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1 in Faith: A Christian Bible Study |
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Scripture Readings for March 2007
If you would like to receive these daily scripture readings by email, click subscribe and send email. These short readings from the Christian Bible are read daily at community prayer in Taizι, an ecumenical and international Christian community in France. The Bible reference indicates a slightly longer passage from scripture. You are encouraged to read the longer passage in the morning before you begin your daily activities, and then to ponder the reading, in silence and prayer, as it comes to mind during the day. For a brief explanation of how I am reading the Christian Bible, you are invited to go to Exegesis or to Witness.
Paul writes: "The whole of creation has been groaning as in childbirth up to the present time. And we too groan inwardly as we wait with eagerness for our bodies to be set free." Paul understands the suffering of the early church as the labor pains of the birth of a new creation. The church is not merely a club for the spiritually gifted. It is leaven in the bread of life, which is necessary for the world to be what the first three gospels identify as the kingdom of God (kingdom of heaven, in the gospel of Matthew). Paul says that the world has been struggling since creation to achieve its redemption, and now in Christ that time has come. Paul's hope, however, is not simply in a life after death, but in a redeemed life before death. Life in Christ is where the first fruits of the Spirit are to be found. Paul counsels the Christians in Rome to have patience. Can we hope, like Paul, for the redemption of the world, even though we are may be unable to see its realization? Can we live out this hope in love and faith? The gospel of Matthew reports that Jesus said: "Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away." In the Sermon on the Mount in this gospel Jesus teaches his disciples to turn the other cheek, if anyone strikes them: "Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you." (v. 42) What a striking teaching this is! But how easily we ignore it, although we do so at our peril. How can we enter into the kingdom that Jesus inaugurates, if we fail to follow his teachings? There is something new here. Jesus is asking us to love those who wrong us, because that is the only way to transform their hearts and redeem their souls. We are to be the instrument of redemption in the world, by having faith in Christ and in others. Only if our hearts are full of the love of God, will we be able to reach out with love to those who abuse and take advantage of us. "Give praise to the LORD! It is good to sing praises to the One who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds." In this psalm God is praised for sharing the creation and for lifting up the downtrodden. The great God, who created the stars as well as the earth and all life on it, takes pleasure, the psalmist sings, "in those who fear" the LORD, in those who trust in God's steadfast love. The psalm also asserts that this God has not dealt with any other nation, but some of the prophets differed with that judgment. They taught that God has a special relationship with Israel, but also that God loves all peoples. That prophetic message, the church witnesses, is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who dies not only for the people of Israel but for all people in every age. So, trust in the steadfast love of God. But do not think that God is bound by your faith to care only for you. God is free to care for everyone, even for those who deny that there is a loving God. Pray that God will help us love our neighbors and our enemies, that God will fill our hearts with forgiveness, that we might be instruments of redemption. "Accept one another just as Christ accepted you, for the glory of God." Paul writes to the church in Rome: "Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." (v. 8) Then Paul quotes passages from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible, to show that God intended from the beginning to reach out beyond Israel to the Gentiles. Paul uses verses from Deuteronomy (32:43), the Psalms (18:49 and117:1), and Isaiah (11:10) to make his point. However, these passages from the Old Testament concern the recognition of God's power by the nations. They do not prove that God intended from the beginning to bring Gentiles and Jews together in a community of faith. Nevertheless, this is Paul's faith and witness. For Paul, the church is the community of faith in which Jews and Gentiles may discover together the grace of God. Paul is obviously having difficulty, or he would not be arguing so strenuously with the Christians in Rome to accept one another. The problem seems to be that Jews and Gentiles are not accepting each other. Christians today, of course, no longer argue about Jewish law, but they have found many other reasons to differ. Thus, Paul's admonition is as important today as it was in the middle of the first century. Will we listen? "We carry the treasure of God's glory in earthen vessels so that it may be quite clear that the radiance comes from God, not from us." As he writes this letter to the church in Corinth, Paul is aware that there is murmuring against him. Paul failed to visit the congregation as he had originally intended, and that led to criticism that he was