1 King 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.
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