Genesis 1: History, Science, or Poetry?

Imagine a world without speech and written language.  One such world existed for the better part of 4 billion years.  But at some point, humanity slowly developed spoken language which thousands of years later led to written communication.  It's probably not a stretch to say that what led to the development of humanity's exceptionalism compared to the other great apes was the evolution of our big brains and the ability to use that computing power in conjunction with our voice boxes and mouths designed to articulate speech.  With words came communication.  With communication came meaning.  With meaning came understanding.  With understanding came humanity as we know it, created in the image of the God who spoke the world into existence.  

Words are meaningful.  Words have power.  In part, what gives words their meaning and power is their flexibility.  Words do not have to be rigid or static.  By rearranging their order, by slightly altering their tone, and by creating alternative genres of words both written and spoken, words can unleash an infinite possibility of...of...of anything!  Words are that powerful!

For thousands of years, the genre of poetry has inspired people in a way that adds an embellishment and flair to more traditional communication.  Poetry has the power to unleash imagination in ways that prose cannot.  So, it's only fitting that the editors of Genesis chose to start the narrative of scripture with a big bang that only poetry could provide. 

Poetry and Rhythm 

Biblical scholars tell us that Genesis 1:1-2:4a is Hebrew poetry.  There is a structure and a rhythm to how the author(s) of this text describe the making of the habitable world.  The days of creation hint at life's lived rhythm, structured around a seven-day week.  For the first three days of this poem, God is at work in creating a space that the creatures of the next three days of the poem will thrive in.  On day one, God speaks the concept of light into existence.  On day four, the sun, moon, and stars become the vehicles to emit this light out into the galaxies.  

On day two, God separates the waters of chaos from one another.  The bottom waters become the seas, and the top waters are held at bay above the earth by the firmament and the dome of the sky.  Yes, ancient near-eastern people believed that beyond what we call the atmosphere and near outer space there were waters in what we would today call far "outer space".  To grasp their concept of the cosmos, imagine a snow globe.  Their world was essentially what might be contained within a snow globe and beyond that globe were what they described as the "heavens".  What might fill the sea and the sky?  On day five, God provides the seas with fish and the sky with the birds of the air.  Do you see the pattern, structure, and rhythm of this poem?  Day four corresponds with day one.  Day five corresponds with day two.  So, that can only mean that day six will correspond with what has come before in day three.

On day three, YHWH creates land (earth) and then allows the earth to sprout vegetation.  The land and the vegetation will provide the space and sustenance for the land animals of day six.  The six days of God's work in creation leads to day seven, when God ceases from his work and enjoys the world's first Sabbath.  The two-by-two rhythm of the first six days of creation is broken with this one final and climactic day.  This creation poem reminds us that the order of the cosmos must include rest, restoration, and re-creation.  

Additionally, in its near eastern context, this poem echoes the description of the construction of a temple.  The final act of temple construction in the ancient world was to place a statue or idol of a god in the center of the building.  In God's temple of creation, there is no idol setup, rather humanity, made in the image of God, is placed at the pinnacle of creation.  Humanity is to reflect God's glory out into creation, while simultaneously calling forth and summing up creation's worship of God and offering it back to God as a sacrifice of praise.  This poem of creation captures these ideas and concepts in ways that prose, especially scientific prose could not.

Literalism Literally Gets It Wrong

By taking a poem "literally", we might actually misunderstand the meaning.  But understanding any writing in its correct literary genre allows us to better understand its actual or "literal" meaning.  Genesis does not describe for us how God created the cosmos, but rather that he did create it, and that it is not only good, but very good.  Science might reveal some of the mechanisms that God predesigned into the "system" of creation, but it doesn't come close to answering our "why" questions.  In the next couple of blog posts we'll explore the "whys" a bit further, until then, dig into the poetry of Genesis 1! - Shay 

Two Creation Stories

It is a commonly held misconception that Genesis 1-2 is a single narrative describing God's initial act of creation in scientific and historical terms.  Not only are these two chapters neither science nor history, they don't contain a single creation narrative, but rather two distinct creation narratives that were brought together in the process of the editing of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible, comprising Genesis through Deuteronomy).  Why would the editors of Genesis place two distinct stories back-to-back in this fashion?  We will probably never know the complete process of aural dissemination and then later writing and editing, but there is at least one good reason these Biblical compilers might have placed these two very different narratives side by side.  These two stories present two related, though different sides of the God of creation.    

