Reflections
The Kingdom of God
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes constant reference to the “Kingdom of God”, but what, exactly, is meant by “Kingdom of God” and when, where and how will it be revealed?
In order to answer these fundamental questions, it is necessary to explore the idea of kingdom and to ask ourselves what the word implied when used by Jesus over two thousand years ago. The Jewish people were, at the time of Christ, anticipating the arrival of a chosen-one, a “Messiah”, who would free them from the bondage of the Roman regime and ‘restore the kingdom of Israel’. Even the Apostles, after Jesus’ resurrection asked Him if the time had come to “restore the kingdom to Israel” – Acts 1:6. It would seem that for the Jews (and the Apostles) the “Kingdom of God” was synonymous with the ‘kingdom of Israel’. Yet if we look at the first book of Samuel, we learn that God never imposed a kingdom upon Israel but reluctantly granted it after “the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, saying unto him: ‘you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; therefore, appoint a king to lead us, such as all other nations have’” (1 Samuel 8:4-5). Until then, the prophets and Judges had governed the people, not with elevated status but as their equals. For the Israelites, however, this was not sufficient, they wanted a king “such as all other nations have”. That sentence “such as all other nations have” is very important, because it suggests that their desire for a king was based on mimetic envy: the Israelites wanted to possess what their neighbouring kingdoms possessed. The peoples’ request deeply saddened Samuel, but the Lord God said to him “it is not you whom they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). Until that time, God had reigned over the ‘kingdom of Israel’, through the prophet Samuel: it was a kingdom without a palace or court, in which all were equal in dignity and standing. We can, therefore, say with certainty that the “Kingdom of God” of which Jesus spoke and the ‘kingdom of Israel’ were not the same. Worldly kingdoms (and I here use the word ‘kingdom’ in its’ widest context to describe all organized structures of power) were, and still are, preoccupied with wealth, status and power. To understand their make-up, let us use the analogy of a pyramid: at the top is the ‘king’, one in whom is invested an enormous degree of power, moving down from the top are others of lesser power whose aim is to ascend, by whatever means necessary, to the coveted position at the top. The base of the pyramid is composed of the least important who hold together the entire structure, but who cannot be heard or seen because of their lowly position. The “Kingdom of God”, therefore, is not a worldly structure and Jesus verified this when he said, “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” – (Mark 10:25). Wealth, power, and status are an impediment to Gods’ Kingdom.
Some have suggested that the Church is the “Kingdom of God” but this would be impossible since the Church is too involved with the world, having as it does the same ‘pyramid system’ of governance. Like other worldly ‘kingdoms’, the church boasts wealth, status, and power: all of which would preclude it from being associated with the “Kingdom of God”. While it is the Churches responsibility to ‘proclaim’ the “Kingdom of God”, it is also its’ duty to ‘give way’ to the “Kingdom”, into which it will be eventually subsumed. The Church, like every individual Christian is called to ‘give’ of itself in exactly the same manner that Christ ‘gave’ of Himself. For so long as worldly desires exist within the Church, the “Kingdom of God” cannot be accomplished.
Having considered what the “Kingdom of God” is not, let us now examine what the “Kingdom of God” is. To understand the “Kingdom”, let us turn to the Gospel of Saint John, chapter 13, where Jesus, just before His passion, washes the Apostles feet. This single act conveys more information about the “Kingdom” than any other passage in the Gospels: it is an act of deep humility that signifies the ‘breaking down’ of barriers between master and servant, between rich and poor, between strong and weak, and between the powerful and the lowly. Jesus makes it quite clear to the Apostles: “If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you” – (John 18:14-15). The “Kingdom of God” may only be perceived as a commonwealth of peoples, of equal dignity, value, and respect, united to God and one-another through love: selfless love that does not seek to eradicate diversity but accepts and encourages it as something that heightens the value of unity. Furthermore the “Kingdom of God” is already here, amongst us – (Matthew 12:28: Luke 10:9; 11:20; 17:21). It is present in the hearts of those who sincerely accept the teachings of Jesus Christ: it is present in the humble, the meek, and the lowly: it is present wherever there are acts of kindness perpetrated without any thought of reward. For evidence of this, let us look to the Gospel of Mark: when asked by the scribe what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself”. When the scribe concurred, by saying, “this is far more important than sacrifice or holocaust”, Jesus, seeing how enlightened he was, replied: “you are not far from the Kingdom of God” – (Mark 12:28-34). By understanding the primacy of Love within society, the scribe had moved a step closer to embracing that attitude of mind, and life, which would bring him into the “Kingdom of God”. At this stage, it is well worth considering that God will reign, not from some distant, inaccessible, palace, but within the heart of man.
