The Lord Is Risen,The Tomb Is Empty. And That's Game, Set & Match

As dawn broke that day, two women went to the tomb to check on the Lord's body and anoint it with spices as was the jewish tradition. They saw that the tombstone was rolled off the tomb and as they entered it, they realised that the tomb was empty. Off course, their first reaction was that of trepidation and naturally so. As they came out, suddenly they saw two angels standing near them. They asked "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but has risen". They ran back and told the others, including the apostles. But off course, none would believe them.."Old wives' tales", they must have thought. Peter once again excited and hastens towards the tomb and to his utter joy finds it empty. he goes back rejoicing and praising God. Slowly, it starts getting clearer....all that the Lord had said ,when He was with them. Every prophesy ,which the prophets had said and each of those prophesies, now they realised had found their fulfillment in the Resurrection. What happened on Good Friday was not a tragedy after all. But just a foundation being laid for the great day that Easter was supposed to be. Victory over Sin and the eternal death caused by sin is complete now. Sealed beyond any doubt. 

For all those who were mourning two nights before have all the reasons to rejoice, for their mourning has been turned to dancing. Christ went to the dead and rose again and so shall those who die in him in ages to come until He comes in Glory. The tomb is empty and that is the testimony of our victory. The empty tomb reminds us that no matter how big our problems might be, our God is big enough to get over it. The rejuvenated apostles never looked back and went about sharing the love of God through Christ with all the zeal & courage.

Happy Easter to one and all....

Good Friday...The Fickle Crowd is Back

Just when one thought when this horrifying night would get over, it just kept getting longer. And one wondered when the sufferings of Jesus would come to end and hoped that may be, just may be, he could be let off with a warning or a reprimand. But if anyone thought on these lines, he had obviously not taken the prophesies recorded in The Book seriously...........  The Pasion of Our Lord Jesus had just begun.

This was not just a random confluence of many events, everything falling apart just by chance. All of this was planned by the leaders well in advance and executed in such a way that the 'accused' should not be allowed to go free , no matter what happened. After an initial interrogation, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin. They used all the appropriate legal procedures to proceed with the trial. Questions on the doctrines He preached and the teachings He gave were asked and the Lord gave them straight forward answers which was not exactly appreciated by the crowd gathered around including members of the council. How could they appreciate Him? After all, they had already decided on the verdict.  No matter what, this man should die or else He would grow into a much bigger problem for the whole nation...As Caiphas, the real head of the Sanhedrin, would cry out later to other members of the council, "You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." But for some reason, these 'great leaders' of the Jewish religion did not want to sentence Him to death. 'Who wants to have the blood of an innocent man on his hands', they must have thought. They devised another plan, they thought of passing the buck on to the roman procurator, Pontius Pilate and let him at the mercy of the roman soldiers for the rest of the night, who stooped to new lows in humiliating Jesus in many a base ways.  Why should they bother, He was not one of them. Nothing like kicking around a frail man who had already decided not to resist, let alone retaliate. And thus the Passion continued...

It was morning and the procurator was mighty miffed on being dragged into this controversy. He must have thought why should he be bothered if a small time son of a carpenter claims to be the Son of God. The romans never believed in the Jewish God, let alone His Son. He found it extremely irritating to give time to such trivial affair. But the recent Jewish uprising against the roman rule was on his mind and the emperor wanted order in his province. So he decided to meet Jesus. He must have been aghast at the sight of the battered man, whom these jews considered a threat considered a threat. He found nothing wrong with Jesus and (may be to please the Jews) had Him scourged at a pillar at his courts. Lash after lash on his bare back with whips made of solid leather laced with nails, pieces of metals and stones..There was no end in sight yet to the Lord's sufferings...

The jews were not satisfied mere scourging. They wanted more. The crowds gathered around. Yes, the fickle crowd was back and this time they no longer cried "Hail Him,hail the king of Jews" they were shouting "Crucify him, Crucify him". They put a demand for the release of a zealot, responsible for a previous jewish uprising, Barabas, a murder, in place of Jesus. Pilate was soon losing interest in the whole issue and also his patience. This was an opportune time to give in to a silly demand of the Jews, if it could buy him some peace and order in the province, then why not. Who wants to risk his job , may be even lose his life. You never know with these roman emperors, if they do not like you as procurator, the next thing you find yourself in is in dungeon. The Crowds won, little did they know that they were merely playing their part in making the prophesies of old come true. Every major act of the Lord's Passion had already been written out by many prophets of the old covenant. Jesus was crucified and hung on the Cross for 3 hours before submitting His Spirit to the Father but not before crying out forgiveness for everyone involved with His death. 

