Shameful Christianity (Part 2)

Reference Passage:

Hebrews 13:10-14 (NIV)
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We will only look at certain aspects of the Day of Atonement, not forgetting the fact that there are several other rituals we shall disregard for the moment. It was required of the whole nation to accept the realities of sin and the loss it brings, offering sacrifices to secure God's mercy. The High Priest was to kill one of two goats and approach the Most Holy Place, sprinkling the blood on the Mercy Seat (the cover of the Ark of the Covenant).

Wait a minute! How would killing an animal equate to forgiveness from God? I wonder if the Israelites ever asked themselves this. A dead animal appeasing the Lord God, Who is Eternal Spirit? An angry God retreating at the mere sight of animal blood? To my mind, there arises no plausible explanation in a literal sense. However, an understanding is clearly seen in figurative and symbolic language. Those of the Old Testament men of faith, who did ponder this question, soon arrived at a conclusion.

Sick of the vileness within himself after murdering an innocent man, David sang thus in the famous Psalm 51:

“You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17; See also Psalm 40:6)

The singer saw the harsh reality that many a sacrifice had been offered and many a lamb slain, without any true remorse or afterthought on the part of the worshiper. The sinner had repeatedly stifled the grim questions that presented themselves at the gruesome sight – Where did that sin come from? Could this mean that there is evil within me? Do I conveniently kill an animal each time I sin? Is this dead animal, the true price to restore my fellowship with the Lord? If so, then why is the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle with the Shekhinah of God, still veiled from my sight?
If an animal was the true price of his sin, sings the Psalmist, he would gladly give it. He understood that God was looking at the heart of the worshipper, and not merely at his act of worship. The head-banging, heart-rending, feet-thumping 21st century worship, seems to repeat history, as we have clearly failed to learn from the mistakes of the past. David has an implicit question to ask of us, as we claim the salvation through Jesus Christ and stand in God's Presence: What's on your mind when you worship?

I've been amazed at the fact that Sunday is the most vital day of the week, and yet we zoom through with no questions asked. This is probably why God remains a visiting professor who comes to stir our conscience twice a year - at Christmas and Easter. And now, we don't even want Him there because Santa Claus and the gift list, are more important.
As I watched the flurry of activity around me at Christmas time, whether online or in the media, I was surprised that Jesus Christ found little or no mention. After all, if the Lord stood in the way of a 'Merry Christmas', away with Him - we're perfectly joyful without His help, aren't we?

Furthermore, it was the same David who went on to pen the prophetic Psalm 65 wherein he pointed to God's ultimate intentions, inspired by the Holy Spirit:

“Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.” (Psalm 65:3)

David understood that the prevalent system of sacrifices of that time, was only a pointer to the 'Sacrifice of all sacrifices' that was to happen later in history, by God's epochal intervention in the affairs of man. More importantly, we must understand that such lofty themes did not drop from the sky on a rainy day. These words had so much to do with the daily realities and inner hungers that David faced. David found it so necessary to know God's mind behind the veil - there was a seeking and hence, there was a finding. How different from us!

Probably, the clearest indication of the coming sacrifice was recorded by Isaiah in his prophecy of the Messianic Passion (chapter 53).
“...it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring and prolong His days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

After the suffering of His soul,
He will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by His knowledge my Righteous Servant will justify many,
and He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great,
and He will divide the spoils with the strong,
because He poured out His life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.

For He bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

Jesus Christ has been the topic of debate around the world. Some claim to have seen Him in Kashmir, having come to learn from the Brahmanas and the Buddhists. Others believe He was a true communist, 'with a religious twist'. Others, such as Dan Brown, declare knowledge of Jesus' progeny carrying on His name in various parts of Europe. Deepak Chopra claims that He came as a spirit guide to lead us into 'God-consciousness' irrespective of our religious background. Still others say that He was an inspirational teacher and politician, who was killed by His jealous enemies.

Whatever the argument may be, it will help us to remember that Jesus did not come to fit into your opinion or mine; rather, He came to validate that unique plan that had already been sketched, years prior to His birth, in the pages of Israelite history by the Old Testament prophets. Again, it was not a blueprint prepared out-of-the-blue, on a spur-of-the-moment decision that conjured up a supporting rationale in the aftermath. Instead, it was the Divine wisdom of Eternal God and the poverty of man that lent a backdrop for the entrance of the greatest individual history has ever seen – the 'God-man' Jesus Christ.

(To be continued...)

Shameful Christianity (Part 1)

Reference Passage:

Hebrews 13:10-14 (NIV)
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a world that wants to see life only in rainbow colours, the words that serve as our reference text might appear gloomy and depressing. I wonder what effect they had on you as you read them. Isn't it strange that there are passages in the Scriptures that we shy away from? Take a look at Christian homes and you'll understand what I mean. You'll find placards of varying sizes that cite verses of promise, hope and faith adorning the walls. However, I'm yet to see one carrying this beautiful passage from the book of Hebrews.
Personally, to me, these are verses that carry a Christian's statement of purpose and mission in life.

Like a master painter, the author captures the struggle between two essentially different lifestyles, with a few strokes of his pen. To get a clearer picture of the passage, one must first connect to the author's line of thought. For this, we must travel backwards in history, to the time of the Tabernacle – the ancient age of Moses, the Israelites and the Mosaic Law. We must investigate the mysterious rituals of their worship to unravel the threads of meaning that underlie our text. In fact, the study of the Jews, their history and culture is a fascinating adventure in itself. Think of this: did you know that an orthodox Jew would spell “G-O-D” as “G- -D”? You read it right, they omit the 'O' on purpose! I'll leave it to you, to find out why.

Yom Kippur is probably the most sacred holiday of the Jewish people. People who give no regard to any other holiday, are still highly likely to turn up for synagogue services on this day. The Old Testament gives the name 'Day of Atonement' which is what Yom Kippur literally means. The rules for the Day are laid down in the book of Leviticus chapter 16. Though there are traditional variations in specific details, many interesting aspects are consensually held as valid in the observances of this day.
Sin has been mankind's ubiquitous problem all the way from Eden's Garden and the people of Israel were no different.
Have you wondered as to why this nation became so important to the pages of the Bible, like no other? Coming to think of it, there remains a unique aura around its affairs to this day – be it military might, economic capability or intellectual capacity. True or not, there is a widespread feeling that the Israelis possess much more than they tell and the shroud of mystery only adds to the gossip. Before we get carried away in awe and praise, let's look at God's rationale in elevating Israel to prominence. Moses says in Deuteronomy 9:5-6: “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
In short, it was no merit of their own, that made these people special. Rather it was God's grace and faithfulness to His promises that made all this possible. Even then, this isn't by any means a denial of their uniqueness – no other nation d had the privilege to discover God and receive His revelation directly, as did Israel. However, the bottom line is, even this “peculiar people” had to struggle with the reality of sin in their lives.

It was for this reason that an elaborate system of sacrifices was unveiled. In fact, does not the very existence of a priest, to stand on man's behalf before God, make it obvious that there is something that separates God and man in such a way that direct contact is not easily possible? Think further on this: the very word 'sacrifice' means “The act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform.” Two realities emerge from this: firstly, there is a mistake involved. Secondly, there is a surrender or loss involved.

