Biblical Juxtapositions

Pondering Biblical juxtaposition #1

Thanks to Pastor Christie Melby-Gibbons’ sermon in worship with Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church last Sunday, I have been pondering the juxtaposition of Jesus’ denouncing the Scribes in Mark 12:38-40 with Jesus’ observation about the widow who gave everything she had to live on in Mark 12:41-44. This was certainly intentional when Mark wrote the Gospel and probably by Jesus. Jesus accused the Scribes of devouring widows’ houses (v. 40) and then went on to point out a widow living in abject poverty. Pastor Christie told me after the service that one commentary she read speculated that this widow may well have died of malnutrition and exposure within days of giving her offering.

This juxtaposition suggests to me that the very system of offerings to the treasury was the means by which the Scribes devoured widows’ houses. One purpose of the treasury was to support and assist the poor, but as is common today as well, “overhead” and “operating expenses” and “staff salaries” gobbled up most of what was received. Though Jesus made no comment on the widow’s motives, I would agree with those who suggest generosity and compassion motivated her, and the means by which she had been taught to express that was through the Temple treasury, from which she should have been receiving assistance to sustain her life.

All my professional life I have been acutely aware that from my earliest days in para-church Christian education curriculum development through my years of pastoral ministry, my family and I have been supported by the generosity of God’s people. While certainly not perfectly, my intention has always been to respect that in the totality of our stewardship.

Yet, this juxtaposition is a cautionary message, recognizing that the very system that has sustained us for half a century is susceptible to abusing the generosity of people of very limited means. Living in a glass house, as I have all my adult life, I don’t want to be throwing stones at those I don’t know well. Nevertheless, I can’t help but think this juxtaposition is also a strong cautionary word to TV evangelists and mega-church pastors. When ministries grow very large, the maintenance costs grow exponentially. The appeals to give sacrificially tug at the heart strings of many who find encouragement in their association with those ministries, and they give out of their poverty in ways that debilitate their own functioning, which supports unimaginably lavish lifestyles for the leaders of those organizations.

Biblical Juxtaposition #2

Not nearly of the same import, but a bit fascinating nonetheless. For all my years of praying through the Psalms, I think today was the first time I noticed that Leviathan shows up in two of today’s Psalms.

74.14: “You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.”

104.26: “There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.”

Leviathan also shows up in Job 3:8; 41:1 and Isaiah 27:1, but only in these two Psalms. Leviathan was apparently a seven headed sea monster feared in Canaanite mythology and associated by the Hebrews with evil threats to them and to God. So by saying the God had crushed the heads of Leviathan and given its flesh as food to the creatures of the wilderness, it suggests that Leviathan is not supernatural but a creature, over which God’s power is supreme. In Psalm 74 this seems to affirm God’s sovereign power over the gods of Israel’s pagan neighbors and over the evil personified in Leviathan.  In Psalm 104, however, Leviathan (multiple heads not mentioned) is an example of the glory and even joy of God’s creation. Leviathan sports and plays in the sea with the ships, not as a threat but as an object of wonder at the scope and diversity of life in the sea.

If the War Goes On

Today, November 11, 2018 marks the 100^th anniversary of the armistice that ended “The Great War” that was called “The War to End all Wars.” We call it World War I because not only did it not end all wars, the seeds of World War II were sown in the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Since the end of World War II with VE Day May 8, 1945 and VJ Day September 2, 1945, war after war has continued with no end in sight. This afternoon was the first time I had heard or sung this hymn, “If the War Goes On,” that we sang in worship with Milwaukee Mennonite Church. To be sure, it reflects that Anabaptist, pacifist theology, but singing it today struck me as poignantly significant. We also sang “My Life Goes On,” with its refrain that reminds me of our real security in Christ.

No storm can shake my inmost calm 
while to that Rock I'm clinging. 
Since love is Lord of heaven and earth, 
how can I keep from singing?

If the War Goes On

by John Bell and Graham Maule, 1997

If the war goes on and the children die of hunger,

and the old men weep, for the young men are no more,

and the women learn how to dance without a partner,

who will keep the score?

If the war goes on and the truth is taken hostage,

and new terrors lead to the need to euphemize;

when the calls for peace are declared unpatriotic

who'll expose the lies?

If the war goes on and the daily bread is terror,

and the voiceless poor take the road as refugees;

when a nation's pride destines millions to be homeless,

who will heed their pleas?

If the war goes on and the rich increase their fortunes,

and the arms sales soar as new weapons are displayed;

when a fertile field turns to no-man's land tomorrow,

who'll approve such trade?

If the war goes on, will we close the doors to heaven?

If the war goes on, will we breach the gates of hell?

If the war goes on, will we ever be forgiven?

If the war goes on …

Literary Balance in Mark’s Gospel

As I did my lectio divina on Mark 10:17-31 and 46-51 and prepared for worship with Landmark Senior Living Community on Friday, October 26, 2018, I observed a contrast between the rich man who asked Jesus about eternal life and Bartimaeus, the blind man.

The rich man came to Jesus as he was setting out on a journey (v. 17). That was the journey that was to take Jesus to Jerusalem for the last time. Apparently Jesus had already left Galilee and was in Judea, but east of the Jordan River (v. 1).

