Earlier this year I was challenged to read the Bible from cover to cover in 80 days. I was a daunting challenge that did not give time for real thought or reflection. The shear volume was intimidating and yes, I failed. I could not keep up. I am not noting this so that I can enumerate yet another of my faults. What I want to convey is the number of deaths, atrocities and people 'mowed down' in the early Hebrew Scripture texts. The book goes to great lengths to spell out the incredible numbers of the Hebrew nation. It also goes to great length to tell how many people get killed, men women and children and even onto the animals of those conquered or slaughtered. It is quite revolting. Clearly that cannot be the message from God. If we were to take everything in Hebrew Scripture at face value we would be a people of hate, lust, vengeful killers who indulge in rape, slaughter, incest and countless unholy vices. No, I don't think it is the actual words that are supposed to be holy. They are really stories of how a human, flawed but faithful people are trying to find a relationship with their creator and try to live holy lives - even if they fail countless times.
Compare that with Jesus who has turned everything upside down. He did not use or quote Scripture ( to Him, they were no Hebrew Scripture, they were just the Scriptures ) in order to justify further sinful action. Jesus pointed to the fact that God was with the people and that God promised salvation. Hebrew Scripture ( like in today's passage ) pointed to the fact that Jesus was going to come into the world.
Jesus' message was not one primarily of words written as he lived. Jesus just lived. The written words came much, much later. THE WAY, as Christianity was called early on, was about Jesus actions and the way he actually lived. Because of the way people tend to whip out passages, quote them and justify their lives, Jesus' life was distinct from we call the New Testament writings.
The Way was about Jesus including the outcasts, embracing sinners, speaking to the marginalized, welcoming the soldier of the occupying army, curing that soldiers' same sex lover. Jesus' life was about showing us all a way to live without the trappings and bindings of the organized religions against which he was railed. Jesus actually railed against the hierarchy, the temple elite of Judaism. These kinds of daily actions show that it is not the words that make us holy. Quoting Scripture old or new is not a real path to holiness. Words are meaningless without the actions of love. Love is what Jesus' life was all about. It bore witness to the negation of using Scriptures as weapons. Jesus actual life was The Way.
If you strip away all the trappings, the rationalizations of organized religion, take away the philosophies and hateful actions of today's televangelists and temple elite of the Roman church, you will come face to face with Jesus. Without all the fru-fru you will come face to face with a flesh and blood man-God who welcomes the foreigner, welcomed the lowly, spoke with the nobodies, welcomed the sinners and loved enormously everyone who was in his path. Jesus excluded no one. Jesus loved everyone.
For THE WAY which is Jesus' lived life and for a sober reflection on Scripture, I pray this day.
Mark 1:1-13
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
No comments:
Post a Comment