Wednesday, April 19, 2006
THE DEATH OF JESUS
On the Friday evening before Easter our congregation engaged in a 90 minute focus on the death of Jesus. I realized that even though as a Christian my claim is that the death of Jesus is the center of all history and the central event affecting my life, I had never spent that much time at once simply focusing on this event. In hindsight that seems odd and inconsistent with the claim.
The gospel accounts move quickly from the death and burial of Jesus to the resurrection early on the first day of the week. In John's account the last verse of chapter 19 says "since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there." The very next verse, which begins chapter 20, moves to the visit and discovery made by Mary Magdelene "early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark."
And so we tend to move too quickly from Jesus' death to the good news of his resurrection. But for his first disciples the time from his death to his resurrection was interminable. And our Friday evening meditation showed me that we would do well to move less rapidly to Sunday morning.
I heard several comments, first hand and second hand, of people who found the Sunday morning Easter celebration to be much richer and fuller because they paused to focus on Jesus death on Friday evening. One person even said it changed their Saturday plans because they were in a different mindset than they would have been without stopping on Friday evening to engage the events surrounding Jesus' death.
Good news is always richer having fully experienced the bad news.
The gospel accounts move quickly from the death and burial of Jesus to the resurrection early on the first day of the week. In John's account the last verse of chapter 19 says "since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there." The very next verse, which begins chapter 20, moves to the visit and discovery made by Mary Magdelene "early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark."
And so we tend to move too quickly from Jesus' death to the good news of his resurrection. But for his first disciples the time from his death to his resurrection was interminable. And our Friday evening meditation showed me that we would do well to move less rapidly to Sunday morning.
I heard several comments, first hand and second hand, of people who found the Sunday morning Easter celebration to be much richer and fuller because they paused to focus on Jesus death on Friday evening. One person even said it changed their Saturday plans because they were in a different mindset than they would have been without stopping on Friday evening to engage the events surrounding Jesus' death.
Good news is always richer having fully experienced the bad news.
Friday, April 14, 2006
THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES AND HEROD-2
While the Pharisees and Herod may stand in contrast to one another, it is more likely that Mark sees them exemplifying the same attitude or behavior against which he now gives Jesus' warning. What do the Pharisees and Herod have in common? Unbelief - failure to believe in spite of the "power" (miracles, signs) exhibited by Jesus.
Earlier "the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." (3:6) This plot followed a Sabbath healing on the part of Jesus, a powerful sign which did not result in faith on their part. In fact, Jesus is described as angry and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. (3:5)
Between that incident and the statement about the yeast, Mark recounts how Herod had killed John the Baptist even though Herod knew John was "a righteous and holy man." (6:20) When Herod began to hear the stories of Jesus, he did not believe the claims of Jesus, but feared it was John rasied from the dead. (Sounds like the haunting of a guilty conscience - yet still one that won't seek God)
As for the Pharisees, they keep asking for more signs. This demand arises from a mindset that refuses to believe, but hopes Jesus will at some point fail. They refuse to believe, but won't quite come out and own that decision. Mark clearly calls it a "test" of Jesus to which he responds with a heavy sigh of exasperation.
Herod failed to respond to the message of John or the miracles of Jesus. The Pharisees likewise refused to believe. The end result of this path on the part of both parties is to be implicated in the execution of God's messengers.
The disciples, too, are at risk. Jesus bluntly asks them, "Are your hearts hardened?" "Do you still not understand?" (8:17,21) And, of course, we remain at risk today. Still wanting one more sign; still waiting to believe; still concerned more about bread than God.
Earlier "the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." (3:6) This plot followed a Sabbath healing on the part of Jesus, a powerful sign which did not result in faith on their part. In fact, Jesus is described as angry and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. (3:5)
Between that incident and the statement about the yeast, Mark recounts how Herod had killed John the Baptist even though Herod knew John was "a righteous and holy man." (6:20) When Herod began to hear the stories of Jesus, he did not believe the claims of Jesus, but feared it was John rasied from the dead. (Sounds like the haunting of a guilty conscience - yet still one that won't seek God)
As for the Pharisees, they keep asking for more signs. This demand arises from a mindset that refuses to believe, but hopes Jesus will at some point fail. They refuse to believe, but won't quite come out and own that decision. Mark clearly calls it a "test" of Jesus to which he responds with a heavy sigh of exasperation.
Herod failed to respond to the message of John or the miracles of Jesus. The Pharisees likewise refused to believe. The end result of this path on the part of both parties is to be implicated in the execution of God's messengers.
The disciples, too, are at risk. Jesus bluntly asks them, "Are your hearts hardened?" "Do you still not understand?" (8:17,21) And, of course, we remain at risk today. Still wanting one more sign; still waiting to believe; still concerned more about bread than God.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
EASTER AND JESUS
It is the Easter season and Jesus is in the headlines again. More stories seem to be faith-challenging than faith-affirming. Today in the online version of USATODAY there are two such articles.
The first one is hardly worth the space to report it. A researcher posits that when the gospels speak of Jesus walking on the water, it may have been that a rare meteorological pattern created small ice floes on the Sea of Galilee. So Jesus looked to be walking on the water, but was actually standing on a sheet of ice.
Some miracles certainly make use of nature and may be more a miracle of timing than of suspending physics and natural forces. For instance, wind is a key element in the stories of feeding Israel with quail and even in the exodus parting of the waters (Exodus 14:21; Numbers 11:31). But the walking on ice theory just seems silly.
The other story concerns the publication of an ancient text titled The Gospel of Judas. This parallels an emphasis lately on "other" texts which many hold not only as the equivalent to books of the NT, but actually see them as correcting the church's propoganda contained in the NT.
As the National Geographic site puts it, "The Gospel provides an alternative view of the Jesus-Judas relationship." It loosely falls into the "Gnostic" category of texts (something Campbell church members should now recognize from a recent sermon). Gnosticism is evident in the following quotes:
"Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom."
"You will sacrifice the man that clothes me." (i.e. free Jesus from his physical bondage)
"Look, you have been told everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your star. Judas lifted his eyes and saw the luminous cloud and he entered it."
Expect to see a lot more about the Gospel of Judas. Don't expect to see much more about Jesus walking on ice.
The first one is hardly worth the space to report it. A researcher posits that when the gospels speak of Jesus walking on the water, it may have been that a rare meteorological pattern created small ice floes on the Sea of Galilee. So Jesus looked to be walking on the water, but was actually standing on a sheet of ice.
Some miracles certainly make use of nature and may be more a miracle of timing than of suspending physics and natural forces. For instance, wind is a key element in the stories of feeding Israel with quail and even in the exodus parting of the waters (Exodus 14:21; Numbers 11:31). But the walking on ice theory just seems silly.
The other story concerns the publication of an ancient text titled The Gospel of Judas. This parallels an emphasis lately on "other" texts which many hold not only as the equivalent to books of the NT, but actually see them as correcting the church's propoganda contained in the NT.
As the National Geographic site puts it, "The Gospel provides an alternative view of the Jesus-Judas relationship." It loosely falls into the "Gnostic" category of texts (something Campbell church members should now recognize from a recent sermon). Gnosticism is evident in the following quotes:
"Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom."
"You will sacrifice the man that clothes me." (i.e. free Jesus from his physical bondage)
"Look, you have been told everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your star. Judas lifted his eyes and saw the luminous cloud and he entered it."
Expect to see a lot more about the Gospel of Judas. Don't expect to see much more about Jesus walking on ice.
