Continuing in our evaluation of the five-part series The Bible on History Channel, Episode Four weaves story threads artfully if not completely accurately. The span of time shortens now, from hundreds of years to just two or three, the period of Jesus’ public ministry. There are some great scenes that could be used as clips for a Sunday school class, but as usual, I have some quibbles about details. Today I will explore the “ministry and miracles” (M & M) part, which appeared in the first half of the episode. In my next post, I will analyze the depiction of Christ’s last week.
The major M & M scenes covered in this episode (in this order) are these: Telling the parable of the sower, forgiving and healing the paralytic lowered from the roof, healing the leper. We see him overturning the money-changers’ tables, calling the tax-collector Matthew to discipleship, preaching the Beatitudes to a multitude, feeding the 5,000, teaching the Lord’s Prayer, and redeeming the woman caught in adultery. There is the stormy sailing on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus walking on water, calling Peter to join him. At this point, not at the beginning of his ministry as depicted in Luke 4, Jesus reads the Isaiah 61 scroll in his home synagogue, announcing the purpose of his ministry. [This appears to be the chosen bridge between his Galilean ministry and the conflict with religious elites in Jerusalem.] We then hear that John the Baptist has been beheaded, and the political stakes are elevated.
Not a bad sampling of Jesus’ life and work!
The writers are a little coy about the conclusions people were coming to, as they see Jesus in action. Some of this is attributable, I think, to the legitimate interpretation that the people might be coming to Jesus only for the benefits: healing and food, for instance. Take the “Who do you say I am?” conversation (found in Mark 8:27-30). In the Scripture’s account, Jesus asks what the people are saying about him, and the answers range from identification with Elijah and “the prophets” to John the Baptist. These would be messengers from God to the Jewish people. But in the movie, the only answer is, “They think you are the [political] Messiah,” and the benefit would be political liberation. Or consider the stormy sea scene in Matthew 14:23-33. Jesus appears to the frightened disciples, walking on the water toward their boat. Peter demonstrates his trust in Jesus by getting out of the boat to walk on the water also. When he falters, the Scriptures say Jesus immediately plucks him out of the water with a “Hey, why did you doubt me?” As the wind dies down, the other disciples’ exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God!” The television version has Peter sinking and almost drowning, hearing the words “O ye of little faith . . .” underwater, and then waking up suddenly on the beach with a look that says to the viewer, “What just happened here? Was this a dream?” A missed opportunity to connect Jesus to the Lord of all creation and to observe that faith in Jesus as Son of God was embraced by the other disciples, not just Peter.
I think what is happening is that the political ramifications of Jesus’ M & M are being emphasized at the expense of the theological underpinnings. Since I more closely identify with a theological approach, I am of course disappointed in the missed opportunities to make these links. There may also be an attempt to leave enough unsaid to encourage the viewer to put two and two together. However, the 21st century television viewer is much less likely to know enough background to make those connections. When the Scripture is overt in its claims about Jesus’ identity, that needs to be part of the story, don’t you think?
What I liked about this episode was the depiction of Jesus’ teaching dynamic, taking those “teachable moments” and using common elements to illustrate his points. It is highly unlikely that Jesus taught by lecture method (at least not often; maybe once), as the structure of the Sermon on the Mount might suggest. We might feel the movie-makers took his teachings “out of order,” but what is the proper order? The gospel writers themselves had different stories appear at different stages in Jesus’ life, because they were taking the great body of material they had to work with and telling Jesus’ story with it. This is precisely the task, I believe, the producers of this TV series were undertaking also.
One notable example of this was the encounter with Nicodemus, which appears in only one gospel (John) and near the beginning of his narrative (chapter 3). In the movie, Nicodemus is a confidant/assistant to the High Priest Caiaphas, and his role as skeptic turned inquirer stretches out to the last week of Jesus’ life. If this is the way it actually happened, then John’s gospel used the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus as a thematic banner. “Here is what Jesus is going to be about, as I [John] tell the whole story—‘You must be born again!’”
Another more subtle choice was to have a “Mary” appear as part of the band of disciples from very early in the story. She is never really introduced; we do not know her background, but only that she was part of the group of followers. The only quibble would be that she appears to be the only woman, unlike indications in the gospels; but kudos to the producers for subtly capturing an important nuance here, from Matthew 27:55 (plus synoptic parallels), that women as well as men were close followers of the teacher from Galilee.
With that, I will conclude this post and turn attention next to the last week of Jesus’ life, leading up to his trial before Caiaphas.
Last Sunday I preached a sermon on the last (Protestant) line of the The Lord’s Prayer: For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. What is “sticking” this week, as I transition to Pittsburgh and await the PCUSA General Assembly opening this afternoon, is the acclamation that God is in charge, God is able, and God deserves the credit. I am praying in advance of opening worship this afternoon that God would be glorified as the King of kings and Lord of lords; that we as a body would submit to God’s power and yield to God’s will; and that we would demure in the face of such glory and turn all attention to the Risen Lord rather than our blue-blood Presbyterianism. It is going to be hard, I know, but our Reformed roots will not save us, only the planter of the Tree of Life can do that.
God’s Kingdom includes a reign of our own individual hearts. So the opening of GA is a time of confession and humility before the throne of grace. As presbyters, the commissioners understand that their job is to discern the will of God, but they can only see to the extent they are willing to obey the will of God and repent when they do not.