Though everything was already prophesied and still continues to stay prophesied. It does not mean that I do not have choices to make. When I look back at my past life when I was working in Delhi and I take a stock of situations when I was in a position of authority and was responsible for certain decisions. Thankfully, the Lord led me into making upright decisions all the time but there was one occasion, when I felt I may have fallen to pressure of people from other functions, like Pilate did that day, I too may have thought a bit too legalistically, instead of looking at it objectively, strictly on the merits of the case, I may have been on the wrong side. I wish I could probe a bit deeper, take stronger stand and may be go against the tide on that occasion. I have since realised that walking with Jesus is mostly going to be a walk against the tide and I would be called to take a stand and hold firm to it. Unlike the crowds that historic day, I would be called to faithful and not fickle. There are always going to be people who do not like you because of your faith, always people who make fun of you even intimidate you for your stand and those are the moments of truth for my walk with the Lord and I just pray that I imitate Him and that my responses are that of love, meekness & kindness because that's what He did right till the end on the Cross.

Good Friday...Peter denies the Lord

Its very late into the night,perhaps just 2-3 hours for dawn and a few hours since the Lord was whisked away by the Roman police. No one knows clearly where they have taken Him.There is this eerie tension and a weird sense of anticipation in the air. Most of the apostles have dispersed  and are probably on the run but Peter, our impetuous friend, is still lurking around. He seems to have found a trail of the party which took the Lord away. He makes his way to the courts where they have taken him to. Peter gets a glimpse of the Lord. There are clear signs that he has been tortured and brutalised by Roman soldiers  and  is barely the man who supped with them the previous night. He soon finds out the whole deal. The Lord has indeed been arrested and is going to be tried on charges of blasphemy.

It suddenly dawns on him that the 'final' battle, the coup d'etat, which he was thinking about, the one in which the Lord's army (of his imagination) was to come and take control of Jerusalem, does not seem to be starting anytime soon. Peter is a really scared man now. He fears for his life knowing very well that now that the Man has been arrested, the romans will soon set out for all His disciples. There is no plan B either, there never was. Everything centered around Jesus and now that Hie has been neutralised (or so it seems to him ) everything is falling apart. In his fear, he  ends up denying Jesus to those who recognised him  and refuses to acknowledge his relationship with Jesus, in fact denies the fact that he knows Jesus at all ..not once but three times and then ............................

The Lord looks up at Peter and gives him that deep gaze of love most intense. Peter realises how fickle he has been. He weeps bitterly and  is filled with remorse over his own misdoing.

Just like most of the crowds in and around Jerusalem that day, just like Peter that  night , I have denied Jesus so many times. Times where I have lapped up all the accolades and compliments on my accomplishments, times when I have not been expressly grateful enough for all the mercies he has shown me, the countless favours that I have received from Him all my life, I attributed to plain  simple luck or worse on my own prowess...Times when I had an opportunity to glorify Him infront  of others but chose not to as it is 'oh so old fashioned to praise Jesus'.....fearing remarks like 'oh, why do these guys have to bring Jesus in everything' .

That night Peter feared for his life but such a risk has never come up in my life and yet I have disowned Him with scary regularity.....So much for my discipleship. And yet, even now He gazes at me with that unfailing, unflinching and unconditional love. He never stops gazing, He never stops loving...

 

Maundy Thursday...And The Lord Sups One Last Time

Two things happened that night, both unprecedented and unparalleled. To my knowledge, never in history a master has come even close to doing for his servants what the Lord did that evening in such a manner as this. 

First, He gave them a teaching on humility. Teaching, not as in a talk on humility as the teachers & preachers of present do, He literally, walked the talk and did it, if I may call it so, practically. He got up from the table, took of his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around His waist and started washing the feat of His disciples.There was this usual over exuberance from Peter as he stopped the Lord from washing his feet as he thought it was stretching things a bit too far. The Lord would have none of it and rebuking him in His own way, He continued on this great act of service. He would later ask them, if they really understood the real implication of what he had just done.

  "When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them .......(John 13:12-17, RSV).

Today, as a part of Maundy Thursday celebrations in our mission, we enacted the washing of the feet. We first started with the spouses washing each others' feet and asking forgiveness for all the wrongs which one  may have caused to the other. By the time it was over each adult member had washed the feet of everyone else in the mission and asked forgiveness from everyone else. It was a beautiful experience and brought about a lot of healing in individual relationships but also in building the community, as a whole.

Washing the feet of anyone, let alone someone 'lower' than me? Unthinkable! Yes, almost. Thankfully, the Lord has been able to penetrate me a wee bit, for me to come out of it (only just a bit, though).It's not just the literal act that is called for (as it may not even be relevant in most situations) but it's the act of dying to my  pride which makes it painful and I must say, I still miss out on about 60-65% of the opportunities of  'dying' which come my way. Still a plenty of work to be done there.........actually , more than plenty.

Second, He instituted the sacrament of Eucharist. In other words, he gave up his own body and precious blood for our consumption so that in receiving Him, we would not only be saved but also change into Him, one day. All this He did out of nothing but sheer love. God giving up Himself for His precious people. To some it was so abominable even in those days so as to walk away from Him, as "this teaching was too difficult for them".