vacillating. (1 Cor. 1:17) Therefore, Paul identifies now with the Christians at Corinth and appeals to their awareness of the grace of God. By comparison, Paul seems to be saying, our faults (including his faults) are of little consequence. What matters is that our flawed lives point to the glory of God, which may in some small way be reflected in the life of the church. Perhaps Paul's humility is motivated largely by his desire to return to the good graces of the church of Corinth. Nonetheless, his message is as true today as it was almost two millennia ago. We are the "earthen vessels" of God's glory. We are called to witness to the good news that God forgives the sins of the humble who have faith. Through the prophet, the LORD says to Israel: "You are precious in my eyes, I value you and I love you." The prophet says that the LORD has redeemed his people, Israel. "When you walk through fire," the LORD says, "you shall not be burned." (v. 2) Surely, this passage is to be read figuratively, not literally. People of faith may be burned by a flaming fire, but they will not, God promises, be "burned" by the "raging fire" of temptation or the "smoldering fire" of despair. These verses refer only to Israel, but Christians apply them not only to the ancient Israelites but also to the church. A literal reading of the text would limit the love of God to Israel, but because of the witness of the New Testament Christians affirm that God loves all humanity. This is how we interpret scripture today in order to affirm the good news that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which we know in Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:38-39) In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life for the forgiveness of many." In all four gospels Jesus refers to himself as the Son of man, so this understanding of Jesus was widespread in the early church. What does it mean? It might emphasize the humanity of Jesus, as a way of offsetting any interpretation of Jesus as a deity with the appearance of a man. Or, it might refer to the phrase in the book of Daniel about one like a son of man coming on the clouds to judge the living and the dead. (Daniel 7:14) In this teaching in the gospel of Matthew, however, the Son of Man is not judging but giving his life, seemingly as a substitute for the judgment that might be executed against humanity. The suffering servant image is developed most fully in Isaiah 53, and Christians apply this image to Jesus. Matthew 20:28 actually says that the Son of Man gave his life as "a ransom for many." This suggests that Jesus died in order to pay off a debt, or in our place as a lamb is sacrificed to atone for human sins. These images reach deeply into the human psyche, where the traces of human and animal sacrifice continue to generate fear and guilt. If we understand Jesus literally as God's sacrifice for our sins, then God is a blood-thirsty demon. But if we see that the death of Jesus represents figuratively God's self-sacrifice, so that we might be freed from guilt and despair due to our sin, then the story represents a liberating act of love that. In Christ we are freed from the impossible task of living without sin, and God is freed from having to judge us for our failure to be perfect. The gospel of Matthew reports that Jesus said: "When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your generosity is secret. And your Father, who sees all that is done in secret, will reward you." In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives instructions to his disciples for their ministry. He cautions them to avoid pride and thus urges them to give alms and pray in secret, as God will know what they have done and said even if others do not. The sixth chapter of the gospel of Matthew is the only place in the New Testament that contains this teaching, but in the gospels Jesus often criticizes hypocrisy. The more public our piety, of course, the greater the opportunity for hypocrisy, as we are unlikely to confess our impiety in public. The church urges private prayer for all Christians. Turning to God alone, in prayer, is a humbling experience. It is hard not to be open and honest when God alone is listening. "Blessed be God who consoles us in all our afflictions. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ." Paul is writing Christians in Corinth who were angry, because Paul had not visited them when he said he would. But Paul has learned from Titus that the Corinthians have forgiven him. Paul attributes this consolation to God, and he rejoices in the abundance of the gifts of the Spirit that are present in the life of the churches he serves. Often we fear the anger of others. Can we offer up our fears to God? If so, we will come to know forgiveness and freedom from fear. March 10, 2 Corinthians 5:13-17 "Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died and was raised to life for them." It is the love of Christ, Paul says, which urges him to
continue his ministry despite the many obstacles that lie in his way. His
witness is that the death of Jesus Christ has put an end to the fear of death,
because in Christ there is new life that is not threatened by the death of our
bodies. And if we do not fear death, then we can live for others and not merely
for ourselves. Christ died for everyone, Paul testifies, Gentile as well as Jew,
women as well as men, slave as well as those who are free. In Christ's
