his bed and walk (Matthew 9:2&6; Mark 2:5&11). Yet another example is found in Acts 3:6 where Peter asked the crippled man to ‘stand up’, and walk. Saint Paul too asked a crippled man to ‘stand upright’ and was instantly delivered from his infirmity (Acts 14:10).

Jesus, in relation to His second coming exhorts to ‘stand up’. And, the above verses suggest standing up as a spiritual sign of liberation from sin, and its perpetrator Satan, as happened to the crippled and paralytic. Therefore, ‘standing up’ should be understood as an attempt to be free from the clutches and bondage of Satan. In other words, we are to strive for a pure life, free from sins. Saint Paul exhorted Thessalonians to keep the body, soul and spirit blameless at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). In order to achieve this purity, we must ‘stand’ against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Saint Paul lists the whole armour of God to fight against the evil forces in Ephesians 6:14-17: belt of truth fastened around the waist, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace to protect the feet, shield of faith to quench the flaming arrows of Satan, helmet of salvation, and word of God as sword.
Lord’s children are expected to ‘stand up’. However, Satan’s mission is to woo away by making us ‘sit down’ and waste time on insignificant matters such as speculations. Remember, Jesus never asked His followers to sit down and calculate the time of His arrival. Instead, Christ asked to be ever ready (Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:40); keep awake (Matthew 25:13); and be alert (Mark 13:32).

Being ready, alert and awake is an ongoing process of standing up unblemished in our lives. Moreover, we must stand up dressed in the whole armour of God, and produce the fruits of Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and keep ourselves free from the snare of the devil who tries to hold his victims captive so as to execute his mission (see 2 Timothy 2:26).

It is the power of Holy Spirit that enables us to stand up and stand firm; and Lord’s mercy bestows Holy Spirit in us. Therefore, we should pray and ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). As tribulations are increasing in this world, it is necessary to accelerate our preparation for Jesus’ second coming. This could be achieved by seeking mercy for our brethren as well as for ourselves. It is unfortunate that we contradict Jesus’ ways and teachings when trials and tribulations increase in our lives. We wrongly think of fixing our problems before setting out to help others. Jesus Christ did not scare off the disciples by prophesying all the tribulations in store for the disciples and left to fate to fight their battle. After explaining all the forthcoming hardships that the disciples would face (John 16) Jesus is seen immediately praying to God the Father for His disciples (John 17). Following Jesus’ footsteps, instead of scaring people with speculations about the second coming, we should strengthen more and more of people to receive Jesus Christ in their lives.

Raise your heads:
Jesus also exhorts to raise our heads as preparation ahead of His second coming. Raising head is to receive the ‘king of glory’ as King David sings in Psalms 24:9. Our body, soul and spirit unify in a receptive mode when they are aligned in purity. This wholesome of our personality, filled with Holy Spirit will then groan for eternal redemption and adoption at Jesus’ second coming (see Romans 8:23). Speculation could be the result of an impatience of flesh in control by Satan as he knows about his fate at the second coming of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 8:29).
Raising heads symbolises the process of transformation which sets our life into spiritual mobility. Unlike this worldly mobility, which is a free run, spiritual mobility represents the revelation of the mystery of gospel through us (Ephesians 6:19). In other words, raising our heads enable us to act- to deliver the message of the gospel so that more and more of mankind is attracted towards the eternal glory of Christ. Jesus said, ‘look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting’ (John 4:35). There are still millions of people to whom the gospel has not yet reached reminding us that gospel field is not yet saturated; and it may never be as Jesus said, ‘you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes’ (Matthew 10:23).

Speculating on Jesus’ second coming should also be viewed as an attempt by Satan to sabotage gospel reaching the ends of the world. This is so because there are still regions in the world where the good news has either not been proclaimed or unable to be preached due to restrictions. Therefore, the time is not ripe; and premature arrival of Jesus Christ would only help demons to continue in this world using the bodies of those who have never heard about salvation. Thus Satan may be hoping for a survival as against Revelations 20:10– And the devil who had deceived them………………………will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Therefore, we should not fall into the deceptive designs of Satan. Instead, those who have found salvation in Christ are ‘ambassadors in chain’ (Ephesians 6:20) who are obligated to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16). It is our duty to prepare our brethren for the second coming of Christ. Our primary responsibility is not to attempt interfering in divine business but to execute divine will; and Jesus said, ‘…..this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day’ (John 6:39).
Evangelisation is a gaining phenomenon as opposed to losing. It is life giving and leads to eternity which is gained through Jesus Christ, whereas speculation is a kind of gambling which leads to destruction, and hence devil inspired (John 10:10). Raising our heads for the harvesting of souls reap simultaneous rejoice for the sower and the reaper, as it leads to eternal life (John 4:36). Thus, the evangelist and the evangelised both gain eternal life through evangelisation. Therefore, it is an obvious requirement to declare with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9) which apparently is the only way to live in Christ because if we as followers of Christ keep our mouth shut, the stones will take our place (Luke 19:40).

