The Challenge of Discipleship & Meals and the Hospitality of God APRIL 2019

Transcription

1 The Challenge of Discipleship & Meals and the Hospitality of God APRIL 2019

2 The Challenge of Discipleship In Mark: 3-fold Pattern: Passion prediction Disciples misunderstanding Teaching on discipleship in the form of a paradox (seeming contradiction) 2

3 The Challenge of Discipleship Mark 8:27-38 Passion prediction Peter: Don t go! Lose your life to save your life. Mark 9:30-37 Passion prediction Disciples arguing who is the greatest. If you wan to be first, you must be last. Mark 10:32-45 Passion prediction James and John: seats at right and left. Whoever wishes to be great must be the servant. 3

4 The Challenge of Discipleship Mark 8:27-38 Luke 9:18-27 Mark 9:30-37 Luke 9:43-48 Mark 10:32-45 Luke 18:31-33 and Luke 22:

5 The Challenge of Discipleship Luke 9:18-27 Passion prediction Lose your life to save your life. Luke 9:43-48 Passion prediction Luke 18:31-33 Passion prediction Luke 22:24-30 (context is the Last Supper Disciples arguing who is the greatest. The least will be the greatest. Disciples arguing who is the greatest. Let the greatest among you be the youngest and the leader as the servant. 5

6 Questions: 1) Why leave Peter out of Luke 9:18-27 and James and John in Luke 18? 2) Why insert the disciples arguing at the Last Supper? YouTube Link: Directory Profile Link: 6

7 The Challenge of Discipleship Lohfink, pp ) According to Lohfink, what kind of people did Jesus choose to follow him? (173) A carpenter, an ordinary working man, gathers not priests or religious professionals, but fishermen, tax collector, zealot, former disciples of John. The disciples are guests at the wedding feast Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! Israel is being given a new center and the center is Jesus (in whom God is entirely present). 7

8 The Challenge of Discipleship Everywhere where people gather around Jesus, accepting his message, is holy ground. Real mix of people with failings and weaknesses. The twelve have a mission but also are called to be with Jesus the latter will lead to the conversion of the disciples. These two aspects are interwoven: only when they learn this new way of being with Jesus, will they be able to proclaim his message. 8

9 2) How could the title of messiah be misunderstood? (177) It was connected with the eschatological revolt of Israel against the rule of the Gentiles and with a sudden reversal of all political and social relationships. For Mark the office of the Messiah is the way of total surrender to God (to the new being-together that God desires to create in Israel). That way will bring Jesus to death! So, no one can confess him as Messiah without taking into account his self-surrender to the point of death. So, no surprise in Mark, after Peter s confession, we have the passion prediction, which includes the phrase Son of Man. 9

10 3) What is the meaning of the son of Man? (178) See Daniel 7 with four beasts [Babylon, Media, Persia, Seleucids] (from the sea = chaos) and the human figure (from heaven = absolute contrast to beasts). He represents, not a bestial society, but a human one. He receives all dominion from God and this empire is a pure reflection of God s dominion therefore, this society will not disappear, but will remain forever. The Son of Man is Jesus, in whom the eschatological Israel is beginning a human society no longer built upon violence this non-violence will be mightier than all the great powers. Note: God does not will the death of Jesus>>>God wills the new society>>>because Jesus remains true to this divine plan, he will die because people do not will what God wills. 10

11 4) What are the disciples arguing about? (180) On the way they are discussing who is the greatest Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all (Mk 9:35) Jesus turns to the Twelve at this moment there must be a group that converts to unanimity so that the many will be converted to it as well Only those who live as part of the intimate community of Jesus where dying and rising are learned will be able to understand the dying and rising of Jesus 3 rd passion prediction in Mark : James and John>>>positions of power Jesus words: the Son of Man and his disciples are contrasted with the Gentiles and their rulers>>>the world empires stand in contrast to the new family of Jesus (Dan 7) No longer desire to rule, but to serve 11

12 5) What is the significance of the Last Supper with these disciples? The new society/family begins with sharing at a common table Jesus celebrates Passover with his new family Luke reveals a deep sense of these connections by having Jesus words here at the Last Supper (see John as well with the foot washing) Table manners in the reign of God: (1) no more classes; (2) each looks first to see that others have what they need; (3) the greatest is the servant of all; (4) seek the worst place, not the best Sitting on twelve thrones: their adherence to Jesus way in their common life becomes the measure by which to judge This begins today it becomes an irritating standard by which to judge things today This is new unanimity is still missing in the disciples (Luke: arguing; John: misunderstanding) the death of Jesus still needs to open the eyes of the disciples to bring them to genuine unanimity 12

