Alexandermen (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} alexandermen) wrote,@ 2007-11-24 10:07:00 |
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II-4 Two more from Son of Man--The Personality of Jesus Christ, and The law of Love.
These excerpts from "Son of Man" deal (1) with the personality of the man
Jesus Christ. and (2) with the law of love
These and those in the previous entry are selections originally posted on the
website of St Michael's Russian Catholic Church in New York.
http://stmichaelruscath.org/spiritual/a
Christ's Peerless Personality
We should not be surprised that there are no images of Christ by
his contemporaries. After all we have no accurate portraits of Buddha,
Zarathustra, Pythagoras, or the majority of other religious founders,
and in Judea in general it was not customary to draw portraits of people.
The first Christians did not retain a memory of Jesus' physical features;
more than anything else the spiritual visage of the Son of Man was dear
to them. "Even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view,"
said the apostle Paul, "we regard Him thus no longer."
The earliest frescoes where Christ's Face is represented as it was definitively
established in ecclesiastical art are from the second or third century. It is
difficult to say to what extent this image is tied to oral tradition. But in any
case, the Teacher, having crossed many times under the sultry sun of Palestine,
Whose hands knew hard physical labor, is hardly similar to the Christ of the
Italian masters. He did not wear an ancient toga, but the simple clothing of
the Galileans, a long striped tunic and an outer cloak; His head was probably
always covered with a white scarf with a wool fastener.
In Russian art of the 19th century the most accurate depiction of the external
appearance of Christ is that of Polenov, but his pictures do not communicate
the spiritual power that came from the Son of Man.
But it was exactly that power that the Evangelists rendered. In their stories
one feels the subduing effect of Christ on the most different people. He
captured the hearts of His future Apostles almost as fast as lightning. The temple
guards who were sent to detain the Nazarene could not fulfill their order, shaken
as they were by His preaching. There was something in Him that forced even His
enemies to speak with Him respectfully. The scribes called Him Rabbi, "Teacher."
For Pilate, one look and a few of Christ's words commanded--against his will--a
secret respect.
A certain anxious mystery, an inexplicable attractiveness, created around Him
an atmosphere of love, joy, and faith. But not infrequently the disciples around
Jesus were seized by a sacred shiver, almost fear, as from proximity to the
Incomprehensible. With this, there was nothing of a pagan priest in Him, nothing
bombastic. He did not consider it below Himself to come to a wedding or share
the holiday meal with publicans in Matthew's house, to visit the Pharisee Simon,
Lazarus.
Less than anything was He similar to an aloof ascetic or a gloomy dogmatist.
The self-righteous said of Him, "Here is a man who loves to eat and drink wine."
There is a story that a medieval monk drove past a picturesque lake and did not
even notice it. Jesus was not that way. Not even mundane inconsequentialities
slipped from His gaze; He was at home with people.
The evangelists paint Christ as profoundly human. On His eyes were seen tears;
He was seen to mourn, to be amazed, to rejoice, to embrace children, to admire
flowers. His very speech breathes forbearance for the weaknesses of man, but He
never slackened His requirements. He could speak with tender goodness and could
be strict, even sharp. Occasionally bitter irony flickered in His words ("they
strain at a gnat and swallow a camel"). Usually mild and patient, Jesus was merciless
to hypocrites; he expelled merchants from the temple, shamed Herod Antipas and
lawyers, reproached His disciples for lack of faith.
He was peaceful and constrained, but was sometimes seized by holy wrath. Nonetheless
He was a stranger to internal discord. Christ always remained Himself. With the
exception of certain tragic moments, clarity of spirit never left Christ. Being
in the thick of mortal life, it was as if at the same time He was in another world,
in solitude with the Father. Those close to Him saw in Him a Man Who desired only
one thing, "to do the will of Him Who sent (Him)."
Rublev's "Savior"
Christ was far from morbid exaltation, from the frantic fanaticism characteristic
of many zealots and founders of religions. An illuminating sobriety was one of the
chief traits of His character. When He spoke about unusual things, when He called
people to difficult deeds and bravery, He did it without false pathos and strain.