To conclude, Jesus Christ is not asking us to remain seated nor bow our heads down without hope, and in shame. Instead He is asking us to stand up and raise our heads, both of which demonstrate confidence in Him. Standing up in our earthly lives is a preparation for Jesus’ second coming, and all our attempts and successes are getting recorded in the ‘book of life’ (see Revelations 20:12). We must be on guard against the nefarious designs of Satan who will try to weigh our hearts down with dissipation, drunkenness and worldly worries (Luke 21:34). Raising our heads is an assurance that we are accepted by Christ, and our names are written in the book. On the contrary unable to lift our heads is surrendering as Midian had to before the sons of Israel (Judges 8:28).

Waiting for you O Lord Jesus Christ.

From unbecoming to becoming: the transformative power and dynamics of the Word of God.

Fr Dr Saji K MathewLeave a comment

The Word became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14)

The Word mentioned in the above verse is God Himself (John 1:1) that came down to earth and identified as the Father’s only Son (John 1:14).

The ‘becoming’ of flesh by God could be discerned as the greatest sacrifice by God for the sake of humanity; and this sacrifice is non-selfish, and out of sheer love. This kind of love is termed agape in Greek language.

We do have examples of agape- as witnessed from the lives of many saints and social reformers who have sacrificed their better living conditions for the sake of divine or social causes. However, these samples are only like one in a million if not billion, of the population. This means the process of ‘becoming’ for a self-less cause is fast facing extinction. On the contrary, ‘becoming’ for a selfish cause is booming, especially in the modern days, as we get to either hear, view or read from the stories of material achievers such as business, political and silver screen personalities. It may be quite appropriate to quote Psalms 53:2-3, where God is looking down from heaven for people who have selflessly ‘become’ (or are trying to ‘become’) His children but find none.

The above paragraph identifies a difference between self-less ‘becoming’ and selfish ‘becoming’. As stated above, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God is without doubt, a selfless ‘becoming’, and an act out of unselfish love, as could be understood from the discussion below:

 Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons (130 – 202 AD) said that God became man so that men may become gods. Whilst Jesus is the only son of God (John 1:14, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:9)¸ He is not selfish to safeguard that status but gave each and every one of us the freedom to be called sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). This is a very good example for many of us that struggle to safeguard the achievements including power and status. Termed ‘sustainability tactics’, in line with modern rhetoric, this exercise of not sharing or parting is a love only towards the self and a lack of God’s love within. I recommend the writings of Dr Geevarghese Mar Osthathios on this topic for a better understanding of the importance of sharing. Jesus’ act of divine sharing contradicts selfish acts of extreme individualistic pursuits by ignoring the co-beings. Whilst Jesus Christ wants every one of us to ‘become’ like Him, we human beings do not want others to ‘become’ like us, especially when we are well off than others.

Saint Paul wrote that Jesus did not regard His equality with God so as to keep his status firm (Philippians 2:6). Instead, the apostle states that Jesus emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave being born in human likeness (vs.7). This descending act of God is a lesson on ‘becoming’ for both Satan and the mankind. Human beings are often found reluctant to move out of their worldly comfort zone, especially after enjoying many worldly luxuries. In the spiritual realm of life, it is not uncommon to see people expressing their displeasure and intolerance towards lent, fasting and sometimes even prayers. Such people either craft questions about the relevance or need of these things, or come up with parallel systems appealing to those who do not want to leave their comfort zone. They may define lent and fasting as not necessary and prayer as too time consuming which could be otherwise utilised. Remember, Satan approached Eve in the same manner asking, do you really need to obey God by not eating the fruit of the tree; ‘believe me you will not die’ (Genesis 3: 4). Adam and Eve were misguided into the trap that they could still live comfortably in Eden without making the sacrifice of avoiding to eat from the tree marked by God. It is this same demonic force that work even today propagating against lent and fasting especially, with the intention to avoid mankind to ‘become’ what God wants, free from demonic hold. Jesus said ‘But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29). Therefore we could discern that prayer, lent and fasting are mould to ‘become’ what God wants of us- a means for the flesh to ‘become’ divine in nature.

