Toward Jerusalem (2)

"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles…” (Mark 10:33)

According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus exactly predicted the kind of death he would face in the near future. First, he called himself the Son of Man. Literally it means a mere son of man. However, it has a totally different meaning in the Biblical world. The Son of Man indicates the Messiah who is planning to come on the last day. Let us do not discuss on whether Jesus recognized himself as the Messiah or not.

The important point here is the understating of early Christians about Jesus’ real nature. They recognized Jesus as the Son of Man. Besides this they understood that different names such as the Son of David, the Second Adam and Christ talk about the same person. Such name varies according to regions and times. If we see the above phrase in this viewpoint, Jesus’ word in the text is related to the understating of early Christian. It is their interpretation and religious confession about Jesus’ experience.

Then some of you may think that there would be a possibility that Jesus’ words in the gospel are not all ‘real’. We had dealt with this matter several times earlier. We have to remember that the Biblical text is not a report like that of a newspaper but a religious confession. I do not want to say that these statements are not facts. I would like to say that these are rather important interpreted incidents than mere objective facts.

Jesus the Son of Man is going up to Jerusalem. He understands what will happen over there. The high priest and the scribes will give their decision to kill Jesus. They might have their own unavoidable theological background and binding that they had to do it by any means. I would like to deal with this matter from chapter 14 where the myth of the Passion begins. It is clear that the way toward Jerusalem is the way of the Passion, and paradoxically it was the way of human salvation.

Toward Jerusalem(01)

Toward Jerusalem(01)

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. (Mark 10:32)

According to Mark’s gospel Jesus predicts his suffering and death three times as in Mark 10:32-34, Mark 8:31 and 9:31. This is the last prediction. Though the disciples heard the third prediction in advance, they did not take it seriously. The main reason behind of their callous and indifferent attitude was that their primary interest was only on achieving success in the world like any other normal people. This fact can be confirmed from the demand of James and John who said, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory" found in verse 35.

Jesus’ warning for his suffering was directly related to ‘Jerusalem’. Jerusalem does not simply signify a place, the capital city of Israel. It signifies the religious power, the hegemony of Jewish society in Jerusalem. The word “Jesus went up to Jerusalem” could imply that he was entering into a lion’s den.

It was not easy to give right judgment on the seriousness and the intensity of disharmony between Jesus and the religious leaders. Looking at the favorable relationship prevalent between the early Christian community and Judaism, it is not right to put the whole blame of creating division between Judaism and Jesus on Judaism as the Gospels point out. In fact, the early Christians in Jerusalem held positions in Judaism as the Nazarene sect.

However with the passage of time Judaism and Christianity were finally separated. It took about 40-50 years. In this process the early Christianity, especially Greek Christianity completely cut off their relationship with Judaism. They realized that Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom of heaven has unthinkably crashed with Judaism. Amid rampant hostility, Jesus was going up to Jerusalem and this signifies that he staked everything on truth and righteous struggle.

Overturn of value(6)

But many who are first will be last, and the last first."(Mark 10:31)

I would like to supplement the last paragraph of yesterday’s meditation that the principle operating the world is not the reality to be grasped but the teaching of the Bible is. The thing to which we have to give first priority is what the reality (German- Wirklichkeit) is. The money we generally give utmost value is basically nothing but the means of exchange for goods and services. A village in a foreign country does not use currency that is issued from their own country but the currency made from their own village. It means they don’t want to come under the rule of their country’s economy. Yes. Money cannot guarantee its reality in the face of a person who neglects the power of money.

Besides money what could be the reality. Probably it is almost none. Everything on earth is only relative. Nothing absolutely rules human life. Despite this reality, the fact we are ruled by these relative things might prove that our life is not founded on the ultimate reality.

Then what is the reality? The ancient Greek philosophers said it were atom, fire, water and idea while the oriental philosophers disagreed. The people like Whitehead said that ‘process’ is the very ‘reality’. Such opinion of philosophers has a sense. However, it is hard to say that the ultimate reality is revealed by these things. The absolute reality including all these things is the very God.

If we identify this God we are the first though we are living in the place of the last. Do not regard such answer as something negligible. As the matured children who establish different relationship with their parent, we will be able to do away with the fixed idea about God and understand the implication of the first and the last when we have become spiritually matured. I pray that the word of the Lord may be the ultimate reality in our entire lives.

