A worship in UTC to remember the Bhopal gas tragedy

Transforming Wisdom into Faith: the Challenge in Modern Mission (James 3:13-18)

When I observed United Nations Organization’s special days I saw today, 20^th Nov, is the “World Philosophy Day”. Being placed between two other important days “World Toilet day” (19^th Nov) and “World Television Day” (21^st Nov), it looks like placing wisdom as a transition point between our un-exposable state of life to the open expression of modernity and change in public. The given passage for today, James 3:13-18, also is a challenge to think about our transition in the modern day society from an un-exposable state of life to the expression of our Christian public witness, keeping wisdom as the transition point.

The direct and indirect use of the synoptic ideas about Jesus, the use of high standard Koine Greek that is better than the Johannine Greek and Letter to the Hebrews, use of the themes of the Sermon on the Mount, use of 59 imperatives, use of the Septuagint, finest knowledge about the twelve tribes of Israel, compassion towards the poor, widows and the orphan, condemning the lavish life, etc., makes the letter one of the best studied texts among the New Testament scholarship but at the same time a controversial one.

At the end of James chapter 3, in a chapter almost entirely dedicated to taming the tongue, we come across this small section, which appears to be thrown in by James as an afterthought on wisdom. James gives to wisdom the same prominence that Paul gives to faith, John gives to love, and Peter gives to hope.

James 3:13-18 can also be seen as a story of wisdom presented as two completely different sides of the same coin. On one side, we see a heavenly wisdom from above, which is full of mercy and peace. On the other, an earthly wisdom, which is characterized by jealousy, greed, pride, and selfish ambition. The present day context challenges us to be mindful about such duality present in ourselves and in the world. Thus I would like to title this reflection as Transforming Wisdom into Faith: Challenge in Modern Mission. Based on this, I would like to place three challenges in such a time, in the world and the cosmos to strive for mission in its pure form.

1. Challenge of wisdom to transform vocal conviction into gentle action.

The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual are expressed through their words, but understood by others through their actions. Here in 3:13, James negates the Pauline idea of “Justification by Faith” expressed in Romans 3:28 by his unique expression of “Justification by Work.” Doctors have to practice what they learned. Likewise, a lawyer or an engineer. But the only one field where people can survive without practicing what they have learned seems to be the theological circle. But a true Christian is the one who practices what he or she has learned and is saying. I think, James was aware that none of us will keep our mouth shut. Once our mouth is shut, we are jobless. Because, preaching is our primary job. But James wants all of us to use wisdom when we open our mouths. That will ultimately lead us into transforming our vocal conviction into gentle action.

2. Challenge of wisdom to transform weaknesses into talents.

Think positive and positive things will happen in your life and through you to the others. Through rationalizing, our weaknesses will be exposed to ourselves, but through faith all those weaknesses can be transformed into talents. When I was a child, I had a stammering tongue. To say a word, for example, if I want to say the word Jesus, I had to try more than five times. But my teachers gave me a strange advice. They instructed me to put small stones in my mouth and asked me to speak out. I think I practiced vigorously for about two years. Now I think I can speak better. James emphasizes that wisdom is living a Christ-like life in ordinary human circumstances. A change of attitude or character lays in our own choice and so also our talents. For James, being wise is seen in our willingness to acknowledge the will of God in our own life, and our readiness to change our weaknesses into talents.

3. Challenge of wisdom to transform ego into humanness.

Being foolish is not a crime, but more than that. Wisdom comes from only one source, that is God. But when it comes to making a fool of yourself, you have your choice of thousands of different ways. James through this passage challenges to learn that, before you do anything. James expects total commitment, expressed by subordination initially not subsequently. We spend much of our life time in search of knowledge. In that process, sometimes it is possible that we may be influenced by the wrong knowledge or foolishness in many ways.

We know the equation of life that “no one can serve two masters”. Likewise, no one at the same time can bear ego and humanness. How many of us are thinking that we are wise? One of the supreme examples for this is recorded in Matthew 2:1-12 and its result in 2:16-18. There, we read about the “wise men from the east.” In Matthew 2:16-18 we read about the wisdom of those so-called wise men having resulted in the slaughtering of all the innocent boys below the age of two, in and around Bethlehem. That wisdom cannot be called as wisdom but for me they are called the wisest but are egoistic fools.

Now in this 21^st century, we are also witnessing the slaughtering of innocent children in Syria and in Iraq. All the forms of unrest in and outside our campus and in the society, persecutions in the world arena are an outcome of wisdom in its un-upgraded form. No faith community in its pure form is life threatening, but life affirming. We are one such. Are we a life affirming or life threatening community? The real challenge that all the faith communities should seriously engage in the present day context is to upgrade our wisdom. For me, when we upgrade wisdom, we will get faith. Through upgrading our wisdom into faith we are providing goodness today and hope for tomorrow, no matter the circumstances.

