Magyar Egyház, 2007 (86. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2007-07-01 / 1-2. szám

10. oldal Apostle Peter's Whimsical Behavior Scripture reading: John 13:1-17. Text: "He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' 'No,' said Peter, 'you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.' 'Then, Lord,' Simon Peter replied, 'not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!'” John 13:6-9. Usually these statements are heard during Lent: intro­spection, self-observation, self-control, self-discipline, and self­­denial. All of them are true and correct, however, this time I wish to mention another proper attitude for Lent: fasting means to empty ourselves and let ourselves be filled with divine blessing or spiritual power, as Apostle Paul had mentioned it to the Ephesians: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18. Not only intoxicating bev­erage can make us think and act in the wrong way, but also the self-centered attitude, oversized ego, and placing ourselves above others. "LORD, ARE YOU GOING TO WASH MY FEET?" As Jesus came to Peter, he had indignantly asked: "Lord, are you go­ing to wash my feet?” 6th verse. Why did Peter raise this question? Because Peter had felt that rather he should wash the Maters' feet. John the Baptist had acted the same way: "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to de­ter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"’ Matthew 3:13-14. As it is usual, the majority of the people involved remained silent. The other disciples had nothing to say, only Peter wanted his own peculiar way: "you shall never wash my feet." 8th verse. Our Lord's answer is a good admonition for all of us: "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” and the consequence will be serious: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 7th and 8th verses. Please note; not Jesus was expected to change his mind but Peter. During Lent who is supposed to change his/her mind, behavior, attitude, and thinking. Are we like Peter, who felt, it is not the proper way that Jesus was going to wash his feet? Obviously our Savior will not come to us with water and towel to wash and wipe our feet, this had happened only once as a symbolic act. We should interpret this service as the need of our own cleansing: "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit of­fered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" He­brews 9:14. "SIMON PETER REPLIED, 'NOT JUST MY FEET BUT MY HANDS AND MY HEAD AS WELL!’" 9th verse. Fi­nally the decision was left up to Peter. He had two choices only; either reject Christ's offer to wash his feet and thus sever the fel­lowship with the Master, or comply and let Christ do what the original intention had been, that is wash his feet. At the last mo­ment Peter realized the importance of the given opportunity, hum­bled himself, and asked even more than what he had refused at the beginning. During Lent let us look into ourselves and ask: how many times have we passed up God-given opportunities which first were not according to our liking? Should God offer only what pleases us? A complete turnaround had taken place! Peter at the end asked for more than he had originally been offered: "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 9th verse. We inter­pret the Bible in the right way if we say that one’s feet, hands and head may symbolize that person's whole being. We follow the right implication when we say, we need to be cleansed completely MAGYAR EGYIIÁZ too. namely, our thoughts, words and deeds. How more gentle and kind was Jesus' attitude toward Peter than prophet Isaiah's warning against Israel: "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 1:18-20. Rev. A. Jalso Mother's Path of Life This is beautiful..... Very true.......... For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom this is beautiful. For those of us who aren't, this is even more beautiful. For those who are moms, you'll love this. The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."! Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children," A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength." And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil,! and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an ever­lasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said," You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence.” Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the

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