Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: Lk 7:24-30

Jesus had just sent back the disciples of John and now he is answering the crowd. Here Jesus is trying to speak to the crowd about John and who he was. He asked them questions and made them reflect for themselves. One does not go to the desert looking for kings and people who were wearing the latest fashions. If so the desert is not the place for such.

Desert for the people of Israel is the place of God experience. It is the place where God made himself available to the people for forty years and every moment of their sojourn in the wilderness. Prophets were the persons who challenged the people with the knowledge of God and experience of God. So people went to the desert looking for prophets.

Since Jesus was a different sort of a messiah so also John is a different sort of a prophet. He is not just one prophet among many. John is the one who is spoken of by Malachi, the one whose task is to prepare the way for the coming Lord. Anyone who belonged to the movement of Jesus (though least he may be) yet he is greater than the greatest.

திருமுழுக்கு யோவானைப்பற்றி இயேசு மக்களிடம் பேசுகிறார். பாலைநிலம் இறைஅனுபவத்திற்கான இடம். இறைவாக்கினர்கள் பாலைநிலத்தில் வாழ்கிறார்கள் என்றால் அவர்கள் இறைஅனுபவத்தைச் சார்ந்தவர்கள். திருமுழுக்கு யோவானும் ஒரு இறைவாக்கினர்தானே!

GOSPEL READING: Lk 7:19-23

John was one of the prophets and he was only a voice in the desert asking the people to prepare the way of the Lord. John had declared his identity in front of the people. Through this passage the author is trying tell the people from Jesus’ own mouth who he was. So the disciples of John came and asked him who he was.

The questions that are raised are in the area of discussing the identity of Jesus and at the same time the question is as regards who the messiah was. John had clearly denied it and he has openly declared that he had come only to prepare the way of the one who was mightier than he was.

The preaching and the doings of Jesus clearly presented who Jesus was. (Same way the identity of John was clearly represented in the clothing and the preaching and the doings.) People expected a messiah who was different from Jesus. Jesus has said clearly that this was the messiah that he has come to reveal. John has sent disciples to confirm this image of messiah to his disciples and the public.

இயேசு யார் என்றும் அவரது அடையாளம் என்ன என்றும் மெசியா எப்படிப்பட்டவர் என்றும் விளக்கங்கள் கூறுவதே இன்றைய நற்செய்திப்பகுதி; திருமுழுக்கு யோவான் தன்னைப்பற்றி தெளிவாக கூறிவிட்டார். இயேசுவும் தான் எப்படிப்பட்ட மெசியா என்றும் தெளிவு படுத்திவிட்டார். மக்களின் எதிர்பார்ப்பு !!!