Jesus did not come into this world for holidaying. Instead, every moment of His life on earth was a sacrifice. Being the King of kings, He was born in a manger, being the Ruler of rulers, He accepted to live as a refugee in a foreign land (Egypt), He had no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58) even when He could easily live in a palace of His choice. Jesus submitted Himself to be obedient to His earthly parents Luke 2:51) when He could easily ignore them. Most important of them all, Jesus lived every moment of His life on earth with sinners of various degrees, and finally laid His life for their (and our) salvation. Imagine if we have to share a room or live for a few days with people with contagious diseases. How many hours would we stay with them? This is how we should be evaluating (though God is beyond human evaluation) the sacrifice of Jesus which was a natural derivative of the love of God (see 1 John 4:10-11). Saint Paul rightly states that Jesus lowered Himself to the abysmal point of death (Philippians 2:8).

The above paragraph may portray a contrast to the charitable activities that we see around now a days. It is sad and sometimes sickening to see many modern charitable activities revolving around fame and popularity minus sacrifices. Charity is not a one off event to decorate the pages and frames of media, but an ongoing sacrifice derived from the ocean of God’s love. It is in fact a true ‘becoming’ in God’s image. Jesus exhorted to ‘live’ in His love (John 15:10), not to be a visitor of His love. Visit lasts for a few minutes, hours or days but living is perpetual. Charity is neither a replacement for lent, fasting and prayer. Instead it is an ongoing articulation and fulfilment of God’s love collected through them. Since the love of God is not momentary, charity also should not be short term but an ongoing process of ‘becoming’ like Him. Jesus said ‘just as I have loved you, you also should love one another’ (John 13:34), and it is apparent that Jesus’ love is reflected through His sacrifices for us.

Jesus’s sacrificial decision to descend from heaven is a blow to Satan’s mindset as well. Whilst Satan wanted to ascend and raise his throne above the stars and God, and ‘become’ like the Most High (Isaiah 14:13-14), Jesus decided to humble His equality with God (Philippians 2:6), and decided to ‘become’ flesh in order to win back the mankind for His Father. As a reward to His work, Jesus was exalted by God the Father above all names (Philippians 2:9) whereas Satan who out of his greed conspired for this position was thrown down to Sheol, to the depth of the pit (Isaiah 14:15). Jesus said, ‘all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted’ (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11). In other words we can say, all who humble themselves will ‘become’ like Jesus, and all who exalt themselves will identify with Satan.

Humility is an essential component of agape (unselfish love) which is a proprietary of God Almighty. In fact, God is Love (1 John 4:8 & 16). But Satan has no element of agape in him. Rather, Satan is a deceiver (Revelations 20:10) and a liar (John 8:44; Genesis 3:4-5). Hence, love, humility and sacrifice are not Satan’s essential nature, rather he is averse to all these. The love of God towards mankind is expressed in His humility to ‘become’ one like us in essence but at the same time without being touched by sin. Accordingly, he ‘became’ like any other human being, grew like us, ate and drank like us, walked like us, thought and felt like us, laughed and wept with human beings, incurred assault, oppression, pain, hunger, thirst and finally death (see Galatians 3:1).

Is it then possible for us to ignore to ‘become’ like our Lord Jesus Christ? Can we walk away from ‘becoming’ like Him, humble and full of divine love, and making sacrifices for our co-beings? After receiving Jesus into our lives can we now turn away from Him (Galatians 3:3)? If we neglect so great a salvation then we won’t escape God’s wrath (Hebrews 2:3). Let this nativity be an opportunity to do away with our flesh related malice such as anger, wrath, impurity, slander, abusive language, deception and so on, and cloth ourselves with the new self, by ‘becoming’ a true reflection of the image of Christ (Colossians 3:8-10). 

It is good news for the entire creation that the Word has indeed become flesh. Let us become like Him as God became like us.

 

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.

Jesus the vintner

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew2 Comments

One of the miracles by Jesus Christ that has opened a debate on drinking wine is His first one itself. Jesus performed his first miracle at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1). I have had come across serious and fun sake arguments about this miracle as a justification for drinking alcoholic wine. Therefore, this blog attempts to liberate the realities of Lord’s action from the demon possessed minds.

There is a world of difference between worldly wine and spiritual wine. The wine of this world is a cause of destruction (for eg. see Genesis 9:20-24) whereas the eternal wine is life giving. Apparently, there are two words in Greek for wine, oinos and gleukos. Oinos represents both unfermented (John 2) and fermented wine which is alcoholic (Ephesians 5:18). The word gleukos in Greek means sweet or fresh wine (Acts 2:13).

Since there are two meanings for the word oinos one many argue why could not it be fermented wine that Jesus brought out at the wedding. We have evidence from Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; and Luke 22:17 which directly quotes Jesus’ words, “I will not drink from this fruit of vine……..”, during the last supper. Therefore, we can confidently conclude that it was unfermented wine Jesus shared with his disciples on that night because Jesus will not give others something which He himself does not like. Also please note, the Greek terms used for ‘fruit of vine’ is ampelos which means grapevine.