But the way some of us approach this most blessed sacrament today, an approach fraught with utter callousness and indifference is even more painful to watch. "You become what you eat" is a thought process which is accepted in both western and eastern cultures (and also in other religions) and the early  Church was blessed and anointed enough to accept this teaching and it soon became not just a way of life for them but also became integral to their worship. Yes, the Holy Eucharist, has been a central  point of worship since the time of  the early Christians and has been passed on from generation to generation to this day 2000 years on.
I wonder then, On one side there are many people who do not have much reverence for the blessed Sacrament and then  there is a section which, due to lack of proper instruction and/or lack of interest in learning more about this most beautiful aspect of our faith, is not sure if it is indeed the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament which they are receiving. And on the other side, there is me, who goes for Mass and receives the Lord in Communion daily, having absolutely no doubt whatsoever Who I am receiving and yet I ask myself, how at times, although I am going out of my volition, I fail to be diligent enough while receiving Him. How at times my mind wanders into thinking about the trivialities of life where as I  should be focused on how best to receive Him and How best to accept Him and which area of my sin most to apply Him to. I  too fall prey to the rut of the routine.

 

Once I realise that  I need a saviour, Christianity is not exactly a very complicated religion to follow or practice and to get to the depths of it one has to just master a few critical  areas viz, Love & forgiveness, I  start practicing these in my day to day walk and sure enough I am on my way..Complicated? No, but not easy either. Boy, it is mighty difficult to get a handle on these two areas as it is not just love and forgiving according to my whim , fancy and convenience.It is loving like Christ did , forgiving like He did on the Cross. Love is not an emotion or feeling as popular culture tries to drill down our collective conscience, it is a decision.


Yes, it is so very painful indeed to humble myself infront of people who do not have any, let alone love, but even the scantest of respect for me. But that's what I am called to do. Both love and forgiveness are not optional. Two years of living in community has  helped me slowly , very slowly to start internalising this truth in myself. I just pray that I do not lose my way again.

And thus The Lord having shared Himself with His chosen ones, moved out of the room and prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, very much mindful of the fact of Judas, one of His chosen one, had already hatched a plan to turn Him over to the Jewsish pharisees and the Romans, for all but 30 pieces of silver. And this is exactly what happened. As He prayed and the other disciples slept, Judas came and gave  a kiss of betrayal on the Lord's cheek and the soldiers taking that as a sign, arrested Him. A mild melee ensued, thanks to once again, Peter's impetuous nature but The Lord was in complete control. He asked the soldiers to let go of His disciples and arrest only the one they came for.....HIM. He took Him away.

Palm Sunday : First Hail Him... Then Nail Him

The Sunday before Easter is celebrated as Palm Sunday. The day when The Lord entered Jerusalem city with a lot of fanfare. Yes, it looked like the end which the apostles were dreaming about . They must have thought, it's just about to happen....the battle for which they had, oh so incorrectly , thought the Lord  had come. Peter must have thought "This is it. time to use my sword to its best use at last." It is probable, they must have thought it is the time take over of Jerusalem by force... a coup d'etat perhaps. How glorious, how macho...how fitting an end to the 3year long preparation for the great climax. The people of Jerusalem were rejoicing at the triumphant entry of the man who had by his radical teachings on religion & faith and not to mention by the many miracles of healing , had won their hearts. The Lord, as he entered the city, was welcomed by people with palm leaves laid out on His way. Palm leaves symbolised victory and goodness, another sign that people actually thought that the Lord would now lead them to freedom against the tyranny of Roman rule and free the Jews, just like their forefather Moses had brought them into freedom from slavery at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh about 2000 years earlier. Yes. All they expected was freedom from a form of oppression. Sin!! well,sin had nothing to do with it. They could not have been sinful for sure, after all, they were 'The Jews', the chosen people. Sin had its hold only pagans. Right?.....How self righteous, shallow and low was their expectation. All of this, just as the whole plan of salvation, was already prophesied by a prophet, in this case, Prophet Zechariah. It seemed that people did not really take note of these prophesies much until after the resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday.

And so the procession went on, singing "Hosanna to the Most High" , "Blessed is the one who come in the Lord" and "Hail Him, hail Him". The Lord alone knew what twists in the plot were in store for them in the coming days and knowing very well that the same crowd which were exalting Him now by singing "Hail Him, hail him" would be shouting "Nail Him, Nail Him" in just a matter of few days. He knew what they were thinking but He knew He had a job to do, a task to finish  and  he moved on without complaining , going through the various stages of the plan of salvation which His Father had written for the whole world. 

How fickle crowds can be. In contemporary world you often see the likes of artists and sportsmen going through this phase of being lifted up high as demi gods one day and another day they are brought down to earth, leaving them thinking what did they do so wrong as to receive that kind of treatment. Yes, that's how fickle crowds can be. Sure, times may have changed since roman empire of the yore but crowds, they remain exactly the same.......

And need I state the obvious that I am also a part of the same fickle crowd.

To be contd.....more on the fickle crowd.