resurrection we discover an unending life with God, an eternal life of faith,
that is not threatened by the suffering of this world and the mortality of our
physical bodies. the gospel of Mark reports that Jesus saw a poor widow put two small coins into the temple treasury and, calling his disciples, said, "In truth I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others, for they all gave out of their wealth, but she has put in everything she possessed." The clear meaning of this passage seems to be that giving (even generously) of our abundance is hardly praiseworthy, for only the widow who gave everything to the temple receives praise. As with the teaching, "sell all you have, give to the poor, and follow me" (Mt. 19:21, Mk. 10:21), Christians who claim to read the Bible as the literal word of God tend to avoid the understanding of St. Francis, who did give away all his possessions in order to follow Christ. Perhaps we can simply say in all humility that the story of the poor widow is a vivid reminder that we hedge our bets. We want to commit our lives fully to God, but we also have responsibilities for parents, children, our spouse or partner, etc. The Jesus of the gospels seems unconcerned about these concerns. However, Paul speaks to these issues, for he is writing to congregations with members who are more like us. Some of these Christians own houses, and many of them are asked by Paul to share their abundance in a collection he is taking up for the church in Jerusalem. But Paul does not expect them to give away all their possessions. In the context of the entire New Testament, we may say that we are called to give ourselves to Christ, but that within the community of faith we have to work out how best to do that. The gospels push us beyond easy and self-serving answers to more challenging forms of witness. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus says: "The kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the good news of the Gospel." The gospel of Mark begins without any story of the birth of Jesus. It announces the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, tells the story of John the Baptist, relates that Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted, and then proclaims in a single sentence the message of the narrative. Three elements are combined in this striking announcement. The kingdom of God, whatever we understand that to be, is near. We are called to repent and put our faith in the gospel. The rest of the gospel of Mark brings these three points to life in the ministry of Jesus. Repentance and faith are the keys to entering the kingdom of God, this gospel tells us. Repentance means more than saying you are sorry for the wrongs you have done. It means "turning around" and going a new way. The gospel challenges us to transform our lives. And having faith means more than just believing the "right things" about God and Jesus. Having faith means trusting fully in the God we know in Jesus. The gospel of Mark reports that Jesus said to someone
rich: "You lack one thing. Go, sell everything you have and give the money
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Anyone reading this commentary has access to a computer and so is rich, compared to countless millions in our world who are destitute. Are we commanded by Jesus to sell all our possessions and give away all our money? St. Francis thought so, and he did just that. Most Christians interpret this passage to mean that we are not to be selfish, but are to share what we have with those who are poor. That is, most Christians take "the spirit" of the teaching rather than the letter, by reading it figuratively rather than literally. That is how I read the passage. But there is a great temptation in doing so, for we all should give more freely of our abundance. March 14, Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23 "Let yourselves be guided by the Spirit and you will not be under the law. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, gentleness, trust in others and self-control." In his letter to the church in Galatia, Paul strenuously argues that those who are guided by the Spirit of God in Christ do not need to keep Jewish law. Messengers from James, the brother of Jesus, who is head of the church in Jerusalem, have come with a very different message. Their "good news" requires that Gentile Christians observe some of the tenets of the Jewish law. Peter, who originally was eating with Gentile Christians, separates himself after the messengers from James deliver the ruling of the elders in Jerusalem. Paul believes, however, that this is a misunderstanding of the good news. But Paul does not want the Galatians to think that living by the Spirit means disregarding the moral restraints of the Jewish law. Being guided by the Spirit of Christ, Paul believes, actually requires a higher morality and spiritual practice than simply keeping Jewish law. The goal of the church, for Jewish and for Gentile Christians, Paul teaches, is life in the Spirit and the enjoyment for the whole community of that life. Love, joy, peace and mutual trust is what Christian faith is all about, and these gifts should mark the witness of the church. