Am I ready to see the glory of God?

Following is an analysis of my Lenten experience based on the Gospel readings of the six Sundays in Great Lent as the guidelines to figure out whether I am ready to see the glory of God.

The Gospel on the first Sunday was of the miracle in the Wedding of Cane where Jesus blessed the water to be converted into vine. I understood that Jesus was invited to this feast, and the family did whatever He told them. The question suddenly came to my mind was that whether I invited Jesus into my life. The answer was a big No. I should have invited Him into my life and did whatever He told me, as I want it to be a feast without sufferings and scarcities, but with happiness and abundance. That miracle would have happened in my life on the first week of the Great Lent.

The Gospel on the second Sunday was that of the miracle of healing the leper. I thought for a moment, whether I am affected with any form of leprosy. I rewind my life to see whether the needy fear to approach me as normally people do with lepers; others fear to make company with me due to my ‘very good’ character and conduct. I understood that it’s the case. I should have implored Jesus to be cleansed out of my leprosy and that miracle would have happened in my life on the second week of the Great Lent.

The Gospel on the third Sunday was of the miracle of curing the paralyzed man. After reading the meaning of the word paralysis, I understood that I am affected with brachial palsy, cerebral palsy, and bell’s palsy etc. As I don’t care to extent my hand to the needy, my hands are paralyzed or having brachial palsy. Due to the cerebral palsy or paralysis of brain, my thoughts become crooked or won’t think in the proper or useful way. Because of Bell’s palsy or paralysis of face, my facial nerves becomes tight, or even go out of shape when I hear request for help. I should have gone to hear the words of God and follow those to avoid these, by overcoming the toughest hindrances on my way. That miracle would have happened in my life, and I could have arisen out of my sins and walk in a new life on the third week of Great Lent.

The Gospel on the forth Sunday was the miracle of healing a person from the bondage of devil. Even though the teaching was to love each other, I created enemies for no reason. Bible emphasized to love the spouse as one's own body, but I am in doubt. It’s written to bring  the children in God's fear.. But I don’t. Even though I was expected to obey and look after my parents, I don't. Due to many other such cases also,  I understood I am seriously vexed with some form of devil, otherwise I would have followed His teachings. I should have come out of the bondage with devil so that this miracle would have happened in my life on the fourth week of Great lent.

The Gospel on the fifth Sunday was of the miracle of healing the crippled person. It’s written that this person was crippled by spirit, and was healed from the infirmity. I looked at the meaning of infirmity and one of the meaning was ‘moral weakness or defect’. I afraid I can stand straight in front of others due to the weight of infirmity. If I can’t even stand in front of others, what about before God. I should have been in the sight of Him to be cured from my infirmity and this miracle would have happened in my life on the fifth week of the Great Lent.

The Gospel on the sixth Sunday was of the miracle of healing of the blind. I asked myself, am I blind in anyway ? Can I see the requirements of the needy ? Or even though I can see, do I pretend as I can’t see ? Am I keep quite when I see something wrong is going on ? Yes I do. I should have requested Him to open up my eyes and this miracle would have happened in my life on the sixth week of the Great Lent.

Most of those miracles were forgiving the sins to heal the ailment. I realize that I am carrying a whole bunch of other sins also on my back like a donkey  tied in that junction without knowing which path to take ! If these miracles would have happened in my life, I could have seen the glory of God. For Jesus said on Lazarus Saturday that 'Believe, you will see the glory of God'. Even though the six useful weeks have gone, I have another six days of the passion week to transform myself so that those miracles will happen in my life. I will invite Him into my life so that He will ride on me and I will do whatever He tells me  for the rest of the week and beyond to enjoy those miracles and I believe I will be able to see the Glory of God on the seventh Sunday of the Great Lent - Easter Sunday.

Are we ready to be freed from infirmity ?

"..and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.  .. Satan has kept her bound for eighteen long years" (Luke 13:10-17)

We know how difficult it is for a physically crippled person to have a normal life. But what is meant by 'crippled by spirit' ? Is Jesus referring to a mental state of us ? If we look at the meaning of the word 'infirmity', it will be more clear. One of the meaning of the word 'infirmity'  is 'moral weakness or defect'. This women was 'freed from her infirmity' by Jesus. Was her infirmity due to moral weakness or defect which was caused by the bondage with Satan ?

Are we 'crippled by spirit' anyway ? Do we have any infirmity due to moral weakness or defect ? Are we able to stand straight in front of others or unable due to a heavy weight of sin on our back ? Are we going away from Him due to our infirmity ?