Of course, the “Kingdom of God” has not yet been perfected, nor is it likely that it can be perfected in this world. Once the Kingdom is perfected then God will be fully manifested in all his holiness, which, at present, is seen only by faith in a world that presents an ambiguous face – Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Conversely, when Jesus speaks about “coming again in glory, with a host of angels” – (Matthew 25:31), He is likely referring to that point at which He will be fully acknowledged as the revelation and fullness of God – “the Word made flesh”. At what point or in what way that will transpire, we do not know – Cf. Matthew 24:42. What we can be certain of is that having been “lifted up from the earth”, Jesus shall indeed “draw all thing to[Himself]” and this will be achieved when the “Kingdom of God” has been truly perfected.
Our conclusion can only be that the “Kingdom of God” is not and cannot be like anything we have hitherto known. It is a Kingdom far beyond human understanding: a Kingdom where there will be no need for a king or government, no need for priests or prophets, because Jesus Christ will be all and in all. It is a Kingdom where the only law is Love. When the “Kingdom of God” is consummated, then the hearts of all men will be filled with the holy Love of God. I am not speaking, here, of heaven or of the rewards that await the righteous. On the contrary, I am speaking of the “Kingdom” that, while already present, has yet to be fulfilled. Christian hope encourages us to believe that the “Kingdoms” full realization will be the entelechy of the cosmos, that is, the perfecting of all things, past, present and future in an ever-widening context. (Cf. Principles of Christian Theology, Macquarrie, p.330)
As Christians, we are invited to be a part of the “Kingdom of God”. It is not an imposed regime where our participation is mandatory. The offer is made by God and we, as human beings with free will, can decide to accept or decline the offer. Some have already accepted the offer to be a part of Gods’ “Kingdom” and live their lives in accordance with His Sons’ teaching: theirs is a way of simplicity, faith, and abiding love for all humanity. Others have ‘publicly’ accepted the offer but, in their hearts, have refused to embrace Jesus’ Way of enlightenment and remain attached to their worldly kingdoms, which continue to afford them wealth, power, and status. Others, still, have rejected the offer outright, their reasons being multiple and variable.
There is, of course, a price to paid for being a part of Gods’ “Kingdom”. It often means isolation and/or condemnation from those who do not realize just what is required. The “Kingdom of God” is not of this world (Cf. John 18:36) and neither are those who belong to that “Kingdom”. Jesus warned His disciples, “Because you do not belong to the world, because my choice withdrew you from the world, therefore the world hates you” – (John 15:19). Sometimes, particularly in the anti-Christian climate of secular society, it is often easy to ignore, or even deny, our Christian Faith rather than face the taunts and suspicions of unbelievers. The saddest part of this is that the ‘unbeliever’ is often one who masks him/herself behind Christianity: to the world he/she is the pillar of the Church, but in secret his/her heart and tongue betray those who remain true to Christ. Despite the troubles that our Faith may bring, we must remain true to ourselves and to Our Lord, in whom we put our trust. We must continue to preach the “Kingdom of God”, not so much in words but by actions: actions that show the world we have adopted the teachings of Jesus. We must show our love and concern for all, without exception, and we must treat everyone as an equal, never being proud, but adopting an approach of sincere humility. Above all we must hold dear to our hearts the greatest Commandment of all, to Love our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind: and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Let us allow Love to be our guide – love of God and love of Man – and surely, it will lead us safely into the “Kingdom of God”.