The First Creation Story: God's Transcendence  

The first creation story in Genesis begins the entire Biblical corpus at 1:1 and goes through chapter 2 verse 4a.  I will have more to say about certain aspects of this passage in later blogs, but the first thing I want to highlight in this story (or poem, as many Old Testament scholars consider it) is that these verses emphasize the transcendence of God.  YHWH is presented as the God who speaks and - "bang" - it is!  As one reads through this text, one is struck by God's awesomeness - his majesty.  Not only do we see the creator's might and power, but we are also floored by his genius.  Who could speak such a complex universe into existence?  How does this vast and complex system work together so well?  For modern sojourners who have been exposed to recent science, we can't help but stand in awe at the sheer size and wonder of the cosmos.  And to think...our God did that!  Genesis 1:1-2:4a gives us a glimpse into God's power, but Genesis 2:4b and following give us another perspective on the God of creation.  In these verses we get a glimpse of God's personality.  

The Second Creation Story: God's Immanence 

In the 1700s many leading thinkers in both Europe and North America adopted a deist theological stance.  The deists believed that the universe was created by a super-intelligence, but that this god was quite distant from its creation.  According to the deists, God set the laws of nature in motion and then quickly stepped away and watched what might happen, or possibly no longer even concerned him or herself with the outcomes of the created order.  The deists believed in a god, but not a personal god.  

If Genesis 1:1-2:4a was the only Biblical story of creation, we might adopt a similar view.  But thankfully the Biblical writers provided us another angle on creation.  Genesis 2:4b-25 describes for us a God who desires a genuine relationship with his creation.  Whereas in Genesis 1, God speaks, and it is, Genesis 2 portrays YHWH as the God who is willing to get his hands dirty.  He doesn't just speak the human into being, he forms adam (human) from the soil.  He shapes and molds humanity with his hands.  He gets up close and personal - breathing life into humankind (verse 7).  The God of Genesis 2 is not distant from his creation, but he enters into it.  He is not far from Adam (human) and Ish.shah (woman) and he is intimately involved with their wellbeing.  As the story progresses, this God indeed dwells within his creation and with his creatures.   

The Foundation of the Story of Creation to New Creation 

Though Genesis has provoked its fair share of controversy and debate over the past several hundred years, at their core, these first two chapters are really not that controversial.  The two creation stories do not describe God's making of the cosmos in scientific terms (the how), nor do they recount history (when), rather they describe God's intent in shaping the universe (they describe the why).  And as much as these foundational narratives are about creation, they are far more about the God of creation.  They describe an all-powerful transcendent God, who is simultaneously a relational God - One who is immanently available to and involved in his creation, especially with those creatures we call human beings.  There is far more to say about these verses than I can say in one blog post, or even one hundred blog posts, but for now, hopefully I've provided a few nuggets to chew on.  And as you consider these possibilities, please remember that there is an all-powerful God behind our world who is at this very moment, not far from anyone of us (Acts 17:27). - Shay  

In the Beginning...

 Ever since the Enlightenment, there has been controversy surrounding the primeval narratives in the Biblical corpus.  Usually, the questions involved have to do with whether the texts of Genesis 1-11 should be taken "literally" or "scientifically" or "historically".  Quite frankly, what one reads in these early chapters of the most significant piece of literature in world history doesn't fit well with what we know of modern science or history, though from a literary perspective, these dense narratives are far deeper than they've been credited by some modern critics. The heart of this controversy, if one can call it that, has to do with modern and ancient world views and genres of literature.  If a modern reader can imagine the cultural, historical, sociological, and philosophical perspectives of the writers and editors of these ancient texts, one comes away with a great appreciation for their depth and profundity.  But if, like some "fundamentalists" (whether of the religious or materialist atheist perspective), one is primarily interested in answering either scientific or historical questions, you've come to the wrong place and have brought the wrong kinds of questions to this writing. 

