Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 21:15-19

In the gospel of John Jesus did not call his disciples at the beginning of his public ministry. At the beginning the followers heard the witness of John the Baptist (Behold the lamb of God) and followed him and continued to stay with him because Jesus said ‘come and see’. There following was their own response to the witness of someone else.

After resurrection Jesus called Peter and in the person of Jesus he called everyone else. Here the requisite to be a follower is love. Jesus asked Peter, ‘do you love me’. Jesus required a positive and an affirmative reply. Jesus confirmed his reply and again reconfirmed it before asking him to follow him. To be a follower of Jesus, the one wanting to be a follower has to openly declare that he loves Jesus (the person Jesus).

நற்செய்தி வாசகம்: யோவான் 21:15-19

இயேசுவின் சீடராவதற்கு அன்பு அடித்தளமானது. அன்பு இல்லையேல் சீடத்துவம் (பின்தொடர்தல்) இல்லை. இயேசுவின் உயிர்ப்பு வரை சீடர்கள் அவரோடு இருந்தார்கள் பார்த்தார்கள் (வந்து பாருங்கள்) ஆனால் சீடர்கள் ஆவதற்கு அன்பு முக்கியமானது.

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 17:20-26

Jesus prays for the disciples and those who will become his disciples in the future. In a sense he prays for all the disciples of all the generations. His prayer is for the unity of the disciples. Unity becomes the symbol and sign of the disciples. The unity of the father and the son becomes the model of unity for the disciples as well. Perfection of discipleship is in unity.

The disciples are gifts of the father to the son. This is a wonderful idea that Jesus is presenting to the disciples. The disciples do not merit anything and they have not worked for discipleship. They are a total gift of god. Jesus himself was a gift to the world (God sp loved the world that he gave his son…). Here again the disciples are gifts to Jesus and hence the disciples are or should be what Jesus is to the world.

நற்செய்தி வாசகம்: யோவான் 17:20-26

இயேசு இவ்வுலகிற்கு வந்த இறைவனின் கொடை. அதேபோல சீடர்களும் இவ்வுலகில் இயேசுவுக்கு கொடுக்கப்பட்ட கொடைகள். சீடர்கள் தந்தையின் கொடைகள். சீடர்டகளும் இயேசுவைப்போல் இவ்வுலகில் கொடைகளாக இருக்கவேண்டும். சீடரடகள் ஒன்றாய் இருக்கவேண்டும் என்பதே இயேசுவின் மன்றாட்டு.