Did you know that we are reluctant to accept either of these, when we approach God in worship? The classic example of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector (seen in Luke chapter 18 verses 9 to 14) is highly relevant to the modern 'worship circus' age where performers direct worship and applause to themselves. It is so easy to forget, as did the Pharisee, that every mistake, big or small, sits naked before God's eyes (Psalm 90:8). The consequence inevitably follows: ignore sin and we eventually disregard the loss that it brings. This becomes the first step in weaving a web of self-deception that gradually makes it unnecessary for God to certify worship. Hence, many of us return home every Sunday, satisfied that God has heard our prayer, when in reality, we may have actually missed the mark.

(To be continued...)

Ruth - Grace has the final say!

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 4 Read it here

Perhaps, the word 'redemption' which is the keynote of Ruth's story, seems a little mysterious to many of my readers. Literally, the word means 'the act of purchasing back something previously sold'. What I've been trying to do, is to draw analogies between the redemption in Ruth's saga, to the redemption of humanity, as accomplished by Jesus Christ according to the Bible. In a way, I'm also suggesting that Ruth's life and legend, as preserved by the Jews, was intended to stand as a shadow of what was to eventually happen in history, through the death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

The big day has arrived. The scene of action is the entrance to Bethlehem city where as we learned earlier, the 'Citizen Justice Council', if I may call it so, gather to discuss cases and disputes. This day, the members have gathered at the behest of Boaz, a rich Bethlehemite, to decide the matters concerning the property of the late Elimelech, another of the same family and city. As we are familiar by now, the only surviving members of Elimelech's immediate family are his widow, Naomi and his daughter-in-law, Ruth. Having sold their property in the face of poverty some time ago, they had moved to the neighboring country of Moab. Having lost everything in the process, they stand in home country seeking to return to their inheritance, helpless however as they have nothing to help them buy back their sold out property.
Ruth however, went around seeking food and came upon Boaz's field – and that was where the whole matter turned around. One thing led to another and finally, upon Ruth's request, Boaz decided to shoulder the responsibility and settle the case once and for all.

However, redemption rights belonged first to the closer relative, as Boaz pointed out. On being offered the opportunity, he readily agreed. However, on learning that the deal involved marrying Ruth and having to name her child heir to Mahlon's property, he backed out. Boaz faithfully snapped up the opportunity without wasting another moment – indeed, he was a man of his word.
Do you remember Naomi's gentle words at the end of the previous episode? “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
If you have read the New Testament, one of the most thrilling promises of our Good Boaz, Jesus Christ, is to return and take us away to be with Him (John 14:1 - 3). Right from the early days of the Church, word went around that the same Jesus Christ who had been seen ascending to Heaven, would return in like manner for those who eagerly awaited His coming. In fact, during the periods of intense persecution that racked the first century Church, hope was one of the fundamental elements that sustained the hunted Christian.
It also helps to understand that the Church's interest in the Lord's return is only inversely proportional to its materialistic passions. History bears witness that when either of these desires rise, the other has to bow down and give way. The more attached the Christian to the Lord, the less attached he is to the fading glory of the temporary. The more attached he becomes to the temporary, the eternal loses its meaning and significance in his perspective. Often wondered why we have little interest to kneel down for an hour of prayer when we could spend double the time and effort on the phone? Its important for us that we learn to give 'the things of today' merely their due attention, and nothing more.

Moving further along the lines of thought, man's deliverance from sin has been a major focus of God's plan all through history. As we learned the last time, God's first step towards this was to show man the wickedness of his own heart. The coming of Jesus Christ signaled the next phase of God's salvation plan. His death on the Cross revealed the true price of man's folly in God's eyes. At the same time, that very price, which no man could hope to pay off, was paid once and for all. The Lord Himself said, “...whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) Hence, we now know that man may surrender his life into God's hands, who promises to shoulder the responsibility of redemption, just as Ruth trusted in Boaz.

But wait a minute! Does that mean our redemption is complete? What is our current position in the salvation story?

Some people claim that trusting in Jesus Christ today means that perfection has been attained. This teaching is otherwise known as 'Perfectionism'. These people believe that the innocence of the Adamic Age in Eden, prior to the fall, is immediately restored. Some among them claim that a Christian cannot fall ill or become poor. A great wave of prosperity-teaching has been spreading across the globe, never lacking popularity due to the obvious fact that materialism is at its very heart. I say this because, most of the Gospel presentations I see today is merely a watered-down soup that says, “Come to God if you want to be blessed. Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and there's a great life just waiting for you – come on and enjoy the blast!”
If the sinner fails to realize what his fundamental problem is, he will not understand what the doctor's diagnosis and medicine is all about. The result? Churches get flooded with multitudes who have probably never experienced the rebirth into God's family – you never see the need for it, if you never understand what sin is.
I remember raising the issue with an 'enlightened' soul recently, who felt that it was I who needed a 'fuller' revelation of the New Testament. He said that there was no point in telling a poor man his sin because he's already in the dirt, its better to tell him that God will take care of his financial problem. This is strange because if wealth was the issue, Christ need not necessarily be the answer. You have the lottery, self-management gurus, pilgrimage to Miracle Centers and a horde of other options, which have nothing to do with Jesus Christ or His message. Besides, what then about the rich man? Since he's rich already, does he not need God anymore?
The best was yet to come – this man claimed that since he came to believe in the Lord, he has not had to use medicine for the past 2 years. He believes that all true believers have a total 'exemption' from sickness of all kinds. I barely refrained from popping the question that came to my mind – what about the toothpaste we use every morning?

Sometimes we get so carried away with our feeble interpretations of Scripture that we try to twist truth to fit our perceptions. I remember the words of Dr. Ravi Zacharias who said, “Either your Christianity will carry you. Else, you will carry your Christianity. After a while, it becomes a tiresome exercise because its impossible to carry the Infinite.”

The New Testament points to the fact that we're in a position similar to Ruth, somewhere between the end of chapter 3 and the middle of chapter 4. Having believed in Christ, we have placed our hope upon Him and we await the completion of the good work that has been set in motion by His Divine Grace.
When writing to the believers in Ephesus, Apostle Paul writes thus: “In Him(referring to Jesus Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14)
Those of us who are already familiar with Ruth's background will be in a position to grasp the meaning of the above text. Paul is obviously referring to a transaction that is to be completed in the future. He notes that the purchase has been made by paying the necessary price and sealed to make evident its destination in God's plan. When Ruth placed herself into the redeeming power of Boaz, he kept his word and completed the formalities of paying off the debt. Now comes the union of Boaz and Ruth in matrimony that will finally end Ruth's journey in search of a new identity.
Similar sentiments echo with regard to the Christian's spiritual experience in the following passages of the New Testament: Romans 3:23-25, Romans 8:23, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Colossians 1:13-14 and Hebrews 9:11-15. One thing is certain: coming to Christ is just the beginning of a journey, and not the end of it!

