Gleanings From Text
John 6:1–21
These stories in John of Jesus feeding the multitude and walking on water are also accounts that take place in all of the Synoptic Gospels. Each Gospel captures the events in the same order, with the feeding first and then the walking on water.
In the literary framework of John, we find the author splitting the book into two repeating sections. The first section starts in Chp. 2 with the Miracle at Cana (2:1-11). The second section begins at the start of Chp. 6 with the feeding and walking on water. In Chp. 2 Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary by turning water to wine, thus showing his glory, and at the same time reveals who he is to his disciples. We find similar happenings in Chp. 6. Jesus turns an ordinary meal into something extraordinary by feeding so many with only 5 loaves and 2 fish (1-15). When Jesus walks out on the water to comfort the disciples he shows his glory and reveals who he is to his disciples (16-21).
Food For Thought
In this text we see an interplay taking place between Jesus’ grace and his glory. Jesus shows grace to the crowd by providing for their physical need and personally handing out the blessed food. This gift of grace becomes the vehicle for the revelation of Jesus’ glory. At this moment, Jesus is not trying to display his glory, and so when the crowd tries to twist the situation to serve their own purposes and make him king, Jesus retreats into the hills alone. In the next section the reverse happens. This time the revelation of Jesus’ glory becomes the vehicle for his gift of grace. His glory is not revealed for power alone, but for grace-filled pastoral care. Although Jesus will not allow his grace to be controlled by those seeking his power, he also will not hold back his glory from those in need. It is very important that grace and glory be held in balance.
Sink Your Teeth Into This
During occasions when I have been fortunate enough to serve on a mission team, I have noticed a common occurrence. Most of the trips have taken place in third world countries or poorer parts of the United States. As our team arrives to bring aid to those in need, either through work teams, VBS, or other service projects, we begin to be looked at as the healers and saviors of the people we have come to minister to. Although we come in the name of Christ to serve others in love, I sometimes get the sense that we are seen as Christ, instead of Christ’s disciples.
As we are given glory and praise for the grace we bring, it is easy to begin to think that we have done something original and marvelous on our own, ignoring the fact that we are simply doing what Christ has called us to do. Throughout the trip I have to constantly remind myself that the purpose is not to make me feel better about myself. I do not think it is wrong for me to realize that I have done something good, but if the only reason I am on the trip is to lift myself up, then my heart is in the wrong place. I relate with Jesus in this text and feel the need to get away when grace turns into unwanted glory. The difference is I must step aside because I am not worthy to receive the glory. In fact, it is by Christ’s grace that we are given the privilege to serve.
Biographical Information
Luke Schlimme has completed his first year of the dual degree MACE/MSW program in Richmond, VA. Originally from Raleigh, NC, he has also enjoyed the transition to Richmond. He enjoyed his first year at Union-PSCE and is looking forward to starting the MSW program at VCU in the fall.
Read more!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
July 19, 2009 - Ephesians 2:11-22 - Rachel Butler
Gleanings from the Text
Ephesians 2:11-22
A preliminary reading of this familiar text leaves one thinking of words often seen in the New Testament: words like “circumcision”, “Gentiles”, and “peace”. In fact, “peace” is seen four times in this passage. As an overriding theme, “peace” applies not only to the Jews and Gentiles of the biblical world, but to the Christians and non-Christians of today.
The author of Ephesians (whom most scholars agree was not Paul) uses the past issues of circumcision to remind the audience of Gentiles how far they have come. “Remember” is used twice as the author urges the audience back to that time in their minds. With the words of Paul from Galatians (2:1-14) and Luke in Acts ((15:1-11) echoing in our own minds as we read the text, the idea of circumcision is not new to us. Circumcision has been a way to tell God’s elect from the un-clean.
Colossians 2 mentions circumcisions “not of human hands”, perhaps referring to a sort of spiritual circumcision. By noting this circumcision is a physical one, made in the flesh by human hands, scholar Pheme Perkins offers that the author of Ephesians has dissociated himself from those Jews who used the derogatory term “uncircumcised” for Gentiles (396). This in itself is a testament to the author’s desire to promote peace among the people.
