Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

Pious activities are done in order to show the relationship between the individual and God. Pious activities reveal the faith of the individual in a God whom he believes in. Jews believed in a God who redeemed them from the Egyptian and his name was also revealed to them through Moses as Yahweh. This God wanted a personal relationship with people of Israel.

This relationship was revealed through their pious activities: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. But as the years passed by the people particularly the so called pious people exercised these pious activities not only to show their relationship with God but also to be seen by the onlookers. Later these activities ended up as action-shows for the onlookers to reveal that they are pious people and these actions had nothing to do with God.

பக்திமுயற்சிகள் இறைமனித உறவை வெளிப்படுத்தவே. தனிமனிதனை வெளிப்படுத்த அல்ல பக்திமுயற்சிகள். இறைவனை மறந்து செயல்படுத்தப்படும் செயல்கள் பயனற்றவைகள்.

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 5:43-48

‘Like the father like the son’ Jesus want this to be a reality. And that is the reason he says be perfect just as your heavenly father is. Jesus wants all his disciples to be the children of the heavenly father. Jesus was like the Father. He was the perfect revelation of the Father.

To be the children of the Father one has to love his enemies and pray for those who persecute him. He should also be equal to good and bad; and just and unjust. This how the heavenly father behaves and his children should also behave like their Father. So being perfect is to possess these above qualities in this context.

விண்ணகத் தந்தையின் மக்கள் ஆவதற்கு அவரைப்போல் இருக்க முயலவேண்டும். அதாவது பகைவரிடமும் அன்பாய் இருக்கவேண்டும்@ துன்புறுத்துவோருக்காக இறைவனிடம் வேண்டுதல் செய்யவேண்டும். நல்லோர் மேலும் தீயோர் மேலும் அதேபோல் நேர்மையுள்ளோர் மேலும் நேர்மையற்றோர் மேலும் சமமாக இருக்கவேண்டும் எந்தவித பாகுபாடும் காட்டக்கூடாது.