IMITATING THE VOICE OF THE JEWISH PROPHETS, HENRI NOUWEN ONCE BEGAN ONE OF HIS ARTICLES WITH THESE WORDS: MOURN PEOPLE MOURN, LET YOUR PAIN RISE UP IN YOUR HEART AND BURST FORTH IN YOU WITH SOBS AND CRIES. ONCE AGAIN THERE WAS A PAUSE. THE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE BEFORE US IS KNOWN AS THE OLIVET DISCOURSE. JESUS DELIVERED THIS SERMON, WHICH IS ALSO RECORDED IN MATT.24-25 AND ALSO RECORDED IN LUKE 21. IN THIS MESSAGE JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE END OF TIME AND THE EVENTS WHICH SURROUND THE END OF THE WORLD. WHAT I SAY TO YOU (DISCIPLES, AND TO US "WATCH". THIS PASSAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. BECAUSE OF THIS FACT, VARIOUS FALSE TEACHINGS ABOUT END TIMES, " THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, AND EVEN ABOUT SALVATION HAVE ARISEN. WE WANT TO TAKE OUR TIME AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE VERSES. WE WANT TO GET A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR LORD JESUS IS TRYING TO TEACH US. IN ORDER TO PROPERLY UNDERSTAND "PROPHECY," WE NEED TO KEEP A FEW TRUTHS IN MIND.
FIRST, THIS PASSAGE NEVER MENTIONS THE CHURCH OR RAPTURE . WHY? IT DOESN'T MENTION THESE THINGS BECAUSE THIS PASSAGE WAS NOT WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH, IT WAS WRITTEN TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL. THIS IS PRIMARILY A JEWISH PROPHECY. STILL, THERE ARE MANY TRUTHS WE CAN GLEAN FROM THESE VERSES. SECOND, THIS PROPHECY COVERS A TREMENDOUS EXPANSE OF TIME OVER 3,OOO YEARS OF HUMAN HISTORY ARE IN VIEW HERE. THESE VERSES CONTAIN PROPHECIES THAT HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY FULFILLED. AND THAT WILL BE COMPLETELY FULFILLED IN THE FUTURE. SO, WE WILL BE LOOKING BACKWARDS AND FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME. THIRD, AS WITH ANY PROPHETIC PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE, WE NEED TO MOVE CAUTIOUSLY AND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT NO ONE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS. NO BIBLE SCHOLAR HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE ALL THE THEOLOGICAL RIDDLES WITHIN IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE. THUS WE MUST APPROACH THESE GREAT VERSES WITH A HUMBLE HEART, KNOWING THAT NONE OF US KNOWS IT ALL. WITH THESE THOUGHTS IN MIND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, LET US LISTEN IN ON THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES, AS HE TEACHES THEM ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT WILL CHARACTERIZE
THE END OF TIME. LET'S LOOK AT THESE TRUTHS AND THINK ABOUT THE "BEGINNING OF THE END." [lUKE 12:49-56] THIS GOSPEL CALL CONTAINS HARSH WORDS CONCERNING THE PURIFYING AND POTENTIALLY DIVISIVE EFFECTS OF GOD'S CALL.. PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW THE WAY OF CHRIST OFTEN ENCOUNTER HOSTILITY AND REJECTION, EVEN FROM THOSE THEY LOVE. LISTEN TO OUR TEXT:
" I CAME TO BRING FIRE TO THE EARTH, AND HOW I WISHED IT WAS ALREADY KINDLED! I HAVE A BAPTISM WITH WHICH TO BE BAPTIZED, AND WHAT STRESS I AM UNDER UNIL IT IS COMPLETED! DO YOU THINK I HAVE COME TO BRING PEACE TO THE EARTH? NO I TELL YOU, BUT RATHER DIVISION! FROM NOW ON FIVE IN ONE HOUSEHOLD WILL BE DIVIDED, THREE AGAINST TWO AGAINST THREE; THEY WILL BE DIVIDED. FATHER AGAINST SON AND SON AGAINST FATHER, MOTHER AGAINST DAUGHTER, DAUGHTER AGAINST MOTHER, MOTHER IN-LAW AGAINST DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST MOTHER-IN LAW. HE ALSO SAID TO THE CROWD'S, WHEN YOU SEE A CLOUD RISING IN THE WEST, YOU IMMEDIATELY SAY," IT'S GOING TO RAIN;" AND SO IT HAPPENS. WHEN YOU SEE A SOUTH WIND BLOWING, YOU SAY. " THERE WILL BE SCORCHING HEAT; AND IT HAPPENS.." YOU HYPOCRITES! YOU KNOW HOW TO INTERPRET THE APPEARANCE OF EARTH AND SKY., BUT WHY DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO INTERPRET THE PRESENT TIME? WINDS FROM THE WEST BLEW OFF THE MEDITERRANEAN; THOSE FROM THE SOUTH OFF THE DESERT. JESUS SAYS THERE ARE MANY SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL CRISIS THAT HUMAN BEINGS NEGLECT. WHEN WE SPEAK OF JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, WE SPEAK OF THE "MYSTERY" OF JESUS IN ST.PAUL'S SENSE, WE ARE THINKING OF HIM AS A SACRAMENT-A "SIGN THROUGH THE SIGN OF A HUMAN BODY. HE IS A MYSTERY IN ANOTHER WAY ALSO, IN THAT THERE IS SOMETHING BEYOND UNDERSTANDING HIS MAKE-UP.