Food for Thought
This text is often titled “One in Christ” or “Unity in Christ”, but I’d like to go a step further and say “One in Peace”. The author seems to be making a claim to it, urging the readers to remember what they went through in their own tumultuous past and how they simply longed for peace; for unity among their fellow believers. The imagery used in verse 14 regarding the “wall of hostility” is powerful. The notion of Christ uniting the two groups in peace tears down that wall.
Also, by using the common memory of the circumcision, the audience is hopefully reminded of how painful it was, being “aliens” and “strangers ... without hope.” Have they forgotten that the blood of Christ united them? Have they forgotten the walls of hostility were torn down? The peace that Christ proclaimed to them, near and far, is at hand and the author is reminding them to take hold of it.
Sink Your Teeth into This!
The “wall of hostility” reminds me of the wall I saw in the Middle East, dividing Israel and Palestine. An actual physical wall of hostility stands on this earth today. It also reminds me of the guarded concrete slab I saw in Korea, dividing the country, North and South. Armed guards are at the ready 24 hours a day to protect their side of the line.
How painful it must be for people on both sides of the dividing line. Maybe they aren’t arguing over being circumcised or uncircumcised but the result is the same: divisiveness. Each side thinks they are right, and maybe, by some stretch of the imagination, they both are in their own way. I don’t know. However, I am certain that God never intended us to be divided in this way. Whether politically, economically, or religiously motivated, walls of hostility are all around us, not just in the obviously places like the Middle East and Korea. I urge you to take the peace of Christ to your own walls and break them down. This peace is extended not only to us, but to all peoples of all places and times.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
Biographical Information
Rachel Butler is a third year MDiv. student from Georgia who has no idea what she will do after seminary. Hopefully this last year will shed some insight! Currently she is immersed in the 10 week summer program of CPE with VCU at MCV and loving every second of it.
Works Referenced
Pheme Perkins. New Interpreter’s Bible: Ephesians Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000.
Read more!
Ephesians 2:11-22
A preliminary reading of this familiar text leaves one thinking of words often seen in the New Testament: words like “circumcision”, “Gentiles”, and “peace”. In fact, “peace” is seen four times in this passage. As an overriding theme, “peace” applies not only to the Jews and Gentiles of the biblical world, but to the Christians and non-Christians of today.
The author of Ephesians (whom most scholars agree was not Paul) uses the past issues of circumcision to remind the audience of Gentiles how far they have come. “Remember” is used twice as the author urges the audience back to that time in their minds. With the words of Paul from Galatians (2:1-14) and Luke in Acts ((15:1-11) echoing in our own minds as we read the text, the idea of circumcision is not new to us. Circumcision has been a way to tell God’s elect from the un-clean.
Colossians 2 mentions circumcisions “not of human hands”, perhaps referring to a sort of spiritual circumcision. By noting this circumcision is a physical one, made in the flesh by human hands, scholar Pheme Perkins offers that the author of Ephesians has dissociated himself from those Jews who used the derogatory term “uncircumcised” for Gentiles (396). This in itself is a testament to the author’s desire to promote peace among the people.
Food for Thought
This text is often titled “One in Christ” or “Unity in Christ”, but I’d like to go a step further and say “One in Peace”. The author seems to be making a claim to it, urging the readers to remember what they went through in their own tumultuous past and how they simply longed for peace; for unity among their fellow believers. The imagery used in verse 14 regarding the “wall of hostility” is powerful. The notion of Christ uniting the two groups in peace tears down that wall.
Also, by using the common memory of the circumcision, the audience is hopefully reminded of how painful it was, being “aliens” and “strangers ... without hope.” Have they forgotten that the blood of Christ united them? Have they forgotten the walls of hostility were torn down? The peace that Christ proclaimed to them, near and far, is at hand and the author is reminding them to take hold of it.
