Song of Grace, Song of Hope

BY MERIN MATHEW

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.  His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
-- Luke 1: 46- 55

 “From the Silence of Chaos God breathed the Music of Creation!” When we look at Mary’s life we know that the proclamation of Gabriel plunged her life into utter silence of chaos. Her calculations in life had gone topsy-turvy. Dreams shattered and confusions multiplied. But in the midst of all this she surrendered herself to the Mystery of God by saying “I am the Lord’s Servant. May everything you have said about to me come true.” This opening up to the possibilities of God transforms her Silence of Chaos to Music of Creation. In such a background let us explore two dimensions of the beautiful song of Mary.

The initial part of the song “Harks about Amazing Grace of God”.  “For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.” (Luke 1: 47-49). Mary aware of the responsibility that she has been called to, is also aware of her inadequacy in being an instrument for God. Being profoundly aware of God’s grace prepares us to be open to the possibilities of God.

In a conversation with my fellow batch mate and Assistant Vicar of St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, Karol Bagh, Rev Jijo Varghese narrated to me a fascinating story. Alex Haley is the Author of the colossal work “Roots” which traces 12 generation of his slaves ancestors that were traded from Africa to America in the 15th century. Journalists interviewed him at his office. They dealt with the pain of being Black and the success of the Book “Roots”. In the office, one of the Journalists saw many photos gracing the walls, but there was one odd photo frame that stood out. The journalist out of curiosity asked, “Dear Alex, I can understand the family photos and the photos of your personal glory, but the one photo where a turtle on top of a fence post beats me. What is the significance of this photo?”

Haley poignantly replied, “In times of such personal glory where my book is doing so well, this photo reminds me of a profound truth. This turtle definitely has not climbed on the fence post; there is somebody who has placed it up there. When I look back, this photo reminds me that it is not by merit that I have reached here. The grace of God, the prayers of my family and the encouragement of many have placed me here. This gives me perspective.” Like Mary, let us be aware of our humble state from which God has lifted and placed us to do His will. God has placed us not in a position of privilege but in a place of responsibility to be his instrument, to be his witness.

The second half of the song is a “Melody of a new dream, a new vision, a new beginning.” From verse 51 on, Mary sings of a New Future. This song portrays that God has already brought down rulers from the throne and lifted up the humble as a thing of the past. We should remember when she sing this song that Herod was still on the throne. Threat of Herod later drives her as a refugee to Egypt along with Joseph and Baby Jesus. So she was singing in faith of a New Future, a new possibility, where the humble will be lifted up while the Herods of the world will be dethroned.

She sings of a time when the hungry will be filled and the rich sent away empty handed. Mary lived in the context of Roman imperialism where the power is all that mattered. There were many like her who were hungry, who were just statistics in the Roman Census. With all the negativity around, she saw a new vision, new beginning, new possibilities and new hopes.

Today we live in times of Breaking News that has numbed our senses. News of scandals, riots, sexual abuses, scams and wars have made it impossible to believe that we can make a difference.  The brutality of mankind has deprived us of any hope. Slowly we have started to believe that “Nothing is going to Change. There is no hope.” We seem to have given up.

In such a context, let me introduce you to the Third blessing of the Mar Thoma Liturgy. MAY THE GRACE AND MERCY OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS TRINITY, + UNCREATED, SELF-EXISTENT, + ETERNAL, ADORABLE AND ONE IN ESSENCE, BE WITH YOU ALL + FOR EVER.”

Rev Eappen Varghese, the Professor of Church History at Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam, says that the “ Glorious, Holy, Uncreated, Self Existent, Eternal, Adorable, One in Essence quality of the Trinity is contrasted with the World that is Unholy, Created, Dependent and Fragile.”  So the Third Blessing points to the beyond element that helps us to rise over the negativity, cynicism and pessimism that surrounds our times.