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Happy are the clear in heart, for they shall see God." The Sermon on the Mount begins with teachings that have become known as the "Beatitudes" because, in the Latin version of the gospel, the instructions all begin with the singular form of this word. Traditionally, the original Greek has been rendered in English as "blessed," but more recent translations often use "happy." Those who are clear in their hearts, this verse tells us, will see God. For that reason they will be blessed and happy. What would it mean to be "clear in our hearts? The gospel does not explain this image. It might mean not having any doubt about the will of God. Or, it might mean trusting in God, despite any doubts we have. Because the image concerns the heart rather than the mind, we may assume that it means being true and faithful in a personal sense, rather than being clear-minded about our faith. If we seek clarity in our hearts, understanding will likely come in time. "You do well to pay attention to the word of the prophets, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." The author, who identifies himself as Simeon Peter, says "no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation." Why is this? He asserts that "no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." In some Bibles there may be a note saying that other ancient manuscripts read: "but moved by the Holy Spirit saints of God spoke." Both versions make it clear that men and women, or saints, spoke the words of prophecy. God did not speak directly, but through the prophets. The words spoken were human words, but Christians affirm that these words are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The letter argues that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the prophecy of scripture. It offers eyewitness testimony to convince the reader that power of Jesus Christ is not a "cleverly devised" myth. At the end of this letter the author refers to letters written by Paul, saying that some are twisting the meaning of these letters "to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures." (2 Peter 3:16) This suggests a time when churches are using Paul's letters like they use scripture, which does not seem to be the case during Paul's lifetime. The scriptures and Paul's letters are not, apparently, self-evident in their meaning, at least to all the Christians who are reading them. We would do well to pay attention to the prophets and other books of scripture, but it seems clear that discernment will be necessary for the morning star to rise and dispel the darkness from our hearts. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." The words of this passage are some of the most stunning in the Christian Bible. Jesus says: "Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you." (vs. 39-42) We all know these words, but none of us live up to this challenge. Reading this passage simply takes my breath away. I want to take these words of scripture literally as the word of God, but I am staggered by the implications. I want the one who wrongs me punished, and if anyone takes something from me I want it returned. How can our faith be strong enough to love our enemies? Pray with humility for God's grace to remove the hardness of our hearts. March 18, 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 Paul writes: "When overburdened to the point of despair, we learned to rely, not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead to life." Paul writes of a narrow escape in Asia from near death. We do not know what happened, but Paul says he and Timothy "were utterly, unbearably crushed" and despaired of life itself. Paul thanks the Christians at Corinth for the prayers, and he says these help them continue their ministry. But primarily Paul gives thanks to God. When we despair it is so important to turn to God. Will we hear a voice? Probably not. Will we see a sign? It's unlikely. But we will discover God's presence, even in our despair. The love of God may be most clearly revealed to us, when we feel we are lost and without hope. The gospel of Mark reports that Jesus was transfigured in the presence of his disciples. And a cloud covered them with its shadow, and from the cloud a voice came, saying, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." This is the story of the "transfiguration," in which the appearance of Jesus is transformed. The gospel of Mark and the gospels of Matthew and Luke, which also relate this story with minor changes, say his clothes became dazzling white. Then the disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus, before they heard a voice from the cloud. Most likely Moses represents the Jewish law, and Elijah represents the prophets of ancient Israel. By meeting them, Jesus may be seen as anointed to fulfill both the law and the prophets. The voice (of God) from the cloud confirms his role, as the new spokesperson for God. The question of what "really happened" is not helpful and merely leads to disagreement and speculation. The gospel witness is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the scriptures of ancient Israel and (therefore) the anointed Son of God. The Christian Bible is the primary testimony of this faith, and the church is called to bear witness to this gospel message. To enter Jerusalem, Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written: "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" In all four gospels Jesus rides into Jerusalem and is greeted with shouts of praise. This is a reference to Zechariah 9:9, which reads: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Read literally, this seems to mean that the king