Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: Mt 28:1-10
The Angel of the Lord appeared. We see angel in the Gospel of Mathew at he time of his birth and now at his resurrection. At birth the Angel appeared to Joseph and cleared his doubts and revealed the identity of Jesus. The child that was to be born was by the Holy Spirit and Joseph was commissioned to take care of the child and also to protect him from Herod who wanted to kill the child.

Here also the Angel appeared but to the women who were seeking the body of Jesus. They were also looking at the human side of Jesus while the Angel revealed that he has been raised from the death and he was going to Galilee as he had said earlier. The Angel revealed who Jesus was (the women were only looking for the Jesus who was crucified) and the Angel said: Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.

The women were commissioned to tell the other disciples that Jesus was raised from the dead. They ran from the tomb with mixed feelings (fearful yet overjoyed). Jesus met them on their way and revealed himself to them. The message of the risen Lord is: “Do not be afraid. You will see me there”.

உயிர்ப்பு மகிழ்ச்சியின் செய்தி. அமைதியின் செய்தி. நம்பிக்கையின் செய்தி. இயேசுவை தேடுவோருக்கு இது கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது. எங்கே அமைதி> ஒற்றுமை> உறவு> மகிழ்ச்சி> நம்பிக்கை இருக்கிறதோ அங்கே உயிர்ப்பு இருக்கிறது. அதேபோல எங்கே உயிர்ப்பு இருக்கிறதோ அங்கே …

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 18.1-19.42

He said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’” These words are the word of Jesus on the Cross and one of the last words. These words tell us that Jesus does not leave his people alone or divided rather he builds relationship among them. He has come to build unity and relationship among people. He came to bring people together. Even the very last act and words of Jesus to the others were to relate them to each other so that each can bring the other home.

‘I thirst’ were again one of the last words of Jesus. These words reflect his own situation. Though it presented the physical situation of Jesus, yet we can see in these words the longing of Jesus. His thirst was to fulfill the plan of God in his life. The physical condition of thirst was due to his suffering and agony in fulfilling the mission given to him by the Father.

‘It is finished’ puts him relation to the Father. The Father had given him a mission and sent him in to the world. His mission was to preach the kingdom and begin the kingdom among the people. His three years of public ministry was solely doing this. He gave primacy to God and led the people to God and to one another. He has completed this and hence he, with the sense of completion, could say it is finished.

The last three words of Jesus, as we see in the Gospel of John, present the three relationships: Jesus’ relationship with the others (his work for them), his relationship within himself, and his relationship with the Father.

இயேசுவின் இறுதி ஏழு வசனங்களும் உறவை சுட்டிக்காட்டுகின்ற> உறவை வளர்க்கின்றவைகளாக இருப்பதைக் காண்கின்றோம். இந்த வசனங்கள் ஒருவர் கடவுளோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவு> பிறரோடு கொண்டுள்ள உறவு> தனக்குள்ளே உள்ள உறவை வெளிப்படுத்துகின்றன. இயேசுவின் பணியும் வாழ்வும் உறவை வளர்க்கவே.