Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 13:10-17

This poor woman was there in that village or in that area for eighteen years. People have seen her time and again and they got used to her. Her being crippled was not anything strange for the people around. But when Jesus saw here he did not wait for her request rather he himself offered to heal her of her infirmity.

In the synagogue we see a power struggle. The leader of the synagogue jumped out to challenge Jesus basing himself on the law of Sabbath. Jesus argued on the work of redemption (redeeming a person from the clutches of Satan). Jesus was doing a work against the power of evil and he was working for the people. Working for the people has no temporal, spatial, cultural, social restrictions.

பதினெட்டு ஆண்டுகளாகத் தீய ஆவி பிடித்து உடல்நலம் குன்றிய பெண் ஒருவர் அங்கு இருந்தார். அவரை பலரும் பல முறை பார்த்திருக்கிறார்கள்@ பார்த்து பழகிப்போய் விட்டார்கள். ஆனால் இயேசு ஒரு முறை பார்த்தார் குணமளித்தார். தொழுகைக்கூடத் தலைவர் கோபம் கொண்டார். தீய சக்திக்கு எதிராக செய்யும் பணியை> மக்களுக்காக செய்யும் பணியை நேர> கால> இட> கலாச்சார ஒழுங்குகள் கட்டுப்படுத்த மாட்டா.

GOSPEL READING: Mt 22:34-40

Here we have three of the four groups that always opposed Jesus. The three are: Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes (a scholar of the law). The fourth one is the group of priests. These groups were controlling the society on religious, economical, cultural and legal (sacred laws) areas. People could not move out of their clutches. Jesus himself was under their control and they were trying to pin him down. When one could not succeed the other group tried to control him.

When the lawyer asked him which was the greatest of all the commandments, Jesus answered him saying the first commandment, implying that there are other important commandments. If Jesus had answered saying the first commandment only, then the lawyers would say that he had no human concern. If he had said the other way about then they would say he had no religious concern. They tried to trap him.

The whole religion is rooted on two commandments: love of God and love of neighbour. When the people of Israel left Egypt they came out with two rules: one God and one people. The same is explained as love of God and love of neighbour. Everyone one who wanted to be a follower of Jesus had to keep these two in mind: God and persons.

இயேசுவின் பதில் எதிரிகளை சிந்திக்க வைத்தது. அவர்கள் எதிர்பார்த்த பதில் எதாவது ஒன்றைத்தான். கடவுளை அன்புசெய் என்று சொன்னால் அவரை மனிதநேயமற்றவர் என்று காத்துக் கொண்டிருந்தார்கள். மனிதனை அன்புசெய் என்று சொல்வாராகில் கடவுள்பக்தியற்றவர் என்று குறைகூற காத்திருந்தார்கள். இயேசுவின் மதம் விவிலிய மதம் இறைவனையும் கடவுளையும் இரு கண்களாக கருதுவதாகும்.