Again to Bethany

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. (Mark 11:11)

Verse 11 says, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king of peace and stayed there for a while but came out from Jerusalem since it was late. Compare to the scene of bringing a colt and entry to Jerusalem the explanation after entry is too simple. Why did Jesus come out from Jerusalem?

Was it nowhere for Jesus in Jerusalem to stay? It might be. In those days Jerusalem was a capital city of Israel. Jesus came from Nazareth a remote place. It might be not easy to find out the people who could provide Jesus with lodging and eating. Furthermore Jesus was branded a person to be watched by Jew’s leader. Who could hide him in Jerusalem? So it was comfortable for Jesus to return Bethany where his intimate people were residing.

If we think it a little realistically Jesus might need a rest before a big battle against the religious leaders in Jerusalem temple. Then it was better for Jesus rather returned to Bethany lesser noticed place than staying in Jerusalem where hostile people surrounded.

We don’t know clearly about such matter. The author of Bible also might not have much concern on this matter. Reporting temple cleaning incident directly after entry of Jerusalem (Mark 11:15-19) didn’t have any problem and furthermore it was natural proceeding like Matthew’s gospel. Was the author mentioned the incident of returning Bethany in order to deliver a story of fig tree? It is also not clear.

However, I feel a certain sense of pathos between the lines of the word, Jesus returned to Bethany. Perhaps, so awed by the air of Jerusalem’ dignity, might Jesus think to return Nazareth in Galilee momentarily?

Hosanna! (2)

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"( Mark 11:10)

From yesterday’s meditation by focusing on the meaning of Hosanna, “Save us”, salvation is gift of God, we can ask this question. Don’t we have anything to do for our salvation? This is a little difficult question to reply. If we say it at the ultimate level, as we can confirm it from the conception of ‘Sola Gratia’ of Martin Luther, we have nothing to do because salvation is God’s grace. It is similar as a child eats food. A child has nothing to do for his mother cooks for him.

At the Reformation times, Roman Catholic taught differently. Salvation was God’s grace but at the same time it required human’s religious achievement. Christians should follow Church’s teaching. It revealed salvation as a religious achievement and it became the other important part of salvation. The request for such achievement was connected to two issues: salvation is process and in this process Christians should be taught religious education.

The opinion of Luther and Catholic is not the matter of a choice of two things. It may be a different view point for salvation. The former has a view point to see beginning of salvation and its completion as one. The latter has a view point to divide its beginning and completion. Even in Protestant, those who emphasize sanctification seem to be closed to the latter view point. Despite taking at any view point, shouting of Hosanna is an indispensible fact. Though setting process and sanctification of salvation forth as a premise, ultimately everything is God’s grace.

At the moment of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, there was the shouting of “Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus is indeed the origin, ground, goal and process of salvation. Hosanna!

Hosanna!(1)

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:9)

Verse 9 says, “Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!’" Hosanna means “Save us!” It frequently used in a sacrificial ritual of Judaism. Especially Jews shouted it on the Feast of Tabernacles, shaking branches. When people asked king’s mercy, they shouted in this way. (2 Sam. 14:4, 2 Kings 6:26) It also was introduced to the worship service of Christianity.

The biggest reason we have to cry “Hosanna!” is that we cannot produce salvation by ourselves. For example, here is a criminal under sentence of death and there is no other way for him to change his destiny but receiving a king’s amnesty. At this moment, the only thing he can do is to shout for king, “Hosanna!” Some of you may be unpleased with such word saying that it makes human being too much meanness. Many philosophers including Nietzsche denounced such assertion of Christianity. Some criticized it as a working of Oedipus complex. There is a possibility for Christian faith to change into psychology. However, Christianity’s teaching that salvation come from outside and so cannot but pray for Hosanna is not a psychological projection. It is an answer from confronting this world and human life.

Let us think easily. We are singing praise of prosperity and civilization that human history ever unheard-of. However, it cannot provide us salvation. We never experience salvation though this form of life continues endlessly. This is the very dilemma of mankind that depends on civilization only. The other life totally different in its quality should be given from outside. It means salvation is only God’s gift. Hosanna!

The Time for God

“‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’”(1:15)

Today Mark is telling us the first words of Jesus who started his official life. The first word of the sentence is that “the time” has come. The time in the Bible is not “chronos” which means sequential time but it is “kairos” which means a moment something special happens. The time in the Bible does not mean just May 3, 2006, but it is the spiritual moment in which God’s will be fulfilled. But generally speaking we cannot recognize this kind of kairos. Because chronos has been inscribed as the ultimate tie deep inside of our minds.

Time experienced by us who are living on earth is calculated usually by the speed of light. If we could move faster than the speed of light, the present time is said to move slowly. In a theory, time might go backwards. But it is impossible for time to go backwards because we are living in the world controlled by irreversibility. But anyhow it is evident that time regarded as the ultimate must be relative.

In this viewpoint, it is not unreasonable that the time in the Bible means kairos. To look at the time as the duration of being completed of life could be much richer understanding than the mechanical viewpoint for the time. The problem is that if we could have that kind of understanding or not for the spiritual time.