As stated above, there is a huge difference between worldly and spiritual wine. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “whoever drinks from me will never thirst” (John 4:14). Further, he calls “….if anyone is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). This is the spiritual wine that our Lord has in offer. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman (John 4:13), we may discern that the worldly drink is not a solution for anything including stress, tension, grief or even pleasure and passion.

When mother Mary said to Jesus that the wedding reception party has run out of wine (John 2:3), Jesus distanced himself initially by telling the mother that we have no business in this affair (John 2:4). We can infer from Jesus’ statement that spiritual beings have no business in worldly business as the world belongs to Satan in its present condition (John 14:30). After making mother Mary understand the spiritual dimension of things, Jesus steps into action. (It is evident that mother Mary did understand the spiritual realm of things that she advised the servants to “do whatever He tells you” – John 2:5).

Therefore, we may rightly understand that it was not alcoholic wine that Jesus brought out through His first miracle but something supernatural. In fact, it was spiritual. The uniqueness of this wine could be discerned from the statement of the master of the banquet where he probably tasted the best wine ever (John 2:10). This wine could be understood as a foretaste of his blood shed for our salvation as well as a new covenant (Mark 14:24).

We enter into a death covenant (Isiah 28:15) with worldly wine (Isiah 28:7) and destroy ourselves. God promised through Isiah a redemption from this pathetic situation by promising to lay a cornerstone in Zion, precious and strong (Isiah 28:16), fulfilled through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6). Through this new covenant we partake in enjoying the spiritual wine. This spiritual wine is produced from Jesus himself (John 15:1). And, our Lord wants everyone of us to drink this spiritual wine.

Therefore, let us come close to God’s throne so that we may receive mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). To all craving for wine we have the best wine waiting at the heavenly banquet (Isiah 25:6) where we will have our cups overflowing (Psalms 23:5). Moreover, unlike the hard earned money that we spend for worldly wine, this spiritual wine is free of cost (Isiah 55:1). We will indeed be blessed to attend this banquet because it is the wedding of “the Lamb”, Jesus Christ (Revelations 19:9). The invitation to this banquet is for all those who are thirsty in spirit (John 7:37; Revelations 7:16).

May Lord God almighty be glorified.

Amen.

Alcoholism and Nazirites

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew1 Comment

I have been repeatedly consulted seeking answer to the question, “is it OK to drink wine once in a while?”. Therefore, as Jesus inaugurated his ministry with performing the first miracle of turning water into wine (John 2), I thought I will imitate Jesus, at least in this matter for what I am is by his grace (1 Corinthians 15:10), and inaugurate my blog with this topic.

Let me give a brief description about what the Bible says about drinking (alcohol):

1. In 1 Corinthians 6:10 Paul clearly states that drunkards won’t inherit the kingdom of heaven

2. Paul exhorts the faithful in Corinth not even to associate with a drunkard (I Corinthians 5:11)

3. Similarly Paul exhorts Ephesians not to get drunk with wine as it is debauchery (Ephesians 5:18)

4. Paul identifies drunkenness as the work of flesh in Galatians 5:21.

There are several other references in Bible which clearly helps us to distance from drinking wine or alcohol such as Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 20:1; Isiah 5:11, 22; Titus 2:3; Joel 1:5; Deuteronomy 21:20; Romans 13:13; Isiah 28:7; Nahum 1:10; Daniel 1:8 and so on.

Jesus Christ indirectly points to drunkenness in Luke 17:28 when he cites the example of what happened to Sodom during the time of Lot.

I do not think there is any encouragement to drinking wine (which includes liquor) anywhere in the Bible.

Interestingly, this strict instruction comes from a land and culture where wine was aplenty as well as part of the peoples’ food habit. Moreover, as Christians we have two important references in the Bible to rely on so as to distance ourselves from drinking wine:

1. In Judges 16:7 Samson’s mother was strictly instructed by the angel of God not to drink      wine or strong drinks “as the boy to be born (Samson) shall be a Nazirite to God”. The word    Nazirite means one who is consecrated or separated (see Numbers 6:8)

2. In Numbers 6:3 Nazirites must strictly abstain from wine and strong drink.

So what? Are we Nazirites?

According to 1 Peter 2:9 we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession”. Therefore, it is right to say that we are Nazirites. And, as Nazirites, we must abstain from wine and strong drinks along with other ‘do nots’ as we belong to God. Galatians 5:24 says ” those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires”. The inclination towards drinking is only a passion and a desire of human flesh (Galatians 5:21), no matter whether it is one ounce or one litre. It has no place in spiritual life. The inclination of spirit is towards heavenly things and its characteristics include among other things ‘self control’ (Galatians 5:23).

May the word of God and blood of Jesus keep us protected from the nefarious designs of Satan.

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