Friends, we are called to express a clear faith in this unclear world now and here. We are called to present everlasting, divine principles that are relevant to the context. For that cause are we using our wisdom or faith? What are we learning for: to become wise or to grow in faith to help others to grow in faith? Why are we here, to learn wisdom or to upgrade our faiths? If a professor is grading low, we ask why did you grade me low. But if anybody asks you about the standard of your faith before and after theological training, what will be your answer? Let us create a habit of respecting all who help us to grow in faith, especially our teachers.

UTC is a permanent mission field for none of us. But our permanent mission field is the society. Are we really preparing for that? No doubt that wisdom can take you to some extent, but faith can take you and through you others even further up to the life eternal. We all will upgrade our mobile phones, but what about our faith? Let us pray to the triune God to help us to transform our wisdom into faith. Amen.

Vinod S. Sailus

MTh II

Fundamental Human Kindness (Deuteronomy 10:12-19)

We heard from the scripture from Deuteronomy, what God had done for the Israelites and how Moses now called to respond and make a commitment to God. "The structure of the passage reveals an enveloping pattern in which we encounter commands to obey God (vv. 12-13), embrace the outcome of command to show proper care and concern for people, especially the socially and economically disadvantaged later in vv. 14-19. The motive part of this whole pericope and that which binds the whole together is v. 17, a confession of the sovereignty of God and of God’s justice." In view of God’s past grace to God’s people, what did God require of them? Moses summarized Israel's responsibility: fear, walk, love, serve, and keep. God expected total commitment, faithfulness and obedience to God’s covenant. "These are the central ideas not only of Deuteronomy but of the whole Pentateuch in its final shape." 

 

Let us look to God in prayer: When you preached on earth, Lord, you found the divine words that were able to reach the hearts of your hearers. Your truth moved them deeply and encouraged them to follow you and to live for you. Lord, bless now the words that I speak and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our rock and redeemer. Amen.

A priest was sent behind bars just because he was propagating the word of God. This is an incident which happened in Kashmir, when he was debarred from the land of Kashmir with an allegation that “he was converting people forcefully”. In the text Moses asks, "So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you...?" What does God require from us today as we reflect on this passage? That priest was fulfilling God’s requirements but still he suffered and injustice enthralled his life. He boldly said, “It is my responsibility to preach God’s Word. I can’t refuse anyone. The house of God is open for all.” Now we have to keep in mind that this text addresses people who already know God; those who already have a personal relationship with God. So this is speaking of requirements for living a Christian life, not entering it.

Deuteronomy serves as Moses’ farewell speech to the nation of Israel as the nation prepares to embark on entering the Promised Land. It was written to instruct the covenant people of Israel how to live in relationship with God. The opening words of v12 are among the most familiar in the Hebrew Bible, partly because of their use in Micah 6:8 “'what does YHWH require of you?', that gives the answer in Deuteronomy .i.e. to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

This question represents one of the two basic ideas about our faith and religion. How can a human approach God? One answer is: with sacrifice which people used to do at early times, things and by doing good works which are pleasing to God. The other answer is also reflected in v8. God requires not some external gifts from a worshipper, but a humble communicant who loves to serve God and practices justice towards their fellow humans. Now the question is how justice can be prevailed? Our so called sophisticated society, cannot breathe until we accomplish our mean and selfish desires by dumping or by hurting each other. The priest, about whom we have just talked, still continues to give his testimony as what God requires from him he will do and serve till his last breath.

The news readings which have been read before us explain the scenario of happenings in our societies, about the injustices that are prevailing. How justice can prevail over the nations, how we can do justice to our neighbors and others, that is still a big question even as we are witnessing in such a time as this. Where girls can’t walk freely, where caste issues still prevail, where people are dying of hunger, where dalits are made voiceless, we still keep quiet and thus we, the theological community, who make several liberal theologies showing great interest in pain and agony, we do talk but silently, we do react but don’t act, we do show solidarity but hardly we are recognized with them.

Jesus told the story about the Good Samaritan. A man was robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. Three people passed safely on the other side of the road- a Jewish priest, a Jewish rabbi, a third dirty and messy religious. It was only the Samaritan who stopped, knelt down and offered to help in kindness, mercy, and gentleness. The ingredient that God requires from His disciples is fundamental human kindness…to family, friends, work associates, classmates, and strangers.

How Moses now expounds the ‘requirements’ about fear of God can make a difference in our lives. When we hear the word “fear” that itself creates a misunderstanding between the relationship of human and God, which can be taken as the fear of God is to fear the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. But here the fear of God is something much different. The fear is reverence of God.

Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” Until we understand who God is, and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is, this is where we misunderstood God who is holy, just, and righteous. Deuteronomy 10:12, records, "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen." The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and yes, loving Him.
What does the Lord require of you? Do justice. Love kindness. And walk humbly with your God.

Amen

Amos Massey

MTh I

Called to walk the path of Jesus Christ (Mat 5:11-12)

When I was 13 years old, I met a preacher from Romania. He was unable to stand. So he used to sit while preaching. The reason behind that is, at the age of 40 he was imprisoned for proclaiming the gospel in a communist country. During his 8 and 1/2 years of imprisonment he suffered a lot. The soldiers beat him brutally and asked him to deny Jesus Christ. They also tortured him by making him hear “Communist is the best and Christianity is the worst”. In that situation also he was strong in faith and proclaimed the Gospel to the soldiers. As a result, they understood that he will not deny Christ, so they added again 25years of imprisonment.  After his release he preached all over the world. The man tortured for Christ is none other than Richard Wurmbrand.

For Such A Time As This: Discerning Christian Public Witness

John Chrysostom described the beatitudes, "as a kind of golden chain." Like the Ten Commandments, each stands alone. Mat 5:11-12 is the concluding part of the beatitudes. The first four beatitudes describe the heart of the person who is rightly related to God. The remaining beatitudes describe how such a person relates to other people. Each of the beatitudes consists of two phrases: the condition and the result. This beatitude is in present tense, just like the first beatitude. Here Jesus speaks in the second person “You” and directly addresses the person before him. This saying is peculiar to Christianity. Jesus encourages his disciples to see their current suffering as an honourable tradition. I would like to explain it under two aspects.

1. Faithfulness towards Happiness

In Greek, the word 'persecute' comes from the root 'to pursue', it means to chase after something. A good translation of this word is to 'harass'. In the centuries before Jesus, the Jewish prophets followed the way of righteousness and were frequently persecuted for their faithfulness. For example: Elijah was driven into exile; Jeremiah was imprisoned in a cistern; Zechariah was stoned to death in the court of the Lord. Shortly before Jesus delivered these words, the disciples of John the Baptist suffered and he was murdered. Jesus’ disciples also underwent similar suffering. In the history of the church of martyrdom, both men and women have undergone ultimate sacrifices for God. However, such persecution is by no means a thing of the past but it happens even today in our faith journey. As a Christian community, whatever hurdles or struggles come on our way let us try to stand firm in our faith. Faithful Christians are faithful in their trials. Faithful Christians are faithful in their testimony. Faithful Christians are faithful with their treasure & talents. Let us be a witness not just as human beings on this planet, but as cloud of witnesses that have gone before us that remain here upon the earth, as faithful children of God.

2. Walk Worthy towards Reward

“Reward” is more a promise of “future recompense for a present condition of persecution and reproach” than a reward for goodness. There is no comparison here with a lesser reward and a greater reward. If the idea of a reward sounds strange, one should realize that it is a reward of God’s grace. And it is not merited, but it is God’s will to give to those who serve God faithfully. The disciples are urged to "walk worthily of the vocation wherewith they are called." So the reward should be thought of as heaven, and not for some particular status in the life to come. “Walk” is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to daily conduct. “Worthy” has the idea of living to match one’s position in Christ. We should generate other believers by our walk. It is a life filled with good works and Christ-centered. This is not a job chosen to make a living by, but to make a life by. Sufferings have been much more strongly spoken about in verses 11 and 12.We are part of the army of God, engaged in battle; we are part of the body of Christ; we are Christ's ambassadors representing God in this world. We are branches and Christ is the vine. We are the bride of Christ. As Christians we are trained not only to achieve a goal, but to become like Christ in the process of living in this world. We need to rejoice in the Lord always, not only when things are going well, even when the world is putting us down. So let us try to walk worthy to get the reward.

There was a small boy who was a rag picker. One day he found a wrist watch in the garbage. The boy understood that somebody would have lost it. So he took it and went house by house to find the owner of the watch to give it to the respective person. At last he found the owner of the watch who was a Muslim. The Muslim man asked the boy, what made him to bring the watch which costs around 4 lakhs. The boy replied I am Isawa. This means I belong to Jesus Christ. The boy also added that our scripture tells us to remain truthful and faithful in our words and deeds. By hearing the boy’s words the man’s heart was touched and was eager to know about Jesus. Finally he accepted Jesus and became the pastor of a church in Egypt. Like the boy in the story we are called to remain faithful and walk worthy to discern Christian public Witness. May God bless us through these words. Amen.

 

  

A. JOHN WESLEY

B.D. II