Devotions on YOUTH AND JESUS THE NON-CONFORMIST

Introduction
The theme for this week has been YOUTH AND JESUS THE NON-CONFORMIST. Jesus being the best young man this world ever produced, did not confirm to the evil orders of the day, rather stood for the cause of justice and has set the way towards liberation. Every devotion in this week is presented in three main sub-heads. A) The Milieu, explaining the present contextual need of the youth today. B) The Message, how Jesus dealt such a situation from the given text as a non-conformist is presented here. C) The Mission, what is that we need to do from now on has been brought out. These devotions are pastoral and contextual and are written from the perspective of young ecumenical learner.

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta,
Executive Secretary,
Commission on Mission, Evangelism, Ecumenism and Dalit Concerns,
NCCI,
Nagpur.

Devotion I

July 30 2007, Monday.
Youth and Globalization
Text: Luke 12: 15-21
Key Verse:
Luke 12: 15 & 21. “ For a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. “ He who lays up treasures for himself is not rich toward God.”
The Milieu
Globalisation today has been deeply creeping into all walks of life and specially youth have become the victims of it. With the rise of call centers, fat salaries (for Indian eyes, minimum wages for the western owner) are paid to young people, for they have to do a slave job for the western companies, and making them richer and richer. With the increase in money to certain youth, globalisation promotes consumerism, greed and materialistic values at the expense of Indian cultural, ethical and spiritual values.
The Message
Jesus today in the text explains that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.
Production Unlimited. For the rich man, the production of his land was so abundant, and made him to just think about himself.
Greed Unlimited. What should I do with these riches? He could not think of the needy ones who do not have anything to eat, live and wear, but could think of only himself and self. Eat drink and be merry, and it does not care even the rest of the people go with out a square meal a day. Accumulate and accumulate for him and the future.
Life Limited. But Jesus said, if u just accumulate and think that everything is unlimited, and everything can be bought with money, o fool, life is limited and a gift of God and cannot be bought by bribes or wealth. When life is limited, better share with others who do not have rather accumulate and live in greed. Only then can one be rich towards God, otherwise however rich one is, he/she is always poor to God.
The Mission
Jesus, the non-conformist today calls us all the readers to give up the values of greed, consumerism, unethical living and materialistic values, rather live to the values of the gospel of loving to the other, sharing with the other and live a life of dignity and self-respect. Life is limited, so live the best of it.
Prayer
God of justice, grant us your strength to over come the consumerism in our lives and grant us a life to share and care for all the creation.
Reflection
How can you resist globalization as an individual and as a community?

Devotion II

31 July 2007, Tuesday (Gospel Day for AELC)
Youth and Scriptures
Luke 4:16-22
Key Verse: “Today the Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (21 V.)
The Milieu
“If you carry your Bible when you are young, it shall carry you when you are old” is a well-known old maxim. But today youth specially do not have time to spend in meditating the Word of God, for they are over burdened with their workload. For some fundamentalist groups Bible is a magic book, for it is used to keep under their pillow during nights, to avoid bad dreams and for some go to Bible as a means of astrology seeking for what happens that day and for future. By doing this, we are belittling and making a mockery of the meaning and message of Bible.
The Message
For Young Jesus, reading the Scriptures were not only customary but also was the driving force for his ministry. Jesus reveres the Scriptures, for he respects the activity of God in history, which is recorded in them, so he stood up when he reads it. (16v.) Jesus re-read the Scriptures, for he read out the passage from the book of prophet Isaiah 61:1-2, with an emphasis on proclaiming the year of the Lord and not the day of vengeance of the Lord. (18-19vs.) Jesus relates the Scriptures, for he relates the text to his own context. In the context where people are caught up in many bondages and oppressions, Jesus applies the text to the context, and makes the text as his manifesto for his ministry and works for the fulfillment of the Scriptures by liberating, healing etc. Jesus reflects the Scriptures, for he himself is the living Word, who became flesh and dwelt among people and lived out the Scriptures all along his life. He was a walking gospel, even unto the point of death he strived to show forth the God of the Bible.
The Mission
For our young people today, it is high time to make Jesus as the true example in revering, re-reading, relating and reflecting the Word of God. The activity of God recorded in the history always serves us as a good compass to seek the Lord to work in our particular context. God still continues to reveal God’s strength in our times according to his own means and ways.
Prayer
Our living and loving God, we pray that you will help us to discern your ways through your Word, and grant us the strength to relate the Word to our world.
Reflection
How can you make Bible more relevant for the youth today?