Rev. Michael Emmett Burke, OMA
==============================================================================
The Environment
How our Judaeo-Christian Heritage should nourish a wholesome relationship with the Universe
Our Judaeo-Christian heritage is steeped in exquisite history; a history that spans over five thousand years. It is an history of serenity and turmoil; liberty and captivity; love and hate; war and peace. Yet it has never succumbed to despondency, because this heritage was built upon an impregnable foundation, God. As the Psalmist put it: “In God is my safety and my glory, the rock of my strength” (Psalm 62:7). It is an heritage that sees the glory of God present in all of His creation, from the smallest to the greatest, everything proclaims the splendour and majesty of Yahweh. “The heavens declare the glory of God, the vault of heaven proclaim his handiwork” (Psalm 19).
The Book of Genesis is renowned for its creation accounts, yet throughout the centuries, it has been misinterpreted to condone the exploitation of the natural world. However, if we look carefully at chapters one and two of Genesis, we gain a deeper appreciation of the bond that exists between God, man and the natural world.
The first thing we learn is that God created the world perfectly and each time He brought something new into creation “God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1: 10, 12, 18 & 25). Yet God did not stop there because after He had created the fish in the seas and the birds of the air, He “blessed them, saying, ‘be fruitful and multiply’” (Gen 1:22). Whatever God has blessed is made holy, it is sanctified through His approval. After God had created the plants, birds, fish and animals, He proceeded to “make man in the image of Himself; in the image of God He created them” (Gen. 1:27), so that he (man) might “fill the earth and subdue it” and “be masters of all the living creatures”. Yet this command to subjugate creation can in no way be taken as a charge to maltreat the natural world that, in Gods’ eyes, was “very good”. If we turn from the ‘priestly’ account of creation in chapter one to the ‘Jahwest’ account in chapter two, we begin to understand why man was put in charge of creation. In verse 5 we are told that “Yahweh God had not sent rain on the earth, nor was there any man to till the soil”. So it was that God created man and “settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it”. In a certain sense, man can be understood to have been the consummation of creation. Made in Gods’ “image and likeness”, man was given a prominent place in the natural world – because he was the image of the creator – Gods’ representative on earth, so to speak. God entrusted man to share in His creative process. This idea is very much in harmony with what we know of the universe: the process of evolution is on-going and we, mankind, play an enormous role in determining the track that evolution will take. It is our duty to nurture and care for our environment because the natural world is a reflection of Gods’ divine and awesome wisdom, indeed one could go so far as to say that nature is a revelation of God. The story of creation was written in mythical language (as was the norm at the time) to convey a very important message; creation is a divine teaching method, that goes out from God and returns to God. The main point of the creation account, as told in Genesis, is that man, far from being master of the earth, is called to be a co-worker, with God, in bringing about a sustainable, vibrant, and healthy planet.
Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of Gods’ covenant between Himself “and every living creature on earth” (cf Gen. 9:16). Through Jesus, the Word of God, all things came into existence – “He was with God in the beginning [and] through him all things came into being” (John 1: 1-3). Jesus is, very much, the architect of creation; He is the wisdom of God who “made the circuit of the earth and walked through the depths of the abyss” (Wisdom 24:5). In his epistle to the Romans, Saint Paul remarks that “the whole of creation, until this time, has been groaning in labour pains” (Romans 8:22). What a marvellous thing it is for us to realize that Jesus, the architect of creation, became a child of creation, formed from the same dust as we are. Whenever we consider the Incarnation – God becoming flesh – how is it possible to consider the natural world (through which God becomes man) anything but good, pure, and blest? Through His incarnation, Jesus reconciled not only man, but the whole of creation to God. Saint Paul tells us that “God wanted all fullness to be found in him and through him to reconcile all things to himself, everything in heaven and everything on earth”. As Christians, it is our responsibility to ensure we treat all of creation with respect and loving care, for “everything there is comes from God”, through Jesus, and everything “is caused by him and exists for him” (Romans 11:36). Jesus, therefore, is the summit of all creation, not just mans’ summit, but the whole of creation. Perhaps that is why Jesus used so many images of nature, especially in His parables: “the birds of the air”, “the lilies of the fields”, “the true vine”, “the planter”, “the darnel and the wheat”, “the mustard seed”, “the yeast”, etc. All of creation belongs to Jesus and our respect for nature should stem from our love of Jesus Christ. If we profess to be Christians then we must turn our attention away from orthodoxy (right though) to orthopraxy (right action) and stop the destruction of our environment. We cannot truly love Jesus if we do not love His creation!