If we wish to be freed from our infirmity, we just need to be in the sight of Him. He will call us forward and put His hands on us and set us free from our infirmity. Then we can stand straight in front of others. But the big question is whether we are ready to be in the sight of Him to be freed from our infirmity or we wish to continue to enjoy our state of mental infirmity. I think most of us will go for the first option. Let's be in the sight of Him so that if there is any infirmity in us, let we be freed from that to praise God.

Fifth Week of Great Lent:  Be in His sight to be freed from infirmity.

Are we ready to be made whole ?

"And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." Matthew 15: 21-31

We may think for a moment whether we are grievously vexed with any devil. In the first instance, we are very confident that we are not. Let's evaluate ourselves to see whether we are vexed with devil.

We were taught to love each other and live in harmoney. Are we practicing it even at our own homes. Do we quarell with our spouse, do we quarell with our parents, do we quarell with our children ? Do we sometimes hate them ? If that's the case with in our house itself, then it may be the same outside also. We don't love our enemies eventhough the teaching was that. Even we create enemies for no reason. Sometimes our 'genuine' actions will result in a loss to our friends. Don't these means that we are also vexed with some form of devil ?

Do we have the strong binding with our spouses. The teaching was to love our spouse same as we love our own body. Is it the real practice ? It's written not to breakup the relation which God blessed through wedding. But when the storm of divorce passing through our neighbourhood, are we going to breath it to breakup the blessed relation ? If these are the cases, don't you think we may be vexed with some form of devil ?

God has created us in his own image. Are we looking the same as He created. Due to our own acts, it has changed a lot. We don't care to keep up that image. Is it the devil telling us to forget about the image created by God, and adapt our own ?

Eventhough we know 'truth will set us free', we may not care to tell the truth always. Means, we may be in some sort of bondage with devil.

If we analyse ourselves, we can figure out that we are grievously vexed with some sort of devil. If we request for mercy with faith to be out of this bondage with devil, Jesus promises and showed that we will be made whole from that hour. If we don't request for that mercy, then we may not be in whole, something major and important will be missing from us.

Fourth Week of Great Lent: Come out of the bondage with devil to be made whole.

Are we ready to arise and walk ?

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven..., Arise and Walk..” Mark 2:1-12

All of us know that paralysis is a pysical condition where there is no sensation to one or more of our body part. It may be cerebral palsy, brachial palsy, bell's palsy etc which can be cured only through strong medical treatment. We will be bed riden in these conditions sometimes as a burden to others.

Jesus 'healed' the paralysed man. Rather than telling his disease is healed, Jesus told that his sins are foregiven, so arise and walk. Wasn't this physically paralysed man symbolizes a mentally paralysed person in the present life?

How can one become mentally paralysed ? When we see a person who need our help, are we unable to extent a helping hand ? If yes, we may be affected by brachial palsy or paralysis of arm. When some one need our valuable advice and if we can't provide it or are providing it in such a way to create trouble for him, then we may be affected by cerebral palsy or paralysis of the brain. This type of palsy may also can occur when our brains won't stand against the evils of the society. Are we getting angry when some one requests for help ? Are our facial nerves become tight in these situations ? Then we may affected by Bell's palsy or paralysis of the face. Remember, as a paralysed, we may be a burden to others. If we are paralysed in these ways, the remedy is to go and hear the word of God and live accordingly. If we won't go, some one else who believe in the word of God will take us there, because we became a burden for them or they are fed up with our actions.

I think we are affected by most of the above type of palsys. When we can't practice what is expected of us as per the words of God, then those becomes sins. Don't we need a way out of the 'palsy due to our sins'. Are we ready to arise and walk ? Then we have to adhere to His words with faith by overcoming the toughest hindrances on our way. He will see our faith and forgive our sins. We can arise out of our sins and walk in a new life and won't be a burden to the needy anymore.

Third Week of Great Lent: Arise out of our sins and walk in a new life.

Are we ready to implore Him to be cleansed ?

"a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” [Luke 5: 12-16]

When we read the caption, the first thought comes to mind may be that why should I be cleansed anyway. We are sure that we don't have any problems at all, then what or why to be cleansed. Or why should be compared with a leper. Are we sure that we don't have leprosy of any kind ? I strongly doubt. We may be looking fair from outside, but what about our inside.

Are we pure in our mind: when we meet others; when we talk with others; when we see the needy; when we see the sick; when we see a stranger etc. If not, we may be affected by leprosy in our mind. All of us are happy if we can clean any dirt on our body which will be seen by others. But we don't care to clean the inside as we think it's not seen by anyone. But remember, God is seeing us inside out. We don't usually touch or even go near a leper due to the fear of the contagious disease. Are people around us fear to approach us. Do others think we are not the right person to contact. Do they fear our 'good' nature will put them in trouble. If we are not approachable or touchable by the needy, then  we are also affected by some sort of leprosy.