We Christians need to see the time as a dimension for the relationship with God. Just like time goes faster or slower according to the degree of density of love to the lovers, time for us Christians goes by how close relationship we have with God, doesn’t it? But it is very frustrating to see that their relationships with God do not change to most Christians even after years pass by. It means that they have more knowledge about faith-related life, but no change for the real relationship with God. To Christians living like this, the time for God does not mean anything special. To those people the spiritual time does not seem to exist at all. Without the change of an inner life, that means no growth and depth, it means we are dead spiritually with only superficial time passing.

The time for life that God prepares is related with all the species on earth as well as with a person and also with the whole mankind. Is modern civilization controlled by the time of God? Does modern life science accept God’s life movement? Do the politics, economy, culture of today in the world recognize the fact that God is near? Even if people in the world do not understand God’s time, we Christians should recognize this precisely. So we should do our best to work in order to vitalize God’s life according to our position in life, just like the phrase in the Lord’s prayer: “as it is in heaven your kingdom come as it is on earth”.

“The time to be fulfilled” as described 2000 years ago has become fulfilled now? God’s time does not move by calculation of chronos. And also that time is not moving by proportion to historical time, either. That time is moving only by God’s way, and by the people who recognize that, the time could expose itself clearly, or it might be still hidden. In this point the spiritual recognition of Christians today is very important. Today if we understand exactly God’s kairos and live according to that, the moment of right now could be God’s time.

Lord, how much do we recognize your time in our living today?

Cloaks and branches

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. (Mark 11:8)

Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was beginning in earnest. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. (8) According to the scholars of the New Testament, those who did such activity were not Jerusalem’s resident but the followers from Galilee. I don’t know in what bases they insist like that but assume as following. Jesus entered into Jerusalem and returned to Bethany in the dusk of evening at the same day. It signifies Jesus wasn’t welcomed by the people of Jerusalem. Then it might be difficult to say that the cheering people were Jerusalem’s resident.

However, people spread their cloaks and branches on the road and it symbolized Jesus was the real king of Jews. There was a nameplate written as ‘the king of Jews’ on the cross where Jesus hanged. A king is a ruler of all the people. However, the king of Jews was executed on the cross which was fitted to a traitor. The author of gospel hinted this fact through cloaks and branches that belonged to the ceremony of an emperor.

This world didn’t recognize Jesus was a real king as a lyric in ‘Messiah’ of Handel, “King of kings”. It was because the level of Jesus’ kingly rule was different from its rule of the world. The kings of the world rule over this world as the way of revealing their ability. They want to show their great achievement. Of course, though there are the kings who serve his people with pure heart but its numbers are few and even their purity also is not perfect. Furthermore, they don’t have such ability. Generally, the kings of this world are hostile to a real king. So there are repeated crucifixions in the worldly history.

A colt (5)

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. (Mark 11:7)

The preparation of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was over. The disciples threw their cloaks over the colt and Jesus sat on it. If we see this scene in real it seems a little funny. It was not a donkey but a colt on which 30 years of man was sitting. A colt might feel tough to deal with the mission to carry Jesus. Then the person on it also felt uneasy a little. Was it possibility that a colt didn’t have any problem because the people lived in 2000 years ago were smaller than us today?

The author doesn’t have any concern on this matter. He fully concentrated on delivering the identity of Jesus who was entering to Jerusalem, the king of peace. The king of peace doesn’t ride on a horse. The one who enters into a city rides on a horse is a triumphant general. A triumphant general is a ruler of the world by his army power. However, Jesus rules over this world by peace. Peace doesn’t seem to match to rule. It should to say that Jesus proclaims peace and establish peace. A colt is a right animal for riding on such king of peace.

A triumphant general also fulfilled peace. He forced others peace by war, destruction and violence. He demanded other county obedience by force. Now war is over and peace has come but it is not real peace. This is one-sided peace. Pax Romana(Roman peace)! Such peace cannot endure long. Roman Empire, once proud of its power was finally destroyed by the same power.

Jesus’ peace was the cross. He was entering into Jerusalem in order to be crucified on the cross. The peace of Jesus executed of treason by Rome was not given by force but grace. Jesus the very king of peace rides on a colt, a symbol of peace.

A colt (4)

They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. (Mark 11:6)

I am to think more about yesterday’s mediation, though evilness is clearly not God’s will but still a part of God’s great providence. Such opinion somewhat can be misunderstood. People may say if God deals with the evilness of the world with his own way then we don’t need to struggle against evil. This is the opinion of a complete nonresistant.

During the last 2000 years of Christian history such principle of nonresistance has carried on its stream through a minor sect. Even now ‘Jehovah Witness’ sustains such opinion. They regard an army as violence and refuse to army service despite they serve a term in prison. We have to accept their position. We have to provide them an opportunity to live with us in the Republic of Korea as the same community. They merely accept the teaching of Bible more strictly than us.

Though the principle of nonresistance is right we cannot solve all the problems of this world with this principle only. Ideally the principle of nonresistance is right but has a limitation in real. We cannot unconditionally denounce anti-violence in order to depend on the greater violence. For example, we should us violence in order to gain control of an armed housebreaker.