Let us now turn our attention to the wonderful heritage of mediaeval Monasticism, a tradition that brought about a rich diversity of creation-orientated spirituality. The then accepted organic paradigm portrayed the whole cosmos, that is, the earth, the heavens, and all living creatures, including man, as an integrated and animated whole.
In Ireland there was a strong appreciation of holy places where God could be experienced in a privileged way. Mediaeval Irish devotion consisted of Mass, meditation upon Scripture and oneness with nature. The 9th century Irish scholar, John Scotus Eriugena wrote: “God is both above everything and in everything: He does not cease being in the world”. St Columbas and St Columcille are portrayed as having special relationships with the wild animals, and it is said that flocks of birds would hover around St Kevin whenever he was at prayer. Indeed, such was the caring relationship between the Irish people and nature that it was praised in song and poetry. There even sprung up a movement called “The Culdees” or “Ceili De” (meaning, “Companions of God”), who were enormously skilled in writing poetry, illuminating manuscripts, undertaking penitential practises and living close to nature as “the sacrament of God”
European Monastic tradition focused particularly on the figure of Christ as the centre of creation. The Benedictines emphasized the harmony of work and prayer – “Laborare est Orare”. They believed that respect for the earth was of paramount importance and wherever they established Monasteries they would always cultivate the land using sustainable methods. Cardinal Newman would later write: “they made an Eden in the wilderness.......and converted it into a cultivated country”. The Franciscan love of nature is captured in the Canticle of St Francis – “Brother Sun, Sister Moon, etc”. Likewise, the Dominicans showed great love for nature and St Dominick founded the Order to rebuke pessimistic notions of the earth. St Thomas Aquinas, Dominican theologian, argued that “Grace builds upon nature”, therefore an insult to the created was an insult to the Creator. Each day we encounter the Divine in nature, but if sections of nature are destroyed then we are losing an irreplaceable link to our Creator God. Our fore-fathers recognized this and we ignore it at our peril.
So far I have examined three important aspects of our Judaeo-Christian heritage that should lead us to a wholesome and harmonious relationship with the universe. 1. The Genesis Creation accounts, 2. Jesus Christ & 3. Mediaeval Monasticism. Now I shall endeavour to redress the problematic notion that Evolution, in some way, impedes or contradicts our concept of Creation.
Many Christians have grown up believing that God created the heavens and earth in six days. It is a view that is prevalent among many evangelical denominations, where science is looked upon with suspicion for contradicting the Bible. Fortunately, most of us now accept and appreciate that the Bible is not an historical record; its language is mythological and, as such, must be interpreted in light of its context. Myths are not fairy-tales, rather they are symbolic truths used to explain matters of deepest importance; so even though the creation accounts in Genesis are not to be taken literally, the truth is still expressed through the symbolism employed.
Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo all brought about an end to the previously accepted organic paradigm. Their understanding of an ‘heliocentric’ universe (whereby all the planets moved around the Sun with mathematical precision) put an end to the mystique of the cosmos, which then appeared as a cold and uninviting place. Contemporary scientific thought, however, dispenses with the notion of all things moving in mathematical precision and, instead, believes the universe to be constantly changing and evolving. Relativity, Quantum and Chaos Theories all lend to the idea that it is impossible to be certain of anything. To an extent, the ‘uncertainty principle’ of Quantum Physics is akin to our Christian concept of ‘Mystery’. Perhaps it was this similarity that prompted the eminent theologian, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, to embark upon a journey to reconcile science with Christian theology. De Chardin put forward creation as continually evolving and moving toward a point of future fulfilment, that he called “the Omega point”. He goes even further by identifying this ‘Omega point’ with Jesus Christ as the One who will bring all of creation to unity with God. Because creation is an on-going process of evolution, we must never become complacent with our understanding of it. New ideas will emerge as science delves further in to the complex questions of our existence and we, as Christians, must be open to interpret scientific finds in light of our faith in a Creator God.
