Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 6:24-35

Jews believed in signs. Signs revealed the presence of the divine. Their journey of exodus began with the signs. God worked signs against the Egyptian which were proofs that God was with them. Later he worked signs for them in the wilderness and they were again proofs of the presence of God among them. God redeemed them with signs and wonders. Now they asked Jesus to work miracles to prove the presence of God in him and in his activities.

In this passage Jesus reproached them for going lower than asking for signs. They were coming to him because of food. They came to him for food that perished. People who experienced the divine; seen the signs from the divine were stooping down to material things. He challenged them to go after eternal things: eternal food. Eternal food has to come from above (from the Father) and Jesus was the one who came down from the Father and he is the eternal food.

இறைவனை அரும்அடையாளங்களில் கண்ட மக்கள் அழிந்துபோகும் உணவை தேடுகிறார்கள். இயேசு அவர்களை சாடுகிறார். மேலுலகிலிருந்து வரும் அடையாளங்கள் கண்டு இறைவனோடு வாழ்ந்த மக்கள் (பாலைநிலத்தில் நாற்பது ஆண்டுகளாய்) அழிந்துபோகும் உணவுக்காக அழைகிறார்கள். அழியாத உணவு தந்தையிடமிருந்துதான் வரும். இயேசுதான் தந்தையிடமிருந்து வந்தவர்; நிலைவாழ்வுதரும் உணவு இயேசுதான்.

GOSPEL READING: MATTHEW 14:1-12

Herod was the ruler and he was powerful. He was a man of weak character and because of his weakness he was facing many problems. He did not make use of his power or his authority to guide him to solve the problems. Instead he was letting his weakness to rule over him and to guide him to solve the problem. His weakness was slowly eating away his power as the ruler and his position.

John the Baptist was a godly man and he was preacher and a prophet. As a prophet he had moral strength in facing the problem and people. The problem and the people with problem were becoming weak in front of him and they were afraid to face him. His moral strength made him powerful and in fact he was the moral ruler his enemies. He controlled their thoughts and lives. He was living even after his death (This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him).

ஏரோது அரசனாக இருந்தும் பயந்து அஞ்சி வாழ்கிறான். அவனது வாழ்வானது (அவன் எடுக்கும் முடிவுகள்) பிறரால் ஆட்கொள்ளப் பட்டிருக்கிறது. அவன்மேலேயே அவனுக்கு அதிகாரமில்லை. அவன் இறந்தவனாக வாழ்கிறான். திருமுழுக்கு யோவான் ஒரு இறைவாக்கினர். உண்மையையும் இறைவார்த்தையையும் பேசியதால் அவர் இறந்தும் வாழ்கிறார் (‘இவர் திருமுழுக்கு யோவான்தான். இறந்த யோவானைக் கடவுள் உயிர்பெற்றெழச் செய்தார். இதனால்தான் இந்த வல்ல செயல்களை இவர் செய்கிறார்”).