IN GRATITUDE WE STAND ALONE

Gratitude is a choice of our heart. It is a choice to stand apart and may be at times to even stand alone. The story of the ten lepers is very familiar for us. They were united in raising their voice to Jesus. The sickness knew no boundaries; it affected them both Jew and the Samaritan alike. So they cried out in one accord “Master, have pity on us”. Their sickness required ‘social distancing’ so they had to be loud enough to be heard. Social distancing was not a very common term before the Corona pandemic. Nevertheless, haven’t there always been people in our society who are deeply crushed in their spirit because of the social distancing norms we as a society have imposed on them. Now in this pandemic year many of us have experienced the pain of being forcefully distanced from our family, friends and the community. It is indeed painful to be treated as a social outcast. Since I needed an urgent eye test, during this lockdown period, I registered for an online medical check-up with an eye hospital. We took all precautions and went for our check-up; this was one of our first visits after the lock down. The roads were rather deserted and finally we reached the destination. People were let in one at a time maintaining the social distancing norms. Finally as our turn came the guard stood at a distance and offered the sanitizer and we were made to sit in the waiting section maintaining proper distance. We were asked to produce our details with the patients name and address and the reason for our visit. They checked the records and informed us that we will not be allowed to consult the doctor and asked us to leave immediately. They also informed us to come back when the area from which we were coming is no longer a “containment zone”. We left the place feeling ashamed and humiliated; in fact we were not aware that our area was under the containment category. I just had a taste of the pain of being socially isolated. The dreaded skin disease leprosy was considered as a contagious disease in the Biblical times. People who suffered this sickness were excommunicated from the society and it required of them to stay away from the city. They were destined to live a lonely life away from their own family until they are healed and produced a certificate of wellness from the priest. They were social outcast and bore the pain of their sickness both physically and emotionally. Jesus heard them and instructed them to get a ‘leprosy negative’ certificate from the priest. This was mandatory for reuniting with family and the community. He did not touch them nor pronounce any healing. While they were in a hurry to reach the priest and get the required certificate, they realized they have been healed. Each one at that point of time earned to be the first to present themselves before the priest for the certificate. In their eagerness to get back to the normal life, they were insensitive to the healer himself. But one man stood apart, surprisingly he was not a Jew, he was a Samaritan, the less privileged one. His sensible choice of his heart- an attitude of gratitude made him stand tall. He knew there was no more ‘social distancing’ and went back to Jesus to express his gratefulness. Among those in his company, he was the only one privileged to experience an encounter with Jesus. It requires patience and courage to stand alone among the ungrateful. But it’s always rewarding to go back and not be in a hurry, it can turn out to be the most rewarding time and leave you with the assurance ‘ Rise and go’ for you have been made well not just from leprosy but also from the social distancing it demanded. Yet I wonder how well the Samaritan was accepted by the rest of those nine Jews who were with him as lepers? Did the healing bring them together again or they were socially distanced? Sometimes sickness and vulnerability brings us together than wellness and affluence. How long will we distance ourselves from others in the name of caste, colour, sickness or gender? Thoughts from Luke: 17:11-19

The Lord My Teacher

The Lord is my Teacher, I shall not wander.
He makes me drink from the ocean of knowledge and leads me to springs of wisdom.
He instructs and trains me so that i will be skillful.
Even though I walk through the valley of ignorance, I will not consider it a bliss,
For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
Your rod of discipline and your patience; they mould me.
You prepare a curriculum for me, that I may be wiser than the old.
Surely Knowledge and understanding will follow me,
And I will dwell in His wisdom for ever.
(An adaption of Psalm 23)

Marriage as Covenant

In a post modern world, “No one can be relied on and fully trusted. So we lift from one relationship to another. Marriage has given way to serial monogamy. Friendship is about what we can get out of a relationship rather than what we can put in. We are deeply hesitant to commit ourselves to ideas or people.” In this context the Biblical values on marriage needs to be emphasised.

