Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: Mt 5:13-16

Salt is to give taste and season the food. Jesus tells his listeners that they are the salt of the earth. His disciples are to give taste to the earth and season the earth. His followers are not just to live and let live the others. Their life is not self oriented either. Life of any disciple of Jesus has to communicate something to the people around. Disciples have to season the world and give taste to the world.

Disciples are also light of the world. They have to illumine the world and they have to be visible. Again, like the salt, light is not for itself. It is for the others. And the qualities of light are to be seen and illumine the others. Disciples’ lives are to give light to the others.

Good deeds of the disciples are the salt and light. Jesus concludes thus saying that the people may see your good deeds and give glory to God. Good deeds of the disciples should add taste to the world and season the world. Good deeds also should illumine the world and be seen as good deeds. These good deeds are those that give glory to God. The disciples should not expect rewards for themselves for the good deeds done. The goal of the good deeds is the glory of God.

உணவும் ஒளியும் வாழ்வுக்கு இன்றியமையாதவைகள். உணவு ருசியாக இருக்கவேண்டும் அதேபோல் கெட்டுப்போகாமல் இருக்கவேண்டும். சீடர்கள் இதுபோன்ற அடிப்படை பணிகளைச் செய்யவேண்டும்.

GOSPEL READING: MARK 6:30-34

The apostles had just returned from their mission. They had many things to narrate. They had many things to say, many good things that had happened. And they merited rest. Jesus himself went with them so that the apostles could have a break from the people and the work. Jesus took them to the deserted place where there would not be people crowding around.

But the people came crowding around Jesus; they came even to the deserted place. Jesus saw in them a crowd of sheep running around; running around a deserted place. Sheep should be in the pasture land and not in the deserted place. They are there because there was no shepherd. Jesus was moved with pity.

இயேசு சீடர்களைப் பார்த்து சொன்னார்: ‘நீங்கள் பாலைநிலத்திலுள்ள தனிமையான ஓர் இடத்திற்குச் சென்று சற்று ஓய்வெடுங்கள்” என்று. ஆனால் பாலைநிலத்தில் மக்கள் கூட்டம். அவர்கள் ஆயரில்லா ஆடுகளைப்போல் இருந்ததால் அவர் பரிவு கொண்டார். ஆடுகள் பாலைநிலத்தில் இருக்கக்கூடாது@ பசுமையான புல்தரையில் இருக்கவேண்டும். ஆயரில்லாததால் ஆடுகள் என்பதால்தான் அவைகள் பாலைநிலத்தில் உள்ளன. அவைகளுக்கு ஆயன் தேவை.