Don't we wish to be cleansed from this 'leprosy' ? If yes, implore Him and believe He can make us clean. No need for us to doubt whether He is willing to clean us. He said 'I am willing'. He will put out His hand and touch us and say 'be cleansed'. If leprosy can be cleansed in just a moment, can't we assume that we will be also cleansed from all our drawbacks in the same moment as we implore Him.


Second Week of Great Lent: Implore Him to be cleansed.

Are we ready to invite Him also in to our Lives ?

Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. (John:2 1-11)

Everyone may wish that our life should be like a feast. It should be full of happines. There should not be any sufferings. There should not be scarcity for anything. But in reality we are not fully happy; we are having many sufferings; we have scarcity of many things. Is it possible to overcome these  on our own ? Or with the help of the people whom we have invited or contacted to solve our issues ? I strongly doubt.

Along with many people invited to the wedding of Cana, Jesus also was invited. When ever there is a celebration in our life, we invite many people, sometimes the celebrities,  sometimes the political leaders etc. We wish to give a majestic look to the function. We wish others to say that the function was great as many dignitories were present. But did we invited Jesus also to the feast even though He don’t mind to attend the function as one among the invitees ?

Let’s take our life itself as a feast. Have we ever invited Him also into our lives ? If He is present in the feast of our lives, don’t you think He can convert the ‘water’ of our lives into sweet ‘wine’. Don’t you wish to convert your ‘water’ into sweet ‘wine’ ? Then why hesitate to invite Him also into our lives ?

It's not just a matter of inviting Him also into the feast of our lives. But we should "do what ever He tells us". Then we can make sure that He will bless our 'water of scarcities and sufferings' to be converted into 'wine of abundance and happiness'. Won't that is what we need ? I think yes ! If you also think the same, invite Him into your life and do what ever He tells you.

First Week of Great Lent: Invite Him into our lives.

Are we ready to obey, pray, repent ?

God has commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach them to repent. But instead of obeying God's command, he headed for Tarshish. All of us know what happened to Jonah. The same is happening to us in our daily life also. God directs us what to do, but we don't accept it as we have our own plan and go ahead with that. But eventually our plan fails. It's the same saying as 'man proposes, but God disposes'. God disposes our plans only if it is contradicting with His plan. Even if He disposes our plans, He will take care of us. If we fell into traps due to our own plan, He will not allow us to be crushed under it. But remember we will be inside the 'fish' of complications striving to get out. The fish obeyed the command of God not to eat and digest Jonah, but only to swallow, and after three days to vomit him on dry land. The leafy plant obeyed the command of God to grow above Jonah and give him shade. The worm obeyed the command of God to chew this plant, and the sun and wind also obeyed His commands. Are we ready to obey His commands and live accordingly? Let's practice obedience on the first day of lent.

We can get out of the 'fish' if we pray and submit ourselves to God as Jonah did. Jonah testifies that God answered him when he called in his distress; God listened to his cry when he called for help. He promises that he will look again to the temple of God even though God put him through many hardships. He acknowledges that God is the one who lift him from the abyss. Our prayer should also be a total submission to God, same as Jonah's prayer. Our mind and heart should be fully immersed in the prayer. Nothing should distract us. We should totally disconnect ourselves from the worldly feelings. As we are inside the 'fish', we will have only one prayer: 'Lord, please get me out of this situation'. God will deliver us from our sufferings. Are we ready to pray by totally submitting ourselves to God? Let's do a prayerful self-submission on the second day of lent.

Jonah proclaimed to the Ninevites that 'forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown'. After hearing this, they believed in God; a fast was proclaimed and they put on sackcloth and prayed. They did not taste, and eat and drink anything. They gave up their evil ways and violence. The above proclamation by Jonah is aimed at us also as we are more or less the same as the Ninevites. Remember the words, 'forty more days, and we may be overthrown'. The countdown has started! Are we ready to repent like the Ninevites? As the King of Nineveh took off his royal robes, let's took off our luxuries and live on the necessities and pray. Let's fast like the Ninevites. God excused the Ninevites as they turned away from their evil ways. He will also forgive us just as he forgave the Ninevites. Let's repent from the depth of our heart on the third day of lent.

Even though the deadline for Ninevites was forty days, God blessed their generation to last for another century and half, because they obeyed, prayed and repented. God is giving us a chance to obey, pray and repent, to get blessed. Let's make use of it during these three days of lent and beyond so that our generations will last forever.

"As Thou didst answer Jonah, answer us who call on Thee.
Thou redeemest those from wrath, Ninevites who called on Thee."

Are we ready to go and see Him ?