Sink Your Teeth into This!
The “wall of hostility” reminds me of the wall I saw in the Middle East, dividing Israel and Palestine. An actual physical wall of hostility stands on this earth today. It also reminds me of the guarded concrete slab I saw in Korea, dividing the country, North and South. Armed guards are at the ready 24 hours a day to protect their side of the line.
How painful it must be for people on both sides of the dividing line. Maybe they aren’t arguing over being circumcised or uncircumcised but the result is the same: divisiveness. Each side thinks they are right, and maybe, by some stretch of the imagination, they both are in their own way. I don’t know. However, I am certain that God never intended us to be divided in this way. Whether politically, economically, or religiously motivated, walls of hostility are all around us, not just in the obviously places like the Middle East and Korea. I urge you to take the peace of Christ to your own walls and break them down. This peace is extended not only to us, but to all peoples of all places and times.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
Biographical Information
Rachel Butler is a third year MDiv. student from Georgia who has no idea what she will do after seminary. Hopefully this last year will shed some insight! Currently she is immersed in the 10 week summer program of CPE with VCU at MCV and loving every second of it.
Works Referenced
Pheme Perkins. New Interpreter’s Bible: Ephesians Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000.
Read more!
July 12, 2009 - Ephesians 1:3-14 - Elizabeth Smith
Gleanings From The Text
Ephesians 1:3-14
Like 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and 1 Peter 1:3-9, Ephesians’ introduction begins with a blessing (berakah), a liturgical formula used to praise God for creation and redemption, as well as to describe God’s character as the giver of blessings to the people. But where 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter then shift to the current situations of their communities, Ephesians does not follow suit until chapters 4 and 5. Pheme Perkins notes that this extended blessing is “combined with the rhetorical understanding of ‘eulogy’ as eloquence or fine speaking in praise of someone.” In this sense, our text is not a theological treatise, but a poetic affirmation of faith meant to sustain and encourage the Ephesians in their worshiping life together.
It is also important to note that in the letters in which Paul’s authorship is undisputed, the expected return of Christ is conveyed in the near future, while Ephesians places significant emphasis on the cosmic nature of the church—the universal church conveys God’s wisdom as part of God’s eternal purpose (3:9-11)—with Christ as its head (1:22). We catch glimpses of this theme in our text’s blessing—God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, God has made known the mystery of divine will to us, and God’s plan for the fullness of time is to gather up all things in heaven and earth in Christ, through whom we have obtained an inheritance. Our response is to live for the praise of God’s glory in Christ.
Food For Thought
Although the author of Ephesians does not use the term “election” directly, the language of choice, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace and divine plan within this passage all point to this theological doctrine. Election is a source of great comfort to some and great distress to others, and preaching and/or teaching this text will most likely reveal both ends of this spectrum.
George W. Stroup offers five key insights on election pertaining to this passage in Ephesians. First, election is “a statement about the wonder of God’s grace in Jesus Christ…It is above all else an affirmation that the God Christians know in Jesus Christ is gracious beyond the wildest reaches of their imaginations.” Second, election is about God’s sovereign will, not our actions—our text notes in verses 5, 9, and 11 that “God’s choosing or election is rooted in the good pleasure and mystery of God’s counsel and will.” Third, Christ is to be the “looking glass” in which Christians should consider their election, as God’s election is always through Christ. Stroup points to Calvin and Barth, who claimed that by looking at the life of Christ and seeing the grace and mercy of God, we should be assured that we are included in God’s promises. Fourth, election “reminds Christians that they are adopted children of God;” this adoption is a gift, not a right. Fifth, we must be mindful that God’s election “does not make Christians ‘special’ in relation to other people, but calls them to specific tasks of serving God and neighbor.”
Sink Your Teeth Into This!