He could converse simply with people at the well or at the holiday meal, and He
could pronounce words that shook everyone--"I am the Bread of life." He spoke of
trials and struggle, and He carried light everywhere, blessing and transforming life.
Writers have never managed to create a persuasive portrait of a hero if the portrait
lacked even the hint of inadequacy. The Evangelists constitute an exception, and
not because they were matchless masters of words, but because they were describing
a peerless Personality.
It is impossible not to agree with Rousseau, who stated that it would not be
possible to think up the Gospel story. According to Goethe, "All four Gospels
are authentic, because on all four lies the reflection of that spiritual height,
whose source was the personality of Christ and which is more divine than anything
else on the earth."
In contrast to the recluses of Qumr'an, Jesus did not turn from the world, did
not hide spiritual treasures from it, but gave them generously to people. "When,"
he said, "men light a candle, they do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick,
and it provides light to all in the house." The Word of God had to be "preached
on the rooftops," for that was His will.
Ancient Hebrew had by that time become a literary language. The Aramaic dialect was
commonly used for conversation. Christ used this dialect in His discussions with the
people. The Aramaic words and expressions which are preserved in the New Testament
testify of this.
(2)This section discusses the commandment to love and is
another section from "Son of Man."
The evil with which man comes into the closest contact lives in man himself: from one side, the desire to be master, the penchant for coercion and violence; from the other side, a blind rebelliousness which seeks self-affirmation and limitless range for instinct. These demons lie at the bottom of our souls, ready at any moment to break through to the surface.
They are fed by the sense of one's own "I" as the only center which has value. The dilution of "I" in the elements of society, it would seem, places limits on the rebellion of the individual, but in doing so it levels and erases the personality. The exit from this dead end was given in the Biblical commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." It calls us to struggle against our bestially egocentric origins, the struggle for the recognition of the value of another "I," the struggle which should create a higher man, a "new creation."
Only Love is capable of defeating Satan.
Let much which is in the world surrounding man, and even in man himself, fight against the commandment of love, people will find the power for its fulfillment with Him Who Himself is Love, with Him Who was revealed in the Gospel of Christ as the merciful Father.
Genuine faith is inseparable from humaneness. People who forget about this are similar to the builders who built the house without a foundation, directly on the sand. Such a building is fated to fall at the first storm.
Christ retained the Decalogue as the foundation of morality. "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments," He said to the rich young man. In addition, He approved of Hillel's principle, "Do not do to another what is not pleasant to you," although He attached to this utterance a sense of greater activity and efficacy. "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."
The Gospel is far from a negative moralism with a formal schema of a "charity" which leads only to prohibitions. Saint Augustine wrote, "Love God and then do what you will," i.e., our relations with people flow organically from our faith. He who has known the Father cannot help but love His creation as well. In addition, Christ said directly, "As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." He will judge not by people's "convictions," but by their works. He who serves his neighbor serves God, even if he does not realize it.
So how should disciples of Christ act when they encounter the misdeeds of others?
Many Jewish teachers spoke out against the sin of judging. Christ approved of this teaching completely.
If we are to expect forgiveness from the Lord, we ourselves must learn to forgive. Does the man act well who, having received forgiveness of a large debt from the king, himself turns out to be a merciless creditor and throws his fellow man in debtors' prison?
At the appearance of weakness on the part of our neighbor we ought not to pass sentence, but rather sympathize, remembering our own sinfulness. "Judge not," warns Jesus, "that you be not judged, for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"
The Pharisees had become accustomed to looking down from on high on "those ignorant of the law." The word, Am-Khaarets —"bumpkin" —was for them synonymous with "sinner." They wanted to have nothing in common with such a man. They were not allowed to pray with him, to sit at the table together, even to feed him in case of need. "The ignorant do not fear sin; am-khaarets cannot be righteous," said the learned men.
Jesus was their complete opposite in this respect. He more often preferred to deal with simple people. In addition, all those who were cast out, all the pariahs of society, found in Him a friend and protector. Publicans, who were not recognized as people, and women of the street were not infrequently among those who surrounded Him. This shocked the respectable scribes who were parading their righteousness. Hearing their reprimands, Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Christ placed sincere repentance above the serenity of those who considered themselves pleasing to God. Once He told the story of two people, praying in the temple. One, an honorable Pharisee, thanked God that he "was not like other people," fasted frequently, made sacrifice in the temple, and "was not like this publican." But the publican stood far away, not daring to raise his eyes, beat his chest and repeated, grief-stricken, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." "I tell you," Christ concluded the parable, "this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
However, repentance must not be limited to words.