All of this sounds like great theory – but there is a problem. We find Christians all over the world, still awaiting the return of the Lord who promised, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) The wait, in itself, is a severe test of faith, that has now lasted almost 2 millennia. Through the centuries, Christians have been no strangers to persecution and suffering. After all, doesn't the whole thing sound a little silly, now that so many years have gone by and there seems to be no sign that these extraordinary claims would come to fruition? Humanly thinking, I can understand the enthusiasm of the early first century Christians who had had the opportunity to walk with the Lord personally or at least be taught by close eyewitnesses. The great miracles, the fiery preaching, the love of fellow brethren and much more besides, may have contributed a sense of reality to the believers of that time. But what now? Could it have been merely a passing illusion like the many fallen ideologies of our day?

As the Christian wrestles his own gnawing doubt within, he finds solace in the pages of the New Testament that resound with hope of a different kind. Read the much-persecuted Paul's second letter to the Corinthians as he explains his unwavering faith in the midst of difficulty - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) These are the words of a man who had been repeatedly beaten, imprisoned and chased from city to city, for his faith. Yet, he chose to label his difficulties 'momentary'. Why? He says that he's experiencing a renewed strength in his 'inner man'. Sounds strange and self-contradictory, doesn't it? Why should one search for something that can't be seen? Read further Paul's words to the Romans - “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24) He explains in his letter that redemption through Christ, has given him a taste of the wonderful things yet to come - “the firstfruits of the Spirit” - and that foretaste keeps him going.

As Christians, we may have thought that the whole 'funda' is in the 'Christian' label and the weekly pilgrimage to the local shrine. The truth is God desires that we move on from the realm of 'facts and figures' and come to a daily 'tasting' and definite experiences of His good gifts in our lives – particularly spiritual. We may not know or recognize our own spiritual needs and that's part of our problem. There's definitely more to life than what meets the eye. A life void of such rich personal experience in relating to Jesus Christ, soon finds itself tossed about and broken in the waves of doubt and despair.
In his famous hymn 'Come Thou Fount of every blessing', Robert Robinson penned his own internal struggle in the following stanza:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Back to Ruth. The ending of the fourth chapter comes on the wings of a beautiful blessing pronounced by the elders and all the others at the gate, recalling God's amazing grace in their own history. The history of Judah is testimony of the fact that in spite of man's vested interests, God in His mercy, turns things around and causes light to shine in our darkness.
The author of the book ends the recorded genealogy with King David. Interestingly, Mathew, tells us better details of this unique family tree in his Gospel writings. Mathew chapter 1 tells us that Ruth's second mother-in-law was none other than Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho, who aided the Israeli spies (Mathew 1:5)! Rahab is another prime example of how someone with a regretful past found forgiveness and healing, in the quest for the true God. Whats more, the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth, comes later in the lineage - “...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Mathew 1:16)

Behold the great things God has wrought! The story began with a backsliding family that soon tottered on the brink of extinction. Then began the search of a strange woman for God and a desire to break with convenient worship, that culminated with redemption in a foreign land and a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. All of this stands as a gentle lesson of God's Love and Grace that still shines for those who would make it a point to sacrifice status quo for the Truth.

I close with the following words of Jesus Christ:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Mathew 7:13-14)

Ruth - Until He settles the matter (Part 5 of 5)

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 3 Read it here

Kindly do not forget to seek the Lord's help to grasp the text.

An interesting incident happened in Economics class during the 5th semester of my undergraduate engineering studies. Many of us had the habit of coming late to class owing to the fact that our teacher was, in many ways, a very patient lecturer. As is usual, liberties are bound to be stretched and some of us began to arrive casually halfway through the period. Despite gentle reminders and rebukes, we failed to mend our ways. Frustrated, one fine morning, Ms. Padma remarked, “Boys, all of my efforts at an external control can never make headway, as long as there does not exist an internal control within you.”
Myself, a latecomer at times, I began to turn this statement over and over in my mind until I better appreciated the depths of the statement.

Ever wondered why we needed a policeman to direct the traffic, if sticking to the rules is the best thing to do? Is it not because we humans have an uncanny tendency to break the rules? Very often, the bad habit comes to us more naturally than the good. I've never had to teach my younger brother how to lie, but getting him to speak the truth takes quite a bit of effort.

Lets consider a slightly different angle of the matter. When I shine the above thought into my own heart, I begin to wonder as to who has the right to tell me what's right and what's not. Can I not decide for myself whats morally correct? Oh yes! I may; no one can stop me from this. However, think of this: suppose I have the bright idea one morning to drive on the opposite side of the road. The trouble is, the policeman can not sympathize with me just because I was convinced that I was doing the right thing. His job is to uphold the law of the land that dictates which side of the road I am to drive on. At the end of the day, clutching a hefty fine, I'm still undecided as to who was right and who was not.
Hence, some may suggest that we ought to let the Government decide for us what is right for us and the best bet on fair governance might be a democratic system. Here again, I'm fine as long as I'm backing the winning horse but what if I'm not? My country, India, is a case in point. We've often witnessed how heeding a politician's pre-poll eyewash has only resulted in betrayal, the morning after.
There is a point at which human logic appears to bow down before its own inability to define morality. The courtroom is often the scene where this happens. Take for instance, the O. J. Simpson murder case that gripped American imagination, way back in 1995. The following links should give you a fine idea as to what I'm driving at.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson_murder_case
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/Shapiro.htm

Argument upon argument, and counter-arguments to battle them, could not lead to a clincher. Even today, those of us in the gallery might scratch our heads in dismay and shrug off the whole thing like it never happened – except for the family of the slain, for whom the thought that the true killer evades justice, is a dagger to the heart.
The problem here is, our best laws and brightest lawyers, are powerless to coax the heart into cooperation and soon our arguments rise to a different arena – the battlefield of the minds, where only arguments and wordplay dominate. Have you observed how our debates and discussions, whether minor or major, soon descend to an 'argument-for-the-sake-of-argument' realm and all end in stalemate? Both sides know that a look at the heart would be uncomfortable, so each retreats to the refuge of the mind where contentions may be safely manufactured by the dozen.

In the end, we are back at square one with the nagging question: Who decides what's right and wrong?

The Bible gives an account of how, many centuries ago, a multitude journeyed from Egypt(in Africa) to Canaan(in the Middle East). They were led by Moses, a man appointed as leader by God Himself. The full record of this epic journey spans the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. On the way, through Moses, God handed down a rigorous code of conduct for the Israelites to adhere to all their lives, now known as the Mosaic Law. As I said earlier, God deals with humans on the basis of covenants and the Israelites were no different.
God prepared a 10-point charter, as the foundational agreement on which the Mosaic Law would be based. We know this covenant today as the Ten Commandments. Years later, Moses recounts to the nation:“So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.” (Deuteronomy 4:13-14)

However, in spite of the exciting experiences of witnessing God's power and receiving His commandments firsthand, the people of Israel found themselves slipping into sin, time and again. Each time, God's justice necessitated punishment and in their pain, they often returned with tears and repentance. Nevertheless, their sincerity was short-lived and soon, they were back to their old ways. Even those who tried, found themselves swimming against the current and often failing. Eventually, the psalmist reached the following conclusion in Psalm 130: “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (verse 3)

Apostle Paul captures the classic struggle of the God-seeker in his letter to the Romans:
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”
(Romans 7:15-20)
As did the men of old, Paul discovered that the struggle with sin was a more internal affair than an external one. He pointed out that, although he knew through the Mosaic Law what was right and what was not, he failed in the face of temptation hence implying the urgent need for an inner change. In the face of a weak self, the First Covenant could do nothing more than rightfully condemn every wrongdoer – in short, every human being – of crossing God's boundaries.
The God of the Bible is revealed to be a fierce hater of sin and punishes sin with a separation from His Presence, inspite of the unchanging fact that His love for the sinner continues. This is as plain as the fact that light and darkness fails to coexist.

