Throughout the ministry of Jesus, he was vehement in his opposition to a certain segment of society-one that of ’teachers’ called as Pharisees. This divinely vitriolic opposition made them plot his state sponsored murder just 3.5 years into his ministry. But as he lay dying on the cross, the curtain in the Jewish temple tore.
This ’tearing of the curtain’ is the absolute message behind Christ’s ministry. Till the time before his death, people used to listen to these priests who had direct communion with God behind these curtains. The whole message of Jesus was one of salvation not just from the bondage of sin but also from the various chains that bind man. He wanted to set man free-their minds free from fear and desperation-enable their thoughts and imagination to soar beyond their current realm into one where they understand the true awesomeness of the creator.
This message by Jesus was quickly lost as his disciples spread the word. In no time the various economical and societal conditions of the then world gobbled up the message and adulterated its true intent thereby losing it in the process. The message needed the renaissance period to break the shackles of abandonment and the advancement of science and technology to propagate wide and far.
Today if the church laments that it is losing its importance and relevance it is not due to the idolatrous conditions around the people, or due to technological advancements, it is because this institution was very successful in destroying the purpose of Christ’s message. That is why when you read the gospels today you can realize that nothing has changed. Remove the synagogue, you get the flashy churches, remove the Pharisees and you get the corrupt bishops, priests and ministers. Imagine yourself as Jesus and practise all he did. You will be derided, hated and ridiculed. When you do that you will realize what a revolutionary he was and a pathbreaking ministry he led!
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Tenny Thomas 