God’s power is real and, um, powerful enough to break through and change things—even change us. If he did this, would this body recognize the Lord’s mighty arm? Or would it dismiss displays of God’s glory as “industrial light and magic” and go on with a human agenda? How open are we Presbyterians, really, when it comes to welcoming God’s miraculous intervention in our waywardness? The heart of the gospel, the gospel for everyone, resides in the place where Jesus Christ transforms us in his image, to a point that obedience to him becomes not only possible but second-nature.
In the flesh, miraculous intervention to support or condone our very human wishes and desires is preferred, of course. But what if God were to break through with a bold, costly agenda—what could that look like for us as a people? Our liberal wing thinks this is what they have been doing for years, so we must be careful here not to commit ourselves to an agenda that is worldly. While God’s agenda loves the world, it was necessary that God save the world from itself and sin by his atoning work on the cross. But in our day-to-day decision-making, how can we tell the difference between a human agenda and a divine one? We measure every idea and every desire against the Word and witness of Scripture. And why do I call God’s agenda costly? Because Jesus said the narrow way of faithfulness to him involves cross-bearing, sacrifice, selflessness, and personal transformation. All of these things, at the very least, take us out of our comfort zones, which is one reason why we resist them. But it is a wonderful thing, being a disciple of Jesus, to discover God’s comfort in uncomfortable situations where we are not the center of the universe and God’s will is believed and done in joy and dependence upon his Spirit.
This is what it means to me that the Kingdom belongs to our heavenly Father, that his power is able to overcome our obstacles, and that God himself will be glorified for what only God can do. In other words, God is in charge, God is able, and God deserves the credit. So join me in praying:
Our Father in heaven, holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever! Amen.
Using our sorting matrix from yesterday’s post our attention turns to the center column in which the following questions are asked:
1. What would Jesus do if he were in my shoes struggling with my place in the PCUSA?
• Jesus would appeal to his Father’s authority over all things. In communion with God, Jesus’ incarnational call would be reaffirmed and the power to fulfill it poured out upon him. He would continue to “meet” daily in quiet solitude with his Father, feed upon God’s Word, and rely on God for direction and instruction.
Lord, encourage me in your Spirit and fashion me in the image of your Son. Make me secure in your love and strengthened for your service. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
• Jesus would speak prophetically to the wayward, the self-righteous, the institutionally entrenched; he would emphasize truth to liberals, grace to conservatives, and repentance to all, as usual.
Lord, let me not shrink from speaking the truth in love; give me courage and the knowledge of your truth, wisdom to recognize the opportunity to share it, and joy in repentance.
• Jesus would continue ministering to those who are spiritually hungry, in need of physical healing, desperate for relief from captivity, and confused about who he is.
Lord, help me to approach those in need with your love, transforming gospel, joyful freedom, and the sure knowledge of your salvation. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Jesus would challenge our misguided efforts and misappropriated resources designated for gospel ministry. Lord, help me to steward your precious resources for the most faithful impact. I resist every temptation to hoard or to gather more than I can use, and make what I do possess availability to your purposes. If there is greed mixed into my motives, root it out, so that your mission can be freely supported.Give us this day our daily bread.
• Jesus would weep in lament over the church’s capacity to self-destruct with bad doctrine, open sin, and ungodly priorities.
Lord, I lament the direction this church is going and weep for those whose faith is waning as a result. Protect me from spiritual danger, and give me courage to continue as your servant among those who do not agree with me about you and your gospel. Forgive us our sin as we forgive those who sin against us.
• Jesus would do what comes naturally in the Spirit, and take the consequences as they unfold. Jesus would be unafraid of reprisals, ridicule, and retaliation; he would keep doing his work despite the pressure from temporal powers. And if those powers turned against him, he would take it without defensiveness and let the chips fall where they may. But under no condition would he renege on his promises to God, tickle the ears of the religious elite or secular culture, or give priority to his own welfare.
Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.
2. What would Jesus advise me to do in the present dilemma I face in the PCUSA?
• To everyone: Trust in God, abide in Jesus Christ, and draw upon the Spirit for life itself. Read, preach, and obey the Word of God, in season (when it’s easy) and out of season (when it’s not).
• To the Pharisees on both sides of the aisle: Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. “Get yourself right with me, and you will find yourself responsive not only to the letter of the Law but also the spirit of the Law.” The spirit of the Law covers the heart attitude and the mental discipline of complete submission to God’s will as differentiated from my own.
• To ministers of the PCUSA tribe: if your village is unreceptive after repeated attempts to share the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ, move on. Shake the dust off your feet and find a more receptive crowd, small group, or circle of friends to preach to. If you have exhausted the possibilities within the Presbyterian village, leave it to God’s care and go find others who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness and teach them.
• To the power-seekers: “If you want to be great, become the servant of all.” Now is not the time to assert rights we do not have, but to seek rightness with God and one another. This means being very attentive to holiness and humility, empowered by the Spirit of God.
• To “the overcomers” of Revelation 1-3: Prepare for persecution, remain steadfast in the truth, and do not compromise our faith in order to secure a comfortable and easy life. Now is not the time for lukewarm spirituality, but for passionate and radical obedience to the Way of Christ, in truth and grace.
What would happen if presbyters—from both sides of the controversies—were to exhibit the quality of heart described here? They would be people who could work together only because they were disarming their weapons under the watchful eye of our Lord. May we seek vulnerable encounters with each other for the purpose of finding a corporate way forward, knowing full well that even in the spirit of Christ we may conclude that the differences between us may lead to separation for a higher good.
Tomorrow, the “Jesus questions” in the broader corporate context: How did Jesus advise his disciples to relate to the religious powers? What would Jesus advise congregations and councils to do in the present denominational dilemma?