The writers and editors (yes there were multiple people over many centuries involved with the oral recitation, writing, compiling, and editing process of Genesis-Deuteronomy {if not also 1 Samuel - 2 Kings & ff}) of these compelling narratives were completely unaware of modern notions of science.  Therefore, it is anachronistic to approach these texts as works of science.  And even the ancient notion of history differed from our own modern notion of the "art" of historical writing.  These old stories were not meant to be understood as historical, in the modern sense of the word, as that discipline had not yet been developed.  

So, what kind of literature are we engaging with in Genesis 1-11?  We have established that it is not scientific literature.  We have also established that it is not historical literature (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, and Noah were not historical figures...sorry!).  In short, Genesis 1-11 is mythic literature, but not mythic as many imagine.  Every people, tribe. language, and nation are founded upon myths.  Myths are the most true things that describe a people - their origin, their "history", and their significance.  Myths may not give us scientific or (modern) historical descriptions, but they give us the truest form of reckoning with who we are, where we have come from, and where we might go in the future.  They are deeper stories than the shallow descriptions that both modern science and modern history tell. 

Over the next few weeks, I plan to explore the primeval narratives (Genesis 1-11) from their cultural, literary, and theological context.  They are the foundation for the greatest story ever told (Genesis chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 22).  And I believe that they are the foundation for who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.  I hope you'll join me for this epic ride! - Shay

The Tomb is Empty: Fear vs. Faith

 

Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV) says this: "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.  They had been saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?'  When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has been raised; he is not here.  Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.'  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."

We're told that just after the sun had risen, the women went to the tomb.  At this point, they had no idea that it wasn't just the sun which had peaked above the horizon, but the true son, the Son of God had risen from the dead.  And it wasn't just the first day of the week, it was the first day of a brand new age - the new creation had begun!  The most important part of God's rescue operation had been completed with the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah - Jesus the Son of the living God.  These women had not only followed Jesus all the way to his death on the cross, they had followed him all the way to the grave as he was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.  And now they had come to complete his burial; to wrap his body with aromatic perfumes and spices.  They, far more than Jesus' male companions, had been loyal to the end.  Yet, they must have by this point realized that Jesus' messianic movement had ended in failure - a crucified messiah being an oxymoron for a Jew of the first century.     

But, if somehow, as the empty tomb and the man in white claimed, God had raised him from the dead, then that would have been the sign of God's vindication.  He was in fact who he had claimed to be. In fact, he was even greater than anyone could have imagined him to be.  He wasn't just the Messiah, he was the risen Lord, the Savior of the world!

It's interesting that it was a group of women who were the first to arrive at the tomb.  Women weren't considered to be credible witnesses in the ancient world.  If someone was going to make this story up, they wouldn't have chosen a bunch of ladies for this important role.  But, here again, we're reminded that God's ways are not our ways.

Verse 6 tells us that the women had come to the tomb looking for Jesus.  But they came looking in the wrong place.  Death could not keep him - death could not defeat him.  The tomb was empty.  The tomb is empty.  Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified has been raised from the dead!  Some stories are too good to be true.  This story, and the difference that it makes for the whole world, is too good not to be true.

But where does Mark's gospel end?  Have a look in your Bible and you'll see a footnote telling you that the oldest Greek manuscripts end at verse 8.  It's safe to say that verses 9-20 were not original to Mark.  They seem to be a summary of the resurrection narratives from the other gospels.  They must have been added onto what we call verse 8 by a later scribe who couldn't figure out why Mark's gospel would end so abruptly.  That leaves us with two options regarding the ending of Mark.  Either, Mark's original ending was somehow lost.  Or, Mark intentionally ended his gospel at verse 8.  I personally believe the latter; that Mark ends his story of Jesus with the women fleeing the tomb in fear.  Why?

