A REVELATION, THIS MAN IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE RABBIS

I am Ben Jehuda, a Jew living in Capharnaum. Today is the Sabbath, so I came to the Synagogue. For you who are not versed in our Culture, I must tell you that we borrowed the word ‘synagogue’ from the Greek and means ‘a meeting place’. In fact this is where we meet every Sabbath. It also serves as a school of religious instruction and communal hall for civic functions under the direction of a council of elders.

A quorum of ten men are necessary to form a synagogue. Women sit in a separate section, and are not expected to take part. Typically, a synagogue is a small structure built on a rise above the neighbouring houses. Opposite the entrance, a portable ark and contains the scrolls of the Law and the Prophets. In front of it, facing worshippers, are the "chief seats" for religious leaders.

For public worship, which is conducted on the Sabbath, a minimum of 10 adult males have to be in attendance. The five-part service includes prayers, psalm-singing, blessings, readings from the Scriptures, and commentaries on the sacred passages, but here we offer no sacrifices and have no standard liturgy.

 Although a Rabbi might be recognized as the leader because of his distinguished teaching, there is no official clergy. In fact, any Jew who feels himself qualified can ask for permission to teach the Scriptures. Today a brother Jew, from Nazareth, is here to speak to us.

Here he is. I must stop to pray and sing the Psalms. The man from Nazareth went up to read the Torah and commented on it. I must say it has been a privilege to be present today because the behavior, the words used by this Nazarene, and his authority when explaining are something very new, amazing! The whole congregation is left spell-bound, he seems to have spread a holy blessing on each and every one.

The man is speaking directly to our souls. He seems to be reaching to every person as if he is addressing every person personally. I don’t think I can recall other Rabbis talking to us like this Nazarene. Others usually speak on the authority of   holy quotations, on the authority of the Torah, but, this man, whom I understand is called Jesus, is speaking on his own authority. There is, not only authority, wisdom and a personal punch in his words; words that hit you deep and make you realise that what he is saying, not only makes sense, but serves as an eye-opener. He talks like a god.

Our spirits, have been shaken to their foundations. I have spoken to those present and they seem to feel as I do. Other Scribes never talked to us like this, with super human approach and intellect. One is lost for words. It is impossible to hear this Jesus and ignore his words. He speaks with certain verve as if fire is driving him forward.

But more marvellous is the power this Jesus has on the evil spirits. He is so different from all the others; no incantations, no singing, no magic words … just his word of authority, command, and the evil spirits fly away terrified. He penetrated Satan’s darkness with great authority. He must have been sent by the Most High. We have never heard anything like this, he quickens our hearts with his kind and gentle ways. Could he be the true Messiah?

(I have used the name Ben Jehuda as a Pen-name, I wanted to create a Jewish atmosphere to explain the Gospel Text, …Tony)

READY, STEADY … GO.

Having a hobby, is healthy and mentally refreshing. One very common hobby is pottery making. You have some lumps of clay, a wheel (foot-pedal controlled, or electric), and an amount of water. Add to this your imagination, and you are sure on the way of becoming a ‘master potter’.
Water is used to make it pliable and soft, easily workable. Without an amount of water, the clay remains hard and rigid and can’t be moulded or shaped into anything. It starts crumbling and makes your blood pressure shoot up.

Now imagine after a period of days, at the Art School, working on a Grecian type vase, the instructor comes in to check your work and according to his judgement, the end result is not satisfactory. He breaks up your pot and shows you the way how to do it, advance and succeed. The first thing he does is that with the mixture of the new clay he starts adding water, then the moulding follows, but most important, broken up pieces, or shreds from your old Grecian pot will be added to strengthen the new pot.

That is the way God works, and St.Paul knew about it, and mentions it in one of his letters to the churches. First of all ‘water’ is a symbol of the Word of God, this is the analogy. The Word of God is like water to our souls. Just like our physical bodies need water in order to be able to live and survive, in the same way our souls need God’s Word flowing through us in order to feed us on the inside, in our inner man.

” … that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26) What this is telling us is that God cannot even begin to mould and transform us in this life unless we are first willing do our part.

What is our part? It means one thing; a change of attitude, radical demands on ourselves. Yes, if needs be we have to break down the pot which we thought was a perfect Greek sample, but only to our amateur eyes due to lack of experience. Our personality, understood as a complex pattern of attitudes and values, must be dismantled (broken up), and reassembled (adding on old shreds), according to the mind of Jesus Christ.