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (John 1:43-51)

We may have issues relating to our job, children's education, marriage, illness, poverty, and so forth. When we have these sufferings, usually we stay apart from the crowd. We start cursing our fate. We may not pray, as we have the same above question in mind as of Nathanael, even if some of our friends tell us to pray to God. We may not mingle with others or we may prefer to stay at home in solitude same like Nathanael sitting under the 'fig tree'. Nathanael was expecting the savior. We also are expecting our lord to solve our issues, but only waiting for Him. But He has seen us sitting under the 'fig tree' with our sufferings. For giving us the relief, Jesus calls us through His disciple 'come and see'. But are we ready to go and see Him even though there is an invitation ?

Let's decide to 'go and see Him'. How should we be to see Him - "be a righteous in whom there is no deceit.” Even though there is an invitation to see Him, neither the venue nor the date and time is mentioned. It's an open invitation. We can go and see Him anywhere and anytime. Let's see where and when we can see Him ? Have we saw a hungry person who need food ? Have we saw a thirsty person who need something to drink ? Have we saw a stranger who need help or a place to stay ? Have we saw a person who need clothing ? Have we saw a sick person who need our care ? Have we visited a prisoner who need our love to transform ? If yes, many a times we have seen Him, but unfortunately may not have identified Him. Even then we definitely may have got a feeling that our sufferings are nothing when compared to the sufferings of these people. That itself will boost our morale. Imagine how much they will be happy if we solve their problems. Definitely it will be more than the happiness we receive when God solve our small issues. Let's fulfill their requirements as a righteous person without any deceit will do. Then we can make sure that we had seen Him . For He said "whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for me.’ (Matt 25:31-46)

What is the benefit of going and seeing Him ?  Our Lord promised that "We will see greater things; We will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The angels will go up with our problems, and come down with solutions as blessings to the sons of men. It's a promise from our Lord to us. Let's go and see Him to be showered with blessings as the heaven will be opened when we go and see Him.

Are we ready to be in the catch for Him ?

Jesus said, “I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17
Everyone knows that the simple meaning of the above verse is a divine call to discipleship. I think there is another very important message implied in this verse. It's best for every one to be a disciple. But if one can't, why can't be at least in the catch mentioned in the above verse.

All of us know the benefit of getting a catch of fish. If a catch of fish have that much benefit, then how much more will be the benefit of a catch of people. Imagine it yourself.

It seems from the above verse that Jesus is looking for a catch of people. Is there any reason for that ? If we relate the word  'catch' to the 'cache' in computer science, the reason will be clear. In computer science, a cache is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The greater the number of requests that can be served from the cache, the faster the overall system performance becomes. Otherwise, if one have something abundantly in hand,  those resources can be utilized easily and speedily if a request comes for the same. If Jesus have a cache of utilizable people in hand, the request from the needy can be easily and speedily fulfilled on this earth itself. If people on earth helps the needy, then the request need not reach Him; But He will be glorified by the needy, as that request was fulfilled from His cache. If He can feed five thousand people with  a catch of two fish, imagine the number of people who can be fed with a catch of useful people. Fish will satisfy the hunger, but people can satisfy the need for food, cloth, shelter etc; I mean almost all the necessities of the needy.

Let's be willing to share ourselves to care others. Let's be in the catch for Him so that He can use us from the cache, rather than continue to be a 'big fish' out of the net.

Are we ready to prepare the way for Him ?

"Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him." Luke 3:4

Are we ready to prepare the way for the Lord as John the Baptist did?
John echoes the words of Isaiah the prophet "Prepare the way for the
Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become
straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God's
salvation."

John explains clearly (Luke 3: 10-18) what we should do as he explained it to the crowd.

Are our paths straight? When we deal with others, do we have a
straight approach. John doubts, for he says "make straight paths". Let's
make straight dealings. Are our heart and mind a fruitful valley? John
doubts, for he says "every valley shall be filled in". Our heart and
mind should not be a barren valley. Let's fill out hearts with love and
compassion so that it will be fruitful. Are we like mountains and hills
with keeping our head above all others. John knows it, for he says
"every mountain and hill made low". Let's bow our heads before others.
Are we like crooked roads, or rough ways? John thinks so, for he says
"crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth". Let's get
out of the crooked roads and rough ways. Let's be straight forward so
that everyone around us can mingle with us without fear.

John does not say to 'make the way', but he says to 'prepare the way'.
The way between Him and us is already created by God. We have only to prepare it, so that He can come to us.

If we prepare the way for the lord, what is the benefit? "..all
people will see God's salvation". As John emphasizes, the benefit is not
only for us, but for all the people.

Let's prepare the way for the lord in this new year. Let that be our new
year resolution so that all people will see God's salvation.