Transformation of the World through Gospel Proclamation: By proclaiming the Gospel we ask people to repent and return to God's love in order to fulfill their destiny. God has a plan for each individual that has been marred by our wayward thinking, acting and living in this world. As the constant theme in Indian Thought says we take the unreal to be real and the real to be unreal. If not by words, our actions and life itself bear testimony to this false attitude permeating our entire existence. Repentance or conversion is the means to turn back from the grip of the world to ourselves and realize the truth of our state as it is and it should be. We are invited to be ruled by the ways of God rather than by our own worldly ways. These two ways are diametrically opposed to each other as even Peter used to think as humans think and not as God thinks (See Matthew, 16: 23). What is designed to be honorable before the humans is despicable before God. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and scoffed at him. "He said to them, 'you are the people who impress your fellow-men with your righteousness; but God sees through you; for what sets itself up to be admired by men is detestable in the sight of God' " (Luke, 16: 14-15). Peter himself was so thoroughly converted and made new that in his later years he was able to hit upon the very logic of God's ways with us. "And here is one point, my friends, which you must not lose sight of : with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day" (2 Peter, 3: 8). Thus Peter understood that the measuring - rod God uses is qualitatively different from the ones we use in our worldly life. The Gospel Proclamation is meant to effect this fundamental reversal of standards used by the humans in order to adopt God's standards and that would be the same as the transformation of the world.
Good news to the Whole Creation: The Gospel according to Mark, written around A.D. 70 and is the first Gospel, reports the words of the risen Lord thus: "Then he said to them: 'Go forth to every part of the world, and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation' " (Mark, 16: 15). We would have thought that the Gospel was to be preached to all human beings or at most to all creatures! But, here the whole creation is to be addressed by the proclamation of the Good News.
That the Gospel has relevance for the whole created universe may be seen from Paul's letter to the Romans, 8: 19-22: "For the created universe waits with eager expectation for God's sons to be revealed. It was made the victim of frustration, not by its own choice, but because of him who made it so; yet always there was hope , because the universe itself is to be freed from the shackles of mortality and enter upon the liberty and splendor of the children of God. Up to the present, we know, the whole created universe groans in all its parts as if in the pangs of childbirth".
The plan of God includes the glorification of the entire universe dependent on the revelation and glorification of God's sons. This is the reason why the disciples should proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation as a result of which nothing in the world, be it the devils, snakes or poison, can harm them (See Mark, 16: 17-18). The all-comprehensive nature and urgency of the Good News are brought out by Mark by his reference to salvation and condemnation vis - a - vis the Good news (See Mark, 16: 16).
The gospel according to Matthew enjoins upon the disciples the responsibility of making disciples, baptizing and teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded them (See Matthew, 28: 19-20) Here the proclamation of the Good News is identified with making disciples of all nations. Discipleship will transform the whole creation into a new world.
According to Luke, the Gospel message is the proclamation of forgiveness of sins to all nations on repentance in the name of Jesus (See Luke, 24: 47). The duty of the disciples is to remain witnesses to all that has happened due to which repentance and forgiveness are possible.
John narrates how the disciples were sent with the mission of forgiving peoples' sins (John, 20: 21). The newly constituted community of believers by Jesus from the cross is given a pastoral head in the person of Peter who will thereafter take the place of Jesus in leading the believing community (See John, 21: 15-17).
The Good News that is meant for the whole creation is made available to one and all by God Himself. For this purpose, He has called us believers to co-operate with Him. Jesus himself is the corner stone of the building the foundation of which is constituted by the Apostles and Prophets (See Ephesians, 2: 17-22). All of us are being built into this grand building designed and completed by God the Father. It is our vocation to respect and fulfill the plan of God for the entire creation. We are to be constant witnesses to this great plan of God manifested and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Our life in this world should be a constant testimony and witness to the grand design of God that is the same as the Proclamation of the Good News to the whole creation affecting all creatures and even the environment we live in.
The Foolishness of God: For Paul, proclaiming the Gospel consists in proclaiming Christ nailed to the cross who is the power of God and the Wisdom of God for those who believe in him (See 1 Corinthians, 1: 23-24). It is sheer folly to those who are on their way to ruin, and power of God to those who are on the way to salvation (See 1 Corinthians, 1: 18). This is God's way of reversing roles and values found in the world whereby no one is able to boast before God. "The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man, and divine weakness stronger than man's strength" (1 Corinthians, 1: 25).
What is said above clearly shows that no one is able to preach the Gospel unless he or she shares in the foolishness of God and in His weakness. Whatever is done without the presence of these two essential elements of divine folly and divine weakness is no proclamation of the Gospel at all! One might conveniently think that it is enough to shout one's heart out about Christ crucified for our salvation without personally participating in the mystery of Christ whereby our own life becomes part of this divine folly and weakness. Such an endeavor is no proclamation of the Gospel, but mere propaganda meant for consumers as do many of the advertisements of goods through the media. A preacher of the Gospel is not a mere medium of communication, but a co-worker with God Himself (See 1 Corinthians, 3: 9).
God's fellow-workers should have the mind of God in order to prevent the deterioration of the work into fields other than the proclamation of the Gospel. But, who knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God? (See 1 Corinthians, 2: 11). For this reason, receiving the Spirit of God is an essential precondition for preaching the Gospel of Christ. Unfortunately, the Spirit of God received by us in baptism is dormant in many of us due to various reasons. These reasons may be seen from the message given through the parable of the sower (See Matthew, 13: 3-8) therefore, our primary duty is to revive the Spirit poured out on us in baptism so that we may be eligible to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How do we know that we have the Spirit of God in us? We shall know it through the fruits produced by us in co-operation with the holy Spirit; namely, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,fidelity, gentleness and self-control (See Galatians, 5: 22-23). As against these, the fruits of our lower nature are enumerated by Paul in Galatians, 5: 19-21 with the stern warning that such people will never inherit the Kingdom of God.