Fear is a major theme in the gospel of Mark.  In fact, fear, not doubt is the enemy of faith according to Mark.  After stilling the storm, Jesus in Mark 4:40 said, "Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?"  In the next chapter, after he had exorcised the demoniac's demons, the local townspeople asked Jesus to depart from their region because they were afraid.  Later in the same chapter, a woman suffering from a bleeding condition touched Jesus' cloak and was healed.  Jesus, realizing that power had gone forth from him, asked, "Who touched my clothes?"  The woman came and fell at Jesus' feet in fear and trembling.  His response to her was, "Daughter, your faith has made you well."  Jesus was on the way to attend to the sick daughter of a man named Jairus.  Right after healing the bleeding woman, some people arrived and informed Jairus that his daughter had died.  Jesus said to Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe."  Jesus then proceeded to raise Jairus' daughter from the dead.  Later in the gospel, as Jesus walked on the water, we're told that his disciples were terrified.  Peter, James, and John were also terrified on the Mountain of Transfiguration.  Later, when Jesus spoke of his impending death and resurrection, his disciples did not understand what he was talking about, but were too afraid to ask him what he meant.  And when they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, his disciples followed him, but they were afraid.  The disciples must have been afraid when they abandoned Jesus at his arrest.  It must have been his fear that led Peter to deny Jesus three times. 

And so Mark's gospel ends at chapter 16 verse 8 with the women fleeing the tomb, "for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."  The reader is left to wonder - will the women through faith overcome their fear?  Will they obey the command to go and tell the disciples that Jesus has been raised?  It's obvious that the women, through faith, must have overcome their fears.  Mark's gospel and the rest of the New Testament testify to this fact.  But the question remains for Mark's original audience and the question remains for us.  Do we have faith that the tomb is empty?  Is Jesus really risen from the dead?  And if we do believe, is our faith greater than our fear?  Will we go and tell?  Will we live our lives as if the tomb stands empty?  Will we, through our lives of  faith proclaim to the world that sin and death have been defeated, that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and that eternal life is found in him?  And as we are reminded each Christmas, as the world celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let's make sure we remind our world that though Jesus was born to die, he didn't stay dead.  The tomb is empty! - Shay

The Most Significant Event in History

 I have noticed that the big events in my life never quite seem to live up to the expectations that I might place on them.  It's not that the events are bad or that they fall short in any real sense, it's just that they come and go, leaving memories, but not much more.  Even the very big events like weddings and births of children never quite turn out like we might have expected.  Again, that is not to say that the events are insignificant or that they don't measure up to some pre-conceived "hype", but ultimately, they are merely moments, and life quickly continues on its forward trajectory into the future that soon becomes the past.  These significant moments do make a mark, but in the moment, they may not "feel" as significant as the finally are.

One gets that same kind of feeling when reading the sparse narrative of the crucifixion in Mark's gospel, chapter 15.  Here the writer describes the most significant event (well, the second most significant event - we'll cover the most significant one in the next blog) in human history, in 47 verses.  In less than 5 minutes, one can read the account of Jesus' death and then move on with the rest of their day.  But what makes the execution of Jesus of Nazareth so significant is not how it happened, how long it took, or even the gruesome details (which Mark doesn't elaborate on) that a writer could gorily describe with horrifying description.  What makes the crucifixion of Jesus so significant is what God accomplished through Jesus' sacrificial death.  It is a significance that far exceeds what seemingly transpired on that Friday two millennia ago.  

But before we reflect on what the death of Jesus accomplished, let's briefly consider what the death of Jesus is not.

Jesus' Death Is Not the Appeasement of a Wrathful God 

The way some writers describe the death of Jesus, one might come away believing that God the Father was a child abuser and murderer.  Some have believed that God's wrath must be poured out upon sinful humanity and that Jesus essentially stepped in and endured God's wrath in our place.  This view makes the death of Jesus "punishment" for our sins.  Those who hold to this view believe that justice was finally served through the crucifixion of the Son of God.  But it is a strange kind of justice that punishes an innocent person for the wrongs of another.  And this view makes the sacrifice of Jesus more like the human sacrifice to pagan gods than the self-giving, loving sacrifice of our savior.  Afterall, John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, not that God so hated the world that he tortured and killed his only Son.  God's wrath was not poured out on humanity, much less on his innocent Son.  No, God's wrath was poured out on the death and destruction that sin unleashes in the world.  Jesus' death brought about the redemption of humanity and the entire creation.  