Terms like election, redemption, and adoption have become part of my theological vocabulary while at seminary, and while I believe that there is a plan for the fullness of time, my eyes do not always see it in the world around me. In a world full of injustice, pain and division, these words of adoption, grace and gathering all things up are sometimes hard to hear. Indeed, there is tension between what God has already done in Christ and what is left to be done in the world.
When I took Hebrew, our professor, Dr. Carson Brisson, would end class with the same benediction every day. One line of this benediction comes to mind as I reflect on Ephesians 1:3-14 — “May you be blessed and a blessing.” God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and our right response to these blessings is to live for the praise of Christ’s glory. As the church, we are to live lives of service, working for peace and reconciliation among our brothers and sisters all over the world through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Works Consulted
Martin, Ralph P., Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, Interpretation series (Atlanta: John Knox, 1991).
Perkins, Pheme, “The Letter to the Ephesians,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 11, (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000).
Stroup, George W., “Theological Perspective: Ephesians 1:3-14,” in David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 3, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009), 230-234.
Biographical Information
Elizabeth Smith (M.Div) is a 2009 graduate of Union-PSCE. Originally from Texas, she is moving to Connecticut and starting a 9-month Chaplain Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital at the end of August. Gently-used coats and snow tires are welcome!
Read more!
Ephesians 1:3-14
Like 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and 1 Peter 1:3-9, Ephesians’ introduction begins with a blessing (berakah), a liturgical formula used to praise God for creation and redemption, as well as to describe God’s character as the giver of blessings to the people. But where 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter then shift to the current situations of their communities, Ephesians does not follow suit until chapters 4 and 5. Pheme Perkins notes that this extended blessing is “combined with the rhetorical understanding of ‘eulogy’ as eloquence or fine speaking in praise of someone.” In this sense, our text is not a theological treatise, but a poetic affirmation of faith meant to sustain and encourage the Ephesians in their worshiping life together.
It is also important to note that in the letters in which Paul’s authorship is undisputed, the expected return of Christ is conveyed in the near future, while Ephesians places significant emphasis on the cosmic nature of the church—the universal church conveys God’s wisdom as part of God’s eternal purpose (3:9-11)—with Christ as its head (1:22). We catch glimpses of this theme in our text’s blessing—God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, God has made known the mystery of divine will to us, and God’s plan for the fullness of time is to gather up all things in heaven and earth in Christ, through whom we have obtained an inheritance. Our response is to live for the praise of God’s glory in Christ.
Food For Thought
Although the author of Ephesians does not use the term “election” directly, the language of choice, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace and divine plan within this passage all point to this theological doctrine. Election is a source of great comfort to some and great distress to others, and preaching and/or teaching this text will most likely reveal both ends of this spectrum.
George W. Stroup offers five key insights on election pertaining to this passage in Ephesians. First, election is “a statement about the wonder of God’s grace in Jesus Christ…It is above all else an affirmation that the God Christians know in Jesus Christ is gracious beyond the wildest reaches of their imaginations.” Second, election is about God’s sovereign will, not our actions—our text notes in verses 5, 9, and 11 that “God’s choosing or election is rooted in the good pleasure and mystery of God’s counsel and will.” Third, Christ is to be the “looking glass” in which Christians should consider their election, as God’s election is always through Christ. Stroup points to Calvin and Barth, who claimed that by looking at the life of Christ and seeing the grace and mercy of God, we should be assured that we are included in God’s promises. Fourth, election “reminds Christians that they are adopted children of God;” this adoption is a gift, not a right. Fifth, we must be mindful that God’s election “does not make Christians ‘special’ in relation to other people, but calls them to specific tasks of serving God and neighbor.”
Sink Your Teeth Into This!
Terms like election, redemption, and adoption have become part of my theological vocabulary while at seminary, and while I believe that there is a plan for the fullness of time, my eyes do not always see it in the world around me. In a world full of injustice, pain and division, these words of adoption, grace and gathering all things up are sometimes hard to hear. Indeed, there is tension between what God has already done in Christ and what is left to be done in the world.