Our way of sharing in the divine folly and weakness is the same as following Christ to the cross. The cross has been set up By God Himself as the seat of judgment for the whole world. The crucified Lord is the standard by which every one and everything will be measured. Those who are found wanting by that universal standard bring judgment upon themselves . Others are not judged because they have life in them that leads them straight to the source of everything and everyone.The foolishness of God, therefore, is Wisdom itself. (To be Contd).
Good news to the Whole Creation: The Gospel according to Mark, written around A.D. 70 and is the first Gospel, reports the words of the risen Lord thus: "Then he said to them: 'Go forth to every part of the world, and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation' " (Mark, 16: 15). We would have thought that the Gospel was to be preached to all human beings or at most to all creatures! But, here the whole creation is to be addressed by the proclamation of the Good News.
That the Gospel has relevance for the whole created universe may be seen from Paul's letter to the Romans, 8: 19-22: "For the created universe waits with eager expectation for God's sons to be revealed. It was made the victim of frustration, not by its own choice, but because of him who made it so; yet always there was hope , because the universe itself is to be freed from the shackles of mortality and enter upon the liberty and splendor of the children of God. Up to the present, we know, the whole created universe groans in all its parts as if in the pangs of childbirth".
The plan of God includes the glorification of the entire universe dependent on the revelation and glorification of God's sons. This is the reason why the disciples should proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation as a result of which nothing in the world, be it the devils, snakes or poison, can harm them (See Mark, 16: 17-18). The all-comprehensive nature and urgency of the Good News are brought out by Mark by his reference to salvation and condemnation vis - a - vis the Good news (See Mark, 16: 16).
The gospel according to Matthew enjoins upon the disciples the responsibility of making disciples, baptizing and teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded them (See Matthew, 28: 19-20) Here the proclamation of the Good News is identified with making disciples of all nations. Discipleship will transform the whole creation into a new world.
According to Luke, the Gospel message is the proclamation of forgiveness of sins to all nations on repentance in the name of Jesus (See Luke, 24: 47). The duty of the disciples is to remain witnesses to all that has happened due to which repentance and forgiveness are possible.
John narrates how the disciples were sent with the mission of forgiving peoples' sins (John, 20: 21). The newly constituted community of believers by Jesus from the cross is given a pastoral head in the person of Peter who will thereafter take the place of Jesus in leading the believing community (See John, 21: 15-17).
The Good News that is meant for the whole creation is made available to one and all by God Himself. For this purpose, He has called us believers to co-operate with Him. Jesus himself is the corner stone of the building the foundation of which is constituted by the Apostles and Prophets (See Ephesians, 2: 17-22). All of us are being built into this grand building designed and completed by God the Father. It is our vocation to respect and fulfill the plan of God for the entire creation. We are to be constant witnesses to this great plan of God manifested and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Our life in this world should be a constant testimony and witness to the grand design of God that is the same as the Proclamation of the Good News to the whole creation affecting all creatures and even the environment we live in.
The Foolishness of God: For Paul, proclaiming the Gospel consists in proclaiming Christ nailed to the cross who is the power of God and the Wisdom of God for those who believe in him (See 1 Corinthians, 1: 23-24). It is sheer folly to those who are on their way to ruin, and power of God to those who are on the way to salvation (See 1 Corinthians, 1: 18). This is God's way of reversing roles and values found in the world whereby no one is able to boast before God. "The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man, and divine weakness stronger than man's strength" (1 Corinthians, 1: 25).
What is said above clearly shows that no one is able to preach the Gospel unless he or she shares in the foolishness of God and in His weakness. Whatever is done without the presence of these two essential elements of divine folly and divine weakness is no proclamation of the Gospel at all! One might conveniently think that it is enough to shout one's heart out about Christ crucified for our salvation without personally participating in the mystery of Christ whereby our own life becomes part of this divine folly and weakness. Such an endeavor is no proclamation of the Gospel, but mere propaganda meant for consumers as do many of the advertisements of goods through the media. A preacher of the Gospel is not a mere medium of communication, but a co-worker with God Himself (See 1 Corinthians, 3: 9).
God's fellow-workers should have the mind of God in order to prevent the deterioration of the work into fields other than the proclamation of the Gospel. But, who knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God? (See 1 Corinthians, 2: 11). For this reason, receiving the Spirit of God is an essential precondition for preaching the Gospel of Christ. Unfortunately, the Spirit of God received by us in baptism is dormant in many of us due to various reasons. These reasons may be seen from the message given through the parable of the sower (See Matthew, 13: 3-8) therefore, our primary duty is to revive the Spirit poured out on us in baptism so that we may be eligible to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How do we know that we have the Spirit of God in us? We shall know it through the fruits produced by us in co-operation with the holy Spirit; namely, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,fidelity, gentleness and self-control (See Galatians, 5: 22-23). As against these, the fruits of our lower nature are enumerated by Paul in Galatians, 5: 19-21 with the stern warning that such people will never inherit the Kingdom of God.
Our way of sharing in the divine folly and weakness is the same as following Christ to the cross. The cross has been set up By God Himself as the seat of judgment for the whole world. The crucified Lord is the standard by which every one and everything will be measured. Those who are found wanting by that universal standard bring judgment upon themselves . Others are not judged because they have life in them that leads them straight to the source of everything and everyone.The foolishness of God, therefore, is Wisdom itself. (To be Contd).
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