Sin...

 Sin...

16.05.2025

Dear friends,

Good evening.

Yet again am back to disturb you from your 'slumber'... Bear with me and go through it and let me know your critical comments, if you have any and if you don't mind.

As i was reading 'Hope' - The Auto Biography of Pope Francis, was struck by few things, especially of his stand on *sin*...

There in Chapter 11, page 114, he says, 'I am a sinner. This is the fairest definition...'

However, with due respect to him and his stand, i seek to differ which need not be interpreted as a claim to 'saint'hood.

In the same way quite many think that they are mere *servants* as in "It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” (Lk 17:10).

Though Jesus came to John to be baptized, it was *not as a sinner* as is evident from John's saying, “I ought to be baptized by you, and yet you have come to me!” and a voice from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.” (Mt 3:14,17).

Now, let me invite your attention to some seemingly earliest and authentic sayings in the Bible. With regard to man, it is said that "God *created human beings, making them to be like himself*. He created them male and female... (Gen 1:27).

"I am the Lord your God, and you must *keep yourselves holy, because I am holy*... You must be holy, because I am holy."

(Lev 11:44-45).

Coming to the New Testament, Jesus says, "You must *be perfect — just as your Father in heaven is perfect!*" (Mt 5:48).

Again he says, "*I do not call you servants... Instead, I call you friends*... (Jn 15:15).

Along with him, he asked to pray to God addressing him, "...*Our Father in heaven*..." (Mt 6:9) and thereby treating us his brothers and sisters. Also he gave his disciples as sons to his mother and vice versa,

*“He is your son... She is your mother.*” ("Jn 19:26-27)

Also he who claimed to be the "light of the world' (Jn 8:12) reminded us that we too are "... *the light of the world*... (Mt 5:14).

Listen now, to what Peter had to say, "But *you are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation*...(1 Pt 2:9).

In spite of the above sin seemingly has become a 'sine qua non' for religions, especially institutionalized ones and their priesthood which claim to 'mediate' between the holy God and 'unholy' men and women. And this mediation is effected through rituals and liturgies, of course trading with it, forcing Jesus to chase those engaged in it, ordering, "... those who sold the pigeons, “Take them out of here! Stop making my Father's house a den of thieves!” (Jn 2:16).

Now, let's call to mind what Jesus taught: "But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long.

Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him." (Mt 6:6-8)

Again his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well further underscores this: “My Samaritan ancestors worshipped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God.”Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants." (Jn 4:20-21,23).

And the Bible traces this sinfulness back to the 'first parents', calling it *original sin*! (Gen 3:1ff) which a great author like Mathew Fox in his book, 'Original Blessing' dared to call original blessing as the title indicates. (Even St. Augustine called it *felix culpa* in the context of redemption in Jesus).

'To question' and for that matter 'to try' implying 'disobedience', changing the 'status quo', 'paradigm shift' etc is quite human and as such natural. This is what Jesus hinted at while saying, "... a grain of wheat remains no more than a single grain unless it is dropped into the ground and dies. If it does die, then it produces many grains. (Jn 12:24).

It is called 'trial and error' which has stood as the fountain head of all dreams, imaginations, inventions, philosophies etc.

And the greatest of dreams is that of the *Kingdom of God* of Jesus. Every prophet for that matter is a dreamer. Humans evolving into the divine itself is a dream. And that's the call in Lev 11:44-45 and Mt 5:48.

Let's make the dream of Jesus our own and try our ingenuity to realize it in our context here and now in the local church of Trivandrum. Thanks.