This week, the conversation picked up where we left off last week. Chapter 13 will have to wait. The opening questions was about Jesus bringing fire. Fire is not a comforting image. Jesus also talks about bringing division. Again, not a comforting image. Fire, in scripture, represents judgment, and certainly Jesus bring judgment. Jesus speaks the truth, which is not always comfortable. However, the truth is spoken not to condemn, but to save. Redemption and reconciliation begin in truth.
The question was asked whether Jesus knew what would happen through the cross. He knew the cross was on the horizon, but did he fully know what it meant. The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) seem to suggest that Jesus may not have known everything. In those gospels, Jesus is surprised and even changes direction. In one story, Jesus is not going to heal the woman's daughter because she is not a Jew. Jesus argues that it was not right to feed the dogs the food from the table for the children. The woman does not take no for an answer and argues in return that even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Jesus is amazed by her response, and more importantly, her faith. Jesus heals the woman's daughter. The story seems to suggest the Jesus changes his mind. Is it possible that Jesus sense of mission changes during his ministry? Did he initially believe his mission was to his own people and, through his experience, expand that mission to the world? Does this speak to the humanity of Jesus? If Jesus can change, does that challenge our understanding of Jesus?
Of course, the gospel of John paints a different picture. Jesus seems to have a clearer understanding of his mission. He moves toward the cross without seeming doubts or struggle. This raised questions about the witness of scripture. There seem to be many voices speaking. We, as Lutherans, are drawn to Paul, but his is not the only voices. We need to appreciate, as the wisdom of scripture makes clear, the many voices that witness to the truth. We Lutherans may not have all the answers. In fact, we do not. There is much we can learn from other faith traditions.
Finally, we talked about the authors of the gospels. Was Luke written by Luke (the physician who traveled with Paul) or John written by John? There can be an argument made that Luke and John were the authors, however, the dating of the material would make Luke and John extremely old, even by contemporary terms. The other possibilities would be that someone, who sat at the feet of either Luke and John, wrote down their witness. Another possibility would be an independent writer who gives credit to Luke or John and, by giving credit, gives the writing authority. The question was raised whether authorship is critical? Does the gospel of Luke or John have to be written by Luke or John to be true?
Again, the conversation was rich and meaningful. We're looking forward to moving into chapter 13 next week. Please join our conversation by either attending Book of Faith on Wednesday at noon at the Christian Education Building or by following this blog. Keep reading and discovering.
Peace,
Pastor Summer
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