is riding on two animals a donkey and the foal or colt of a donkey. In the gospel of Matthew the text is read this way and Jesus is described as sitting on both. (Mt. 21:5-7) But in the other gospels, the writers interpret the text from Zechariah as a repetition for emphasis and report that Jesus rode only on one animal. The passage from Zechariah envisions the coming of a king, who will bring peace to Jerusalem and her people. In the gospel stories, however, Jesus enters Jerusalem not to bring peace, but to initiate a confrontation with the Jewish and Roman authorities. In the first three gospels the entrance into Jerusalem is followed closely by the cleansing of the temple of money-changers, but in the gospel of John this has already happened at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. Most likely, the author of the fourth gospel has rearranged the plot and put this event at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus because it symbolizes his attack on the Jewish establishment. Moreover, Jesus in the gospel of John travels to Jerusalem several times, whereas in the other gospels he only goes to Jerusalem as an adult at the end of his ministry. So, in all four gospels the cleansing of the temple occurs the first time Jesus brings his message to Jerusalem. "Seek God in simplicity of heart; for the LORD is revealed to those who trust." The Book of Wisdom is not in the Protestant Bible, but it is in the Catholic Bible. History is the explanation for these different forms of scripture. The Book of Wisdom was in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible that Paul and the other Greek-speaking Christians of the first centuries read as scripture. So when the New Testament was authorized by the church in the fourth century in Greek, the books of the Septuagint were included in the Bible as the Old Testament. However, during the Protestant Reformation reformers translated the books of the Old Testament into their own languages from the Hebrew version of the Jewish scriptures, which around 100 CE was canonized by rabbis in a form omitting some of the books in the Septuagint. The sentiment of this passage from the Book of Wisdom is in no way inconsistent with the Protestant Bible. In fact, this text might have been taken from the New Testament. It also reminds us that the first Christians were reading as their scripture the Septuagint, which is the Old Testament in the Catholic Bible. The church began without the gospels, and only a few churches knew of the letters of Paul. The first Christians were reading the Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures as the word of God. Texts like this were the source of their faith. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." This passage begins with the well-known words, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (v. 28) And it concludes, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (v. 30) The word "yoke" literally means an attachment put over the neck of an animal, such as an ox, that is used to pull a cart. It is obvious, however, that Jesus is using the word in a figurative sense. We know rabbis in this period spoke of "the yoke of the law," as a way of referring to the commandments of Torah. The meaning of this passage seems to be that learning about Torah from Jesus will make its burdens lighter. Moreover, the passage promises, those who follow Jesus will find rest for their souls. Unlike the letters of Paul, which argue that Christ has replaced the (Jewish) law, the gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the law of Moses. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says clearly that he has not come to abolish the (Jewish) law, and there he teaches his disciples to keep the commandments until all that God has planned is accomplished. As the gospel was written for one or more churches, which were waiting for the end to come, the early Christians reading the gospel of Matthew must have been strictly adhering to Jewish law, unlike the churches organized by Paul. As Gentiles came to outnumber Jews in the churches, keeping the (Jewish) law disappeared from the life of the church. This early dispute in the church and change over time reminds us that our churches are not identical to the first church(es). Our churches must respond to the Holy Spirit in our own time. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to his disciples: "Stay alert and pray in order to withstand the trial. The spirit is willing, but human nature is weak." The story of Jesus praying with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane is deeply moving. Jesus prays that his death might not be necessary, but gives himself in trust to God. When Jesus finds that Peter, James and John, who he has taken with him for company, have fallen asleep, he is upset. Jesus asks them to remain alert and to pray. But they cannot stay awake, despite his agony. The story emphasizes his loneliness and the lack of understanding and faith of Jesus' disciples. This story is contained in the gospels of Mark and Luke, with some variations, but is not included in the gospel of John. In that gospel Jesus delivers a long sermon to his disciples and then prays with confidence: "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you." (John 17:1) In the gospel of John, after the prayer, Jesus goes to a garden across the Kidron valley and there is immediately arrested. The difference is not