Breaking the Word – Page 2390 – Rev. Dr. Victor Antonyraj SDB

10.11.10 WHERE ARE THE NINE

Posted under Reflections on November 10th, 2010 by

As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” (Lk 17:11-19)

This story again gives Jesus’ attitude towards a foreigner: a Samaritan. Samaritans were considered to be lower in the rung of ladder God’s chosen people. So they could not be models for others. In this story a Samaritan puts to shame the chosen people who had been healed but who didn’t say ‘thank you’.

We know that all we have is a gift from God. The land we own, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and all the rest of it is a generous gift from God. Man can only be grateful to God for these gifts and nothing else. In fact the Christian tradition says that a grateful person is a redeemed person. Gratitude is a Christian virtue.

Faith here means not just any old belief or any religious attitude to life but the belief that the God of life is at work in and through Jesus. And this fact is realized here and now in this event. God is active in Jesus and the man has to be grateful to God.

09.11.10 TEMPLE

Posted under Reflections on November 8th, 2010 by

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. (Jn 2:13-22)

Temple is not a marketplace. Marketplace gives the idea of secularism, materialism, value for money, consumerism etc. Marketplace in no way gives the idea of God. Marketplace has reference as long as there are things to be sold and once they are sold out the place has no importance. It is as good as a waste land.

Temple signifies the presence of God. God is eternal and the temple is a symbol of the presence of God. Temple will always have its meaning and relevance because of God who is eternal.

Body of Jesus is a sign of God’s presence. Even though it is physical and material (in a sense) and should have its end yet because it is the place of the presence of God it will have its significance. The resurrected body will always be a sign of God’s presence. The resurrected body has its link with the present body. Physical body should a place of God (place for God) and not for material things and significance.