Jesus’ instructions to the rich man were not only to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor, but to come and follow Jesus, seemingly on this journey to Jerusalem – Triumphal Entry, trial and crucifixion, and resurrection. The invitation to eternal life was not limited to embracing radical care for poor folk but to accompany Jesus through glory and death to resurrection. So Jesus said, “come and follow,” and the rich man went away sad.

Bartimaeus was sitting at the gate of Jericho through which Jesus was leaving on his way to Jerusalem. Apparently a large crowd was accompanying him, and when Bartimaeus heard that the crowd was following Jesus, he cried out for mercy. Bartimaeus obviously knew something of Jesus’ identity and reputation for he called him “son of David.”

Even though the crowd tried to hush Bartimaeus, Jesus heard his cries above the crowd noise and called him to come. No theological discussion or moral interaction occurred between Jesus and Bartimaeus. Jesus asked him what he wanted Jesus to do for him, almost as though healing his blindness was not obvious. I suspect Jesus was purposely evoking a specific request to solidify in Bartimaeus his faith in what he was expecting of Jesus.

Without fanfare or any tangible act of ceremony, Jesus affirmed that Bartimaeus’ faith had healed him, and his sight was immediately restored. After this Jesus told him to “go” (v. 52), in contrast with “come follow me” to the rich man (v. 21). Yet, Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way. While lifelong discipleship may be implied, the most obvious meaning is that Bartimaeus joined the crowd going with Jesus to Jerusalem.

The different Gospel accounts give important insights into the dynamics of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. Matthew 21:8; Mark 11:8; Luke 19:36 focus on the growing crowd that assembled to accompany Jesus into Jerusalem While John 12:12-13 reports that those already in Jerusalem, many for the Passover feast, heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They went out to meet him accompany him back into the city. Incidentally, this is the only place where palm branches are specifically identified with Palm Sunday in the Gospels. So taken together, the Gospels tell us that two crowds met and merged to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem.

This would seem to be a metaphor pointing ahead to Jesus’ return as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 in which those who have died will come with Jesus and will meet with those who are alive at the time to meet Jesus together in the air and accompany him into Eternal Kingdom. I do believe both are metaphorical representations of a mystery beyond our present understanding and should not be pushed into some rigidly literalistic portrayal as though of a news clip video.

In any case, Jesus called the rich man to follow him, but he went away and missed the on the Triumphal entry, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and living Eternal Life following on the way throughout life. On the other hand, Jesus told Bartimaeus to go, but he followed, and even thought the text does not name him again, I strongly suspect that Bartimaeus followed Jesus through the Triumphal Entry, crucifixion and resurrection to go on the way to Eternal Life.

With this awareness, I suspect a different interactional contrast in the way Mark reported Jesus’ exchanges with the religious leaders between the Triumphal Entry/Cleansing of the Temple, and his trial and crucifixion. They challenged Jesus’ authority to invite a crowd to welcome him as a regal conqueror into Jerusalem, the Davidic capital, and to drive the merchants out of the Temple environs. After which Jesus told a parable (Mark 12:1-12) which they correctly interpreted was against them. The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap him with questions about taxation, and the Sadducees tried to trap him with questions about leverite marriage and resurrection. In both cases, Jesus refused direct answers to their questions, but turns the conversation around to rather sharply rebuke them and expose their questions as disingenuous traps.

But in the dialog about the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-34), the Scribe in question was not in on the previous interactions but heard the discussion as he walked by casually. Perhaps looking to defuse the tension (I don’t know, but that is something I might try to do.), he asked Jesus which commandment was first of all. Jesus seemed not to take this as a trap or attack. He answered in a very straightforward manner without cynicism or irony.

The Scribe replied by affirming that Jesus had given the correct answer and repeated it – love God, love neighbor. If it stopped here, it would seem that the Scribe had used his scholarly and spiritual authority to affirm Jesus to his contentious colleagues. But even here, Jesus turned the tables to assert his own authority and told the Scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” We are not told any more about this Scribe. I’d like to think he followed the risen Jesus on the way. But in any case, Jesus’ response stifled any further questioning. They all knew Jesus got the upper hand.

What I find so telling here is that Jesus did not treat this Scribe as a critic who was attacking or trying to trap him but as an authentic, sincere seeker. Yes, his question and answer were a sort of quiz for Jesus, perhaps validating Jesus’ authority for the Temple leaders, but not a trap or trick, but something in his heart was genuine. He was not protecting his power or position but was concerned for the Kingdom of God – a concern which Jesus shared. The text doesn’t tell us what became of this Scribe, but I’d like to believe that he, too, followed Jesus on the way.

At first I was unsure of whether to post this in Writing Workshop or in Pilgrim Path. Since it is largely observations about the text and not my own journey with Jesus, at first I thought I’d put it in Writing Workshop. But as I have transcribed my handwritten draft, I have concluded that these observations are not only encouragement for me as I follow Jesus on the way, but perhaps someone else – maybe someone quite unexpected – will hear the call of Jesus to follow him on the way, as a believe Bartimaeus and the Scribe did. So I am posting it in Pilgrim Path.