God made this evident in the Garden at the court hearing of Adam and Eve. The transgressors were banished from the Garden by Divine decree. As you turn the pages of the Gospels, you find Jesus repeating the words, “There is weeping and gnashing of teeth outside...” in His parabolic teachings (Mathew 8:12, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, Luke 13:28) – ever wondered what this means? An obvious explanation lies in the state of today's world – having been cast out of God's presence, all of humanity seems to move in vicious circles of pain and hatred right from the days of Adam and Eve.

Behold what the First Covenant has accomplished! If then, every sin leads to judgement and separation from God, does not every human being, ourselves included, stand with no basis to claim the blessings of the house of God?

Much later, a priest named Jeremiah, and other prophets like him, began to foresee the coming of a New Covenant that would work differently as compared to the First. Inspired by the Spirit of God, he penned the following words sometime about 600 B.C.:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
The modus operandi is different here – no more is the law merely an externally imposed system, rather it is written on the pages of the heart itself, supernaturally enabled by the delivering work of God Himself. Would such a person seek the loophole in the absence of external policing? I think not.

A few centuries later, the author of the book of the Hebrews picks up the strand in a very different light. In the first century A.D., from the legalistic confines of a Jewish nation, a small band of people broke out, choosing to be known by the name of their so-called radical leader, Jesus Christ. Their claims were no less radical – having been put to death by the Roman government, Jesus had miraculously risen again from the dead, they claimed! Sure enough, they were met with stiff resistance and persecution, as they preached and practised theories that were seemingly contrary to conventional Judaism.
Seeking to encourage the struggling Christians, he patiently explains how Jesus Christ came to fulfill the First Covenant in its truest sense, and not to contradict it. Look at the Spirit-inspired words that flow from this pen:
“...He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the First Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:15)

Presto! Our thoughts come a full circle. We began with Ruth's journey towards a fresh identity. The issue of the inheritance of her dead husband, sold out in the face of famine, gradually emerged. En route, we glimpsed man's own need for redemption – a redemption from the power of sin within, and the separation it brings. Having sold himself for the vain pleasures of the moment, he stands helpless to regain the lost inheritance God had originally kept for him.

Helpless...unless our good Boaz steps in to make the difference!

Having approached the master with the symbolic plea to take her 'under his wing', Ruth is assured of his help. Naomi now asks her to wait “for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day”. (Ruth 3:18)

God seems to one of the few who has still not been affected by the digital revolution and 'the iPod 3-click' syndrome. He still believes in such words as 'wait' because His timing is so different from our own perception of time. It is unfortunate that our obsession with speed seems to manifest itself even in matters of salvation and repentance. We might sometimes believe and teach that 'a sinner's prayer' and weekly attendance at church meetings is all it takes – but the Bible puts it differently.

We ought to be asking ourselves this: Is our spiritual life being governed by assumptions of salvation, when in reality our haste may have caused us to miss the internal transformation and liberty promised under the New Covenant?

The story of Ruth continues...

Ruth - Until He settles the matter (Part 4 of 5)

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 3:1 - 5 Read it here

As always, my humble advise is to refrain from proceeding until you seek the Lord's help to understand the following text.

It will help us to recall that God calls us to satisfaction. Yet, we often misunderstand this satisfaction that God expects us to come to. See what Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17) When the Lord asks us to take up our Cross and follow Him, we agree. Along the way, He caters to our need and gives us something that will help alleviate the difficulties of the day. When its time to move on, He exhorts us to take fresh steps into the deeper realms of His Grace wherein He may continue to mold us according to His plan. Yet, we are so caught up licking the candy wrappers that we forget what we initially set out to do. We expect a constant pampering and our shopping lists only get bigger with time. How you noticed how much our prayer time is consumed by our needs? Of course, God expects us to approach Him for our needs. But, I must warn you – something is wrong somewhere if this conveniently eats up all our time spent with God.
What about God's need? Does He not have a plan in calling us to this Grace in which we stand? The New Testament makes it evident that our prayer topics are largely different from those of the saints of old. Several of Paul's prayers are recorded in his letters to the churches and its clear that his priorities were very different. Let me quote just one of those from the epistle to the Ephesians:
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:15-19)
Do we even have the maturity to understand what Paul is praying for?

Remember: The Lord doesn't ask us to be content because He doesn't have enough stock to supply all our needs – rather, His best treasures are of a different kind. The kind that caused Graham Kendrick to pen the following words, quoting from Paul's epistle to the Philipians:

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wars to own
All I once thought gain, I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing...

I now pick up the thread I left with you last week. Ruth now stands with the offer to continue in Boaz's fields till the end of the harvest. In a little while, Naomi brings up another issue of greater significance: “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?” (Ruth 3:1) Ruth is reminded that her status has not essentially changed – poor Moabite widow. Merely gathering food from Boaz's fields cannot change her identity even though she desired to be one with the Israelites (Read 1:16).
What about us? We've probably had the privilege of being born to orthodox parents. We've attended church services from our very early days. We contribute generously to church work. Above all, we have been blessed with prosperity, education and family which we acknowledge as blessings of Grace. In fact, we often point to our blessings as evidence of belonging to God's family.

I must raise an uncomfortable question here – if indeed prosperity is evidence of belonging to God's family, what about the many around the world, who in spite of an abundance of wealth, choose to wallow in moral filth? Then again, what about Christians worldwide who follow Christ even in the midst of abject poverty?

Have we indeed undergone a real identity change in the eyes of God? Most importantly, where do we look for information – should I ask the pastor? Or my parents perhaps? Friends? The Pope?
A simple illustration given by the Lord Himself should suffice. Read His words in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The Lord makes it clear that when His words become the foundation of our lives, and not the words of man, a life that cannot be shaken will take shape. If indeed man speaks with the same solid basis, we will do well to obey. But we better make sure (Acts 17:10-12).

Naomi's words now serve to shift the focus of Ruth's life – from the mere fulfillment of existential needs to a deeper issue at stake that is, the redemption of the family name and inheritance. I wrote earlier that Elimelech's name stands on the verge of extinction as both of his sons died without producing any offspring. Naomi being beyond the age of child-bearing and Orpah having left the household, a lot hinges on Ruth.
Yet, here lies a plain reality – Ruth cannot, of her own, fulfill the redemptive act just as much as she cannot produce a son of her own.

The reality in our lives is no different – in spite of enjoying God's goodness, there is a voice within that's urging us toward a deeper relationship with Him. Have you observed how, at times, you look at your wealth (or lack of it), studies, career or relationships, and wonder where all these are taking you? You keep asking yourself the question 'what is the purpose of my life?' and suggest various answers to yourself – yet, none seem to satisfy.
Raise the banner of love and you quickly have a 'rainbow' crowd gathering in its shade. Nevertheless, at the end of the rainbow, we've often seen a bitterness that calls into question our definitions of love. Some say that they're doing all they can, for their kids. However, recent stories appearing in the media raise troubling questions as to whether the effort is worth its weight. Career is paramount for some others but the reigning economic depression exposes the sad fickleness of wealth. In our minds, we trace our path which seems to go in frustrating circles until we come to a gaping pit that seems to draw everything into its blackness – the mysterious black hole called Death.

