Everything is Grace

Stay with us.

13 Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles[a] from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 [b]but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?”
... They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer[c] these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” 33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them 34 who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.-Luke24:13-35

Everything is grace. It begins with grace. It ends with grace. Seemingly, it is the disciples who invited Jesus to stay with them. But the truth, Jesus is the one who invited them to Him. Without the disciples knowledge, Jesus secretly knocks in their hearts as He interpreted the Scriptures to them. Surely, something is stirred within them as they listened. And they responded to this 'hidden grace' by inviting Jesus - a stranger in their eyes at the moment - to stay with them. With the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened making them witnesses too.

It is true that Jesus knocks in our hearts always. How then should we respond? Are we going to open? Or, are we going to ignore. Remember, the disciples who went to Emmaus seemingly struck gold when they asked Jesus to stay with them. What could Jesus be bringing along as He knocks in our hearts?

Image courtesy: St. Takla

See and Hear

When there's smoke, there's fire.

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.-Matthew2:1-12

The Gospel reading is beautiful, simply beautiful. Except for one thing - no one else followed the star except the magi who followed it right from the start. Most people are alert when something or someone disturbs the peace, even if it is a rumor, gossip or indeed a tangible fact. In the olden times, when a person comes and challenges a king's or queen's right to rule, it spells disaster and chaos. Aren't we all familiar with the War of the Roses? Aren't we all familiar with Mary Stuart's claim to the English throne during Elizabeth the First's rule? Surely Herod was more than disturbed when magi came looking for a newborn king of the Jews - a rightful heir to the throne - considering that he (Herod) doesn't have royal blood or any little legitimate claim to the throne of Israel save for his marriage to Mariamne. What to do then with the baby? But what's saddening the most is the seemingly oblivious state of the chief priests and teachers of the Law. Surely they wondered who these magi are. "They came looking for a newborn king of the Jews?" "A star led them here?" "Can we not join them to see this newborn infant king of the Jews?" If they have been waiting for the Messiah, why then did they not express enthusiasm for the Messiah's birth or a little bit of joy or a little curiosity as to what the whole affair was all about? Why did they not follow the magi?

The Gospel's invitation for us is to look upon ourselves and ask how ready are we to respond to the invitation of God. Do we delay? Do we respond immediately? Are we oblivious to it?

Image courtesy: artist