I've begun to suspect that Jesus' miracles of healing are actually meant to be metaphors of discipleship.
When Jesus heals people unable to walk, perhaps it is an example of how Christ empowers us to walk in God's way, which we are unable to do of our own power. "I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name, says the Lord." Zechariah 10:12; nrsv
Jesus opens the eyes of the blind for the purpose of allowing us to understand God's love for ourselves and others we have condemned as unloveable. "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." Isaiah 42.6-9; nrsv
Jesus cleanses the lepers might be understood as cleansing hearts and consciences of sin and its concomitant shame and guilt. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." Psalm 51.10; nrsv
Jesus opens the ears of those who cannot hear that they may hear what God is speaking. "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts." Psalm 85.8; nrsv
Jesus heals a woman who's back is bent and unable to stand up straight, (Luke 13.10-17). There's always a since that those who suffer are being punished by God and that it would wrong to do anything that might go against God's judgment. Yet the Apostle Paul asks: "Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand." Romans 14.4; nrsv
Most profoundly, Jesus raises the dead. Those who are dead (in sin) cannot praise God (Psalm 88.10, Psalm 115.17), so God raises the dead that we may sing and rejoice in what God has accomplished.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Sunday, November 17, 2019
The Last (Non-)Judgment
In "Hebrews" we read: "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account," (Hebrews 4.12-13; nrsv).
Then there came a woman of Samaria to draw water from Jacob's well: "Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come back," (John 4.16; nrsv). Later she tells the people from her village: "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” (John 4.28-29; nrsv).
This Samaritan woman was herself encountered the living and active Word of God, before whom no creature is hidden, the one to whom we must all render an account... and she survived! Her life was laid bare as Eve in Paradise, and there was no shame, no dread fear of wrath. Christ himself clothed her with his very own robe or righteousness:
Then there came a woman of Samaria to draw water from Jacob's well: "Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come back," (John 4.16; nrsv). Later she tells the people from her village: "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” (John 4.28-29; nrsv).
This Samaritan woman was herself encountered the living and active Word of God, before whom no creature is hidden, the one to whom we must all render an account... and she survived! Her life was laid bare as Eve in Paradise, and there was no shame, no dread fear of wrath. Christ himself clothed her with his very own robe or righteousness:
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61.10; nrsv
Monday, November 4, 2019
Freedom, not Duty
What Jesus does he does out of a sense of freedom. He does not act out of a sense of duty, responsibility or obligation.
A contrary argument could be made from the statement of the Roman centurion who hoped that Jesus would be able to heal his gravely ill slave. The Centurion sent messengers to Jesus saying, "I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” Luke 7.8, nrsv; see also Matthew 8.9
The centurion assumes that, like himself, Jesus is also someone set under authority - God's authority - having been sent by God to do something and who does it. There is certainly some truth to that, but the truly beautiful thing about Jesus is that he is not God's soldier; he has authority but is not under authority.
Jesus did not empty himself (Philippians 2.7), take on our flesh and humble himself even to the point of death on a cross out of a sense of obligation or duty, but because he was free to do so and desired to do so. Likewise, Jesus did not heal people out of a sense of obligation or duty but because he delighted to do it.
"For freedom God has set you free," proclaims the Apostle Paul (Galatians 5.1). Again the apostle says all of creation yearns to catch a glimpse of the freedom of the children of God as a sign of its own liberation from its bondage to futility and decay (Cf. Romans 8.21).
If God has set you free you are free indeed. What will you do with your freedom?
A contrary argument could be made from the statement of the Roman centurion who hoped that Jesus would be able to heal his gravely ill slave. The Centurion sent messengers to Jesus saying, "I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” Luke 7.8, nrsv; see also Matthew 8.9
The centurion assumes that, like himself, Jesus is also someone set under authority - God's authority - having been sent by God to do something and who does it. There is certainly some truth to that, but the truly beautiful thing about Jesus is that he is not God's soldier; he has authority but is not under authority.
Jesus did not empty himself (Philippians 2.7), take on our flesh and humble himself even to the point of death on a cross out of a sense of obligation or duty, but because he was free to do so and desired to do so. Likewise, Jesus did not heal people out of a sense of obligation or duty but because he delighted to do it.
"For freedom God has set you free," proclaims the Apostle Paul (Galatians 5.1). Again the apostle says all of creation yearns to catch a glimpse of the freedom of the children of God as a sign of its own liberation from its bondage to futility and decay (Cf. Romans 8.21).
If God has set you free you are free indeed. What will you do with your freedom?
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