How we wish we knew what lies beyond that blackness! If indeed there is hope beyond the curtain, it makes sense that securing that future is worth the effort. If only someone could go in and return to tell us all! Here again, something becomes crystal clear – we're asking for something which no man can accomplish! We may see travel agencies promise exciting holidays to the remotest paradises on earth. But, I ask, who can secure my seat to the Eternal Paradise of God?

As that inner voice eggs us on, we stand reluctant to take a step of faith forward. Here lies a great crisis – on one hand, we hope to discover God and His promises of eternal life; yet, we also desperately wish to hold on to certain 'prized' possessions. Lets ask ourselves: where are these treasures taking us anyway? I recall the words of the Lord Jesus: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mathew 6:19-21)
As Naomi outlines a plan for her, Ruth responds with obedience and exemplary humility. Naomi points to Boaz and says that with him, lies the power and the will to redeem their broken estate.

What of us? Do we not see our Good Boaz of the New Testament who has given us hope? Death could not hold Him in the grave and He is risen to rule and reign forevermore. With His unique perspective of life from every possible angle, He can infuse a fresh and lasting meaning into our lives found nowhere else. Its one thing to experience His mercies in our lives, its quite another to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. The God of the Bible is very particular about that word: covenant (or agreement). He never gets into 'deeper' dealings with anybody without a covenant.

Behold – at the Last Supper of the Lord with his disciples, He spoke of His impending death upon the Cross in very specific terms. Read Mathew's account of the event:
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ””
(Mathew 26:26 – 28)
Christians worldwide remember these words each week at the Eucharist or the Lord's Table. We all agree that the Lord's death upon the Cross is the foundational event on which our faith is based. But what is this New Covenant all about? In that case, what is the Old Covenant and why did it have to be done away with?

As I leave you with these questions this week, I must remind you that many of us have only touched the threshold of God's house. As we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit gently welcoming us into God's presence to begin a relationship with God, may we not be satisfied with the mere blessings of the Giver – let us run on to lay hold of Himself and the desires of His heart.

To be continued...

Ruth - Until He settles the matter (Part 3 of 5)

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 2 - Read it here
Do pray for grace and understanding before you proceed.


The very first piece of advice Boaz has for Ruth is “Listen!”. If we take a look at the chamber that is our mind, we'll find a great commotion there – there's our parents on one side, our friends on another; there are certain 'special' friends who take yet another side. Read the newspaper and a thousand opinions jump at you and myriad philosophies vie for attention. You are caught in the middle and pulled in every imaginable direction until you finally wonder, “What is right? What is wrong? Everything seems right, everything seems wrong.”

Now, to conclude that everything is false would be self contradictory. If indeed as the mystic says, “All things are maya”, may I safely conclude that the speaker himself and his enlightened words are also a passing illusion and nonexempt from the statement? This is as good as having said nothing at all – he should have kept his silence, in the first place. On the other hand, can everything qualify as truth? This is an equally untenable position. A nice illustration by Dr. Ravi Zacharias comes to my mind. He tells of a parabolic walk in the park with his wife. She is visibly pregnant and a friend walks up to them. “Expecting a baby, are you?”, he asks. Imagine that Margie(Ravi's wife) nods while Ravi shakes his head in disagreement. What would be the result? The friend would definitely conclude that there is a misunderstanding. He would never walk off thinking to himself that both of them are making perfect sense. In that case, we conclude that both truth and fallacy exists and we must strive to discover and distinguish the two.
As human beings in the 21st century, I think 'good listening' deserves prime time in our prayers to God. At the time of Jesus' ministry, multitudes thronged to hear His words. Once, a small group came to Him for a private session as they had failed to understand the parable of the sower (the passage is seen in the gospel according to Mark chapter 4). The Lord's words in verse 11 are noteworthy - “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables.” 'Those on the outside'... of what? Now that's an interesting question to ponder. I can remember the many years I spent hearing the Word of God and thinking that everything was just about good stories – my definition of a good preacher was one who could narrate interesting life incidents or crack witty jokes. To my childish mind, that was what mattered and held my attention the most. Once the Lord began to change me and show me what the Kingdom of God was about, the nature of the Word itself changed – it became a mirror where I could see myself each time I approached it. It was the yardstick to measure how much the Lord had established His rule in my heart because that is where His Kingship begins. Here, we understand that one way to find out whether we are inside the Kingdom or outside it, is to assess our relationship to God's Word – are we the good listeners who'd keep going back to the Lord with our doubts? Or do we fool ourselves with the all-knowing 'I can't be wrong' attitude?
A little geography lesson is now necessary. In the olden days, cities were usually built according to a certain pattern. The residential areas put together would have a huge wall surrounding them and this constituted 'the city'. Outside the city walls, lay large expanses of open country which were often called 'the fields'. We find many references to this in the Old Testament particularly in the book of Joshua, Judges and Nehemiah where the phrase 'the city(or town) and its surrounding fields' is amply used. This was probably why an enemy surrounding a city could quickly cut off the food supply and force a surrender. Take a look at the happenings of 2 Kings chapter 6 verses 24 onwards. The city's main gate was also an important place of activity, often the scene of settling cases and disputes. This is where the elders of the city sat and administered justice according to the Mosaic Law. We find references to this in the book of Deuteronomy(for instance, 21:19, 22:15) and even in the Proverbs (31:23). (This is by no means a comprehensive description, rather it is a generic explanation to set you thinking.)
The fields were divided among the residing families on the basis of lots and it is into 'the field belonging to Boaz' that Ruth comes.
The merciful master's second advice is to stay on in the field and not go elsewhere. Security seems to have been an important concern as both Boaz and Naomi caution Ruth of the possibility of assault. Within this field, the workers are under Boaz's supervision and he guarantees her safety while he has no assurances whatsoever of the situation elsewhere. Even as you take your first steps of faith and experience the Lord's goodness in your life, His desire is that you would stay on in a sustained relationship with Himself, His workers and His field receiving joyfully whatever He has to give you because He “plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Other fields might temporarily seem more tempting and attractive but here in the field of God, God offers that which is best for your body, soul and spirit and not fading flowers of pleasure.
Even as Ruth is urged to stay on, Boaz next tells her to 'watch' and learn(verse 9). Ruth was expected to learn the ropes and become something more than a mere passerby. The Lord also requires us to watch and learn carefully from God's people. I must emphasise the word 'carefully' because Christianity today is not what it used to be or ought to be and much caution is to be practiced in learning from it. Several cult-like movements are springing up by the day besides the already extant rot. On the other hand, the Lord keeps for Himself a remnant who have been beautified by the righteousness which is in Christ. Both groups have their voice and yet, like Paul warns Timothy, it seems to be the cancer that spreads fast(2 Timothy 2:17). Learn we must, but to do it well is also an important issue. I believe its necessary to get the whole picture rather than some small aspect of it that seems to suit our bias.
Boaz then goes on to say, “Whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” In my life, I've often struggled with a weariness that seemed to weigh me down, from time to time. This is because living for the Lord means making tough decisions and sometimes, I question myself whether all this effort is worth it - “Why did I start off on this lonely road?”, I ask myself. However, each time I feel this 'pulling down', the Lord refreshes me in different ways. Whenever we feel this restlessness, we must never try to hide it or suppress it. Take it to the Lord while also confiding in someone who's experienced in the ways of the Lord. I'm sure the Lord will always keep 'jars of water' to refresh you in the course of your onward journey. You must remember that He is the One who proclaimed, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mathew 11:28) Need we then drown ourselves in entertainment, sex, drugs, alcohol or cigarette smoke to escape the pangs of our soul?