John the Baptist did not speak in vain when he spoke of the "fruits of repentance." And once again Christ introduced an example from dailylife. "A man had two children, and he went to the first one and said, 'My child, go today and work in the vineyard.' He answered,'l will go, sir,'and did not go. He went to the second and said the same thing. And this one answered, 'I do not want to go,' and afterwards repented and went. Which of these fulfilled the will of the father?"
When Jesus visited Matthew's house, where his publican friends gathered, this provoked an explosion of indignation. Reproaches poured down on the Teacher's head. How could He sit at the table with such personages? However, Jesus once again reminded them that every soul deserves concern and sympathy. Those who forget this are like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, who did not rejoice in the return of the wanderer.
Gathering to Himself sinners, Christ wanted to stir up in them repentance and thirst for a new life. Not infrequently His goodness and trust did genuine miracles.
Once the Teacher was going through Jericho. A multitude of people met Him at the gates of the city. All wanted Jesus to stop in their home. One of the Jerichites, by the name of Zacchaeus, "chief publican," struggled to push his way through the crowd, hoping to look upon the Teacher, if only with one eye, but his small height hindered him. Then, forgetting etiquette, he ran forward and clambered up a tree which the Lord was to walk past.
Jesus did in fact approach this spot and, lifting his eyes, noticed the little man sitting in the fig tree. "Zacchaeus," Jesus said unexpectedly, "come down quickly! I must be with you today"
Forgetting himself for joy, the publican ran home to meet the Lord, and those who were around began to murmur, "He stopped at the home of such a sinful man!" But the Teacher's step had its effect.
"Lord," said Zacchaeus as he met Him, "Half of what I have I give to the needy, and if I have required something of someone unrighteously, I will provide quadruple compensation."
"Now salvation has come to this house," answered Christ, "because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to find and save those who had perished."
>
These excerpts from "Son of Man" deal (1) with the personality of the man
Jesus Christ. and (2) with the law of love
These and those in the previous entry are selections originally posted on the
website of St Michael's Russian Catholic Church in New York.
http://stmichaelruscath.org/spiritual/a
Christ's Peerless Personality
We should not be surprised that there are no images of Christ by
his contemporaries. After all we have no accurate portraits of Buddha,
Zarathustra, Pythagoras, or the majority of other religious founders,
and in Judea in general it was not customary to draw portraits of people.
The first Christians did not retain a memory of Jesus' physical features;
more than anything else the spiritual visage of the Son of Man was dear
to them. "Even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view,"
said the apostle Paul, "we regard Him thus no longer."
The earliest frescoes where Christ's Face is represented as it was definitively
established in ecclesiastical art are from the second or third century. It is
difficult to say to what extent this image is tied to oral tradition. But in any
case, the Teacher, having crossed many times under the sultry sun of Palestine,
Whose hands knew hard physical labor, is hardly similar to the Christ of the
Italian masters. He did not wear an ancient toga, but the simple clothing of
the Galileans, a long striped tunic and an outer cloak; His head was probably
always covered with a white scarf with a wool fastener.
In Russian art of the 19th century the most accurate depiction of the external
appearance of Christ is that of Polenov, but his pictures do not communicate
the spiritual power that came from the Son of Man.
But it was exactly that power that the Evangelists rendered. In their stories
one feels the subduing effect of Christ on the most different people. He
captured the hearts of His future Apostles almost as fast as lightning. The temple
guards who were sent to detain the Nazarene could not fulfill their order, shaken
as they were by His preaching. There was something in Him that forced even His
enemies to speak with Him respectfully. The scribes called Him Rabbi, "Teacher."
For Pilate, one look and a few of Christ's words commanded--against his will--a
secret respect.