When I took Hebrew, our professor, Dr. Carson Brisson, would end class with the same benediction every day. One line of this benediction comes to mind as I reflect on Ephesians 1:3-14 — “May you be blessed and a blessing.” God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and our right response to these blessings is to live for the praise of Christ’s glory. As the church, we are to live lives of service, working for peace and reconciliation among our brothers and sisters all over the world through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Works Consulted
Martin, Ralph P., Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, Interpretation series (Atlanta: John Knox, 1991).
Perkins, Pheme, “The Letter to the Ephesians,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 11, (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000).
Stroup, George W., “Theological Perspective: Ephesians 1:3-14,” in David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds., Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 3, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009), 230-234.
Biographical Information
Elizabeth Smith (M.Div) is a 2009 graduate of Union-PSCE. Originally from Texas, she is moving to Connecticut and starting a 9-month Chaplain Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital at the end of August. Gently-used coats and snow tires are welcome!
Read more!
July 5, 2009 - Mark 6:1-13 - Mark Zaineddin
Gleanings from the Text
Mark 6: 1-13
Like much scripture, this passage is full of richness and this for contemplation, interpretation, and discovery. As many have previously commented, this passage asks us to consider the humanity of Jesus as well as, perhaps, examine our own human nature.
Structurally, the passage is very similar to Mark 3:7-35, but only in reverse. Could this be to reinforce an important point that the writer is trying to make? Both pericopes are ultimately about Jesus being accepted by outsiders and rejected by those who intimately know him. It is strangers who believe and have faith in Jesus and are drawn to his capacity to heal the ill and exorcise demons; it is kinfolk (Mark 3) and hometown neighbors (Mark 6) that chide and admonish him, who cannot believe that a carpenter and the “son of Mary” could be a prophet with extraordinary powers. The pericopes also feature the naming or commissioning of his twelve apostles.
Today’s Gospel reading can be neatly divided into two parts. In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus returns home (presumably to Nazareth) only to be shunned and snubbed by those who have known him since his youth. Not only do they not have faith in him, but they also take offense at (were scandalized by/stumbled over [from the Greek εσκανδαλιξαντο]) what he is presumably doing (Mark 6:3). In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus departs to the villages and commissions his disciples, sending them out in pairs. It is interesting here that the author Mark is more concerned with the practicalities of their mission (what they are to take and how they are to behave) than with the mission itself (Myers et. al., 72).
A few additional points are worth mentioning. First, we see the real humanity of Jesus highlighted in this pericope. Jesus is described in terms of his trained profession (τέκτων, which can be translated craftsman, workman, worker in wood, and possibly even stonemason although the tradition suggests that Jesus was a carpenter). Furthermore, he is known to be a son with siblings. The fact that he is referred to as Mary’s son, rather than that of Joseph could be interpreted in many ways. Has Joseph died? Is this a denunciation on behalf of the villagers who see him perhaps as an illegitimate child? Could it be the writer’s way of referring to the virgin birth? Different authors have offered varying explanations (see Hare, 69). Finally, here Jesus exhibits human emotional qualities. Jesus is amazed at his hometown residents’ unbelief (Mark 6:6).
A second point is that Jesus’ powers (Mark 6:5) seem to be dependent upon the faith that others have in him. We see this regularly in Mark (e.g. 2:5 and 5:34). But, here, it is unbelief or disbelief that seems to inhibit Jesus (Mark 6:5). What does this suggest?
Food for Thought
Unlike the prodigal son in Luke (Luke 15:11-32) who, after months or years away, is welcomed back with open arms by his father, Jesus’ neighbors upon his return home reject him simply for who he is or whom they believe him to be. They cannot understand where or how Mary’s “kid”, the carpenter, received wisdom and ability for power “done by his hands.” Do we too often make assumptions about individuals whom we believe we know well but have not seen in years? Have we lost faith in them as children and believe, now decades later, they will act the same? This is a striking passage that warns us not to make such crass assumptions.