Jesus Died for Our Sins 

One thing that is crystal clear in the scriptures is that Jesus died for our sins.  Romans 6:23 tells us that the wage of sin is death.  Because of our sin, death should be permanent - eternal.  But as Romans 6:23 goes on to say, the free gift given to us through Christ is eternal life.  Paul goes onto explain later in Romans (chapter 8) that one day, those who are in Christ will be raised bodily from the dead, just as Jesus was.  That's what eternal life is - the bodily resurrection from the dead into eternal bodily life in God's renewed creation.

In another letter (1 Cor), Paul writes that "Christ died for our sins...".  So, what does he mean by this?  He doesn't mean that we were naughty and so Jesus stepped in and was punished on our behalf.  Rather, what Christ did through his death was to defeat sin.  He bore our sins on the cross, defeating and destroying evil and sin and the consequences of sin in the process.  This sacrifice not only frees us from our sins (if we accept this free gift through faith), but it also sets us free to overcome our sin (as Paul explains throughout the entirety of Romans chapter 6).  Only one person, Jesus, was able to deal with our sins through his death, and thankfully, he graciously offered himself up for the sins of the whole world.  That means that all of our sins - past, present, and future have been taken care of through Jesus' death (and resurrection).  He offers the benefit of this to any and to all who will accept his free gift.  Isn't that amazing?!!!

Jesus Defeated Forces of Evil Through His Death (and Resurrection) 

The Biblical narrative is not 100% clear on the nature of the forces of evil that have invaded the universe.  The Satan (literally accuser) and other demonic forces are referenced more often in the New Testament than in the Old Testament.  Why?  The cultural influences of the New Testament writers obviously played a role, and there is room in interpretation to understand these forces in a variety of ways.  Are they simply the "personification" of evil, or are they evil entities with "minds" of their own?  The Bible isn't entirely clear, but what is beyond a shadow of a doubt is the fact that evil forces exist in the universe, and these evil forces have been clearly and decisively defeated through the death (and resurrection) of Christ! These forces no doubt were what "inspired" the arrest, conviction, and execution of Jesus and for three days it seemed that these forces had won the battle over the Son of God.  But like an expert martial artist using an opponent's offense against himself, God allowed these demonic powers to seal their own fate through the death of his Son.  On the third day, their ultimate destruction was made evident as the tomb was found empty.  The power of death that these forces could hold over their victims was completely disarmed when Jesus rose from the dead.

Subtlety Does Not Diminish Substance 

In only 47 sparse verses, Mark describes the most significant event in human history.  But his lack of detail does not diminish the substance found in this most profound act of love and sacrifice.  In fact, the second and most important part of this event is told with even fewer details in Mark 16.  But that's for the next blog. - Shay 
 

Take and Eat

The following is based on reflections from Mark 14:22-25.

Many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving in a few weeks.  We will gather around tables with family and loved ones, we'll give thanks, we'll brake bread, we'll slice and eat turkey, and we will celebrate the good life that God has so bountifully provided for us all.  There’s something deeply satisfying about holidays and special occasions.  Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversaries, or birthdays, nothing marks these occasions quite as well as food, family, and fellowship.  For thousands of years of human history, feasts have been the way we recognize significant events in our lives.  We probably don’t do it as much as we should.

Sharing any meal in the ancient world carried with it a great significance.  To share food with another meant that you were sharing life and sharing relationship.  It’s why Jesus’ willingness to eat with tax collectors and sinners was so scandalous.  By sitting down at the table with these outcasts and outsiders, Jesus was proclaiming that though they were on the margins of respectable society, they were to be offered a seat of honor within the broader borders of God’s Kingdom.

So, it makes sense that as Jesus approached the climax of his mission that he would choose to mark the occasion with his disciples through a meal – and not just any meal, the Passover meal.

 The Passover was the most significant of all Jewish festivals and more than any other ritual or action, it defined and marked out those who were the people of God.  As important as the giving of the Law was, God’s deliverance and rescue of his people from Egyptian slavery is what formed the nation of Israel to begin with.  The Law did not make Israel God’s people; the Law was given to Israel as a gift because they had already been redeemed as his people through the sacrifice of the Passover lamb and the miracle at the sea.

