Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 4:16-30

Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Nazareth was the place where Jesus had his social, cultural and religious growth. He went for prayers to the synagogue as his custom was say that he was regular for his religious practices. People have seen him in the synagogue and he was like anyone else. Sudden change in his behaviour made them think differently.

Jesus confirms in public what he was going to do. He was going to live according to the scriptures. He got from the scriptures what he wanted to do and how he wanted to live. Scriptures were fulfilled in him. Since Scriptures are fulfilled in him, it is right to say that he is the Word of God.

நாசரேத்து என்னும் ஊர் இயேசுவின் சமுதாய, கலாச்சால, சமய வளர்ச்சிக்கு அடித்தளமாக இருந்தது. இது இயல்பான கண்ணோட்டத்தில் பார்க்கும்போது. ஆனால் இயேசுவுக்கு இறைவார்த்தைதான் வாழ்வுக்கும் பணிக்கும் அடித்தளமாக இருக்கிறது என்று கூறுகிறார்.

GOSPEL READING: Mt 16:21-27

Jesus presents himself as a model (he began to show his disciple). His life is a life spent for the others. This is lived by making a journey to Jerusalem and suffering greatly at the hand of the elders, chief priests, and the scribes. (These are the people who exercise power over people. They exercise power over religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, social beliefs). Jesus shows that he will stand against these powers and the powerful will destroy him but God will raise him up.

Peter presents himself as a representative of the people who want to live in this world and be in this world. This is the reason Jesus tells his disciples: “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”. People in the world want to hold on to life at any expense and want to possess the world by any means.

Jesus not only presents himself as a model but also demands from his followers the same way of life. He says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”. His disciples are asked to deny life (a life that is attached to earthly things), and pick up their crosses (their goals, mission and all the means attached in fulfilling this mission) and follow after him (every disciple of Jesus has his own Jerusalem to reach to and his own Calvary to climb up to).

வாழ்கை என்பது ஒரு பயணம். நம்பிக்கை உள்ளவனுக்கு அது எருசலேமை நோக்கிய பயணம். பயணம் ஒரு சிலுவைப் பயணம். துன்பங்கள் துயரங்கள் எதிர்ப்புகள் நிறைந்தது. புயணத்தின் நிறைவு சிலுவை மரணம். ஆனால் இறைவனால் உயிர்த்தெழப்படுவோம் என்பதுதான் நமது நம்பிக்கை. வாழ்கை பயணம் இறைவனில் நிறைவு பெறும்.