Breaking the Word – Page 2167 – Rev. Dr. Victor Antonyraj SDB

06.12.11 REJOICE OVER THE LOST SHEEP FOUND

Posted under Reflections on December 5th, 2011 by

What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. (Mt 18:12-14)

Jesus asks the listeners to have their opinion. He gives them freedom to have their views regarding the story he is about to narrate. It is a short story about the sheep and the shepherd. As he gives them an opportunity have their own view he tells them his view of the story. His view of the story as usual takes back to the Father.

We always wonder how a shepherd will leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go after the lost one. The story is about the single one only. All the rest are only a background to the story. The story has a message to communicate. The lost sheep and the message are more important than the rest of the scene.

Whenever Jesus speaks, he always speaks about the Father and his relationship with His people. Even when he speaks about the kingdom, Jesus indirectly brings in the role of the Father towards the people. Here as we all know that the Father rejoices more over the lost one which is found than the other ninety-nine which are not lost. This does not mean that the Father does not rejoice over the ninety-nine. He rejoices more over the lost one found.

05.12.11 MAN WITH AUTHORITY

Posted under Reflections on December 4th, 2011 by

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set (him) in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, "As for you, your sins are forgiven." Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins''– he said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."(Lk 5:17-26)

Jesus was teaching. He also had the power of healing. These were the two great ministries which Jesus was doing on this earth. People were witnesses to these activities. Pharisees and the teachers of the law were also there listening to his teachings. Certainly they did not agree to all what he taught because constantly they tried to put him to test. They wanted to catch him by his own words. They did the same with regard to his doings.

Only God can forgive sins and that too he would do it through the temple and all the system of sacrifices. Above all this was done on the Day of Atonement. Normally this would be the process through which God forgave the people. So naturally this would involve the priests and particularly the high priest. Jesus was aware of this. The how could he say: ‘your sins are forgiven’. He was cutting across the normal channels of authority and this was the problem.

People who were gathered around Jesus, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were witnesses to his teachings and miracles. They saw the paralyzed man walking in front of their own eyes. The people were amazed because they saw am man with healing power and he was a man of authority because he challenged the leading members of the society and preached about the kingdom.