 Each year when the people would gather to celebrate this foundational meal, they were reminded that YHWH, the God who had acted in the Exodus, who had provided for them in the wilderness, who had given them the Promised Land, who had established the Davidic Kingdom, who had chosen to dwell in the Temple in Jerusalem, and who had brought his people back from exile would one day act again in a dramatic way to free his people from their current bondage under pagan rulers.  The God who had acted in the past, would act again in the future.  When that great day occurred, then the glory of this one true God, YHWH would extend from Jerusalem to the very ends of the earth.  Isaiah 66 looked forward to that time and described it in the following way. “I will send survivors to the nations…to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.  They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord…to my holy mountain, Jerusalem…For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain.  From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord.”

 Many Jews of the first century believed that God’s deliverance would come to them through a descendant of David who would establish God’s Kingdom on earth in ways that it had previously not been realized.  The pagans would be defeated and kicked out of the land.  True worship would once again be established in the temple.  The heathen nations around the world would either be destroyed or would submit to the one true God, YHWH, and his representative on earth, the Messiah, the Davidic King.  Those who acknowledged God and his Messiah would stream to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice and worship.  Then the world itself would be transformed, and God’s will would finally be done on earth as it was already being done in heaven.  For Jews of the first century, when they celebrated Passover, they not only looked back at YHWH’s past deliverance, but they also looked forward to such a time as this.

 Of course, the chief priests and many of the other religious and civil leaders in Jerusalem were quite happy with the status quo.  They had a sweet deal in place with the Romans and any “kingdom of God” talk that threatened Rome’s control inevitably threatened their own position and status.  So, they, like the Romans, were on high alert each year at the time of Passover.  This is why Jesus had to so stealthily make arrangements to celebrate the Passover with his disciples.  He was already public enemy number one in the eyes of the Jerusalem establishment, so if they became aware of his whereabouts during the Passover meal, his arrest might have occured before the appointed time.       

 So, how ironic it was that as Jesus sat down to feast with his closest companions, he was surrounded by a betrayer, a denier, and 10 deserters.  But despite the fact that these flawed and fallen followers were to soon abandon him in his darkest hour, Jesus unreservedly extended grace and understanding to these mostly well-meaning, though naïve and fearful friends. 

 It is with this Passover that Jesus inaugurated the first celebration of what we call communion, or the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper.  The recollection of God’s past deliverance bled into the imminent expectation of God’s present and future redemption of his people.  The hopes, dreams, and expectations of a Messiah, a King, a deliverer would finally be accomplished, but in ways that no one, not even his own disciples could imagine.  A new exodus and a new covenant would be established through his death and resurrection.  It would only be in hindsight that his disciples could look back on this moment and understand its full significance.

 As would be done just a few hours later with his own physical body, Jesus took a loaf of bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take; this is my body.”  And knowing that his own blood would be violently spilled the following day, Jesus took a cup and shared it with his friends, saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”  Actions speak louder than words and Jesus’ actions here would have continued to speak loudly to his followers after the dark hours of this moment cleared and the light of the resurrection shone brightly in their hearts.

 And his actions were not just for the 12 in that upper room; his actions on that night continue to resonate some 2,000 years later.  Like his first disciples, our participation in the Lord’s meal continues to be a rehearsal of all God has done for us, in and through Jesus Christ.  As we share this feast each week, it’s an expression of our relationship with Jesus and with each other.  When we share communion, the Lord’s Supper, we are sharing in the person of Jesus of Nazareth – his life and his mission.  Jesus is spiritually present with us in the meal and so we not only remember what he accomplished in his death and resurrection, we also celebrate his continued presence among us. 

But Mark’s account of the Last Supper serves as a warning for us too.  Like Judas, we can sit down to eat with Jesus and turn around and betray him.  Like Peter, we might find ourselves moving from fellowship with the Master to outright denial.  Or like the other 10, rather than conquering our fears through faith, we may simply run away.  If we find ourselves failing Jesus in any of these or other ways, we can be sure that the Savior is still willing to extend us grace and understanding despite our many flaws – he’s faithful, even when we’re not.  But the meal ultimately anticipates victory, not defeat.  There’s a reason that the early Christians celebrated the Supper in a special way on Sundays and not on the Sabbath.  The tomb is empty, and though, as disciples, we’re to live lives under the shadow of the cross, we are always moving towards the light of the resurrection. 

