When Herod the King, heard about the birth of Jesus from the Magi, 'he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him'(Matt2: 3).
Following the healing of the Gerasene Demonic (Mark 5: 1-20) who lived in tombs hurting himself and others, the people of the region entreated Jesus 'to depart from their region' (v17).
When scribes and Pharisees 'brought a woman caught in adultery' (John 8:1-11) and sought to stone her, He turned to them and said that 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first one to throw a stone at her' (v 7). Following this, 'they began to go out one by one' leaving the woman alone. Jesus in his statement left the 'self righteous' scribes and Pharisees troubled.
Jesus healed a man with withered hand on a sabbath in the temple, (Mark 3: 1-11). 'And the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him' (v 6).
When Jesus went to the home of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10), 'they all began to grumble saying, He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner' (v7). That was the way some people expressed their apprehension about Jesus.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-48), accompanied by His disciples, children and adults who sang Hosanna to Jesus, 'some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him, teacher rebuke your disciples' (v39). The Pharisees looked troubled, more so Jesus because 'Jesus began to cast out those who were selling' and wanted the temple to be restored to be a house of prayer. (v45,46).
During the trial of Jesus, before His crucifixion, Pilate announced that 'I find no guilt in this man' (Luke23:1-25), to which the crowd kept insisting that 'He stirs up people teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far this place' (v5). 'And Pilate wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept calling out, crucify Him..' (v 20, 21). While Pilate was engaged in this intensely disturbing situation, his wife sent Pilate a message: 'Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him' (Matt 27:19).
Pilate was troubled in not having been able to do what sounded right in his sight, inset of voice form within and reminder form his wife. He surrendered his conscience to public opinion. Pilate could have turned his troubled state to choose justly. He consented for Jesus to be crucifies unjustly.
From the above narrations taken from different gospel passages, it is clear that Jesus while doing good left the religious leaders disturbed. His ways were different from the way they thought, behaved and planned. The scribes and Pharisees did not consider the experience of being troubled as an occasion to revise their path in life!
While Jesus left some troubled, He brought healing to a man who lived in the tombs, restoration of life to a woman who was about to be stoned, recovery for a man who had a withered hand, and renewal for a man, Zaccheus from his state of despair.
Jesus and His teachings become a conscience keeper because of which some remain troubled, as they are unwilling to realign themselves to the ways of God in their lives.
Some would turn their troubled state to redeem themselves.
Zaccheus was one such person. I feel moved by the way Zaccheus responded to Jesus, while taking Jesus to his home. ' Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give four times as much' (Luke 19.8).
Zaccheus stopped to confess and revise his life!
In the narrative of Jesus meeting with Zaccheus, the turning point was, 'Jesus looked up' to see Zaccheus, 'who climbed into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way'.
Meeting Jesus brought a light in to the darkness of his interior space, where truth remained concealed under layers of deceit and devious means because of his attachment to wealth. He was besieged by a passion for wealth, which made him a prisoner of his obsession.
Jesus brings a turmoil within through His teachings even today.
The change begins with looking to see; hearing to listen and discerning to act!
I remember listening to Dr Joyce Ponniah, professor of Pathology and a former director of Christian Medical College Vellore, when she shared the experience of having had to choose to return to CMC from the Miraj Medical Centre where she was working. Dr Joyce had an obligation towards her family and wanted to be near them, which was one reason why she decided to settle down at Miraj. When Dr Joyce was contacted by the administrative team at CMC Vellore that there was a need for a professor to oversee the Forensic department, Dr Joyce was torn between her earlier choice and the invitation. The turbulence within her was intense. Dr Joyce talked about the 'voice' within calling her to revise her earlier decision. She talked about having been 'troubled' for a season until she took the decision to return to her alma mater for rest of her professional career. She decided to stay on at Vellore even after her retirement and be available to help her family when they needed medical help. Dr Joyce apart from being a pathologist oversaw the department of Forensic Medicine during her term of service. She belongs to the tribe of some exceptional consultants, who changed the track to respond to a need in CMC, although they had other personal inclinations.
We shall go through another Holy week to 'feel troubled and healed' to become ready for something, that is beyond our usual orientation!
The jasmine flowers bring fragrance during their life time!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