Furthermore, how does our faith, or lack there of, in God and humanity affect outcomes in concrete situations? Although we may not have the prophetic powers of Jesus, whether or not we believe or have faith in a person may have a stunning effect on a particular state of affairs. Situations often require trust and reciprocal responses of faith. As Douglas Hare puts it, “God’s power is unlimited, but its expression is correlated with the response of faith. An imperfect but helpful analogy is provided by human relationships; love, to be fully experienced, must be returned” (Hare, 70). Just as Jesus’ neighbors, with their unbelief, seemed to affect his ability to perform wondrous acts, our negativities and disbeliefs often hinder the hopeful outcomes we seek to attain.
Sink Your Teeth Into This!
In 1973, the New York Mets found themselves in last place at the end of the month of August. Baseball fans were writing off the team. Once again, a reputation preceded them: there were a group of young talent players and a few veterans that always seemed to fall short. Then Tug McGraw, an able relief pitcher, rallied his teammates and their fans behind the slogan, “You Gotta Believe”. And they did, winning 21 of their last 29 games and going from worst to first. The pennant was won because the team had faith, the fans had faith; all heard the rallying call and responded. None would heed to their supposed reputation.
In Northern New Mexico, reputation is often tied family origin. Just like Jesus was Mary’s “boy”, here Virgil might be known as Floyd’s son. Furthermore, last names carry a lot of weight for better or worse. While not denying the importance of family connections, sometimes it seems that the individual can get lost in the family; that is, the reputation of the family can cloud how we might understand the individual and his or her own worth and ability.
Yet, when we begin to believe in the individual worth of each and every person, might it just be that miracles -- real or perceived -- can happen? Miracles from a shoddy 1973 baseball team; miracles from the Martinez kid in Espanola; miracles from Mary’s boy, the carpenter, who has just returned home to Nazareth.
Works Cited or Referenced
Hare, D. R. A. Westminster Bible Companion: Mark. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996.
Myers, C., Dennis. M., Nangke, J., Moe-Lobeda, C., and S. Taylor. “Say To This Mountain”: Mark's Story of Discipleship. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books,1997.
Perkins, P. “Mark” in The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. VIII. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Williamson, L. Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Mark. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1983.
Biographical Information
Mark Zaineddin is a 2008 Union-PSCE graduate. A native Northeasterner, he know finds his home and work in the Southwest at Ghost Ranch, a PC(USA) national education and retreat center in Abiquiu, NM. He encourages all to come and visit, whether it is your first time or fortieth.
Read more!
Mark 6: 1-13
Like much scripture, this passage is full of richness and this for contemplation, interpretation, and discovery. As many have previously commented, this passage asks us to consider the humanity of Jesus as well as, perhaps, examine our own human nature.
Structurally, the passage is very similar to Mark 3:7-35, but only in reverse. Could this be to reinforce an important point that the writer is trying to make? Both pericopes are ultimately about Jesus being accepted by outsiders and rejected by those who intimately know him. It is strangers who believe and have faith in Jesus and are drawn to his capacity to heal the ill and exorcise demons; it is kinfolk (Mark 3) and hometown neighbors (Mark 6) that chide and admonish him, who cannot believe that a carpenter and the “son of Mary” could be a prophet with extraordinary powers. The pericopes also feature the naming or commissioning of his twelve apostles.
Today’s Gospel reading can be neatly divided into two parts. In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus returns home (presumably to Nazareth) only to be shunned and snubbed by those who have known him since his youth. Not only do they not have faith in him, but they also take offense at (were scandalized by/stumbled over [from the Greek εσκανδαλιξαντο]) what he is presumably doing (Mark 6:3). In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus departs to the villages and commissions his disciples, sending them out in pairs. It is interesting here that the author Mark is more concerned with the practicalities of their mission (what they are to take and how they are to behave) than with the mission itself (Myers et. al., 72).