Devotion III

1 August 2007, Wednesday
Youth and HIV/AIDS
Text: Mark 3: 1-6
Key Verse: “They watched him to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.”(2V.)
The Milieu
The trend of increasing HIV/AIDS in India is a serious issue of the day. The youth and the women are the worst victims of it. Extensive commercial sex, drug abuse, migration, lack of awareness, etc are all the reasons for this rapid growth of HIV/AIDS in India. The infected people are looked down upon and are not given proper care and are discriminated. Thus HIV/AIDS poses a great challenge in our Indian context. The Indian National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates that 5.21 million people were living with HIV in 2005, giving an adult prevalence of 0.91%.
The Message
Jesus goes against the rites and rituals for the cause of healing. We see the religious heads stressing the need for tradition at the expense of healing.
Tradition vis-à-vis Healing. For the Pharisees tradition and observing Sabbath holy was more important than the healing. A man with a withered hand was treated as outcaste because of his sickness, and would have had a trauma of pain all along physically and mentally and has been looked down by the community. Yet, for Pharisees, it was tradition at the expense of care and healing.
Healing vis-à-vis Tradition. For Jesus, care and healing is of prime importance. Person is important than the practices. What may come, he is there to care and heal anyone at any time. He is 24X7 healer and comforter. Jesus healed that person in spite of all the hurdles.
The Mission
This passage has a challenging relevance to us all. For Jesus did not confirm to the order of the day rather always tried to transform the people and the society. Let us Care for the PLWHA’s , fight all the discrimination against them. Comfort the PLWHA’s, and be with them, do not look down upon them for them. Jesus cared, comforted and healed when the rest did not want to get him healed. Let us resolve to be in tune with Jesus and his mission.
Prayer
Lord, we pray that the youth be prevented from the HIV/AIDS, and make the church to care and comfort the positives.
Reflection
Are our churches wide open to our positive friends? How as a local congregation strive to prevent and minister to the positives?

Devotion IV

2 August 2007, Thursday
Youth and Reservations
Matthew 25: 31-46
Key Verse: “If you have done to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (40.v)
The Milieu
The word Reservations has become a buzzword today. Last year when the government decided to provide reservation to the OBC’s in the premier institutions in India, there was a hue and cry from all the upper caste people, specially the student community were on the streets against the reservations. There were several slogans at that time like ‘Don’t divide India on caste, let merit be triumphant’. Why reservations even after 60 years of independence?
The Message
Reservations are basically for empowerment. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other OBC’s may not have the same provisions as that of the other upper castes and rich people in their nurture. Merit is again defined and controlled by upper castes and rich people. Jesus emphasizes that if it is done to one of the least in the society it is done to him. Jesus prefers and stands for the empowerment and upliftment of the people who are starving with out any basic amenities and provisions in the society. Reservation is one of the tools of liberation and Jesus came to set at liberty all that are oppressed. Jesus always stood on the side of the oppressed at any cost and condemned the oppressor.
The Mission
Therefore, today let us encourage reservations for the Dalits and Tribals. Let us be in solidarity with all the struggles for ensuring reservations to our people. Let us also join hands out in seeking justice to the Dalit Christians to be given the SC status. Let us condemn all forces that oppress the young Dalits and Tribals.
Prayer
God of justice, let your children who are deprived of justice be given justice and we pray that there exists a good governance in our land, so that justice will be triumphant.
Further Reflection
Do you think that reservations be extended to the Dalits and Tribals even in the private sector? How best can we push this forward?

