Breaking the Word

11^th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 23^rd June 2023 – 2 Cor 11,18.21-30; Mt 6,19-23

Weak Credentials

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul continues to defend his credentials against the false teachers who were misleading the Christians of Corinth. His spiritual opponents brag about themselves with a hope of winning over the hearts and minds of the Corinthians. This is not a game, rather a war (2 Cor 10,3-5) against the servants of Satan (2 Cor 11,13-14), who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ in order to seduce the Corinthians away from Jesus. Apparently, they were boasting of their qualifications and Paul feels he must do the same. Therefore, he is making a show of joining his opponents in the game of boasting. The intention of those who boast was to impress others by bringing glory to themselves. On the other hand, Paul says that he will now “boast” even though it is foolish and not Christlike (2 Cor 11,17). He has described worldly bragging as something the fools do and not something the Lord would expect. He is confident that their record is no match for his own. Because, he describes his greatness as a servant of Christ in terms of how much he has suffered. He focuses on God’s power that strengthens him in his weakness and not about any achievements of his own. He gladly accepts those struggles and sufferings, if they benefit others and enable them to draw closer to Christ.

11^th Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 22^nd June 2023 — Gospel: Mt 6,7-15

The tempter is the devil, not God

The Lord’s prayer originates in Matthew 6,9-13 in which Jesus taught his disciples to pray. In this, Pope Francis has approved a change to Matthew 6,13 that replaces “lead us not into temptation” with “do not let us fall into temptation”. Until now when the believers used this prayer, it implied that God induces us into temptation; instead it is the work of Satan to lead us into temptation and not of God. The Pope said, “The original text portrays God in a false light, as Satan is the ‘one who leads you astray’.” The Pontiff explains, “A father does not lead into temptation, a father helps you to get up immediately.” However, “it is me who falls, not the Lord pushing me into temptation to then see how I have fallen.” James 1,13-14 gives better explanation to this temptation saying that God does not persuade or compel any one to sin by any means whatsoever.  There is no possibility of temptation that ever remains with God. Instead, it is our own evil desire that lures and entices us to sin and we look for an opportunity to blame God for our own mistakes. In other words, it is the devil that tempts man and because the devil is continually employed in that malicious work, he is called the tempter.