Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: Mt 23:1-12

Moses was God-sent to the people of Israel who were in Egypt. The Mosaic law, the Torah, was good and God-given. Hence they should be observed without any hesitation. Even if these laws were pronounced by wrong people from wrong places at the wrong time. The central theme of the Mosaic law was love of God and love of the neighbour.

Pharisees and the Scribes were preaching these laws and they were going on about Moses: Moses said this, Moses said that, do this, don’t do that etc. But they concentrated on the outward show. They were worried about large prayer-cases (known as Phylacteries which contained the prayer and this was worn on their hand and head). They also wore long prayer tassels (at the four corners of their outer garment). These were worn to show that they were pious and praying.

Jesus wanted his followers and disciples to wear humility, calling God as father and Messiah as Master. (These were the new phylacteries and tassels and places of honour etc). So the pious, religious, prayer garments were not the external and visible things but they were internal and more of attitude towards God and one another. Mosaic law should be observed with internal attitudes rather them external prayer-kit.

மறைநூல் அறிஞரும் பரிசேயரும் இரு வழிகளை பின்பற்றுகிறார்கள். அவர்கள் பேசுவது ஒன்று ஆனால் செயல்பாடு மாறுபட்டு இருக்கிறது. அவர்கள் மனதில் இருப்பது ஒன்று வெளிஅடையாளம் வேறு. அவர்கள் விரும்புவது ஒன்று ஆனால் அவர்கள் வாழ்க்கை வேறுபடுகிறது. சீடர்கள் அவ்வாறு இருக்கக்கூடாது.

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 6:36-38

One of the very important and practical and human lesson that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples was that they will be treated the same way as they themselves treat the others. Even in the prayer that he taught his disciples we find this element present: forgive us as we forgive our debtors. So dealing with the neighbour was essential in the life of a disciple.

In this basic principle of relationship with the others Jesus speaks of mercy, judgment, condemning, forgiving and giving. These are the five factors with which we often find ourselves in relationship with the others. Judging and condemning are the qualities reserved only to God and man should never use these qualities (Rom Ch. 14). Being merciful, forgiving and giving are the qualities in which a man should try to be like God.

மனித உறவு பரிமாற்றத்தில் இருக்கிறது. பரிமாற்றத்திற்கான அடிப்படை பண்புகள்: இரக்கம் காட்டுதல், தீர்ப்பளித்தல், கண்டனம் செய்தல், மன்னித்தல், கொடுத்தல் ஆகும். இவைகளில் தீர்ப்பளித்தல், கண்டனம் செய்தல் ஆகிய இரண்டும் கடவுளுக்கு மட்டுமே உரியவை, மனிதன் பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது (உரோ 14). மற்ற மூன்று குணங்களிலும் (இரக்கம் காட்டுதல், மன்னித்தல், கொடுத்தல்) மனிதன் கடவுளைப்போல் இருக்கவேண்டும்.