In conclusion, we can surmise that our Judaeo-Christian heritage contains such a deep respect for the natural world that it should motivate us to a respectful appreciation of our environment. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case because rather than appreciating our beautiful world, man continues to exploit and abuse it for personal pleasure and gain. The world is suffering from mans’ abuse, one need only look at ecological disasters as proof of this, and unless we, each one of us, changes our approach to the environment, then we are guilty of wanton destruction of Gods’ creation. Furthermore, we are inhibiting creation from evolving as God desires and, in doing so, are stopping ourselves, as human beings, from reaching our full potential as stewards of this world. Life is a gift from God – it does not belong to us and, one day, we must give an account of that life. It is the same with the natural world – it does not belong to us, but has been entrusted to us for future generations – it is to be shared with over a million different species of animals and plants and, as with our lives, we shall one day have to render an account for our role in the creative process.
It is my sincere hope that this essay provides food for thought. Christianity spends a great deal of time reflecting on the life-to-come but it is, as a religion, equally involved in the here-and-now. We need the environment in order to live, but the environment does not need us. Is it not time that we begin to respect that which greater than all of us and without which our very existence would be impossible? To finish, let me quote some beautiful words from the Book of Wisdom: “You spare all things because all things are yours, O Lord, lover of life” (Wisdom 12:1-2).
Rev. Michael Emmett Burke, OMA
==============================================================================
ON “LOVE” & THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might, this is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like unto it, that thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. – Matthew 22:37-39 & Mark 12:30-31
These days, one hears a great deal about ‘love’. The words’ constant use in television programmes, on radio, in the newspapers, on the internet and so forth. Everywhere one goes, one hears the term ‘I love you’! What, however, really is love and just how are we to interpret this, the greatest commandment of all?
In order to understand the meaning of ‘Love’ we need look no further than Saint Pauls’ letter to the Corinthians in which he describes love as:
“Patient and kind, knowing neither envy nor jealousy, never forward or self-satisfied, nor boastful and conceited” – 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love, therefore, may be described as something to be held in the highest esteem, a virtue that surpasses all others. From Saint Pauls’ description, it becomes apparent that ‘Love’, if understood in its proper context, is about giving without expectation of any reward. Giving, not merely some trifle or material object, but, ones’ very all, that is to say, giving ones’ whole self (body, soul and mind), willingly, to another. Love is not so much a word as an act – an act of unselfish goodness – done and given for the sake of another without any desire of receiving something in return. Love is not to be equated with lust or infatuation, that seek only self-gratification, for true love (and that is our only concern) transcends the realms of physicality and sexuality, becoming something truly spiritual and even greater still it can becomes a state-of-being. It is for this reason that ‘Love’ is the only thing God asks us for – being pure and utterly selfless, it is the only thing worthy enough to render unto God. Even yet, this command, this requirement, is wholly unselfish since God only requests what He has already given – all love comes from God and all love must return to God – for “God is Love” – 1 John 4:8 Furthermore, Gods’ love is unconditional for although he wants us to love Him, He does not make us love Him. Saint or sinner, God gives His love equally to all and it is our choice whether to return that love. We should, however, remember that we give nothing to God that He has not already given to us – cf. Job 41:10-11 & Romans 11:35-36
What precisely does Jesus mean, however, when he says that one must love God with all ones’ ‘heart’, ‘soul’ and ‘might’?
To understand, one needs to realize that Jesus is here quoting from Mosaic Law – cf. Deuteronomy 6:5 That verse formed part of what is known as the Shema, the basic and essential creed of Judaism. Put simply, it means that one must love God totally and unreservedly – ones’ love for Him should dominate ones’ emotions; it should direct ones’ thoughts and it should be the dynamism of ones’ actions. Christianity consists in loving God and God desires only pure and selfless love, that is, the commitment of life itself to God.
Following on from this is the Second Great Commandment that “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. Two questions arise – the first; how should one love ones’ neighbour? – the second, who is ones’ neighbour?
