Making a choice becomes difficult when there are very attractive
alternatives. The most potent
example I can offer to picture this sort of choice: if you find yourself
driving to the UDairy Creamery—right next to the Ag Building—you'll need to
prepare yourself for a challenge of making a choice. Let's see, there's
Pistachio, Peach, Raspberry Cheesecake, Holy Fluffernutter, Delaware River Mud
Pie—about 25 flavors in all—how will I be able to determine which to eat?
In the first century early Christians lived in a Roman-dominated
society where multiple gods were worshipped. One would choose a favorite deity, much as one might choose
a favorite ice cream. Eventually
even the Roman emperor himself was
called divine. The Jewish worship
of the one God who had given the Law and inspired the prophets was lawful—as
long as there was no rebellion against Rome. But when the followers of Jesus were expelled from the
Jewish congregations, they lost the protection of their religious practice that
the Jews enjoyed.
The choice early Christians had to make was different than choosing
among attractive alternatives. It
became an either-or choice, much like the choice of going to the Creamery in
the first place or remaining at home and eating the kind of ice cream you have
in your freezer. Either you choose to follow the path of having the opportunity
to worship from the pantheon of many gods or the path of worshipping one God.
This rather silly example of choosing ice cream may be helpful in
understanding one reason Christians were looked down on in the Greco-Roman
world—why would you limit your choices of whom to worship? In the 17th chapter of Acts
we hear a report of St. Paul's evangelism efforts in Athens. He was debating with some Greek
philosophers who had questioned him in a public forum. Paul said, “Athenians, I see how
extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and
looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar
with the inscription, 'To an Unknown God.' What therefore you worship as
unknown, this I proclaim to you.” Paul continued then to explain his belief in
God who is “Lord of Heaven and Earth” and to proclaim Jesus' resurrection from
the dead.
This latter part of Paul's preaching—resurrection—caused some of
these sophisticated Athenians to scoff at Paul. But some decided to join with him and became believers. The
nature of their choice looks much like that of Peter and some of the disciples
of Jesus we learn about at the end of the reading today from the Gospel of
John. The context was clearly
different than that of Athens.
In the 6th chapter of John we see Jesus teaching in the
synagogue at Capernaum among his fellow Jews. They are believers in one God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth,
but for some of them—perhaps most of them—Jesus' teaching steps over the line.
He used that very uncomfortable image of his body being food and his blood
being drink for anyone who wishes to live forever. He also claimed a special relationship with God the
Father—what we would call Incarnation. And finally he stated that what he
offered was better than the manna Moses had provided for the Israelites in the
wilderness.
As Paul's proclamation in Athens about Jesus' resurrection offended
and forced his listeners to make choices, so did Jesus' teaching in the
synagogue at Capernaum. The gospel
reading reports that some disciples were complaining about the difficulty of
accepting or believing what Jesus said.
From what Jesus said to then we can tell he expected to create
controversy and force his followers to make a choice—whether to accept him as
the long-awaited Messiah or not.
He said, “Does this offend you?
Then what if you were to see the Song of Man ascending to where he was
before?”
The disciples who turned away from Jesus that day were making the
choice to stick with what they felt certain about. They were not about to leave the comfort zone of the
religious beliefs of their ancestors—or even to consider that God could be
continuing to reveal God's self.
Jesus chided them about their inability to understand the truth of his
message: “The words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and life.
But among you there are some who do not believe . . . For this reason I
have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by my Father.”
With that Jesus seems to re-frame the whole concept of choice. One reading of this statement says that
we are predestined by God to believe in Jesus and be saved or not. Rather I think that Jesus meant that
God will give us an opportunity deeply to know God's self through Jesus. This may be one of various
opportunities God gives to humanity to know God, but that was not the gospel
writer's concern.
John's concern was this: if you come to know God deeply through
Jesus, you no longer have a choice but to believe and to follow. John reports that Peter responded to
Jesus' asking if he really wants to leave as well by asserting, “Lord, to whom
can we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to
believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Despite Peter's faith and eloquence in that moment, we know that he
did come to question whether Jesus really was who he said he was. Peter denied being a follower on the
night of Jesus' arrest. Peter's
fear that he also might be arrested and executed led to his denial. His denial makes us realize how our
Christian faith requires continuing struggle to keep it strong. In his letter to the Ephesians St. Paul
describes that success in that struggle as coming from arming one's self as a
soldier might—yet not with metal, but with truth, righteousness, the gospel of
peace, faith, the assurance of salvation and the word of God.
How do we acquire this spiritual armor, according to Paul? “”Pray in the Spirit at all times
in every prayer and supplication,” he advises. Pray in the Spirit, trusting God to give you what you need
for the struggle. Pray in the
Spirit, believing God will strengthen you and embolden you to face—and defeat—any
power—even something from within yourself—that threatens to separate you from
God's love and God's grace.
Lord, to whom can we go?
You have the words of eternal life!
No comments:
Post a Comment