The Christians today who believe God’s providence should not let loose its tension at this point. Though we believe the evil order in this world eventually will be surrendered to God, we have to fight against the evil power case by case. This is really not easy matter for our struggle may give damage to God’s providence. However, those who believe God’s providence do not be fatigued in struggling with evil power and at the same should not absolutize their struggle for they completely obey the will of God.

A colt (3)

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"(Mark 11:4, 5)

The story of colt was progressing exactly same as what Jesus had told to two disciples. When the disciples entered into the village there was a colt outside in the street, tied at the doorway. They untied it. Then some people seeming an owner of a colt asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” In such way of writing the author of Mark was delivering the fact that everything was exactly progressing according to what Jesus had said.

This matter is connected to Christianity faith as God’s providence rules over this world. The Bible teaches everything in this world is under God’s providence. He is the only Creator, the sustainer of creation and a completer of creation. Even the event of Job’s misery caused by Satan also happened under God’s permission.

Two facts are crushing here. God is the only superintendant of the world is one side and there are also many things ceaselessly happening in the world which against God’s will is the other. Connecting to today’s content, Jesus who even pinpointed out the person who would say “What are you doing with a colt” would be executed on the cross helplessly without any false was contradicting each other.

Why does God the reality of defining everything seem to abandon evilness of the world? No. God never abandon evil. He deals it with his own way that we don’t realize. At this point, the fact that this world and history is under God’s Providence is right. The problem is we don’t know the ultimate secret yet.

A colt(2)

“If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" (Mark 11:3)

I told you yesterday about an inordinate detail explanation for the process of bringing a colt. When it reaches to the above verse it goes to extreme. Jesus instructed the disciple, if anyone asked them “Why are you doing this” then told him “The Lord needs it.” There might be a certain circumstance to explain in detail for such insignificant story.

I think there are two points. First is to protect Jesus’ Messianic character based on the Old Testament as a prophet Zechariah proclaimed in Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The other is to provide a clue for a certainty of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem saying “Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem is very clear as you can see the detailed process of bringing a colt.”

The interesting point here is a similar process between to bring a colt by sending two disciples and to arrange a room to observe Passover. (Mark 14:12-16) When the disciples entered into the city then they could meet a man carrying a jar of water and he would show them a large upper room, furnished and ready. According to the authors of gospels, the ability to arrange a certain work in this way might vividly prove Jesus’ Messianic character.

However, there was a high possibility of beforehand discussion between Jesus and the owner of colt. The password would be “the Lord needs it” when two strange men untied a colt. Through seeming a little farcical process, a colt appeared on the stage of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem by taking an important position.

A colt (1)

“…saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.’” (Mark 11:2)

The scene of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem seems a little farcical. Imagine the scene of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem amid cheering followers riding on a colt. Probably many people around gathered to see this incident as great spectacle might be taken place. Here a colt takes an important role in this incident. The colt symbolically signifies the fact that the one who rides on its back is Messiah, the king of peace.

Jesus sent two disciples to bring a colt. Jesus told them they would find a colt in which no one had ever ridden. Here the point ‘no one had ever ridden’ is important. Such colt only can ride Messiah. The important point of sacrifice animal for offering in Judaism and other ancient religion was its purity.

The process to bring a colt is mentioned in Mark 11:2-6 inordinately in detail. Other synoptic gospels also are the same. Only John’s gospel testifies Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem without explaining of a colt bringing process. The purpose of such statement in synoptic gospel may have an intention to emphasize historical certainty of Jesus’ Messianic character. Through this incident the author would like to say the fact that Jesus is Messiah which is even revealed in such a tiny incident of bringing a colt.

Yes. The salvation history of God happens through everything that seems to happen by chance. It means God’s will always transcend our thought and expectation. We today may ask like this, “What and who is a colt around us? Who can be used in Messianic incident?”

After John

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. (1:14)

Mark is telling that Jesus started working after John was put in prison. There is no explanation yet, but the reason of John’s arrest was because he had criticized the immorality of King Herod. If John pretended not to see King Herod’s action or criticized him a little loosely, he could avoid such hardships like imprisonment, but he criticized very harshly. Eventually he was killed in prison.

Was Baptist John’s choice to fight against the immoral leader and his power right? Or, should he have fighted in a way at least to save his life with a further perspective? When I think of John’s death, I cannot help thinking John’s death seems to be such a non-sense. It is possible to think that if he could live a little longer than that to shout for justice, he might help Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God in more effective way. But we cannot turn history backwards. We cannot say John’s fighting is so ruthless and also we cannot say like no matter what, he is right. But definitely it is evident he was trying his best at his position.

John’s fate seems to be happening over and over again these days as well as 2000 years ago in his days. Some power group who has political as well as economical hegemony could suppress the opposing party simply and as a matter of fact, actually they do. America who has superpower oppresses North Korea without limit. Regarding economical growth as the most important value, South Korea brings Saemangum under its controls without limit. The theory of almighty power of growing churches make impossible to reform churches. The second and the third John are still in the process of being put in prison.