Some Christians are of the opinion that ‘to love ones’ neighbour’ simply means to wish them no harm. This, however, falls very short of what is envisaged by the Second Great Commandment. Ones’ love for fellow man must be no less than genuine, sincere, and selfless love; in short, it must be the same love as that rendered unto God. Many would argue that this asks too much – how, for example, is one to love a murderer or a thief? The answer is quite simple – mankind is made in the image and likeness of God (cf. Genesis 1:26-27) and unless one is capable of loving man, who is seen, how can one possibly love God who is unseen? Regardless of the wrong a man does, he remains a human being and in virtue of that, one is required to love him. By all means, one may (and, indeed, must) hate the sin, but the sinner one must love – for only by showing true love to those who have erred is there any possibility of restoring them to the path of righteousness. This does not mean one ought to stand in judgement of others; nor does it give one the right to condemn those whom one believes to be engaging in sin. On the contrary, love demands that one refrain from passing judgement – the only valid Christian solution to correcting sin is showing, by example, that there is an alternative way of living – above all else one has a moral duty to impart the knowledge, through action, that Gods’ love is so great that He readily and freely forgives sin, however heinous in the eyes of the world, Gods’ forgiveness is absolute; the only condition imposed by God is that the sinner approach Him with an humble and contrite heart. Furthermore, love demands mans’ forgiveness be nothing less than absolute; just as Gods’ forgiveness is absolute. All of this may sound daunting – impossible to adhere to – yet it is what is required of all Christians. Jesus did not promise that it would be easy to follow Him, on the contrary He warned His disciples that they shall be “hated by all nations” on account of His name – Matthew 24:9-10 Down through the centuries, Ritual, in all its pomp and glory, has been allowed to take the place of Love. Elaborate churches and cathedrals stand as a monument to mans’ selfishness – were these built out of love for God or to feed the ego of man? Does God want these vast structures, skilfully created, while many of His children perish from cold, hunger or thirst? Did not Jesus command His followers to “sell all you possess and give the money to the poor”? – Luke 18:22 The time has now come for those who call themselves Christian to re-evaluate what they believe! It is not the case that worship has become a matter of the Church building instead of a matter of Christian living? Have Christians conveniently ignored the truth behind the parable of The Good Samaritan – the priest and the levite could pass by the wounded traveller because they were eager to carry on the with the ritual of the temple – ritual, buildings, material things, these have become more important than humanity and have certainly replaced love as the epicentre of Christian life.
Who, then, is ones’ Neighbour? Jesus is quoting from Leviticus 19:18 “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. In its original context it has to do with mans’ fellow-Jew and would not have included the Gentiles (or non-Jews), who were considered detestable. Jesus, however, quoted the passage of Scripture without qualification – in other words, He did not limit the boundaries of who ones’ neighbour is. This is a perfect example of how Jesus took an old law and filled it new meaning. Ones’ neighbour, therefore, is every human being, regardless of race, creed, nationality, gender, sexuality or age. Nobody may be excluded; for to exclude a single person is an affront to the Second Great Commandment and, thereby, an affront to God. Jesus, throughout the Gospels, again and again emphasizes the point: “Love thine enemies and do good to those that hate you” – Matthew 5:44 In Jesus’ understanding, hatred, ill-will and bitterness were unnecessary emotions that lead only to self-destruction – to follow Him was to rise above worldly strife and embrace, in all its’ fullness, His Way¹ of Love, Faith and Hope.
In conclusion, it is fair to say that the Christian Faith centres upon loving God and fellow men. It is the measure of that Love, however, that determines whether one is truly Christian. For far too long, love has been reduced to an empty formula, not merely by the secular world but also by the organized religion. Times are changing at an alarming rate – what once seemed eternal and re-assuring has been completely altered (or eradicated). Despite this and despite the ever-evolving complexities of human life, the one thing that has not changed is Jesus’ Way of Love. Being a Christian in the 21st century is no longer a simple case of belonging to one denomination or another – it is about taking personal responsibility for ones’ own thoughts, words, and actions. Perhaps it is time for each one of us to examine our lives and ascertain just where we fit into Jesus’ Way of Salvation. Only through adoption of the principle of “Loving God and Man as oneself” is it possible to, honestly and sincerely, consider oneself an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
-----------------------------------------¹ The word “Way” refers to the Church, that is, the people of God who have been brought out of darkness and are enlightened by the teachings of Jesus Christ. The original Greek word “ekklesia” meant much more than (A) a building or (B) an organization. The direct translation of the word “ekklesia” is “the called-out ones”. Hence, when Christ says to Peter: “On this rock I shall build my ‘ekklesia’”, He is actually saying: “on this rock I shall build up my assembly”. Conversely, the Greek word for ‘Church’ is ‘Kuriakos’.
