Wednesday, September 27, 2023

In India, real life stories of Tenaliraman, a royal court jester of a southern king, are popular because of his brilliant and humorous adventures. His popularity and the king’s goodwill for him caused jealousy in his fellow courtiers, who once falsely accused him of bribery. And so the king asked him to prove his innocence. Hurt by the king’s order, Tenaliraman wrote a letter to the king that he ended his life to prove his innocence. Shocked by this turn of events, the king paid a rich tribute followed by other courtiers, that he was an upright man known for his integrity. All the while, Tenaliraman, who was in the court in disguise, revealed himself to the king and others and declared that he proved his innocence by this drama. Many people try to prove their innocence by self-punishment, but not so smartly as Tenaliraman. There is no need for us to go that way since Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross as our substitute to untie us from our guilt and to declare us as innocent by our faith in Him. This is endorsed by the declaration of the centurion, head of the execution squad at Calvary, that Jesus was righteous, after hearing His prayer for forgiveness about His tormentors, even in the midst of His agony.

My Haggai Leader Experience brought a paradigm shift in me to look at the Gospel poverty in India as my priority and to help reduce it.