But look at this. The history of God is not finished even though the Baptist John, the last prophet in Judea, who used to proclaim the words like fire, was arrested. God is doing his own sovereignty again seriously out of the desperate situation. A new history of God through Jesus Christ restarts ‘after John was put in prison’. To our eyes ‘after John was put in prison’ could be despair, but to God’s eyes it means hope. Christians are not who rely on the situations that they are in, but only on God who controls everything on his own beyond that situation. People who rely only on God do not loosen their grips for hope under whatever situations they are. This hope is not self-desire or an illusion. It is not delusion like escape from reality, either. It is waiting which might happen only to the person who could recognize God’s sovereignty in an unexpected way.

In this respect there are two different kinds of people. One is a person who frustrates because of hardships in reality, and the other is a person who is looking forward to God’s sovereignty over reality. These two kinds of people keep on fighting with each other even life in wilderness for 40 years of Jewish history. One side is the people who are missing the lives in Egypt because of hardships in wilderness, but the other people are waiting for the freedom in Canaan. The Old Testament teaches that the will of God came true by the people like the latter.

Today are our lives like ‘after John was put in prison’ so dark? Do you feel like the atmosphere for reality of our community of Korea is so dark? And then it could be the opportunity that God could work. It might be the moment to wait for imminent God’s work seriously. Let’s live in such mystery of salvation.

Lord, help us to see the fact that a new history begins even after John was put in prison in our lives today. Amen.

Oh, Jerusalem! (3)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, (Mark 11:1)

The public life of Jesus is composing of the journey starts from Galilee to Jerusalem via Samaria. Galilee is a departing point and Jerusalem ending point. Jesus’ declaration of the kingdom of God greatly highlighted in Galilee but was denounced in Jerusalem. Why does such thing happen?

Such matter is difficult to explain base on a certain fact. The gospels that describe Jesus’ public life don’t have any interest in such social matter. We only can understand such matter indirectly through reading the lines of the Bible.

One of the reasons was that the leaders of Jews didn’t consider Jesus’ ministry in Galilee as a risky thing for their hegemony for it hadn’t actualized and he didn’t make any big power group. In Galilee Jesus might be received as a mere wondering preacher or a general Rabbi. He lived as a friend of sinners and tax collectors. He healed the diseases and drove out evil spirits. And he removed sin consciousness from people.

However, such Jesus’ movement of the kingdom of God gradually got power. Though the description of the gospel that the numbers of 5000 who got experienced the event of five loaves and two fishes is a little overstated the fact Jesus might have huge followers is clear. Such followers made Jewish leader uncomfortable. Especially there were many civil revolts in Galilee in those days.

It is right to say that a decisive cause of betrayal in Jerusalem, executing on the cross was the expression of the desire of Jew’s leader in Jerusalem to keep their present peaceful life or maintenance of the status quo. In such place a paradigm shift cannot be allowed. Is present Korean church not similar to such Jerusalem?

Oh, Jerusalem! (2)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, (Mark 11:1)

If Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem and worked in Galilee and Samaria vicinity only what would be happened to his destiny? There is no ‘if’ in history. History is not a fixed reality but the series of shifts and changes of event so we cannot measure history in such way. The fact Jesus came to Jerusalem only became an obvious history. From there, his crucifixion occurred, followed by his resurrection and ignited early Christian movement.

Jerusalem is, as I mentioned yesterday, the holy place of many religions. It is the holy land. Holy means a manifesting of life. There is no other holy thing except life. The reason we are calling God holy for we believe that he created life, maintaining it and finally will complete it. However, Jerusalem, the holy place was rather the land of death for Jesus. How many prophets were murdered in Jerusalem too!

From the end of last year till now Israel holding Jerusalem as a holy place raised a war. They bombed Gaza area of Palestine ruling by Hamas and already resulted the casualty of ten thousands and 5,000 injuries. Why Israel, calling herself as the holy nation and chosen people of God, does such anti-life activity? Is it an extended line of the tradition of executing Jesus on the cross?

The answer is easy. The people and system think self holy cannot allow any challenge against them. They beautify their war as a holy war. A dictator cannot allow others who stand against his absolute rule. He wraps a cruel purge as a realization of justice. When will be the time Jerusalem a holy city can restore a real peace and realize in it? It is the time to recall the scene of Jesus weeping by seeing Jerusalem.

Oh, Jerusalem! (1)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, (Mark 11:1)

Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany. Bethphage and Bethany are the neighboring villages of Jesus. How was Jesus’ feeling? Other people entirely unnoticed what would be happened in Jerusalem but Jesus himself had a feeling that his destiny would be decided here in Jerusalem. The shadow of darkness and death might be ripened that had been approaching him in his journey.

Jerusalem is a peculiar city. Historically Jerusalem became a capital city by David. Before David’s kingdom it was ruled by Jebusites, the native tribe of Canaan. It was the same even under King Saul’s reign, the first king of Israel. David conquered Jerusalem and established a physical foundation of his kingdom. Solomon, son of David built the Jerusalem Temple. Jerusalem with a palace and a temple was nothing lacked as the city of Israel.