merely factual. Jesus is in agony in the first three gospels of the New Testament, before his arrest. He prays that the cup might be taken from him. In the fourth gospel, however, Jesus prays to get on with it, so God may be glorified. Then Jesus marches confidently to the garden, not to pray in agony, but to turn himself over to the arresting officials. Both of these accounts cannot be factually true, for they are too dissimilar. The one story emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, the other his divinity. Together, however, these stories witness to the faith of the early church that Jesus was both fully human and one with God. At Gethsemane, the gospel of Mark says, Jesus prayed: "Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what you will." The account of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane in the gospel of Mark is almost exactly the same as in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus is in agony, he takes Peter, James and John with him to pray, and they fall asleep as Jesus prays. The gospel of Matthew reports that Jesus calls on God with the words, "My Father." But the gospel of Mark records that Jesus said, "Abba, Father." Abba is the Aramaic word for father, but it is an intimate word meaning "Daddy" of "Papa." This word is used two other times in the New Testament in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6, by Paul which suggests that it was used early in the life of the church to refer to God. Perhaps by the time that the gospels of Matthew and Luke were written, this intimate word for God was seen as a bit of an embarrassment and so was removed. The story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane not only emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, but his faith. He does not want to die, but even more he wants to do God's will. The heart of our prayer should be "not what we will, but what you will." This is the prayer of Jesus and the faith to which we are called. They led Jesus out to crucify him. They compelled a passerby, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha where they crucified him. The gospel of Mark tells the dreadful story quickly. Jesus is marched to the killing fields and nailed to a cross. Years ago, when my children were small, we watched this terrible scene in the movie "Jesus of Nazareth." My children were aghast and in tears, but my eldest daughter saw not only the horror of the violence but also the frightening question about God that it raises. "Why didn't God save Jesus?" she sobbed. And then, with wide eyes, she asked me: "Did God want Jesus to die?" How would you answer this question from a ten year old child? As a loving God, of course, God surely did not want Jesus to die. But Christians affirm that God's love is not sentimental. Jesus, like all human beings, would die, because that is the way life is. Yet, if he chose to die for others, with faith in the continuing love of God, then others might be inspired by his death to be more loving. To say that Jesus is our Savior is to affirm that in his death we find the answer to our own dying. The last word of creation is not death, but life. Injustice, suffering and despair will not prevail over faith, hope and love. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. On the cross, in the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."Not all ancient manuscripts of the gospel of Luke contain this verse, and none of the other gospels in the New Testament report that Jesus said these words on the cross. If there was a tradition in the early church that included this passage, either it was unknown to the other gospel writers or they chose not to report it. Perhaps, these words are the literary creation of the author of the gospel attributed to Luke. But I believe they constitute one of the most inspired teachings of the Bible. Clearly, those who are crucifying Jesus do know what they are doing. They are killing a man, because he poses a threat to the oppressive peace of the Romans. But, in a more profound sense, they do not know what they are doing. They know their victim is innocent, but they do not know that his innocent death will inspire millions celebrate his life in the centuries to come. And they do not know that the love of God will be so powerfully manifested in the life and death of Jesus, that Jesus will be revered both as God and man, and also as the Savior of the world, by those who seek to be his disciples. These may be the words of a first century Christian, but they also are the word of God. The gospel of John says that when Jesus' disciple entered the empty tomb, he saw and believed. Each gospel tells a different story about the empty tomb. In the gospel of Matthew (28:1-7), Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" go to the tomb. An angel descends, rolls away the stone from the door of the tomb, and sits on it. He tells the women that Jesus is risen. In the gospel of Mark (16:1-7), Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome go to the tomb and find the stone rolled away. A young man sitting beside the tomb tells them Jesus is risen. In the gospel of Luke (24:1-7), Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (the brother of Jesus), Joanna, and the other women with them (24:10) find the tomb open and empty. Two men appear to them and tell them Jesus is risen. In the gospel of John (20:1-11), Mary Magdalene goes alone to the tomb. When