A certain anxious mystery, an inexplicable attractiveness, created around Him
an atmosphere of love, joy, and faith. But not infrequently the disciples around
Jesus were seized by a sacred shiver, almost fear, as from proximity to the
Incomprehensible. With this, there was nothing of a pagan priest in Him, nothing
bombastic. He did not consider it below Himself to come to a wedding or share
the holiday meal with publicans in Matthew's house, to visit the Pharisee Simon,
Lazarus.
Less than anything was He similar to an aloof ascetic or a gloomy dogmatist.
The self-righteous said of Him, "Here is a man who loves to eat and drink wine."
There is a story that a medieval monk drove past a picturesque lake and did not
even notice it. Jesus was not that way. Not even mundane inconsequentialities
slipped from His gaze; He was at home with people.
The evangelists paint Christ as profoundly human. On His eyes were seen tears;
He was seen to mourn, to be amazed, to rejoice, to embrace children, to admire
flowers. His very speech breathes forbearance for the weaknesses of man, but He
never slackened His requirements. He could speak with tender goodness and could
be strict, even sharp. Occasionally bitter irony flickered in His words ("they
strain at a gnat and swallow a camel"). Usually mild and patient, Jesus was merciless
to hypocrites; he expelled merchants from the temple, shamed Herod Antipas and
lawyers, reproached His disciples for lack of faith.
He was peaceful and constrained, but was sometimes seized by holy wrath. Nonetheless
He was a stranger to internal discord. Christ always remained Himself. With the
exception of certain tragic moments, clarity of spirit never left Christ. Being
in the thick of mortal life, it was as if at the same time He was in another world,
in solitude with the Father. Those close to Him saw in Him a Man Who desired only
one thing, "to do the will of Him Who sent (Him)."
Rublev's "Savior"
Christ was far from morbid exaltation, from the frantic fanaticism characteristic
of many zealots and founders of religions. An illuminating sobriety was one of the
chief traits of His character. When He spoke about unusual things, when He called
people to difficult deeds and bravery, He did it without false pathos and strain.
He could converse simply with people at the well or at the holiday meal, and He
could pronounce words that shook everyone--"I am the Bread of life." He spoke of
trials and struggle, and He carried light everywhere, blessing and transforming life.
Writers have never managed to create a persuasive portrait of a hero if the portrait
lacked even the hint of inadequacy. The Evangelists constitute an exception, and
not because they were matchless masters of words, but because they were describing
a peerless Personality.
It is impossible not to agree with Rousseau, who stated that it would not be
possible to think up the Gospel story. According to Goethe, "All four Gospels
are authentic, because on all four lies the reflection of that spiritual height,
whose source was the personality of Christ and which is more divine than anything
else on the earth."
In contrast to the recluses of Qumr'an, Jesus did not turn from the world, did
not hide spiritual treasures from it, but gave them generously to people. "When,"
he said, "men light a candle, they do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick,
and it provides light to all in the house." The Word of God had to be "preached
on the rooftops," for that was His will.
Ancient Hebrew had by that time become a literary language. The Aramaic dialect was
commonly used for conversation. Christ used this dialect in His discussions with the
people. The Aramaic words and expressions which are preserved in the New Testament
testify of this.
(2)This section discusses the commandment to love and is
another section from "Son of Man."
The evil with which man comes into the closest contact lives in man himself: from one side, the desire to be master, the penchant for coercion and violence; from the other side, a blind rebelliousness which seeks self-affirmation and limitless range for instinct. These demons lie at the bottom of our souls, ready at any moment to break through to the surface.
They are fed by the sense of one's own "I" as the only center which has value. The dilution of "I" in the elements of society, it would seem, places limits on the rebellion of the individual, but in doing so it levels and erases the personality. The exit from this dead end was given in the Biblical commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." It calls us to struggle against our bestially egocentric origins, the struggle for the recognition of the value of another "I," the struggle which should create a higher man, a "new creation."
Only Love is capable of defeating Satan.
Let much which is in the world surrounding man, and even in man himself, fight against the commandment of love, people will find the power for its fulfillment with Him Who Himself is Love, with Him Who was revealed in the Gospel of Christ as the merciful Father.
Genuine faith is inseparable from humaneness. People who forget about this are similar to the builders who built the house without a foundation, directly on the sand. Such a building is fated to fall at the first storm.