Though there were the holy places such as Shechem, Silo and Samaria in Northern Israel, it couldn’t compare to Jerusalem in Southern Judea. Jeroboam who founded Northern Israel erected the golden carves in Shechem and Silo in order to stop people’s coming and going to Jerusalem, the capital city of Southern Judea. However, the step Jeroboam had taken wasn’t able to exceed the authority of Jerusalem.

David might not able to drive out the entire natives though he ruled them by army power. He might be applied an adaptation policy later. Despite this policy he couldn’t demolish their entire culture. Though Jerusalem was the holy place of Judaism still it wasn’t fully escaped from the influence of gentile religion. The history of Jerusalem got more confused after A.D. and finally Jerusalem became the holy places of all the major religion of the world. Judaism, Islam and Christianity are insisting that Jerusalem is the holy place of their own religion.

Jesus and the Angels

and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.(1:13)

According to the Gospel of Mark, the last temptation scene shows the angels to help Jesus. We don't see specific details how the angels helped Jesus, because there is no explanation, but we could make it sure indirectly that Jesus needed some help. Like the aforementioned animals being stayed with Jesus, now the angels were with him to help.

The Bible often mentions the angels. With this topic, it might be insufficient to finish even in a single book. The Bible tells about the fallen angel too. It must be Satan. But in here do not ask if the angels exist or not. Because we always used to think only through that way, we are often likely to lose the basic things. The things that exist actually could be originally non-existent, and the things that you don’t get right now could not be non-existent actually. We must change the idea of “being” basically. If we think only the things we make sure now of its existence exist, we just stay in the first dimension of the world. There are plenty of things that exist in a totally different way of living. And also there are plenty of things as a process of being, not as an accomplished being. We cannot say that the things do not exist now but would exist in the future are not existent at all. Since it has been said if it does exist, let us ask ourselves again. Does the kingdom of God exist? Does it now? Or would it be in the future? Do you know very well that that kingdom of God exists without any relations with our lives now, or would be related with them? This kind of question should lead to the ultimatum. Does God exist? Is he a being to be created in the future? In which way does he exist? If you regard God as an object, you should make a conclusion that such a god never exists. That means that if we don’t consider a totally different new theory of existence, we could never realize the existence of God.

I am not able to explain what the angels attend Jesus means exactly what in order to help you to understand this passage. Even though I cannot give you precise explanation, I could accept the fact itself, because I believe in that special messenger who appears personally or privately to the person who has an eye to see. Perhaps just like the spirits and the angels in Shakespeare’s works, such power seems to show to the person who could see deep inside of the world. If there were no such angels, our lives would be so dry and barren. The lives without the angels must be only movement of chunk of protein automatically following a primitive instinct of survival. But luckily the human lives as a person or as a group as well as all the living creatures must be controlled by the supernatural power. That is the Holy Spirit and the angels are fairy-like expression for that power.

Did you ever get help from the angels? Did you ever experience an angel? The angels dancing in the breath of a baby, under the starlight, in the love between a man and a woman, in the winds and the waves, are being with us. If we open our eyes of heart, we could see the angels helping us.

Lord, please allow us an eye of the heart to see the angels. Amen.

Faith and salvation (2)

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:52)

Through yesterday meditation, I told that the doctrine of faith omnipotence crashes on a reality and doesn’t harmony with the central point of the Bible. I would like to replenish these two matters.

Christian faith should firmly stand on a reality. As we often see around, it is wrong to insist faith as a certain incident of the other world that isn’t related to a reality. In this actual world we are living we cannot heal the handicap of sight by faith or prayer. Do not ask me the possibility of such miracle. Such things even can be happened without prayer and faith. If such miracles can be happened whenever we pray this world may fall into chaos in a moment. Christian faith should respect the reality of the world as it is that God created.

Some people may think strangely the saying, “The doctrine of faith omnipotence doesn’t harmony with the central point of the Bible.” Beside this doctrine, according to “Your faith has healed you” we may think faith is clearly the foundation of salvation. I also agree with this. If we don’t have faith how can we experience spiritual power? It is very clear that we are justified by faith and undergoing the way of sanctification by faith. At this point, it is not going too far to say that Christian faith is thoroughly connected to faith, its beginning, processing and the end.

The point here I would like to emphasize is not faith based on the relationship between faith and salivation but the fact to focus on salvation. Faith is human attitude but salvation is God’s gift. Though the attitude man should take before God is important but still it is relative. God’s salvation sovereignty only is absolute. There is the hegemony of salvation history.

The Lord’s calling

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." (Mark 10:49)

The shout of the blind man, “Have mercy on me!” reached Jesus. Jesus stopped on his way and told his disciples to call him. They told the blind man “He’s calling you.” The word “call” is repeated three times in verse 49. This repetition makes the sentence active. Though it is not certain whether the author has the intention to emphasize on calling, the emphasis made on calling is clear in the sentence.

The word ‘calling’ is the most important landmark of the identity of a disciple. Jesus’ word, “Follow me” clearly indicates this calling. The other attribute of a disciple is ‘following’ which is a response to the call of the Lord. Still another additional attribute of the identity of a disciple is ‘to be sent’. The three steps ‘calling, following and sending’ are the deciding factors for realizing the real identity of a disciple.