The way for the Lord

"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'". (Mark 1:3)

The way for the Lord that Isaiah says is the place where happens Israel’s return from Babylonian captivity life. The Lord comes with Babylonian captivity across the way lied through the wilderness. According to Isaiah’s proclaim, the messenger of the Lord should prepare the way. Remembering such historical incident, Mark is explaining the mission of John the Baptist through Isaiah’s prophecy. John the Baptist should prepare the way of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

However, if we think it practically the Lord God doesn’t require any way and it is the same with Jesus. The Lord God transcends man-made way and Jesus also declares the kingdom of heaven regardless of such way. Despite such fact, Mark emphasizes ‘the way’ three times in verses 2,3. Whether or not follow Isaiah’s writing and Mark’s interpretation ‘the way’ here is rather the way in spiritual meaning than a practical way. The way is used it here as metaphor.

Jesus already said by himself “I am the way.” (John 14:6) Of course, it rather has higher possibility to be John’s religious confession than the word spoken by Jesus directly. Despite this possibility, identify of Jesus and the way are very important in Christian faith at the point that early Christian community understand Jesus as the way. If we connect Mark’s gospel, ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ and the testimony of John ‘Jesus is the way’, on the one hand Jesus and the way are divided the way or on the other Jesus is the way itself. The fact that Jesus and the way are divided and identification at the same time means the early Christian community recognized Jesus’ identity totally different level like trinitarianism which means Jesus and God are divided and identified at the same time. Such trace reveals in the fact that though Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God early Christian community identified Jesus with the kingdom of God.

If Jesus is the way then what is the meaning of the word, “to prepare the way of the Lord”? Some of you may think it could be the activities to establish social justice or the mission to evangelize the world. Such activities are clearly important task that the churches of today have to do. Differ from Mark’s gospel, Luke 3:3-6 quoted from Isaiah 40:4,5 confirms this idea. “As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" Think this word calmly. Can we practically make straight paths for him by filling in every valley, lowing every mountain and hill? In my point of view, we can imitate it a little but basically it is impossible. Moreover, though we establish the best welfare system like Northern Europe or Christianity becomes a national religion like medieval Europe, the glory of the Lord cannot be revealed from there. Whatever a man cultivates this world beautifully shadow is always hanging over it. We have to raise economical and political justice with doing our best but we cannot say that these activities identify with the way of the Lord.

Then is there no way of the Lord that we have to prepare? If we accept John’s witness, “Jesus is the way” then the way can be prepared not by us but Jesus himself. He makes the way with the method that we never know. Pardon me though it sounds cynically. If we don’t hinder the way of the Lord it means we are doing well. Because we are the people who don’t know what is the way of the Lord and why Jesus becomes the way. However we have to say that we have to prepare the way of the Lord even in passive way if we accept Isaiah’s writing that Mark quoted positive way.

In my point of view, preparing the way of the Lord is rightly defining the reality of the fact that Jesus is the Lord. This work is different from social welfare activity or world evangelism. Nor is reconsideration of humanism and nor is enforcement of church organisation. This is practical and theory based proof for the fact that the incident that had happened to Jesus is preoccupation and achievement of the ultimate life. This can be revealed sometimes as the theology that contains spiritual reality or sometimes practical movement filled with life. Whenever we are living if we are witness to these works we may be called the people to prepare the way of the Lord.

Overturn of value (5)

But many who are first will be last, and the last first."(Mark 10:31)

Many of you may think the contents that have explained earlier with a subtitle, ‘overturn of value’ don’t have the sense for the real flowing too much into ideal way. It is because ‘the first’ and ‘the last’ are so clearly dividing in the reality of today. There is no community without such division.

I heard a story from an intimate friend. Some of residents in Susunggu of Daegu city which can be compared to Gangnam of Seoul don’t leave this region. The reason is that they are not able to associate with the peoples of other region. Precisely speaking, they don’t have ability to associate with others. “When I shifted to other place the strangeness of people caused me difficulty to live.” It is a kind of privileged consciousness and a sense of ‘Like attracts like.” Of course they don’t have problem in their personality. Simply they feel inconvenient with other people for they have been bound in upper-class life.