HE IS TRULY GOD.
HE IS TRULY MAN.
HE IS ONE PERSON.
JESUS IS NOT TWO PERSONS COOPERATING IN HARMONY. HE IS NOT GOD WITH A HUMAN FACADE, AND HE IS NOT MERELY HUMAN BEING WITH A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
AS A TRUE HUMAN BEING JESUS IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY A "PERSON" IN A WAY WE UNDERSTAND THAT WORD TODAY. THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON (451 A.D) AFTER CENTURIES OF WRESTLING WITH THE PROBLEM OF JUST WHO JESUS WAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING WAY OF TALKING ABOUT JESUS IN THE COUNCIL:
WE UNANIMOUSLY TEACH THAT THE SON, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ONE AND THE SAME, THE SAME PERFECT IN DIVINITY, THE SAME PERFECT IN HUMANITY... IN TWO NATURES: TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN, CONSISTING IN A RATIONAL SOUL AND BODY, CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE FATHER IN DIVINITY AND CONSUBSTANTIAL ( HAVING
THE SAME SUBSTANCE) WITH US IN HUMANITY... IN TWO NATURES UNCONFUSED,
UNCHANGEABLE, UNDIVIDED, AND INSEPARABLE. THE DIFFERENCE OF NATURES WILL NEVER BE ABOLISHED BY THEIR BEING UNITED, BUT RATHER THE PROPERTIES OF EACH REMAIN UNIMPAIRED, BOTH COMING TOGETHER IN ONE PERSON AND SUBSTANCE, NOT PARTED OR DIVIDED AMONG TWO PERSONS, BUT IN ONE AND THE SAME ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THE DIVINE WORD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE PHILOSOPHICAL FOR A MOMENT.
TWO NATURES OF CHRIST, "NATURE" IN THIS SENSE IS THE BASIC CONSTITUTION OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE. WHEN WE ASK ,"WHAT IS THAT?" WE ARE ASKING ABOUT ITS NATURE. "WHAT IS A PENCIL?" MEANS "WHAT MAKES A PENCIL A PENCIL AND NOT SOMETHING ELSE?" " WHAT IS A HUMAN BEING?" MEANS "WHAT MAKES A CERTAIN CLASS OF HUMAN BEING?" WE ANSWER THAT TO BE HUMAN IS TO HAVE A SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL WAY OF BEING. WE ARE NEITHER ANGELS NOR ANIMALS, BUT EM-BODIED SPIRITS" OR SPIRITUALIZED BODIES. WHEN WE SAY WHAT MAKES JESUS JESUS?" WE ANSWER THAT HE IS A BEING WHO HAS A NATURE OF BEING HUMAN AND THE NATURE OF BEING DIVINE, BUT HE IS ONLY ONE PERSON. HE IS ONLY UNIQUE. ONE PERSON IN CHRIST. WHEN WE SAY, " WHO IS THAT?" WE ARE NO LONGER ASKING WHAT MAKES SOMETHING TO BE WHAT IT IS. RATHER, WE ARE NOW IN THE AREA OF PERSONS. WE WANT TO KNOW THE PARTICULAR IDENTITY- THE NAME-OF- SOME PARTICULAR BEING.
NOW HERE IS THE MYSTERY OF JESUS. EVERY INDIVIDUAL HUMAN NATURE WE KNOW OF IS A HUMAN PERSON.