Among these three factors, calling is the most important one. When do we experience this calling? Does calling signify that everybody should be a pastor or a missionary? The core of calling is life. The Lord calls us toward life. In other words, to be called by Jesus means to receive a calling for life.

Does the word calling for life sound strange? If so, it would mean you do not think about the matter of life seriously or think about life in a very narrow perspectives.

The Bible says life is a spiritual incident. At this point of view, the calling for life is just the experience of the Holy Spirit. Fulfillment of the Spirit means the fulfillment of life. The spirit calls us. From a close distance and at the same time in a deeper level, the Spirit of Life is calling us.

Have mercy on me(3)

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:48)

In the last paragraph of the preceding meditation mentions, “We have to shout all the more on the borderline of nothing and something.” For some the meaning of this paragraph can be vividly understood while others may feel it as too much of idealism. This necessitates some additional explanation for proper understanding.

We are now living in the world of something. The food we eat and the water we drink every day are all ‘something’. When we open our eyes everything is seen, open our ears all sounds are heard and open the senses of our body everything is felt. This world is filled with wonders that we cannot describe it properly. We are here together with ‘something’ of the world. This is the world of something.

However, everything cannot always come into our senses. When we close our eyes everything disappears. When we close our ears no sound is heard. In this case, can we affirm those ‘something’ has been there originally? In a sense we are not aware of the fact that something is already in stock originally. Is the incapability of our perception due to the limitation of our senses? It is not so either.

The world right now might not be something that we are sensibly experiencing. Suppose there is a tree. Though we recognize it as a tree there is no complete guarantee that it will be a tree. It could be a totally different object such as a bird and the wind. Then a tree might be a kind of ‘nihility’ for them.

More fundamentally speaking, everything in this world including mankind returns to ‘nihility’ in a flash. Because of fastness of its speed we seem to put on the boarder of ‘something’ and ‘nothing’. We are just getting dizzy before this fact. Yes. We simply shout for help on the border of something and nothing. It is a shouting for life.

With wild animals!

"and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. (1:13)

The story not mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke does appear in Mark's Gospel. It is a story about that Jesus was with the wild animals. There was no specific explanationwhat these wild animals could be. Looking at the circumstances, these must be the wild animals living in the desert. Could they be rabbits, or deer? or a little more fierce wolves?

I don't know what Mark's intention could be for adding up the story of the wild animals in here. Of course these are not inappropriate relationship at all between Jesus and animals. According to the tale of his birth, he was born in the manger. There are some pictures with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus with the background of some animals like cows or sheep. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he rode on a donkey. These must be the only stories with animals being related with Jesus.

Could there be animals in the kingdom of God? If the mankindget eternal lives in there, could it be possible for an animal to get an eternal life in there too? These are not the problems only for the animals. What about the insects and bacteria? Today we cannot imagine a living world, excluding the insects and bacteria on earth. They are related with each other in an organic way. Some relationships we might understand, but some we don't know. Perhaps it could be impossible to understand every single relationship between them until the world ends.

We cannot predict how the relationships between human and animal, between human and microorganism would be in progress. Now they compete with each other, but sometimes cooperate witheach other. But at the ultimate, we don't know what's going to happen. Maybe the microorganism could destroy the species of human beings. But the day when human beings could remove microorganism totally will never come. Becausehuman beings cannot exist without microorganism, but they could exist without humans. Maybe there is no direct connection between what we don't understand the relationship with living species surrounding us and Christian faith. But we should get rid of foolishness to measure everything round the human species as a center. A form of new life begins in a new heaven and a new earth, with Jesus' second coming, doesn't it? Until then we must keep on living on this earth with a partial experience of life. Inside of that partial, there exists a hidden whole thing. If we have good relationships with animals now, we could taste in advance a bit of an absolute world of the whole life that will begin in the future. In this point of view, Christian ethics we should discuss is very complicated. The problems from the carnivorous culture or medical experiment for development of medicine belong to this category. I am saying that we should keep on discussing what kind of attitude toward a life could be a proper way of thinking for a living world in the kingdom of God.

Let's get back to the text for today. At the time of temptations and at the place where Jesus got temptations, instead of people, the wild animals were with him. It could be explained the wild animals were a kind of help to Jesus. It means that the animals were able to support Jesus under hard conditions, but not the humans. Ignorant animals could be more useful beings than highly intelligent humans in a certain way.

Lord, we are looking forward to the world in which people, the wild animals, and microorganism get along together peacefully, Amen.

Have mercy on me (2)

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:48)

Many people who surrounded Jesus rebuked Bartimaeus to be quiet. They told him, “You are too noisy before our noble teacher. Do not disturb our secret religious talk.” But Bartimaeus shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

At this critical juncture, Bartimaeus is not supposed to be in a position to consider other’s situation. He has only one goal of healing his blindness. He does not have any other way but to indulge in having Jesus’ mercy. He comes to Jesus not because of his superior spiritual excellence but in his miserable situation that pushes him forward to Jesus. At this point, Jesus’ teaching on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” can be justified.

