Q1) what are the natures of the kingdom of god being clarified through the metaphor of the
?feast
Jesus uses many metaphors to reveal different natures of the Kingdom of heaven. Among
them, a very catching one and a most meaningful one is the metaphor of the feast. This
metaphor of the feast is sufficient to enlighten the friendliness, joy and fellowship of the
Kingdom of God. Kingdom of God is filled with goodness, abundance and prosperity (Isaiah
25: 6 – 9). God invites all to be partakers of that fullness. This invitation is for the whole
universe (Matthew 22:9; Luke 14:21). But there is an eligibility norm for entry to the feast
that is the invitee should be wearing the wedding garment (Matthew 22:11, 12). This
.wedding garment is nothing but the good deeds of saintly men (Revelations 19: 9)
?Q2) How God is revealed in Love and Holiness
In his first epistle, St John has connected love with divine vision. Though God is invisible and
unattainable, God lives in us when we are filled in love. “No one has ever seen God, but if we
love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). “For
anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not
seen” (1 John 4:20). Moses went up to see God in the burning bush and he was asked to
remove his sandals which represented worldly filth (Exodus 3:5). When God appeared on
Mount Sinai, people of Israel purified them and waited for the divine vision (Exodus 19:10).
Writer of the epistles to Hebrews says, “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord”
(Hebrews 12:14). St John says, “No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known
Him” (1 John 3:6). Purification leads one to God and simultaneously, divine vision leads one
to more purification. Listen to what Isaiah laments after he had the vision of God: “Woe to
me; I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips, and
my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). Only when you experience
presence of God more often, you feel the need of being more and more pure. As you are
more and more purified, your heart gains clarity and you experience vision of God. “Blessed
.are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8)
?Q3) How can faith be sustained without wavering
As the days of crucifixion have been nearing, the disciples being uncertain have looked like
shaken out of anxiety and mental disturbances. Christ advises them to rely on God as well as
on him that they stand strong and firm; “Do not let your hearts be troubled; trust in God;
trust also in me” (John 14:1). Prophet Isaiah in his book has been stressing on this concept
imbedded in faith very strongly. He exhorts that in our calamities and external threats, we
have to keep ourselves firmly in our faith in Jehovah. Isaiah at this stage advises them that
their life wouldn’t be safe unless they have their reliance on Jehovah. “If you do not stand
firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9). He tells them further that if their
faith is in Jehovah, they wouldn’t run away, but stand firm. “The one who trusts will never
be dismayed” (Isaiah 28:16). Whoever has faith in Jehovah has peace and steadiness. He
never wavers in his thoughts or actions. He is strong and courageous as he is ruled by the
faith that God is on his side as his protector. As such, Isaiah again exhorts people, “In
.repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15)
?Q4) What is the relation between transformation, resurrection and glory
It is recorded that Jesus as wearing glory with the transformation. The resurrection of our
Lord has been the entry to the fullness of glory. “Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in
the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). At the second coming of our Lord, the
Church too would make entry into the fullness of glory. The transformation of Jesus points
to the glory of resurrection and to the glory of his second coming. The transformation of the
Church is a foretaste of the glory of resurrection coming up with the second coming of our
.Lord and our growth into that glory
Q5) Give some examples of Old Testament to show that glory of God gets revealed through
.acts of redemption