Biblical Thoughts

  One of those days, Jesus was preaching. A great crowd surrounded the house where he preached from. The pharisees and teachers of the law came from far and wide to hear him, even from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal (Luke 5:17). Suddenly four men lowered a paralyzed man through the roof and landed him in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said, "Man, your sins are forgiven." The scribes and the teachers of the law were shocked to the core. According to them, sins could only be forgiven by God and one could obtain it only by sacrificing an animal as a sin offering in the temple. The paralyzed man had not even moved a finger to secure his forgiveness. So they declared this act of Jesus as sheer blasphemy. To them Jesus f orgiving his sins was nothing more than a baseless claim. After all, what was the proof that his sins were really forgiven?  At this instance, Jesus posed them a historical query. "Which is easier, to say your sins are forgive...

    The whole of humanity fell under the curse the moment Eve bit the apple in the Eden Garden. Between Adam and Eve, the very first curse fell upon Eve. “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” Genesis 3:16. Through the ages women bore the brunt of this curse. With pain she gave birth to her children. Motherhood, her greatest desire, came at a huge price. Most of her life, most of women lived subservient to men. Some of them even surrendered to the dismal profession of pleasing men through prostitution for a living against her own wishes. A woman chooses prostitution as a profession only when she has no other choice for a living. Will this be the condition of women forever? No not all. So, when did things begin to change? Once Jews brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus. Prostitution as a profession suffered the worst of human atroc...

    We have been taught about the survival of the fittest from biology classes. But Bible says differently. The meek shall inherit the earth (Mathew 5:5). Do the scientific and Biblical views are in conflict here? Let’s look at some of the dominant animals from history. Dinosaurs were perhaps the most ferocious and the fearful. Why didn’t they survive and dominate (or inherit) the earth with all their strength?  Where have they gone?   The lions who impressed men for ages and whom they declared them as the king of the jungle is sadly on the list of endangered animals, struggling for survival. The tiger which burns bright in the human mind ranks high in the hierarchy of the jungle. They are on their way to extinction unless protected. The kings of the jungle are unable to defend themselves. So, who is the fittest in the jungle? Surprisingly the humble animals such as the rabbit, cat, dog, deer, sheep and the cows, seem to multiply easily enough though they a...

  Abraham Maslow was an American Psychologist who developed a hierarchy of needs to explain the innate needs of man from a basic level to the highest level. At the lowest level are the Physiological rather the physical needs such as air, water, or food. Once the physical needs are met, mankind go beyond to look for safety needs which cover personal security, employment, health..etc. Once they are met, he or she looks for a sense of love and belonging. Beyond this, one seeks esteem which covers respect, self-esteem, status, or recognition. The final stage according to Maslow is the self-actualization where a person finds fulfilment by trying to reach his or her full potential. While this hierarchy of needs suggests that higher levels of needs arise only after the lower ones are met, it does not suggest how they could be met. How does Bible deal with the subject of human needs? Does it suggest a similar pattern? When God cre...

  Say to those who have an anxious heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you (Isaiah 35: 4)   Common perception is that Jacob suffered and slogged under a cunning Laban, remained underpaid and finally fled from his presence penniless, after a prolonged period of betrayal spanning 14 years. This is yet another misplaced belief from Biblical history which warrants immediate correction. Jacob vs Laban Jacob was a covenantal man by nature. While Esau preferred a bowl of red stew to his birthright, Jacob judged its supreme significance and grabbed it. When his mother shared a devious scheme to grab the blessings of Isaac, he responded to her and took hold of it. When Isaac his father instructed him to find a wife from the plains of Aram (Paddan-aram) he travelled all the way from Canaan to meet his mother’s brother Laban only to be in the covenant. Though his impulsive conduct landed him in ...