Hence we conclude our discussion on the goodness of the Master of the field, the first and foremost of its specialities.

Building further upon this, we arrive at the second distinction of this field: it is a place of grace and acceptance. Boaz instructs his servants never to approach Ruth in an unfitting manner, and to make her stay as comfortable as possible. Once again I must highlight the danger of the Moabitess' identity in an orthodox exclusivity-driven community, yet here Ruth is welcomed into the field with open arms. Switching places to the New Testament, we must ask ourselves: did God intend the Church to be the perpetrator of such acts as the infamous Crusades of the Middle Ages? Did God wish that the Church be a group of righteous perfectionists who claim moral superiority over every other 'Gentile'? I've been surprised to hear even Indian Christians refer to people of other faiths in like derogatory fashion and I ask if they aren't Gentiles themselves, except for the Grace of God that makes them the 'Israel of God'. More importantly and relevantly, does God desire the Church to be the voice that preaches hatred towards other religions (particularly Islam) in the name of political prophesy?
For the Jewish mind, the foremost concern was the inheritance of the Promised Land right from the days of Moses. The disciples were no different and they expressed their concerns to the Lord in the first chapter of the book of Acts. In the words of Luke, “So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ” (Acts 1:6-8) The question was politically charged seeking the end of Roman rule. The answer the Lord gave here is significant and simply brings out 2 facts: the disciples were not to unnecessarily concern themselves with politics and more importantly, their primary task was to be His witnesses, by the power of the Holy Spirit, everywhere. Witnessing never works if walk and talk do not go hand in hand – you can't claim to love people and then, only invite Christians to dinner. Besides, I see in the Lord's sermons themselves, a far greater emphasis on man's nature than anything else. So then, who gives us the right to redefine priorities?

Boaz's field has another important distinction: Ruth finds satisfaction here (verses 14 & 18). Satisfaction is indeed a tough thing to come by today. Ever felt the intense desire to buy something, only to find a little later that you needed something better – more for the feel, than the genuine need? Insatiable hunger in various aspects of human life have drawn quite a lot of people away from the view that God had in mind for His creation. Be it pleasure or money or materialistic pursuits, man has seen history repeat itself because he fails to learn from it. Life disintegrates into a meaningless mish-mash when the central threads intended by God lie forgotten in ignominy. The rope we cling to, hoping for salvation, slowly slips out of our grip. Sadly, even this only makes us clutch it dearer until we, at last, tumble into the hopeless abyss of death. Poets talk of 'soul death' when one continues to walk and talk, yet becomes completely unable to experience any trace of emotion, so long abused in the search for happiness – a mere shell of physical matter.
The question is: Will I ever come to someone(or something) who(or that) could ultimately completely satisfy my needs? A place where I may lie back and say, “No more to seek...here is satisfaction”?
Many years ago, a multitude came to the Lord Jesus to hear what He had to say. They stayed on for several days and then there arose a logistics crisis – the Lord wanted the disciples to arrange food for the crowd numbering in the thousands. The little that they managed to gather, they brought to the Lord and after blessing it, the distribution committee took over. At the end of it all, the historian summed up aptly with these words, “So they all ate and were filled.” (Luke 9:16-18)

As I close this week, may I stress that Ruth's initial motivation to enter this field was just a search for food and nothing else. Till this point, at the end of chapter 2, this reality has not changed as far as Ruth is concerned. Life still revolves around the issues of basic survival needs, and that's fine.
The same remains true of us – in spite of originating from diverse backgrounds, we've come in contact with Christ and His Church. We experience the Master's goodness, love and acceptance in His family and satisfaction of our every need. Good.

However, is this the end of the story? Don't the remaining chapters of this short book have anything to add to the picture already presented by the opening 2 chapters?

May the Lord continue to bring His Good Word to us till we see its fullness.

To be continued...

P.S. I must apologize for the severe delay in updating the blog. It was only now that I finally found the time after many days of travel and 'business' that kept me away from my desk. I thank the Lord that in spite of our forgetfulness and weakness, He remains faithful and the Giver of Eternal Life to all who are needy.
I sincerely hope and pray that such delays will never occur again.

Ruth - Until He settles the matter (Part 2 of 5)

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 2 - Read it here
Do pray for grace and understanding before you proceed.

Our curtains rise this week, to reveal a certain barley field. If you look carefully enough, you will notice a young lady working hard, among a group of harvesters – as you would remember, it was the time of the barley harvest. She doesn't seem to be the kind who takes her work lightly and she has not taken the frequent coffee break, or the tea break, or the many other 'breaks' we use as an excuse for laziness. She's new to the field and stands out from the routine crowd – she is Ruth, the Moabitess who's in search of a fresh beginning in life.

Last week, we began a short search into the identity and nature of God's field, that is His Church. In his writings on the Christian family, Paul explains thus in his letter to the Ephesians - “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27) Several truths come to light in these words. God's Church is not a building or a place – rather, everybody who accepts the love of God in a covenant relationship and the subsequent process of change in their insides, are the members of the true Church. Most importantly, we deduce the aim of the Church - “to present her to Himself” - and here lies the core of the message. God's Church is NOT about man deciding for himself, the meaning and purpose for life itself. It's about seeing the blueprint that God has revealed through Jesus and accommodating oneself there. Ultimately, this turns the whole focus around – we've always heard of 'God for man' but here in the Church, we truly implement the reality of 'man for God'. Again, this 'man' is not one who decides the time and the place for God's Will, but rather gives himself completely to fulfill God's definitions for everything in life which is why the New Testament talks about the importance of 'the now' (2 Corinthians 6:2).

When such people gather together, they gain for themselves a very different identity – the privilege of becoming God's family. We refer once again the letter to the Ephesians and see Paul's beautiful description in chapter 2 verse 19 - “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.”

Now that I have painted a clearer portrait of what the field symbolises, I think you must be already figuring out Ruth's parallel identity. Ruth represents each of us, who, in the light of the Truth, now find ourselves foreigners and aliens to God's system. It may have become clear as we waded through the former thoughts that we're so far away from the ideal. Once more, I must remind you how important it is to react the right way to uncomfortable questions – do not attempt to hide from them.
Hence, we stand as a stranger in God's field, eagerly trying to somehow pick up some grains of truth. Picture Ruth approaching the supervisor and asking humbly for permission to glean and gather in the field. Having obtained his agreement, she sets to work knowing full well that her opportunity is precious; in fact, she impresses him with her ceaseless effort except for a small break. Can you and I now put ourselves in Ruth's place and figure out how we would behave? We come to a Church meeting as if we're there to do our weekly shopping – get all that you want for the week ahead and put in a few cents into the offering box. After all, for the rest of the week, we want nothing to do with the Lord; don't we say all along that we just don't have the time? Even when we are there, we act as if the Church is our property – we always want to sing the songs that we like, hear the preaching that we like, pray the prayers that we know, shake hands with the people that we're comfortable with – it appears as if the Church exists to fulfill the Christian's agenda.