A few additional points are worth mentioning. First, we see the real humanity of Jesus highlighted in this pericope. Jesus is described in terms of his trained profession (τέκτων, which can be translated craftsman, workman, worker in wood, and possibly even stonemason although the tradition suggests that Jesus was a carpenter). Furthermore, he is known to be a son with siblings. The fact that he is referred to as Mary’s son, rather than that of Joseph could be interpreted in many ways. Has Joseph died? Is this a denunciation on behalf of the villagers who see him perhaps as an illegitimate child? Could it be the writer’s way of referring to the virgin birth? Different authors have offered varying explanations (see Hare, 69). Finally, here Jesus exhibits human emotional qualities. Jesus is amazed at his hometown residents’ unbelief (Mark 6:6).
A second point is that Jesus’ powers (Mark 6:5) seem to be dependent upon the faith that others have in him. We see this regularly in Mark (e.g. 2:5 and 5:34). But, here, it is unbelief or disbelief that seems to inhibit Jesus (Mark 6:5). What does this suggest?
Food for Thought
Unlike the prodigal son in Luke (Luke 15:11-32) who, after months or years away, is welcomed back with open arms by his father, Jesus’ neighbors upon his return home reject him simply for who he is or whom they believe him to be. They cannot understand where or how Mary’s “kid”, the carpenter, received wisdom and ability for power “done by his hands.” Do we too often make assumptions about individuals whom we believe we know well but have not seen in years? Have we lost faith in them as children and believe, now decades later, they will act the same? This is a striking passage that warns us not to make such crass assumptions.
Furthermore, how does our faith, or lack there of, in God and humanity affect outcomes in concrete situations? Although we may not have the prophetic powers of Jesus, whether or not we believe or have faith in a person may have a stunning effect on a particular state of affairs. Situations often require trust and reciprocal responses of faith. As Douglas Hare puts it, “God’s power is unlimited, but its expression is correlated with the response of faith. An imperfect but helpful analogy is provided by human relationships; love, to be fully experienced, must be returned” (Hare, 70). Just as Jesus’ neighbors, with their unbelief, seemed to affect his ability to perform wondrous acts, our negativities and disbeliefs often hinder the hopeful outcomes we seek to attain.
Sink Your Teeth Into This!
In 1973, the New York Mets found themselves in last place at the end of the month of August. Baseball fans were writing off the team. Once again, a reputation preceded them: there were a group of young talent players and a few veterans that always seemed to fall short. Then Tug McGraw, an able relief pitcher, rallied his teammates and their fans behind the slogan, “You Gotta Believe”. And they did, winning 21 of their last 29 games and going from worst to first. The pennant was won because the team had faith, the fans had faith; all heard the rallying call and responded. None would heed to their supposed reputation.
In Northern New Mexico, reputation is often tied family origin. Just like Jesus was Mary’s “boy”, here Virgil might be known as Floyd’s son. Furthermore, last names carry a lot of weight for better or worse. While not denying the importance of family connections, sometimes it seems that the individual can get lost in the family; that is, the reputation of the family can cloud how we might understand the individual and his or her own worth and ability.
Yet, when we begin to believe in the individual worth of each and every person, might it just be that miracles -- real or perceived -- can happen? Miracles from a shoddy 1973 baseball team; miracles from the Martinez kid in Espanola; miracles from Mary’s boy, the carpenter, who has just returned home to Nazareth.
Works Cited or Referenced
Hare, D. R. A. Westminster Bible Companion: Mark. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996.
Myers, C., Dennis. M., Nangke, J., Moe-Lobeda, C., and S. Taylor. “Say To This Mountain”: Mark's Story of Discipleship. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books,1997.
Perkins, P. “Mark” in The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. VIII. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Williamson, L. Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Mark. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1983.
Biographical Information
Mark Zaineddin is a 2008 Union-PSCE graduate. A native Northeasterner, he know finds his home and work in the Southwest at Ghost Ranch, a PC(USA) national education and retreat center in Abiquiu, NM. He encourages all to come and visit, whether it is your first time or fortieth.
Read more!
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