GOOD NEWS!

September 21, 2010
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Matthew 9:9-13

Good News and Bad News:

“Good news is bad news, bad news is good news, no news is bad news”. This is the journalistic principle on which the media firms operate. This media law implies that good news (positive stories, pleasant happenings) is bad news for media, for they do not spiral subscription (audience)ratings. Bad news (negative stories, war, kidnapping, terrorist acts, violence and sufferings) is always good news for the media firms for they have the highest viewership ratings and there by they bring in the highest revenue. Media feeds on bad news--breaking stories--on which people are hooked. No news (news blackout, status quo, peaceful situation) is bad news for the media firms because such situations bring them little revenue. This “news principle” is based on the human tendency to magnify what is perceived to be bad, evil and unacceptable. Indeed, our media today thrives on bad news. And humanity seems to be happy being hooked on to bad news.

Against such “culture of bad news”, Jesus came ushering in a culture of good news. The story of Jesus—the Gospel is the Good News. Jesus not only gave us the good news of the Kingdom of God, He also became the Good News for us. Indeed, the message and the person of Jesus are identical, and hence is the Eternal Good News for the entire human race.

We celebrate today the feast of Mathew, the Apostle and Evangelist. Mathew was drawn to the Good News that Jesus is, accepted the call of the Gospel and became a proclaimer and channel of the Good News as he encoded the Gospel for the generations to come.

But not everyone thought of Jesus as good news. When the sinners, outcasts, tax collectors and the untouchables sensed the presence of God in Jesus and were happy moving with Him, eating with Him and making friends with Him, the Pharisees and scribes saw Jesus as a bad news. They were shocked by the scandalous behavior of Jesus in being friends with the sinners and sharing intimate moments with them in their table fellowship.

The Triple Hearts:

The story of the call of Mathew is a revelation of the heart of God, the heart of the sinner and the heart of the Pharisees.

The Heart of Jesus:

Jesus is comfortable with the socially outcasts and the public sinners. He feels drawn towards the repentant sinners so much that He recognizes His purpose of incarnation as one exclusively for the sinners. He feels welcome and acceptance in their midst. He feels happy when the sinners turn to Him. He opens His heart and reveals His mercy. Merciful and compassionate is the heart of Jesus. His heart delights not so much in sacrifices and prayers, but more so in mercy and compassion. This is why He dared to do the unpopular and “scandalous” in calling Mathew, a tax collector into the inner circle of His disciples, to be with Him and to be sent out. In the call of Mathew, Jesus is calling all the sinners to Him. The heart of Jesus is the ultimate refuge and solace for all the sinners. Now I have hope, I am welcome and accepted in the presence of God. A repentant sinner is the Good News for Jesus.

The Heart of a Repentant Sinner:

Even as the repentant sinner is the delight of the Lord, the heart of the repentant sinner is open for the grace and mercy of God. Mathew knew his identity in the society as a tax-collector. He does not seem to be too happy living with that identity. His heart longed for more. And He found Jesus. Or rather, it was Jesus who found Him. At the spark of His grace, Mathew’s heart leaped for joy. Jesus called Him, he responded with gratitude. Mathew had a heart so simple, unassuming and receptive. His heart was full of gratitude for the immense mercy Jesus poured on Him. In calling a man like Mathew with a history of disrepute, Jesus did not make a mistake. The Divine heart of mercy found a receptive, humble, generous heart of a sinner. Mathew became a good news for Jesus.

The Heart of the Pharisee:

The Pharisee is a symbol of self-righteousness. His self-imposed image of being the standard bearer of the society and the prince of God makes him arrogant and rude. The norm of perfection is himself. Such great pride in his heart impels him to be a perennial critic of everyone other than himself. This is why He would think that he is holy, so holy that even God Himself is unholy. His heart feels bad that Jesus is imperfect because He makes friends with the sinners and eats with the “unclean” people. His heart is closed to the light of Christ and the streams of grace. Mercy and compassion have no place in his heart. He feels that he is so good that He does not need the grace and forgiveness of God. His heart is beyond redemption. Jesus finds helpless in saving such a heart. Indeed, His mercy is for the sinners, those who consider themselves sick, in need of His healing grace.