To keep a long story short, Ruth's presence and demeanor in the 'strange' field caught the attention of the owner. What more to say, at the end of the day, Ruth was invited to stay on and having grasped the immenseness of the offer, she wholeheartedly agreed. I see at least 3 factors that sets this field apart from any other and these have served to influence Ruth's decision.

Primarily, the owner of the field, Boaz, was a good man. Seeing the plight of the broken family, he extends a hand of mercy to the young Moabitess. Hereby, I must introduce the owner of the field that we have been analogously pondering over. Our earlier references to 1 Corinthians and Ephesians reveal that God Himself is the owner of this field; besides, the Lord Jesus has paid a price to acquire it. His goodness is captured well in several portions of Scripture. Lets look at just one of them in Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Can you imagine that? It was the Lord who said thus in John 15:13 - “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Indeed, to consider us His friends when we were not so – with a long history of disobedience and rebellion that's behind us, we come to a realisation that there's nothing in ourselves that could have secured His friendship. This is why Charles Gabriel penned the words:

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

Naomi puts it beautifully when she remarks in verse 19, “Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” May these very words season our worship of the Saviour.
Boaz was a man of great wealth and our Good Boaz is no different. I'm sure that those of us who walk with the Lord, have often availed of the plenteous reserves of Grace that help us meet our intrinsic insufficiency to meet God's righteous demands. For instance, there was a time when I struggled to obey my parents. Whatever they said seemed to make no sense and violated my own understanding of things. On top of this, their frustrations at my behaviour often culminated in verbal outbursts which was 2-way, of course. I found it hard to bear the fact that they didn't seem to understand me. This conflict went on and on until at last, the Lord through His Word opened my eyes to see the importance of honouring my parents. Trusting in Him, I began to totally humble myself and obey everything that they said. This humbling was so unnatural to me and only His help took me through. I'd do this even when it appeared contrary to my perspective. Praise God! The results were amazing and today, apart from the relationship I have with my Lord, one of my greatest treasures in life is the relationship with my parents. This by no means imply that their judgement is infallible; rather, I'm able to handle conflict of interest with great calm and always in the light of God's Word. Hear what the Lord had to tell Apostle Paul in the face of weakness: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Thirdly, Boaz was a kinsman of Elimelech and a close one, at that. This became a deciding factor in the light of a more important issue that surfaced after a while: the redemption of Elimelech's property. I'll discuss this in greater detail later.

For the moment, we must give our attention to the words of advice Boaz has for Ruth: “My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” (verses 8 to 9)
How do these words bear upon our spiritual lives? Is there anything that we may glean from these lines? Think upon them and may the Good Lord send His wisdom to enlighten you and dispel the darkness of your minds and souls.

To be continued...

Ruth - Until He settles the matter (Part 1 of 5)

Reference Passage:
Ruth chapter 2 - Read it here
Do pray for grace and understanding before you proceed.

Our leading ladies walked into Bethlehem, literally translated “the city of Bread”, at the beginning of the barley harvest. As is characteristic of closely-knit communities, Naomi and her companion became the talk of the town. To all the excitement around her, Naomi responded on a sour note - "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." Does Solomon's proverb in Proverbs 19:3 - A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD – apply to Naomi's case? I wonder.
Henceforth, my thoughts will divide into 2 parallel strands as I draw insights into our search for God, meaning and redemption, so many centuries after Ruth's own journey.

Soon, Ruth decided that it was time to go out in search of food. She knew that she had to depend on someone's mercy for this – as we remember, Naomi had no fields of her own. Yet, I find it significant that she carried no attitude whatsoever as it wouldn't be surprising for traditional enemies to find each other repulsive. As Indians, whether we admit it or not, there's something that bothers us each time 'Pakistan' is mentioned. That's just one example of the many things we silently loathe in the secrecy and privacy of our minds. However, Ruth maintains a steady posture of humility throughout.
We might often pride ourselves on the fact that we're born into a Christian family and feel we're somehow automatically destined for heaven. There are so many distressing thoughts that pop up from time to time, yet we choose to press them all into a forsaken corner, hoping that we may never have to deal with them. Is God real? No one has seen Him after all. Could Jesus Christ be the only true God? What about all the others? Maybe they're all the same, just named differently according to man's convenience. Besides, isn't God just a concept that human beings rely upon for comfort? What about all the evil that has been perpetrated in the name of God? On top of it all, how could there ever be a good God when there's so much of evil and suffering in the world?
Hence, we struggle, back and forth, in our minds and at the end of the day, we're not really sure whether we'll make it to the Promised Land or more importantly, whether we really want to be there. Some of us reach the conclusion that these questions may never have an answer and so choose to hide behind them and embrace atheistic and agnostic world views. Some of us make up our own answers and hold on to them all our lives.

I found out that each of these questions have a meaningful answer; however, what is more important is our attitude to them. In fact, each of these betray a vital longing that arises from our innermost being – a desire for meaning in life. In that case, can you and I dictate our own meaning for our existence, a self defined purpose? May I reiterate what I wrote in the previous article: if the Universe is ultimately meaningless and void of any external input of intelligence whatsoever, all of us are just saying that with all of our Science and Technology, we're making sense out of nonsense. Isn't' that ridiculous? We attempt to make sense of things because there is sense to be made.
So then, if meaning does exist and is not to be decided within ourselves, and our search points to Someone who externally acts as a point of reference for all extant meaning, don't you think our perspective and attitude needs a humbling? A humbling that arises due to circumstances similar to Ruth's – for the fact that we, like Ruth, have to fall upon someone's mercy? Do we have a sincerity to tell that Someone our blindness? A confession that makes it plain “I don't know”?

Now, Ruth happened to come by a certain field. None of us know the hows or whats or whys, but it happened and I praise God, it did. This happened to be a field like no other and once there, she never left.
Fast forwarding to the New Testament, Apostle Paul reveals that the Church is God's field (1 Corinthians 3:9). The mention of the word 'Church' conjures up different mental images in our minds. Probably, a grand building with ancient paintings comes to mind. On the other hand, some people contend that wherever Christians gather for worship, is the Church. To my mind, all that's in line with the Class 6 Moral Science textbook, but a far cry from God's own idea. Look at what Apostle Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians - “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (3:16) It almost sounds as if he were pointing to each of us and asking the same today. Its perfectly possible to be associated with a building and yet be miles away from the reality of this verse. Your name might be in the register of a local Church building but if you haven't become the temple of God where the Spirit of God chooses to dwell, I assure you, you're not a part of God's church.
Please read the first 3 chapters of 1 Corinthians and try to get a clearer view of God's perspective of the Church. In my own life, understanding this unique perspective was no easy thing to grapple with for it exposes my ignorance and cuts into my prejudices. Its so easy to deny the reality and live carefree. In spite of this, the call that grips me resounds time and again in the Holy Writ - “Let My people humble themselves.” (Refer 2 Chronicles 7:13-15, 2 Samuel 22:28, 2 Kings 22:19, 2 Chronicles 12:7, 34:27, Ezra 8:21)
Understandably, we may raise the question as to why such a humbling becomes necessary. Evidently, each of the above, besides many more, discovered the harsh reality that the Lord of heaven and earth, is no Santa Claus. He is a Righteous Judge and He is a consuming fire (Psalm 7:11, Hebrews 12:29).