1. Understanding of Marriage

We see the first marriage in Gen 2 as Gods institution, marriage was His divine idea. The declaration of God “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24) is profound and defines marriage and its principle. Jesus further quotes this verse in Mat 19:4-6 in his talk with the Pharisees when he was questioned on divorce. Jesus said that marriage is intended to be permanent and man is not to separate what God has joined.

The marriage relationship is seen as the most intimate of all relationships and is more abiding than the parent child relationship. This relationship is so significant that God chose it as a picture of his relationship with his people. In the O.T God saw himself as the husband of Israel (Isa 54:5), and in the N.T Christ is seen as husband of the church (2 Cor11:2)

2. Unity in marriage

The word ‘one’ in Gen 2; 24 is the same as the word used for God in Deut 6:4), Hear, O Israel the Lord our God is one”. The Hebrew word for one means ‘composite unity’ as against absolute unity. This oneness involves not only sex but also intellectual, spiritual emotional and social oneness; marital oneness does not mean that we lose our individuality. In marriage we are a team, composed of two individuals and never fail to recognize our individuality. Individually and as a couple we are to give ourselves to ministering others.

3. Contract Versus covenant

A contract is an agreement between two or more persons; some of our contracts are legally binding and some morally binding. Legally marriage is a contract with certain rights and responsibilities. In a legal marriage if one party does not live up to the contract, then legal actions force them to do so or to end the marriage with an equitable settlement.

In the scriptures we see God initiating to make a covenant with Noah (Gen 6:18). Noah’s willingness to build the ark indicated his acceptance of God’s covenant offer of deliverance.

Further God went on to make covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:3-8), Moses (Exo: 19:3-6). God confirmed his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12-29), and the prophets often reminded Israel of their covenant relationship with God (Jer 31:, Ezek 37, Hos 2).In the N.T Jesus as the Messiah fulfilled the old covenant and instituted the new covenant (Mat 26:28, Lk 22:20).

In the Bible we see people making covenant with other people. For example Jonathan makes a covenant with David (I Sam 18:1-3) .Ruth makes a covenant with Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17). Marriage is seen as covenant between a man and a woman. God often depicted his relationship with Israel as a covenantal marriage relationship. Through the prophet Malachi God expressed his displeasure with divorce ( Mal 2:14,16). Jesus himself viewed marriage as a lifelong covenantal relationship (Mat 19:4-9).

4. Characteristics of a covenant marriage:

4.1 Covenants are initiated for the benefit of the other person:

Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan himself initiated this covenant and was motivated by love. In the same way Ruth made her covenant with Naomi “where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16, 17).

Therefore in a covenant marriage each spouse is committed to the other’s well being.

4.1 In covenant relationships people make unconditional promises:

In many marriage ceremonies the following question is included “will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? To live together in the holy estate of matrimony, will you love her, comfort her, honour her and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her so long as you both shall live?” To which both the bride and groom responds “I will”. This is the language of covenant marriage.

4.2 Covenant marriage is based on steadfast love

God’s love motivates us to enter into a covenant with him. We commit our lives to love and serve him. We enter our marriage with a sense that we are loved and that we love each other, thus we can freely commit ourselves to each other for life.

4.3 Covenant relationship view commitments as permanent:

Every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we are reminded that God’s covenant with Noah was permanent. Ruth’s commitment to Naomi was a permanent one.Christian marriage is a commitment to permanence.

4.4 Covenant relationships require confrontation and forgiveness:

God’ people through out the O.T failed to live up to their covenant commitments, But God did not abandon them because of their failures. But God always confronted Israel with their failures, and stood ready to forgive.

In a covenant marriage each of us is to have a willingness to forgive. It is marked by a commitment to responsible living and a willingness to forgive when our spouse fails.

Bibliography

Chapman, Gary. Covenant Marriage, (Nashville:Broadman & Holmen Publishers, 2003).