The Third Blessing is a Blessing and a responsibility to dream of a new future. When the world says there is no hope, we are called to be the messengers of hope. This dream may look baseless and illogical. But one needs the madness to believe in God and the future that he holds. Can there be a world where there will be no war? A Nuclear-free world? A world free from human trafficking? A world free of discrimination, prejudices and stereotypes? A world where there will be no caste discrimination? World free of Gender discrimination? World that embraces the disabled, the deviants and the marginalized?

If these are foolishness, I am a follower of a fool who was the Son of the Woman who sang the Song. He, in his foolishness, preached in his sermon like this:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5: 3-12)

This Advent season let us “Hark about the Amazing Grace of God” and hum the “Melody of a New Dream, a New Vision, a New Beginning”. Mary calls us to be foolish enough to believe that the grace of God is sufficient for us to dream, to have a vision. Friends, we too can make a difference. I express solidarity with my foolish friends who are celebrating New Year 2013 at Koodankulam, in Tamil Nadu where the people are resisting a Nuclear plant which has come to symbolize the Nation’s utmost disregard to human life and safety. These friends are foolish enough to dream in the power of people and stupid enough to think that there will be a Nuclear Free World. We need more foolish people like them. 

(Friday, December 7, 2012)

Jon Paulien Ph.D. HE'S GREATER THAN         JONAH  In my book Meet God Again for the First Time I describe how Jesus provides the meaning of Old Testament Israel’s whole life and history. He is the second Adam, the new Moses, and the son of David, among many others. Whenever you read a story or a letter in the New Testament, you want to be constantly aware of references to the characters, stories and experiences of the apostles’ past. This was the way New Testament writers related to their Bible, what we often call the Old Testament. God meets people where they are. And he embedded His message for us in the language and style of real people in the first century.  What did Jesus have in common with the world’s first recorded submarine ride? For starters, both Jesus and Jonah were in a boat, both boats were overtaken by a storm and the description of the storm was quite similar in both cases. But the similarities do not end there.  When the storm begins, both Jesus and Jonah are asleep (Jonah 1:5; Mark 4:38). In both stories sailors wake up the sleeping passenger and assert, "We are going to die!" Jonah 1:6; 4:38. And in both cases there is a miraculous divine intervention which stills the storm. But instead of calming the sailors down, the stilling of the storm makes them even more terrified (Jonah 1:15-16; Mark 4:40-41)! The two stories are almost identical except for one thing. In the Jonah story, he tells the sailors to throw him into the sea and it will become calm (Jonah 1:11-12). That doesn’t happen in the Jesus story. Or does it? People have noticed that there is very little overt "theology" in the Gospel of Mark. Whatever messages one gets from that gospel are embedded in the stories and the way they are ordered and tied together. The same is true of this story. In another place Jesus said, "One greater than Jonah is here" (Matt 12:43). And he explains that just as Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a fish, He would spend a similar amount of time in the tomb (Matt 12:40). He is the new Jonah. And just as Jonah stilled a storm by the sacrifice of himself, so Jesus would still the ultimate storm of sin and death by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross. When we go through the storms of our lives, it is easy to wonder, as the disciples of Jesus did in Mark 4: 38-41, whether God even cares about what we have to experience. But when you come to know the meaning of the cross, when you come to understand that He threw Himself into the ultimate storm, the one the threatens everything we are (sin and death), it puts our smaller storms into a bit of perspective. If He did not abandon us in the ultimate storm, why would He do so in the relatively minor trials of our lives? From the cross we get a sense of the kind of God who rules our lives as well as the universe. A God who is caring, gracious and merciful. In His wisdom he does not calm every one of our storms, but as we walk with Him we learn to trust Him even in the midst of the storm. And we learn to trust that one day He will still all storms for eternity. And that is what we call hope.      A GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE By Rick Porritt (Matthew Chapter 12) In the twelfth chapter of Matthew we have Jesus referring to Himself as “a greater than.” On three occasions, each time in answer to the Pharisees’ and scribes’ behaviour and questioning. We shall consider these three statements of the Lord Jesus. V.6 greater than the temple. V.41 greater than Jonah. V.42 greater than Solomon. 1. Greater than the temple At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. (Matthew 12:1-6 AV) In this passage we see that: 1.     The Pharisees criticise the disciples for breaking the Sabbath law. 2.     Jesus reminded them that David their great king ate the shewbread unlawfully. 3.     The priests are constantly profaning (making common) the Sabbath yet are blameless. 4.     That there was one greater than the temple here. That is Himself. In considering the temple we see that: The temple was the centre of Israel’s life. The temple was where God met with His people. The temple was where all the sacrifices took place. In saying that He was greater than temple Jesus was pointing them to the great truth That He was the fulfilment of which all that these things spoke. We see: Jesus spoke of His body as being a temple. Jn.2: 13-22 Jesus spoke of a change in worship, no longer focussed on an earthly place, but in spirit and truth.Jn.4: 19-24 Jesus is God manifested in human flesh- the glory of the Father dwells in Him, now, not an earthly building. Jn.1: 14 Jesus is the only way by which we can come to the Father. Jn.14: 6 Jesus is now the centre of the Church.Col.1: 18;Rev.21: 21-23 Jesus is the complete fulfilment of the OT sacrificial system. Matt.5: 17; Heb.9: 1-4 2. Greater than Jonah Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. (Matthew 12:38-41 AV) In this passage we note: 1.     The Pharisees were asking for a sign: that is, some token to distinguish Jesus from the rest! 2.     Jesus said that it is an evil and adulterous generation that seeks after signs. 3.     Jesus said that the only sign would be that of the prophet Jonah. 4.     Nineveh would rise in Judgement for they repented. In considering this we must understand the following context of the twelfth chapter: Jesus had already healed many people in this chapter one of them was possessed. Mtt.12:9-23. The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of casting out devils by Beelzebub Mtt.12:24 To ask for a sign distinguish Jesus from the rest was, to say the least, a bit of a cheek! What can we then learn from this answer of Jesus? A sign seeking generation is called adulterous because its heart is lusting after things it shouldn’t. The true heart’s desire should be God Himself. The only sign that Jesus will give is that of resurrection. It is that alone which proves and distinguishes Jesus from the rest! No resurrection no salvation. Jn.2: 13-22. Rom.;1:3-4; I Cor.15:3-4;16-18 Nineveh repented, and so avoided judgement, at the preaching of Jonah. At the preaching of Jesus repentance is not just from judgement but unto LIFE. Acts 11:18. Nineveh, a Gentile nation, repented; the Pharisees part of the Jewish heritage did not. No wonder Nineveh would rise up against them. In short Jesus is greater than Jonah for He is actually raised from the dead, not just so in a figure; His repentance is unto life and not just from judgement. C. Greater than Solomon The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42 AV) We have here: 1.     The queen of the South, Sheba, came from afar. 2.     She came to hear of the famed Wisdom of Solomon. In order to follow the train of thought here we must remember: God gave Solomon the wisdom in the first place. II Chr.1:7-12. Solomon was arrayed with great glory Mtt.5: 29 Relating this to The Lord Jesus we see: The Pharisees condemnation is once more that a Gentile from afar believed, yet they who were near did not. Jesus is greater than Solomon because HE IS WISDOM itself, not merely the greatest exponent of it. I Cor.1: 18-30; 3:15-17   In summing the whole then we see that the Pharisees, by concentrating on the law added to it and became so obsessed with it that they lost sight of the truth. Mtt12: 7-8; 15:6; 23:1-24. In so doing they were laying heavy burdens upon the people (see Mtt.23). In answer to all this Jesus said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 AV) Christ’s yoke is easy, the Pharisees were placing millstones on people’s neck! Thus we have Jesus showing us that He is the fulfilment of all the OT. 1.     Priesthood: shown by the reference to the Temple. 2.     Prophets: shown by the reference to Jonah. 3.     Kingly hopes: shown by reference to Solomon. In short Jesus is the Foundation and we should be centred on Him alone. Let us all keep our hearts and minds fixed on Him and let nothing at all deflect us from that.

New Testament Pattern is the personal website of Rick Porritt.