Can you imagine how different our classrooms would be if the students could realise their own limitations before criticising their teachers? I'm not suggesting that our teachers are always right - rather the point is, we tend to get carried away in our judgemental attitudes that we fail to give the teacher or the subject, the respect due unto them. Eventually, we become convinced that we know better than them all and that is where we indeed become unteachable. Our demands then need to take the backseat and an eagerness to learn should cause us to hold on to every precious drop of information that may come our way. Is our spiritual life any different? I think not. We ought to ask ourselves if we are indeed good listeners and learners, that God may instruct us in His ways.
In the face of yet unknown realities, let not our puny intelligence and grand calculations hold us back from a sincere expression of humility in the presence of the One who is Omniscient - All Knowing. Then, may that humility be woven into the very fabric of our hearts to diffuse into every area of our lives and not merely sit on our lips, lifeless.

To be continued...

Ruth - Till death do us part (Part 2 of 2)

Reference passage:

Ruth chapter 1:1-18 Read it here
Always remember: Pray before you begin. I know its repetitive to write this each time, but a lot lies there.

Wave upon wave of sorrow began to beat upon the family, we befriended last week. First it was Elimelech, then it were the sons' turns to depart. Naomi was heartbroken. Nevertheless, refreshing news made its way to the bereaved household – the Lord had shown His goodness to His people once again.
I wonder if the thought of returning home was a particularly tantalising one for Naomi for she had to literally start from scratch. They sold their property before setting out for Moab and it wouldn't be easy to buy it back. (More on this later) Besides, things looked very bleak for Naomi – the Moabite girls were not likely to marry within the family and perpetuate the family line. Jewish Law upheld the institution of 'levirate' marriage wherein a dead man's childless widow was to marry a brother, or another near relative. The firstborn from this marriage was reckoned to the name of the departed. Thus this son was to inherit the property of his acknowledged father, rather than his real father. This ensured that the property of the Israelite people would not fall into strange hands.
In that case, this was probably THE END for Elimelech's name in history. When Naomi finally died, a family was going to be wiped off the face of the earth for lack of representatives.

Somehow, Naomi mustered the courage to back home. However, she wouldn't encourage her daughters-in-law to follow suit. In verses 8 to 13, she makes it plain that there is absolutely NOTHING more she can offer them. This is very interesting. Think about this: for most of us, relationships come to a standstill when we realise that there is absolutely nothing we're getting out of the deal. “Do I really need to take this forward? Does this person truly matter to me? Why go to all this for nothing?”, we stop and ask ourselves. Faced with this very possibility, Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye. We cannot blame her – I think we'd do the same given the choice.

The big surprise came from Ruth – she refused to yield to her mother-in-law's words and stood her ground. Given Ruth's background, this is highly amazing. A Moabite youth in Israelite country? From Naomi's words in verse 15, I gather there are at least two very good reasons for her to go back.
Firstly, nothing beats the comfort and prosperity of being at home. Those of us who've stayed away from our parents before we settle down in life, might understand what I mean. From my own hostel days, I still remember my longings for the “familiarness” of home. The food, my room, the presence of loved ones close by, the guidance that trusted people could offer, even the language – staying away was not an attractive affair. For Ruth, this would additionally mean the prospect of a good marriage with a Moabite boy.
Secondly, and maybe more importantly, the convenience of worship: Moab's gods might offer an easier pattern for worship than the Lord Jehovah of the Hebrews. Was Ruth to forsake the gods of her fathers and all the rituals she was “used” to?
Faced with the prospect of making a decision for God, we often choose to hide behind this subtle aspect of our lives: convenient worship. People ask me, “Do you think my parents were wrong in what they taught me? Does God not understand my limitations?” I remember once asking my Christian cousins why they went to a church meeting on Sunday. Quick came the cliche reply: “To worship God.” Digging a little deeper, I questioned if they would have done the same had they been born in a Hindu or a radical Muslim family. No answer this time.
In short, we are all dancing along to the convenient worship of our fathers without bothering to ascertain whether we are in the way of the truth or not.

All the same, Ruth stands as a testimony to the contrary. I'm unable to fully pinpoint from the passage, what triggered her decision. But one thing is crystal clear: she was determined to get a new identity. Her words in verses 16 and 17 emphasise her rock-solid conclusion. Most interestingly, she goes on to say to Naomi, “Where you die, I will die, and there I'll be buried.” She was not even planning to leave the land of Judah after Naomi's death! Do I conclude this to be an extravagant love for a mother-in-law? I think the rationale goes beyond this.
Whatever the reasons may be, Ruth was going to be identified with the Israelites from now on, and not otherwise. If this meant a lack of comforts, so be it. If this implied a radical difference in worship, so be it.

Finally Ruth binds herself to the relationship in the name of the Lord of Israel - “May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Christian marriage vows borrow from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer wherein the man says to the woman and vice versa, “I M. take thee N. to my wedded Wife/Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance.” In fact, many civil ceremonies grant the liberty to omit “till death us do part” or to make any similar opportune correction. Its no surprise that like most other vices in society, divorce happens because “its there”. Like some say, opportunities are not meant to be wasted.
For Ruth, breaking the commitment automatically necessitated punishment from God's hands. Here, I wish to revive my earlier thought that Naomi had absolutely nothing to give her. Nevertheless, this young Moabite woman had set her eyes elsewhere. For her, commitment ranked higher than benefit and that's a lesson worth learning in a wanton world.

As we shall later see, this was just the stepping stone for a miracle to happen: Eventually, Ruth entered the home of another like minded woman, who had forsaken her past to live with God's people. Together, they became the ancestors in the human lineage of the greatest individual history has ever seen – the man Jesus Christ.

May I close with an appropriate illustration courtesy Dr. Ravi Zacharias. He explains the possibility of two scenes at an airport enquiry desk.

Scene 1:
Man: Excuse me, I need help.
Receptionist: Yes, how may I help you?
Man: I think my suitcase has been stolen.
Receptionist: Sir, how did it happen?
Man: I had just left it there, at that coffee table, and gone to pay the bill. When I returned, it was gone.
Receptionist: I'm afraid you're right, sir – its lost.

Scene 2:
Man: Excuse me, I need help.
Receptionist: Yes, how may I help you?
Man: I think my suitcase is missing.
Receptionist: Sir, how did it happen?
Man: I checked in my baggage at your counter in the City Terminal yesterday. I've just found out its still not arrived here. Here's the reference number.
Receptionist: We'll immediately check this out. Rest assured, sir, we'll find it for you at the earliest.

Do you notice the difference?
We're still holding on to our lives, desperate to live on our own terms. How then, can you and I approach God for the problems in our lives when our lives are not committed into His hands in the first place?