I do not know what kind life you are going through. But you are a blessed if your heart is completely filled with the deep concern about God. A loneliness, disease, business failure or broken family could drive you to such troublesome life. Then such bad condition of life rather is the grace of God. Of course it would be better to concentrate on God with good condition of life. But such thing rarely happens to our life.

Here do not misunderstand the meaning of concentrating on God alone. It does not mean to indulge in church life only, by abandoning all other part of life. Such life is different from a mere church life which is different from the concentration on God. It is rather important for us to be captured by the power that enables us to live.

Whatever we do and wherever we go we have to shout all the more. It is the shouts of our souls. We have to shout all the more standing on the borderline of nothingness and something else, “Lord, have mercy on me!”

Have mercy on me(1)

When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47)

Hearing Jesus was passing by, Bartimaeus shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The name of Jesus is called upon here as ‘Son of David’. According to scholars’ explanation, this name is not relevant to this scene. They contended that this name is related to the deliverance of Israel and the salvation activities for the entire nation and not for the purpose of mere healing of diseases. However, there are other traditional acceptance in connection with this name such as teaching the word and using authority to control evil spirit. We can simply accept that this other name of Jesus embodies the religious confession of early Christians.

The central theme for us to focus on is the pleading “Have mercy on me!” Bartimaeus was placed in an utterly helpless situation expecting Jesus’ help. He could not freely communicate with the Lord. He could not do anything but anxiously waiting for the mercy of the Lord.

You may have pity on Bartimaeus’ status. Yes, he deserved. He was a blind beggar. However there is an advantage that those who have nothing to show up before God may be the happiest person in the world. The soul that hangs one’s destiny on God alone is the purest soul in the world.

May be for us to have such soul is difficult. It is because we have something to show up. Truly speaking, we misunderstand that we have something to show up. Those who have more depend on their achievement in their own way and those who have less also do the same thing.

Yes. The prayer, “Have mercy on me!” is possible only when we bring down everything before God. ““Kyrie Eleison!”” the most precious prayer in Christian tradition rightly indicates this.

The Temptation for Jesus(5)

“……and he was in the desert for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” (Mark 1:13)

Satan showed all the glorious things to Jesus and asked like this. This is the third request Jesus got from Satan. ““All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me."(Mt. 4:9) Two temptations requested before are about the confidence or the doubt of "the son of God", but now the last temptation is about worldly honor and possessions. The former is likely to be rather spiritual questions, but the latter is totally worldly question.

People could be tempted more easily to the worldly than to the spiritual. It is saying that even though someone acts like to regard the spiritual thing asprecious, actually he could be shaken by the worldly thing. Here difference between the spiritual and the worldly is not decided by the standard of how much being religious or not. Ministry seems to be spiritual, but it could belong to the worldly. If youtake advantage of ministry in order to show off your honor or to make sure of your ability, ministry could be only a pattern of God superficially, and also in fact it could be such a worldly thing.

Satan said to Jesus like this. ““if you will bow down andworship me, I will give you this all." In here we could find two things. One thing is that worldly honor belongs to the authority of Satan. What Satan makes a promise to give everything could mean he can control everything according to his will. Worldly honor and authority are Satan's possessions. Of course to say that all the secular power and honor are Satan's possessions could be a little too much. If we could use the secular honor, wealth and power according to God's will, it might be evidence that those are not Satan's possessions anymore. Well, this kind of question is a little bit complicated.

Luther solved this kind of problems by the theory of two kingdoms. He said that since the heavenly order and the earthly order were so different, and the kingdom of Christ was different from the kingdom of kings, they should not interfere with each other. Luther definitely seemed to look at the magical power of the secular order. As long as the human beings keep on living with two feet in the earth, we cannot deny such a worldly order, but we don't have to take it. Because this secular order could not help bringing in immoral order, even though that secular order is trying to do good works. For example, the capital punishment it could be. It is said that the capital punishment is required to keep the order for justice, but in a sense that this system is another kind of violence, it is an evil.

The other thing we could find in Satan's saying to Jesus is the fact that you should compromise with Satan in order to possess worldly honor and power. We have to keep our relationship with Satan if we like to succeed in this world. It happens in case of managing business. If we manage our business so honestly, we might not compete with other businesses. Of course we could act rather comparatively in an honest way, but absolute ethics could not be appliedin secular world, because secular honor and power could be given by Satan.

Today my writing might have a tendency like the theory of good and evil. It is not true that I think that this world is immoral unconditionally. I just want to emphasize the reality of evil, which is so evident. The characteristic of wealth, honor, and power are so immoral, so that I cannot help thinking those are under Satan's control.

Jesus answered to Satan like this. ““Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."(Mt. 4:10) Our lives should stay in here. The answer is in the life to serve God only. That means the life only God controls. What could it be in details?

Sitting by the roadside

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. (10:46)

A blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside. Jesus was going on a road trip toward Jerusalem. Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside and Jesus was going on his way passing the road. The common point is the road.

According to the gospels, most of cases the disciples met Jesus on the road and followed him. The Sea of Galilee where Peter, Andrew, James and John brothers met Jesus was also the road at the broad extend. Tax collector office where Matthew met Jesus was also the road. Other disciples and followers also met Jesus on the road.

