Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 4:24-30

People around him, in his home town, see in him Jesus the Nazarene. He is seen as a person of the place and nothing more. They have seen him grow with them and they are well aware of his local identity and they were also aware of his talents and capabilities. Their knowledge did not permit them to see beyond the hard facts and realities of their experience.

Jesus proposed to them to have seen at least the prophetic role that he was playing among the people. As any prophet of old, he was doing the miracles. They should have accepted him as a prophet instead they were not even ready to accept him as a prophet. It would be much more difficult for them to accept him as a messiah because that would need a revelation from God. (Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. Mt 16:17)

சொந்த ஊரில் உள்ளவர்கள் அவரை சிறுவயதிலிருந்து பார்த்திருக்கிறார்கள். அவரோடு வளர்ந்திருக்கிறார்கள். அதனால் அவரின் இயல்பு சார்ந்த செயல்களை நன்கு அறிந்திருந்தார்கள். அவர் இறைவாக்கினருக்கான செயல்களை செய்து கொண்டிருக்கிறார் மக்களால் அதை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள இயலவில்லை.

GOSPEL READING: Jn 4:5-42

Any devout Jewish man, at the time of Jesus, would not have allowed himself to be alone with a woman. He would not entertain a conversation with a woman. The risk would be very high. Yet Jesus is talking to a woman. This woman is a Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews were always in war especially after the return from exile in Babylon. The Jews would not have anything to do with the Samaritans, especially they would not share eating and drinking. Here Jesus is asking for water from her. This particular woman was of bad character. She was coming to the well at a time when no one would be around. (To avoid meeting people or seen by people). Jesus was there right at that time of her coming.

Anyone seeing Jesus talking to a woman, a Samaritan woman, and a woman of bad character would think differently of Jesus. But Jesus was talking about living water. This water was to give new life to the one who drinks. The new life that Jesus was talking about was eternal life. The woman did not understand what Jesus was meaning about the water. Jesus always made use of the context (here the well and water) to speak of the kingdom and values of the kingdom.

When the woman realized that he was a prophet, she immediately changed the topic of discussion from about her to religious theme: worship. She brought out the debate about the place of worship: Mount Zion or Mount Gerizim. Jesus again explained beautifully the point in discussion by saying worship was not limited by place or space. Worship of God should be in truth and spirit because God himself is spirit. This revealed that Jesus was the Messiah who was to come.

யூதர்கள் பொது இடங்களில் பெண்களோடு பேசமாட்டார்கள்> அதுவும் சமாரியப் பெண்களோடு. மீட்புப்பணி செய்ய இயேசு எங்கும் செல்லத் தயார். இயேசு பேசுவதெல்லாம் இறைவனைப் பற்றி. இறையாட்சியைப்பற்றி.