Breaking the Word

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 17:20-26

Jesus prays for the disciples and those who will become his disciples in the future. In a sense he prays for all the disciples of all the generations. His prayer is for the unity of the disciples. Unity becomes the symbol and sign of the disciples. The unity of the father and the son becomes the model of unity for the disciples as well. Perfection of discipleship is in unity.

The disciples are gifts of the father to the son. This is a wonderful idea that Jesus is presenting to the disciples. The disciples do not merit anything and they have not worked for discipleship. They are a total gift of god. Jesus himself was a gift to the world (God sp loved the world that he gave his son…). Here again the disciples are gifts to Jesus and hence the disciples are or should be what Jesus is to the world.

நற்செய்தி வாசகம்: யோவான் 17:20-26

இயேசு இவ்வுலகிற்கு வந்த இறைவனின் கொடை. அதேபோல சீடர்களும் இவ்வுலகில் இயேசுவுக்கு கொடுக்கப்பட்ட கொடைகள். சீடர்கள் தந்தையின் கொடைகள். சீடர்டகளும் இயேசுவைப்போல் இவ்வுலகில் கொடைகளாக இருக்கவேண்டும். சீடரடகள் ஒன்றாய் இருக்கவேண்டும் என்பதே இயேசுவின் மன்றாட்டு.

GOSPEL READING: JOHN 17:11-19

The disciples could be in the world with out the physical presence of the master. Jesus came into the world and trained them to be kingdom-workers and now he is leaving them in the world to continue the kingdom work and he is going back to the father. So he pleads the father to care for them and guide them because they are his representatives.

Jesus prays for them for unity. Kingdom is built on that. The two pillars of the kingdom are: unity and peace. Peace he leaves with them and the peace is his continued presence among them (where two are three are gathered together in my name I am in their midst). Unity is what makes their mission successful and which is the difficult one and hence Jesus prays for it. (Evil one is there to destroy this unity). Division is the scandal of Christianity.

நற்செய்தி வாசகம்: யோவான் 17:11-19

இயேசு மீண்டும் தந்தையிடம் செல்வதற்குமுன் அமைதிக்காகவும் ஒற்றுமைக்காகவும் மன்றாடுகிறார். இவை இரண்டும்தான் இறையாட்சியின் தூண்கள். இயேசு சீடர்களோடு உடல்வடிவில் இல்லை என்றாலும் அவர் அவர்களோடு என்றும் இருக்கிறார். தந்தையிடம் செல்வது சீடர்களுக்காக ஜெபிப்பதற்காக.