1King 19:4-8;
Eph 4:30 – 5:2; Jn 6:41-51.
In history we find many famous people who made
certain predictions which were proved wrong shortly after that. Lee DeForest,
American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, said about
rockets: "To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him
into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances." New York Times, wrote in 1936. "A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth's atmosphere." Now even the little children know the names of people who break records in space travel.
into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances." New York Times, wrote in 1936. "A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth's atmosphere." Now even the little children know the names of people who break records in space travel.
Simon
Newcomb remarked, "Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical
(sic) and insignificant, if not utterly impossible." The Wright Brothers
flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.
Why did such
error happen? Because they were not able to think beyond.
In today's
Gospel we meet a group of people who were unable to think beyond. So they judged
things by human values and by external standards. There is a beautiful story in
the Mahabharata.
One day,
while the Paanddavas were in exile, the wind brought a beautiful flower
and dropped in near Draupadi. She was delighted with its sweet fragrance and
divine beauty. She asked Bhima to bring her more lotuses.
Bhima went
in search of lotuses. As he was walking through the forest, he saw an old
monkey sleeping in his path. He made sound to scare it away. But it did not
move. Bhima ordered the monkey to give him way. The monkey said, "I am too
old and week to move. Push my tail aside to make way for yourself." Bhima
tried very hard to move its tail but failed. He understood that the monkey was
some great being. The monkey came to his real form. The monkey advised Bhima
that he should be careful in making judgments.
We see many
examples in the Bible where people commit great mistakes by basing their
judgments on human values and external standards. Samson's strength was under
judged by the enemies. Goliath judged David by human standards and failed to
God's hand in him. Queen of Sheba did not understand the divine providence that
Solomon enjoyed.
St John in today’s
reading clearly states that Jesus listeners did the same mistake. They judged
things by human values and by external standards. Their reaction in
face of the claim of Jesus that “I am the bread that came down from
heaven" was to affirm the fact, that he was a poor man from Nazareth.
He was the son of a carpenter. He grew up in their midst. So they were unable
to see beyond. They were unable to accept the special messenger from God.
It often
happens in our lives too. God sends various people with a specific message for
us. But in our pride, self-esteem and spiritual blindness we fail to see God's
hand; and judge things by human standards.
T. E.
Lawrence was a close personal friend of Thomas Hardy, the poet. When Lawrence
was serving as an air craft man in the Royal Air Force he used to
visit Hardy inn his uniform. One day his visit coincided with the visit of the
Mayoress of Dorchestor. She was very annoyed and remarked in French that in all
her life she did not have to sit down with a common aircraft man for tea.
Everyone was shocked. It was a great insult to Lawrence. But Lawrence
replied very politely, in French: I beg your pardon, Madame, but can I be of
any use as an interpreter, since Mrs Hardy knows no French. The snobbish woman
had made a shattering mistake, as she had judged by externals.
Jesus read
the thoughts of his listeners who were judging him by human standards; and
warned them that nobody could come to him unless sent by the Father. We must be
very careful that we should not fall prey to this common mistake. We should
never neglect a message from God. All of God's messengers were called
from among ordinary men, farmers, shepherds and ordinary people. His
greatest message was given through a Galilean carpenter.
God's
message implies love on God's part and a humble and repentant heart
on the part of man. The Jews lost this message as they were exceedingly
eager to argue with one another. Let us not miss this message of in little
trifles. May God help us to see things as they are.
Satish