Christ retained the Decalogue as the foundation of morality. "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments," He said to the rich young man. In addition, He approved of Hillel's principle, "Do not do to another what is not pleasant to you," although He attached to this utterance a sense of greater activity and efficacy. "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."
The Gospel is far from a negative moralism with a formal schema of a "charity" which leads only to prohibitions. Saint Augustine wrote, "Love God and then do what you will," i.e., our relations with people flow organically from our faith. He who has known the Father cannot help but love His creation as well. In addition, Christ said directly, "As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." He will judge not by people's "convictions," but by their works. He who serves his neighbor serves God, even if he does not realize it.
So how should disciples of Christ act when they encounter the misdeeds of others?
Many Jewish teachers spoke out against the sin of judging. Christ approved of this teaching completely.
If we are to expect forgiveness from the Lord, we ourselves must learn to forgive. Does the man act well who, having received forgiveness of a large debt from the king, himself turns out to be a merciless creditor and throws his fellow man in debtors' prison?
At the appearance of weakness on the part of our neighbor we ought not to pass sentence, but rather sympathize, remembering our own sinfulness. "Judge not," warns Jesus, "that you be not judged, for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"
The Pharisees had become accustomed to looking down from on high on "those ignorant of the law." The word, Am-Khaarets —"bumpkin" —was for them synonymous with "sinner." They wanted to have nothing in common with such a man. They were not allowed to pray with him, to sit at the table together, even to feed him in case of need. "The ignorant do not fear sin; am-khaarets cannot be righteous," said the learned men.
Jesus was their complete opposite in this respect. He more often preferred to deal with simple people. In addition, all those who were cast out, all the pariahs of society, found in Him a friend and protector. Publicans, who were not recognized as people, and women of the street were not infrequently among those who surrounded Him. This shocked the respectable scribes who were parading their righteousness. Hearing their reprimands, Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Christ placed sincere repentance above the serenity of those who considered themselves pleasing to God. Once He told the story of two people, praying in the temple. One, an honorable Pharisee, thanked God that he "was not like other people," fasted frequently, made sacrifice in the temple, and "was not like this publican." But the publican stood far away, not daring to raise his eyes, beat his chest and repeated, grief-stricken, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." "I tell you," Christ concluded the parable, "this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
However, repentance must not be limited to words.
John the Baptist did not speak in vain when he spoke of the "fruits of repentance." And once again Christ introduced an example from dailylife. "A man had two children, and he went to the first one and said, 'My child, go today and work in the vineyard.' He answered,'l will go, sir,'and did not go. He went to the second and said the same thing. And this one answered, 'I do not want to go,' and afterwards repented and went. Which of these fulfilled the will of the father?"
When Jesus visited Matthew's house, where his publican friends gathered, this provoked an explosion of indignation. Reproaches poured down on the Teacher's head. How could He sit at the table with such personages? However, Jesus once again reminded them that every soul deserves concern and sympathy. Those who forget this are like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, who did not rejoice in the return of the wanderer.
Gathering to Himself sinners, Christ wanted to stir up in them repentance and thirst for a new life. Not infrequently His goodness and trust did genuine miracles.
Once the Teacher was going through Jericho. A multitude of people met Him at the gates of the city. All wanted Jesus to stop in their home. One of the Jerichites, by the name of Zacchaeus, "chief publican," struggled to push his way through the crowd, hoping to look upon the Teacher, if only with one eye, but his small height hindered him. Then, forgetting etiquette, he ran forward and clambered up a tree which the Lord was to walk past.
Jesus did in fact approach this spot and, lifting his eyes, noticed the little man sitting in the fig tree. "Zacchaeus," Jesus said unexpectedly, "come down quickly! I must be with you today"
Forgetting himself for joy, the publican ran home to meet the Lord, and those who were around began to murmur, "He stopped at the home of such a sinful man!" But the Teacher's step had its effect.
"Lord," said Zacchaeus as he met Him, "Half of what I have I give to the needy, and if I have required something of someone unrighteously, I will provide quadruple compensation."
"Now salvation has come to this house," answered Christ, "because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to find and save those who had perished."
>