Our attitude, outlook on fame, position, power, wealth, family ties, marriage must be radically examined in the blinding light of the Gospel. No one who encounters the Light of the world in the Scriptures can respond otherwise than by the prayers that humbly begs for the mind of Christ.
All prayers involve our hearts. ‘Where a person’s treasure is’, says Jesus, ‘there is his heart.’ To reject satan and all false goods, for the treasure of Jesus Christ is to experience a change of heart.

New love in Christ is not without pain. Do you recall when the instructor broke up your first attempt, your Grecian pot? Prayer involving ‘metanoia’ or gradual conversion requires a deep change of heart in which we die on a certain level of our being in order to find ourselves ‘alive’ and ‘free’. We shall be a new creation, a new person, with a new outlook and mentality, transformed into a ‘Christ-image’ person.

Just compare, and contrast and see the difference for yourself; the first clay object you tried to mould when still an amateur, without experience, without the know-how, without any coaching … and NOW. You are on the way of becoming a master potter.
Ready, steady, GO.

FISHERMEN’S LODGE, 33 / PO BOX HEAVEN

You don’t need to be a Sherlock Holmes to notice, whilst walking along the street,  that you are being followed, shadowed by two men. And it’s only natural to accost them and ask the question: “What do you want?” Your reaction depends on the answer they give you. If they ask you, “Where do you live?” my common sense urges me to ask: “Why do you ask, what do want of me, why are you following me?” a multiple question.

But Jesus knew the answer to all those questions, and so did not bother to ask them … as I would have done. Jesus knew that he was being followed by two men, who, up to some time before were disciples of the Baptist. Jesus knew why they asked Him. Jesus knew what they wanted, and Jesus knew why they were following Him. So the next sensible, and natural response of Jesus was: “Come and see.”

Jesus could have given them His address. I don’t know what it was, maybe ‘Fishermen’s Lodge, no 33’, or He could have given them His Post Office Box number. But NO. According to the Jewish Culture His reply meant an invitation to come and share in His work and food. ‘’Come and see’ does not mean entering one’s house and just knowing the address. It meant participating in the work, the mission, sharing the household, eating together, living in a community, and way of life.

Christ’s invitation implies that He perceives in them … and in us … that deep longing that is characteristic of humans when they allow themselves to be in touch with Christ. They did call Him ‘Rabbi’, because they sensed that if He knows their innermost yearnings, He must also know where to find what they are seeking, He must be a teacher of the Truth.

Going back to Christ’s invitation, ‘Come and see’, this is an open invitation to follow Him, to walk with Him, to learn from experience what the journey means; to learn of its pain and of its joy and most especially the happy ending on their ‘homecoming’. This is not an easy path, strewn with roses. One has to put aside personal gratification for the good of others; it is the JESUS PATH of loving care and sacrifice.

RE

READY, STEADY, GO …………..

Unfortunately many Christians fall into the trap of ‘taking things ‘forgranted’; listening to the daily Readings from Scripture at Mass, day in day out, without stopping to meditate on what we hear or read, what has been done for our sake. Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan is a case in point. ‘Ah yes, next Sunday’s Gospel is about Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan’. And that’s the only comment some can pass, having taken it forgranted hearing it, year in year out.  

Many are those who never realise what it meant for Jesus, the ‘spotless Lamb’ to enter in the waters of the Jordan. Every person entering the waters of the Jordan to be baptized by the Baptist meant a ‘declaration’, admitting of being a sinner and who now wants to convert’. But Jesus was not a sinner, Jesus was not a convert, Jesus did not need the baptism, and yet ….. 

Like the heroes of old, Christ enters upon His career, His mission by the impetus of the Holy Spirit. This is the meaning of Theophany, but the Baptism of our Lord, taken as a whole, has a larger and more complex significance. The Baptism of Jesus meant four main things, it was not just being baptized like other men did.

This was for Him a moment of DECISION. Having lived thirty years in Nazareth, in the company of His family; a relatively quiet life, doing the daily chores, but He must have been conscious of His Mission. He had to decide when the time was ripe to launch His work. He was waiting for a sign. Jesus knew that when the Baptist emerged, the moment of decision had come. His was the decision to refuse or to accept, but He answered the summons of God.

Next came the moment of IDENTIFICATION. Jesus never needed Baptism, but He wanted to form part of the existing movement toward God, launched by the Baptist, so He wanted to be baptized to be identify Himself as forming part of the group.

Then came the moment of APPROVAL. Leaving the comfort of His Nazareth home He took the plunge, but He was looking for the ‘seal’ of approval by God. According to Mark the ‘approval’ came directly to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son.” This was an unmistakeable approval.

The final consideration was the SYSTEM, or the APPROACH used by Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the shape of a ‘dove’. Taking into account symbolism we have a dove, a picture, giving a sense of graciousness, gentleness. Christ system will be a conquest of love.