she finds it open and empty, she runs to get Peter, who returns with another disciple. These four stories can be understood as variations of the facts, but all four cannot be literally true. Yet, all four can be true in a figurative or metaphorical sense. Each story testifies to the conviction of the early church that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and is alive within the life and witness of the Christian community. In this sense, all of the gospel stories are true or, we might say, witness to the same truth. Each, using different facts, affirms that faith is the way to God. And this is true. The prophet reports that the following words from the LORD: "I shall put my law deep within them, I shall write it on their hearts. I shall be their God and they will be my people." The prophet is writing about the return of exiles from Babylon to Israel. The two kingdoms, which divided after the reigns of David and Solomon, are to be reunited, Jeremiah proclaims (vs. 23-30). Then the prophet announces for God that a new covenant will be written on the hearts of the people of a newly reunited Israel. The return of exiles and the reunion of the two kingdoms is seen as a new beginning in the relationship between God and his chosen people. Christians read this text to support the idea expressed in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit being present in each person. At times we talk about this as the conscience of an individual. This suggests a direct relationship between God and a person, in a way that Jeremiah could not have conceived. The prophet was concerned with the relationship between God and his people, not between God and individual persons. But reading this passage from Jeremiah in the light of the New Testament, which shifts the emphasis from the people of God to the Son of God and those (persons) who follow him, we should not be surprised that the Christian understanding sees the law of God written on the heart of each individual person. This is our faith. James writes: "Let no one say when they are tempted, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." This letter is addressed to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" from "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." (v. 1) It is concerned with issues of Jewish law and was clearly written for Jewish Christians. It is written in eloquent Greek, however, which suggests that it was not written by James, the brother of Jesus, as there is no evidence that the family of Jesus or any of the disciples from Galilee wrote Greek. But the letter may, nonetheless, have been issued under his name during the time he was head of the church in Jerusalem. The letter teaches: "Blessed is anyone who endures temptation." (v. 12) It asserts that temptation comes from our desire, not from God. In a sense, of course, all things come from God. But the Christian Bible affirms that men and women are responsible for the choices they make. They can blame neither the devil nor God, if they act in a way they know to be wrong. This is sin, and the only answer for sin is repentance and faith in the love of God. The good news of the gospel is that God forgives all those, who repent and live in faith. "Whoever loves their brother or sister lives in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling." The author of this letter reaffirms "an old commandment" that the brothers and sisters in the church "have had from the beginning." (v. 7) "Whoever says, 'I am in the light,' while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness." (v. 9) To use contemporary slang, faith means "walking our talk" about love and compassion. In the this letter, however, Christians are urged only to love each other, not to love the stranger or the enemy. For that even more difficult teaching, we have to look to Paul's letters and the first three gospels of the New Testament. But the thrust of the message is the same in both instances. The church cannot witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ, unless it actually lives out its faith by being a loving community. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Do not be anxious about your life . . . Your Father in heaven knows what you need. Do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself." This is part of what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has taken his disciples up a mountain and is teaching them. We might generalize this teaching for all those who seek to follow him, but in the gospel it is presented only to the disciples. In the context of the early church we can see that this teaching would encourage those taking up preaching and teaching, as there was no guarantee anyone could make a living doing these things. Therefore, to the community of faith, this is a teaching that encourages the faithful to support those who are giving of their time for the sake of the church. More generally, of course, the passage affirms that anxiety will not contribute to our length of life or to our security. Trusting in God is a wonderful antidote for anxiety, and a less anxious life will likely be more loving and so will draw the love and support of others. "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his (its) righteousness," Jesus teaches in the gospel of Matthew, "and all these things (food, drink and clothing) will be given to you as well." (v. 33) |
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