Breaking the Word – Page 2196 – Rev. Dr. Victor Antonyraj SDB

07.12.11 MEEK AND HUMBLE

Posted under Reflections on December 8th, 2011 by

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30 )

Jesus invites his listeners. Now his invitation is turned towards those who are burdened. Jesus wanted to associate with the sufferings and the neglected. His promise of rest is not a rest from work. Because, later he speaks of burden and yoke. He is asking them to have an attitudinal change. But his invitation to those who are burdened remains.

He promises rest. The rest is not cease fro labour but to pick up his you and follow him. The listener has to learn from Jesus. Jesus becomes a model for the workers and those who are heavy of heart. Jesus says that he himself is in a similar situation. Jesus himself is heavy with work and weighed down by burdens.

The lesson that the listeners have to learn is his approach to life. It is living out his life with humility and meekness. Humility in the bible and in Jesus is realizing the presence of God in life and events. A person is humble only when he realizes that God is working in and through events of life. As creatures of God all are in the same situation and hence each one has to be meek and gentle with one another.

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.