Devotion V

3 August 2007, Friday
Youth and Marriage
Mark 10:2-9
Key Verse: “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ (6V.)
The Milieu
The bond of marriage has becoming diluted over the years. Particularly the rate of divorce among the young couples has been increasing in a greater velocity. Lot of frustrations between the couple, no consensus on issues of life, lack of mutual trust, increased materialism and consumerism, etc. have all shaken the strong bond of love in the marriage. Does marriage has any relevance to our youth today?
The Message
Jesus reinforced the creation of God telling, man and woman made equal, so both man and woman are made equal in the image of God and are equal in all respects. Let woman not be suppressed as inferior to man, and let not man curtail all the freedom of woman with his patriarchic ego. Let there be mutual respect between man and woman. Man and woman made into one flesh in marriage. In the bond of marriage, they are no more two entities, but are made as one flesh. That union of love is the main ingredient for a sustainable and happy married life. That realization of one flesh transcends all misunderstandings between man and woman in the marriage. God made them one in marriage, let no one asunder.
Jesus was emphatic in saying whom God has joined together let no one divide. Faith in God, mutual trust and respect towards each other in the marriage shall make the married life a success.
The Mission
Let the young people depend more on the Lord, and remain faithful to the life partner they have married to. Let man and woman enjoy that mutual respect, equality and dignity from one another. Let the youth over come the materialistic culture of individualism and pleasure seeking lives, and keep the sanctity of marriage. Let the young couples dedicate to keep their bond of love more meaningful and live a life in all its fullness.
Prayer
Lord, grant our young generations to be faithful to the sanctity of marriage and live a life of purity and happiness.
Reflection
Work out certain steps to make the younger generations to live a happy married life.

Devotion VI

4 August 2007, Saturday
Youth and Church
Matthew 21:12-17
Key Verse: “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.”(14v)
The Milieu
Churches today do not attract the young generation-X. When asked the reason for being aloof to the Church, most young people say that, they are fed up of the politics in the church. Lots of church properties today are sold by the leaders, huge amounts of offerings given by people of faith are misappropriated, corruption has crept deep into every nook and corner of the church. And the youth say, that they are not interested in such a church. Then what is the church for?
The Message
The young Jesus was bold to reform and transform the temple of God. The temple of God is not a place of commerce. He could not tolerate, when the temple of God was used as a place for commerce. He drove out all matters of selling and buying. The temple of God is not a place for corruption. Jesus boldly over turned the tables of those who cash and corrupt the temple of God. The temple of God is a place for comfort. That was the reason, he made the blind and lame people, who were not allowed to enter the temple, enter and healed them and comforted them. The temple of God is a place for communion. The temple is a place that brings in communion of God with all people, and strengthens the fellowship of people, irrespective of who they are. That was the reason, Jesus said in 15-17v. about the fellowship of the children, the blind, the lame, etc. in the temple of God singing and praising God.
The Mission
It is high time for us as young people to follow the footsteps of Jesus, who did not confirm to the order of the day, rather revolted for the cause of keeping the temple of God as a place of communion to all people with God. Let us strive in keeping our churches wide open for the rejected people by the society, the destitute people, the least, the lost and the last of the society. If our churches are not open to these people of God, I think the churches fail to exist as churches. As young people let us drive away all corruption and commercialization of ecclesia.
Prayer
Lord, make our churches wide open to the rejected people of the society, and make our churches corruption free.
Reflection
Work out an action plan to fight all corruption in your local church.

Devotion VII

5 August 2007, Sunday
Youth and Friendship
John 15:12-17
Key Verse: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (13 Verse)
The Milieu
Over the years Friendship Day has gained much attention of the young people in celebrating it in pomp and pleasure. With the rise of consumerism, friendship is today has become commercialized. “A friend in need is a friend in deed “ has lost its flavour, rather the modern saying is “A friend with money is a friend so honey”.
The Message
Jesus here beautifully explains about the true friendship. The formula of friendship is given by Jesus in 13v, that to lay down one’s life for one’s friend is the greatest love and depicts the true friendship. The foundations of friendship is described by Jesus in 14-15 v. There is no superiority or inferiority among friends, no slave or master, no rich or poor, for in the friendship all are equal and stand on the same base. There is transparency between friends, for it is only to the friends that one can share one’s heart’s secrets. There is no fear between friends and no hidden agendas in friendship. Equality and transparency are the good foundations for any good friendship. The forerunner of true friendship is none other but, our true friend Jesus Christ. For he has lived out the formula of friendship and has laid down his life for the sake of all creation. Despite our weaknesses and unfaithfulness, Jesus makes friendship with us and wants to continue that friendship forever.
The Mission
Having learnt about the true friendship of Jesus Christ, one has to surely follow his footsteps in making friendship. Let us love all people with out any reservations and show forth the love to them. Let us try to become a good friend like Jesus, living for the cause of friendship, valuing and treasuring true friendship and win friends all along our life journey. Happy Friendship Day.
Prayer
Lord, make us to be like good friends like Jesus in loving and laying down our life for others.
Further Reflection
Bring out some practical plans to become a true friend.