All ordinary people are helpless. I also often have the same experience. Please allow me to speak about tennis that I favor. When I go to tennis court we assemble a team according to order and play. Generally we play with people in same level. However some insists to play with us despite his poor play skill. I enter into a court with him smiling but with murmuring ‘How bad lucky today.’ This murmuring doesn’t go keep continue but stop right after.

Despite human nature and social system are all the same if the gospel of Christianity insist changing the value of the first and the last, as I mentioned the above, it is fit to hear that Christianity doesn’t have the sense of the real. You don’t need to worry about the teaching of the Bible. It is because the operating principle of world is not the real but the teaching of the Bible.

The Beloved Son

And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."(1:11)

The voice from heaven is saying like this: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." In a more precise explanation the core of confession for the early Christian community, just as the writers of each of the Gospels including the writer of Mark's keep on telling in their Gospels, is the proposition that Jesus is the son of God as mentioned in the beginning of Mark's Gospel. And furthermore, he is not only a son, but also through the Old Testament Jesus is analyzed as the one and only son of God.

Maybe Some people could wonder what the word "analysis" means, but as long as we keep on reading the Bible, this kind of wondering might keep on coming back, I think. The Jesus Christ event is a history. But that history is not established by evidence, but it is an analyzed history. You don't have to worry about if that event did not happen actually. The life and history of human beings could not be solved by saying so simply it is true or not. Not every objective fact could be meaningful. Through historical process, what it could be expanded with more blood and flesh, the basic meaning of the event could be much deeper. That means "analysis". This kind of problem will be mentioned again in a different situation, so that let us go back to the words of today.

How could the early Christian community know Jesus is the son of God? Jesus did not say for himself "I am a son of God". Just like he never tells that he is the Messiah to the disciples, he never tells he is the son of God. But there must be some traces in his words, which the disciples regarded him as the Son of God. Jesus used to call him "my father". Sometimes he even called him "Dad". Now we could acknowledge God as our endearing father who has been waiting for the prodigal son through Jesus with the early Christian community, not as the object of fear.

Now in here we don't have to argue about God as a father or a motherly image. This fathership in here means a father who has personal relationship with the human beings, not a father who has masculine characteristics. God is not a king in heaven who watches and judges and gives some punishment according to the rule of "cause and effect" from heaven, but he is who came to earth and lived among us as a human being. In his writing "God on the Cross" Jürgen Moltmann pointed out this as God who exists among pains and sorrows of human beings.

The fact that God descended from heaven to the place of a human on his body is described as "incarnation" by the theological lexicon and he is Jesus Christ. What Jesus is God with a human body is Christology and also it is doctrine of God. Jesus and God are different persons but basically they are one. To know Jesus means to know God. Mark explains such faith of the early Christian community by this mythological style. From heaven he says there was a voice which says "you are my beloved son." I like to tell some phrases from the Gospel of John. Pay attention to the report of the writer for John's Gospel, because it could have very important and decisive contents for this.

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:19-21, 24-27)

Lord, we came to know God as a father though you and enabled to trust the father. Holding this trusting heart I want to live in this world.

Overturn of value (4)

“But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:31)

If possible I want to get down from the seat of pastor. It is not because of valueless of pastor’s work or bareness for this. It is because staying one position so long time is risky for my spiritual pilgrimage. At the slight slip I may be bound at the position of pastor. Everything goes like this. At the moment of fixing and stopping we are surrounded by the spirit of death.

The status of the Korean pastors today similar to a person riding on a tiger, as a Chinese proverb says. They are unable to get down for it is running too fast to stop. They are captured by a thought to be a religious exemplary person and feels a sense of pressure to teach others. We are helpless for Korean Church structure but for personal we have to give our best effort to escape such mannerism as earlier as possible.

The starting point is rightly the overturn of value. It is to think a status of pastor low. It regards pastor’s work as not much important thing. The fact is so. It differs little from other occupations. When we overturn our status we can truly open our heart to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of life.

I would like to go a little further as I have spoken already. There are quite numbers of aged people in Korean church to enter the seminary. It is very specific phenomena. What is more, those who are failed in their worldly living become a pastor after studying theology thinking that there is no other way except theology. A person was received a pastor ordination at 70 years old, the age to be retired. I’m not criticizing the entire cases.

According to Luther and Calvin all kinds of occupations are the calling. There is no distinguished point between a secular vocation and a religious vocation. Do live with a secular vocation. There is no specific point to be praise by the Lord even to be a pastor.