Jesus’ public life was the continuation of the road. Jesus practically had lived on the road and Early Christian experienced Jesus as the road, “I am the way.” (John 14:6) The character of the road is that people don’t stay long in one place. They stay for resting or talking a little while but leave soon. This is not easy for the people who want to stay comfortably in the accustomed place.

Whether Christian or not everybody recognizes the fact life is a pilgrimage. However, the idea about the road of Christian is a little different. People in the world may think the process of achieving the life they have planed as the way of life while Christians think to participate in a certain life incident that happens beyond or out of their life.

Again return to Bartimaeus, he met the Lord the way on the road. I say emphasizing a little more. We cannot meet the Lord unless and until we go on a road trip. Christian belief is basically the spirituality of the road. Church life, at the slight slip, destroys such spirituality of the road. Haven’t we become accustomed to the organization and system of church?

A blind man, Bartimaeus

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. (10:46)

Both the gospel of Matthew and Luke report the incidents of healing the blind man. However, there are small differences between them. Both Mark and Matthew mentioned that Jesus met the blind man as he was leaving Jericho. But according to Luke’s account, Jesus met the blind man just before entering into Jericho. Mark mentioned the name of a blind man while Matthew and Luke did not. Mark even revealed his father’s name. Mark’s community might have a deeper relationship with them and Matthew and Luke’s community might have simply heard this story through others.

Bartimaeus was a blind beggar. May be, his father was also poor. Perhaps, his father drove him out to the street to join the profession of begging. Practically, Bartimaeus was oppressed with darkened despair of life just like the street-sleepers at the corners of Seoul Railway station of today.

Why did Mark put the story of Bartimaeus at the beginning of Jerusalem entry? Here Mark might have tried to bring an analogy between the destiny of Jesus and that of the blind man’s despair. There would be no grater despair than the fact of being forsaken by God.

The above explanation may not be the accurate one. Gospels never lead us into sense of despair any moment. Rather, hope and victory that is dominant transcends the power of despair. This incident might signify Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was the victory of king as we can see the name of Jesus “Son of David” in verse 47. The key point is that, the victory is just to give freedom to the blind beggar-like people. At this point, the story of Bartimaeus is an incident to clarify Jesus’ identity.

In Jericho

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. (10:46)

According to the scholars of the New Testament, from verses 10:46 to 13:37 are the reports of Jesus’ activity in Jerusalem. The incidents of crucifixion and resurrection continued after 14:1. It explains the Passion in Jerusalem and it occupies one third of Mark’s gospel. It probably means that the passion is the centre of the gospel.

Though Mark 10:46-52 deals with the incident that had happened before Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem, it was included in the activity of Jesus in Jerusalem because it happened just before Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem.

Some may be perplexed to imagine the literary work of the critics as they read the gospel. Yes, they would. The authors of the gospels wrote in contemporary terms. Those who write, carefully consider the structure of their writings in order to match the purpose of writing. The literary work of the critics is just an attempt to make us understand the structure. We can simply follow the stream of the text a little more precisely through such line of understanding.

Jericho, the background of today’s content is another place different from the Jericho the first city attacked by Israel who was to conquer Canaan led by Joshua. The Jericho of today’s content is the city of palm tree, locating at the southwestern part of the old Jericho which is 250m under sea level. The city is the handiwork of Herod who built his winter palace there.

Jesus met a blind man near Jericho and healed him. The one who was healed followed Jesus. Of course, he entered into Jerusalem with Jesus. Jericho is just the departing point for Jerusalem. It signifies that whoever opens his spiritual eyes like the blind man in Jericho should enter into Jerusalem where Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection was waiting for. The incidents happened in Jerusalem are our fundamental reason for which we follow Jesus.

The Redeemer Jesus (2)

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Yesterday I mentioned in brief about the early Christian community, the legacy of whose faith is the religious confession of today. Keeping in view of the utmost importance of Christian faith, this matter needs some additional explanation.

The content of today clearly says, “Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many.” Though such expression is closely connected to Jews’ sacrificial offering, it will be embarrassing if we approach to the matter of ‘a ransom’ and emphasize too much on it in a pictorial or caricaturized way. We should not identify Jesus with the sacrificial animal such as sheep or cow which are slaughtered and sacrificed on the altar. It is merely a religious metaphor and not to be taken in our real life situation.

You may have a little confusion here. The confusion may be arisen because on the one hand, I say to you to believe in Jesus who shed his blood in order to save us from our sin, and on the other hand, I say not to accept it in a pictorial way. The reason is that there is high possibility for Christians’ belief to be confined within the framework of Judaism. Though Judaism is the seabed of Christian belief, we cannot simply compromise our faith with theirs.

On the one hand, Judaism and Christianity have a common point in believing God, but they are completely different in their staunch faith on the other. The faith of Judaism is monotheism but ours is Trinity.

We have to understand that Jesus is a universal redeemer and as such, his purpose is to redeem and does not merely to end his life with the shedding of his blood on the cross. Jesus’ failure and his death became our victorious life.