JOE SMITH IS A HUMAN PERSON, WITH A HUMAN NATURE. BUT JESUS IS NOT TWO PEOPLE MORE OR LESS INTIMATELY TIED TOGETHER., GOD AND MAN; HE IS ONE PERSON WITH A DIVINE NATURE, WHO HAS ASSUMED A HUMAN NATURE INTO HIS ONE PERSON. THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO IS JESUS, BUT TWO WHAT'S. BUT WHAT HE DOES IS TRULY DIVINE; IT IS ALSO ENTIRELY HUMAN. THERE IS NO MIXING OF NATURES, HOWEVER. HE IS THE WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD, THE ETERNAL AND INFINITE LOVE OF GOD; AND HE IS THIS MAN WITH FULLY HUMAN EMOTIONS, MAKING HUMAN DECISIONS THE WAY ALL HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS MAKE THEM. SUFFERING THE PAINS OF HUMAN LIMITATIONS AND THE JOYS OF A FULL HUMAN LIFE. HOW DO WWE PUT THESE TWO THINGS TOGETHER? WE MUST SIMPLY SAY WE DON'T KNOW. WE LET THE TRUTH'S EXIST SIDE BY SIDE, AND WE BELIEVE THE MYSTERY. JESUS OF NAZARETH WAS A REAL HUMAN INDIVIDUAL, A PERSON OF FLESH AND BLOOD WHO LIVED FOR THIRTY-SOME YEARS IN PALESTINE DURING A TIME THAT CAN BE HISTORICALLY VERIFIED. AS A HUMAN BEING HE SHARED THE SAME EMOTIONS, PHYSICAL PLEASURES, THOUGHT PROCESSES, AND ABILITY TO CHOOSE THAT ARE COMMON TO ALL PEOPLE. HE HAD HUMAN LIMITATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE, AND HE EXPERIENCED THE STRUGGLE TO LEARN AND DISCOVER TRUTH. HE ALSO STRUGGLED WITH CONFUSION, DOUBT, AND EVEN ERROR. ALL OF THESE HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS ARE REFLECTED IN THE GOSPEL STORIES ABOUT WHAT JESUS SAID AND DID. UNDERLYING THE MYTHS, THEOLOGY, TITLES, LITURGICAL PRAYERS, AND OTHER FORMS, THERE EXIST ACTUAL MEMORIES OF JESUS AS A REAL PERSON. JESUS WAS A JEW WHO ACCEPTED AND CHERISHED THE RELIGION OF ISRAEL AND ITS TRADITION AS THE WILL OF GOD FOR HIM. AND FOR HIS PEOPLE. HE TOOK PART IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF HIS TIME, WHICH INCLUDED LEARNING THE TORAH, ATTENDING SYNAGOGUE, MAKING PILGRIMAGES TO THE TEMPLE, LEARNING FROM THE PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF HIS TIME AND FOLLOWING THE LAWS AND RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE JEWS. JESUS LIFE WAS SHAPED BY THE JEWISH CULTURE, BY HIS FAMILY, BY HIS LIFE IN NAZARETH AND OTHER AREAS OF GALILEE, AND BY HIS WORK AS A CRAFTSMAN'S IN WOOD.
HE ENTERED PUBLIC LIFE FOR YEAR OR MORE AS A TEACHER AND A PREACHER. HIS TRAINING FOR THIS MUST HAVE BEEN THE STUDY OF THE TORAH IN THE LOCAL SYNAGOGUE AND THROUGH THE USUAL RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION THAT WENT ON WITH ADULTS IN THE VILLAGES OF GALILEE. JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC LIFE AS A FOLLOWER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. AFTER JOHN WAS EXECUTED, JESUS WENT ON HIS OWN INDIVIDUAL MISSION. INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL MANNER WHEREBY FOLLOWERS CHOOSE A LEADER, HE PICKED HIS OWN FOLLOWERS, BOTH WOMEN AND MEN, RATHER THAN HAVE A SCHOOL, JESUS CHOSE TO BE AN ITINERANT PREACHER, DELIVERING HIS MESSAGE IN OPEN FIELDS AND BY THE LAKESIDE, AND A TABLE. HE TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY THAT WAS DISTINCTIVE, YET CONFINED HIS TEACHING MOSTLY TO SMALL TOWNS OF GALILEE. THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF JESUS CONCERNED THE REIGN OF GOD, THIS WAS A COMMON THEME IN ISRAEL , BUT HIS VERSION WAS UNCOMMON, FOR HE APPARENTLY XPERIENCE AN UNPRECEDENTED INTIMACY WITH HIM, WHOM HE CALLED "ABBA." AND HE CALLED OTHERS TO SHARE THIS INTIMACY WITH HIM. JESUS PERCEIVED THE WORLD ABOUT HIM, BOTH NATURAL AND HUMAN AS THE CREATION
I LIKE THAT STORY ABOUT THE FELLOW WHO WENT TO THE PET STORE IN SEARCH OF A SINGING PARAKEET. SEEMS HE WAS A BACHELOR AND HE HOUSE WAS TO QUIET. THE STORE OWNER HAD JUST THE BIRD FOR HIM, SO THE MAN BOUGHT IT. THE NEXT DAY THE BACHELOR CAME HOME FROM WORK TO A HOUSE FULL OF MUSIC. HE WENT TO THE CAGE TO FEED IT AND NOTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PARAKEET HAD ONLY ONE LEG. HE FELT CHEATED THAT HE HAD BEEN SOLD A ONE-LEGGED BIRD, SO HE CALLED AND COMPLAINED " WHAT DO YOU WANT," THE STORE OWNER RESPONDED, " A BIRD WHO CAN SING OR A BIRD WHO CAN DANCE?"
WE NEED TO HEAR THAT GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. WE NEED TO HEAR THAT IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL HE SAYS SO. WE NEED TO HEAR THAT LIFE'S MISHAPS AND TRAGEDIES ARE NOT A REASON TO BAIL OUT. THEY ARE A REASON TO SIT TIGHT.
SO WE PRAY THE SCRIPTURES WITH JOY AND ADMIRATION RATHER THAN WITH QUESTIONS AND CONCERN AND THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO START THAN THE
'MAGNIFICENT PROLOGUE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL: (Jn 1: 1-5, 10,14,18)
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD, WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
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