Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 3:13-17

Today’s reading speaks about God, heaven, Son of Man, Son of God and Moses. Except Moses all the other titles are Divine related titles. Here divine plan is explained. God has great love for the world and this love has only one goal and that is to grant eternal life to the believers. And this love is a sacrificial love: a love that is ready even to sacrifice his only son. God’s love is totally other oriented and sacrificial. It is not a negative form of love (condemn).

Moses gives a model to the execution of this love. People were dying in the desert and God commissioned Moses to lift up a serpent on a piece of wood and anyone who looked up to the lifted up was saved. Similarly anyone who looked up to Jesus who would be lifted up (his death on the cross) would be saved. Belief in Jesus and belief in Jesus who was crucified is essential for the salvation.

இறைதிட்டம் மக்கள் மீட்புப் பெற வேண்டும் என்பதே. இந்த தட்டத்தை நிறைவேற்ற இறைவன் தன் ஒரேபேறான மகனை இழக்கவும் அதுவும் இழிநிலையில் இழக்கவும் தயங்கவில்லை. மக்களின் மீட்பு மகனின் வாழ்வைவிட முக்கியமானது. அந்த மகனில் நம்பிக்கை வைப்பதும் அவரை உற்றுநோக்குவதும் தலையானது.

GOSPEL READING: MARK 8:27-35

Peter was oscillating between the divine revelation and human thinking. Peter was receiving divine revelation. Jesus was the messiah was not acquired by human thinking. Human thinking could take people to consider Jesus as a prophet. It could not go beyond that. But Jesus was the messiah was given by God. (It was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven).

Peter was trying to mix divine revelation with human thinking. Peter wanted a messiah according to his human thinking. But Jesus was presenting a messiah according to the plan of God. Jesus was presenting a suffering messiah. Peter could not see the sense of this. His human thinking found this as a contradiction. Peter who was open to divine revelation should have been also open to the divine revelation in Jesus.

பேதுருவுக்கு இறைவெளிப்பாடு கொடுக்கப்பட்டது. இறைவெளிப்பாட்டை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும்போது அவர் வாழ்த்தப்படுகிறார். ஆனால் அவர் மனித சிந்தனைகளுக்கும் அடிமையாய் இருக்கிறார். மனித சிந்தனைகளைக்கொண்டு இறைவெளிபாட்டை வாழ முயற்சிக்கும்போது தவறுகிறார் பேதுரு. இறைவெளிபாடு மனித சிந்தனைக்கு உட்படாது. கிறிஸ்துவே நிறைவான இறைவெளிபாடு.