 The new creation has broken in on this present age through Jesus’ resurrection, but the fullness of the age to come is still to come.  God’s will has not fully and completely been done on earth as it is done in heaven.  Christ’s already reigning as King at the right hand of the Father, but the final consummation of God’s Kingdom is still in the future.  As we break the bread and sip from the cup as citizens in Christ’s Kingdom, we look forward to that day when God will come and make his home among us again.  He will dwell with us, and we will be his people.  He’ll wipe every tear from our eyes, because death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more.  He’ll make all things new, and Jesus will drink new wine with us in the Kingdom of God.  We anticipate this Messianic banquet every time we commune with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Jesus invites us to this meal and to eternal life in the age to come with these simple words: “Take; this is my body…take; this is my blood.” - Shay

Anticipation and Patience

 

As I type this blog, I am anxiously waiting to learn when I will begin training for a new job I was recently hired for.  It is hinted that the training will begin sometime around the end of the first quarter of the year, but the actual confirmation is yet to arrive.  I trust that the confirmation (and the training itself) is not in doubt, but until I receive the email, I am left to wonder in eager expectation. 

Throughout the Biblical narrative, God's people were often left in a similar limbo.  God made promises to renew and restore not only his people, but his entire creation.  But the fulfilment of those promises came painfully slowly, and usually in phases and stages, rather than all at once.  In fact, as we can all see, the final restoration and renewal of all things has yet to be realized.  

So, when in Mark 13, Jesus informs his disciples that the magnificent temple, recently enlarged and renovated by Herod the Great, was to within the present generation be destroyed, this could only mean that the end of the world as they knew it, was also soon to be realized.  And if this was to go down in their own lifetimes, the curious disciples were anxious to know when this would be and what signs might signal its imminent fulfillment.  Most of Mark 13 is Jesus' teaching on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (which occurred in 70 AD).  Jesus doesn't give his disciples an exact timeline or super-detailed descriptions of the "desolating sacrilege" but gives them just enough information to be ready if they happen to be around Jerusalem when "stuff begins to go down."    

There's debate amongst scholars and Biblical interpreters if the teaching in Mark 13 only concerns the destruction of the temple, or if it might also contain even more distant horizons.  I think it is obvious that much, and possibly all of this teaching concerns only the coming destruction of the temple, which was realized about forty years after Jesus' passion.  Jesus says in verse 30, "Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place."  But even if Jesus also hints at the final restoration of all things, when he will return to make all things new, he certainly does not give us any details that should turn us into modern day Nostradamus like fortune tellers.  Like God's people who have come before us, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.  It's enough for us to trust that God will be faithful to his promises in the future, just has he has been faithful to his promises in the past.  

Jesus' teaching in Mark 13 ends this way, "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Beware, and keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on watch.  Therefore, keep awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.  And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake." (Mark 13:32-37, NRSV).

Jesus' disciples did not know the exact day, month, or year when the Roman legions would sack Jerusalem and destroy the temple.  But we know from historical records that when it occurred, many Christians living in the area took suitable precautions.  Though even Jesus himself was unsure of the exact timeline, he knew that this was bound to transpire in the immediate generation - and it did occur while many of his disciples were still alive.  If the final verses of Mark 13 (and as I mentioned earlier, there is debate about this) are referring more generally to Jesus' re-appearing and the eschatological restoration of the cosmos, then even Jesus himself does not know the exact day when this will occur (unless God the Father has since revealed this information to God the Son - read again verse 32).  But like all God's promises, this day will come, and God will bring to consummation his work in creation.  Our task is not to decipher the exact time when God's Kingdom will fully come, but to busy ourselves with Christ's anticipatory Kingdom work until he comes.

As followers of Jesus, we are forced to live in tension and with a healthy sense of anticipation.  We eagerly await the new heavens and the new earth, but we patiently live in between the time of Jesus' resurrection/exaltation, and the time when his Lordship will be revealed to all of creation.  Rather than becoming overly obsessed with Jesus' teaching in Mark 13, the most important thing we can all do in the meantime is to focus on Jesus' teaching in Mark 12:28-30.  "One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he (Jesus) answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?'  Jesus answered, 'The first is 'Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these.'" (NRSV).   Amen.  Maranatha - Come Lord Jesus! - Shay