Points to Ponder:

What heart do I have? Do I have the heart of Jesus, a heart full of compassion, mercy and love? Do I have the heart of an Apostle and evangelist, delighting in the heart of Jesus, grateful and proclaiming His grace? How open and receptive is my heart towards the forgiving grace of the Lord? How eagerly do I long for and how spontaneously do I give up my “sinful practices” at the call of the Lord? In what areas and situations of my life do I exhibit the pharisaic heart? How do I handle the itch to criticize everyone and demand that everyone should conform to my attitudes and mentality? Am I a promoter of Good News or bad news?

BLESSED SINNER

September 16, 2010
Thursday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 7:36-50

Categories of Sin

Sin is generally categorized as mortal and venial. We have been taught from our childhood that we need to confess our sins and seek forgiveness, especially those that are mortal. Mortal sins, we know are grave sins. Those who commit mortal sins, we brand them as “sinners” needing repentance. The mortal sinners are easy to be identified. Most of them might be publicly accused, tried and punished in the civic court. This is why those committing mortal sins have been identified as public sinners.

Our general attitude towards venial sins is one of complacency. We say, we all commit mistakes (although, there are many who would even claim that they are perfect, without sin, the world around them is sinful, though), but it is due to the human weaknesses. So it is ok, understandable, tolerable, acceptable for us to do ‘the little sins’. Our logic is, any way we always live in grace and so we are absolved always.

But Jesus does not make such a distinction of sin as mortal and venial. For him, what we consider as venial could become mortal, and what we consider mortal can be venial. This is why He re-interpreted the Ten Commandments, “you have heard in the past, murder, and anyone who murders will be liable to judgment. But I tell you, anyone who is angry with his brother will be brought to trial, anyone who calls his brother ‘you good for nothing’ and raqa (‘you fool’) will stand before the senhedrin”(Mt 5:21-24), and again, “you have heard that it was said, ‘do not commit adultery’, but I tell you, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5: 27-28). Indeed, for Jesus a sin is always a sin. The gravity of the sin is not in the nature of sin, in the external manifestations and attributes we perceive, but in the ‘perception of God in His infinite wisdom. Because of this Jesus warns us time and again: “do not judge others” and “leave judgment to God”.

Categories of Sinners

Even as Jesus does not categorize sins, He does categorize the sinners. For Jesus the sinners are of two kinds: self-righteous sinners and repentant sinners. Human nature is characterized by sin and grace. Where sin raises its head, Grace abounds. The very purpose of the coming of Jesus was to deliver us from the powers of sin. In God’s eyes, everyone is a sinner needing His forgiving grace and ineffable mercy. Yet, not everyone would open their hearts to the grace and forgiveness of God. Only those who would see themselves as great sinners wallowing in the clutches of evil, helplessly crying out for the redeeming grace of God can receive the forgiveness and strengthening grace that flows from the heart of Jesus. The Pharisees in the Gospel considered themselves righteous, leading good, holy and pious lives, deserving the grace of God. They felt themselves so good that the presence of the sinners made them uncomfortable. They even questioned the “morality” and integrity of Jesus who moved with and made friends with the sinners, and now enjoyed the ‘touch, kiss and love’ of a sinful woman, a “prostitute” at that. The Pharisee was shocked that the “sinful woman” dared to enter the presence of the “holy people”. But, Jesus knows the heart of the “sinful woman” and the “self-righteous man”, and reveals His heart that loves more a hardcore sinner who repents than a “self-righteous sinner” who never feels the need of repentance.

Blessed Sinner:

Sinners are not only welcome to Jesus; they are rewarded with more love. It is a difficult proposition of Jesus to understand that those who are forgiven more are loved more, and those who are loved more are forgiven more. So, more love is revealed in more forgiveness. Forgiveness is shown in more love. The woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears of remorse went home with a heart full of love. And Jesus made her a model worth emulating for all the ages. The Pharisee, who was self-righteous, a publicly acclaimed good religious, went down in history, a person who needed more repentance, more forgiving grace and mercy. To tell someone that I love him/her is to ask her for forgiveness and to say with all sincerity that I forgive.

How do I measure my love? Do I forgive more and seek forgiveness more even as I claim to love more?

Do I feel complacent in my sinfulness that “I commit only venial sins”? How often do I make a good confession?