13 Meals and the Hospitality of Good Lk 5:27-39 (Byrne, 60-61); Lk 7:36-50 (Byrne, 73-76); Lk 9:1-17 (Byrne, 84-85); Lk 10: (Byrne, ); Lk 14:1-33 (Byrne, ); Lk 19:1-10 (Byrne, ) 13

14 Meals and the Hospitality of God 1) Call of Levi: Luke 5:27-39 (Byrne, 60-61) Provocative inclusiveness to discipleship Jesus>>>>tax collectors and sinners>>>>pharisees and scribes Repentance is not a precondition for God s acceptance it is God s acceptance that makes repentance possible The day of salvation has arrived, the divine visitation is under way Most people prefer the old 14

15 Meals and the Hospitality of God 2) Pardon of the Sinful Woman: Luke 7:36-50 (Byrne, 73-76) -Byrne s heading: Hospitality and Inhospitality in the House of Simon Preceding passage: distinction between those who respond positively to Jesus and those who do not Hardly a passage that illustrates this hospitality theme better Jesus>>>>Simon the host>>>>the sinful woman 15

16 Because he is a prophet, he DOES know WHAT SIMON is thinking: tells little parable who loves more? Compare the hospitality/inhospitality of the two to Jesus (bathe, kiss, anoint) Her sins MUST have been forgiven her, for she has shown such love See last full paragraph on page 75 she gives hospitality to Jesus and is, in turn, welcomed into the hospitality of God she is transformed (not Simon) Simon is not necessarily judged but the story points out the outcomes: Who is getting something here? Who is missing out? Are you going to go with Simon or the woman? 16

17 Meals and the Hospitality of God 2) Mission of the Twelve and Feeding of 5000: Luke 9:1-17 (Byrne, 84-85) Jesus, the visitor from on high, has exposed himself to the risk of human inhospitality in order to draw humans into the hospitality of God The Twelve go out, like Jesus, vulnerable and depending upon the hospitality wherever they might find it (Exodus 12) When they come back, they want to send the crowds away, but he challenges the disciples: You give them something to eat. Jesus makes it possible for the disciples to provide hospitality that initially they thought so daunting The ministry of the disciples is also symbolic for the life of the later Church which will carry on the day of Jesus hospitality and mission 17

18 Meals and the Hospitality of God 4) Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-42 (Byrne, ) Byrne suggests that the story is not really about the fact that they Mary and Martha are women Martha is the dominant figure, who offers hospitality to Jesus Mary, the more marginalized figured, offers the kind of hospitality that Jesus commends Again, we have the triangular situation, where Martha (as the third party) begins to complain to Jesus about Mary Martha has gone overboard in her hospitality only one thing is needed deceptive distraction temptation Mary is offering deeper hospitality that will, in turn, draw her into the hospitality of God 18

19 Meals and the Hospitality of God Healing of Man with Dropsy and Meal Stories: Luke 14:1-33 (Byrne, ) Healing the man at a meal on the Sabbath: an occasion for healing and fullness of life Story about taking seats at a banquet is more significant than about everyday life In everyday life, this would be embarrassing If everything is reversed in the kingdom of God, those who now sit with the poor and lowly are destined for promotion, while those who sit now with the rich and powerful will find themselves in the lowest places If you think this would be bad in our life, imagine in the life to come when it is permanent! 19

20 Being hospitable to the poor now will store up the welcome that really matters the welcome into the hospitality of God that lasts forever In the next story, the invitations have been sent, but the responses are negative by some While the super-abundant hospitality of God in the form of the fullness of the kingdom of God has not yet come, the invitations are out (Jesus mission to issue them) Long before enjoying a celebration to which we have been invited, we can derive enjoyment simply from having been invited Conventional attachments are holding some back; the poor, the crippled and the blind have no such attachments and are more open to receiving the hospitality of God; they have a capacity to be filled by God 20

21 Meals and the Hospitality of God 4) Zacchaeus: Luke 19:1-10 (Byrne, ) Physical problem symbolizes the exclusion on socio-economic grounds He does something extravagant Triangle: they all being to murmur Future or present tense? In either case, Jesus is saying that he is one of us a son of Abraham He has come not to judge but to seek out and save what was lost Like the woman in Simon s house, he provides hospitality to Jesus and finds, in return, the hospitality of God 21

22 Questions? 22