Rev. Michael Emmett Burke, OMA
=====================================================================================
THE BEATITUDES
(Matthew 5:3-12)
I. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
II. Blessed are the meek,
For they shall possess the earth.
III. Blessed are they who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
IV. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
For they shall be satisfied.
V. Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
VI. Blessed are the clean of heart,
For they shall see God.
VII. Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called children of God.
VIII. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men reproach you and persecute you and, speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
The Beatitudes are, without doubt, the most inspirational words contained in the Gospel.
The first four refer specifically to the poor (or 'anawim') of Israel who have longed so earnestly for the "Kingdom" to be realized. Interestingly, the "poor in spirit" is a phrase found only here and in the Qumran documents and can refer only to those who deeply conscious of their need for God's help. The meek, who patiently accepted their suffering are promised "the land" (as opposed to 'the earth') of Palestine, that, through the Prophets, had become a universal symbol of messianic blessings. Mourning and weeping describes the condition of the poor (or 'anawim'), particularly during the Babylonian exile. The deep-seated desire for 'justice', that moral and ethical ideal, so typical of the poor, is realized, only, by fidelity to God's will.
The remaining Beatitudes are a reference to the Prophets, those who were deemed protectors of the poor and oppressed.
Mercy was a quality displayed by the Prophets, whose compassion always sought to remedy the distress of the poor and afflicted. "Pure of heart", in the context of the Beatitudes, refers to purity of intention or 'Sincerity' (it is worthwhile to note that the phrase to "see God" is a metaphor from Oriental court life, where to "see the King" was indicative of royal favour). "Peace" is biblical symbolism for the totality of messianic blessings, which were fulfilled in Christ. The Prophets, ever faithful to God's will, were frequently vilified and persecuted in their unswerving efforts to realize the Kingdom of Justice, Peace and Goodwill.
In His summing up, of the Beatitudes, Jesus made reference to His followers and compared them to the Prophets of old. In many respects, the disciples became the successors of the Prophets and, in doing so, left themselves open to persecution, not only by the Jewish High-Priests, but by the brutal roman regime. Many of these prophets of "the new Covenant" shed their blood for the sake of Justice (Justice being embodied in Jesus Christ Himself).
The Beatitudes are as relevant to-day as they were when Jesus spoke them. We still have the "poor", the "anawim", who continue to suffer cruelly in a world so far removed from the will of God. Like their predecessors, they strive for emancipation from tyranny and deceit; looking for a world in which the Christian message is lived, not merely recited. Furthermore, we still have amongst us many "prophets", whose words will scorn the unjust and, as was the case two thousand years ago, this scorn is often aimed at religious authorities; those who have used Christianity as a means to justify their own greed, arrogance and cruelty. History will vouch for the existence of such "prophets" - Martin Luther, whose outrage at the greed and excesses of the Roman Church, earned him vilification and excommunication. Whilst Luther has often been blamed as the one responsible for 'splitting the Church', it was not he, for his sole aim was to purge the Church of its' evil vices, but, on the contrary, the blame for the split can only be laid at the door of him who did not listen! Even in the here-and-now there are those still being ridiculed by the Church authorities. One such man is Fr Hans Kung, an eminent scholar and theologian, whose insistence for the truth led to his being ostracised by the Vatican and stripped of his teaching posts. There are many, many more, too numerable to mention, but most of you will know at least one - all around us, there continue to exist prophets who will question the status quo and highlight injustices. They, too, will often be vilified or looked upon condescendingly - just like the prophets of Israel, they will be persecuted for the sake of Justice.
It is my hope that these few words will be a source of comfort and inspiration to "anawin" and "Prophets" of our times.
=====================================================================================
|
