Sunday, March 20, 2011
Fully Human, Fully Divine
The session today by Mel was really interesting. It offered not only his spirituality, but the understanding of many others.
Before I go deeper into my reflection for today and about the session, i will apologize for the big hoo-ha I threw up over what von said for the passage and also clarify my discomfort with it. I talked to Andrew about it and he hit the nail on its head. We both agreed that freedom and predestination has to be present in Jesus' choice. When Jesus makes the choice to save us, which is necessary, we feel that sacrifice in a very impactful way. It is necessary that he had to make the choice. Using a biological theory to describe Jesus' character would however be, uncomfortable to me, even though from how we (excluding me :p) see how it can account for Jesus being fully human. However in fact, Jesus would know better what is fully human than us humans do, because He created us in the first place. Therefore, using a biology theory, created by humans, would not be apt nor sufficient to describe what Jesus was feeling then.
On the other hand, I would also feel that conviction when I know that Jesus would have died for me either way. Because He is also God, and He willed it to happen. When Jesus cried, 'My Father,'if this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, your will be done!' (Taken from the New Jerusalem version), the nuances I get from this sentence is that, Jesus does know that He will drink of the cup. It is out of fear, part of his human nature, that prompts him to pray this. But deep down, He would definitely save us. It is in murky ground and we probably can't guess his disposition at that time. Yet taking a human-formed theory to describe Jesus, not only insufficiently describes his fully human nature, it also neglects his divine nature.
Now about the session. I have experienced such a kind of prayer before and today Mel just showed me again how beautiful it is. We really try to understand where Jesus is coming from and empathize with them. Yet perhaps in a way, I am also unwilling to shed my image of Jesus - that He is more God than human. The way we characterize him in having so much emotions and feelings about the disciples may bring us closer to understand his fully human nature, but it may reduce the fully divine nature of His. In a nutshell, I was pretty uncomfortable because though Jesus is close, Jesus is my Lord and God. However, sensing how Jesus may feel and what sacrifice He has done, does help us to know Jesus more and more. But perhaps the challenge today is to also see Jesus as God.
There was this footnote in my bible that I would not forget about this passage. Moses was the one who brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai and Elijah was the one who prophesized on Horeb (Sinai too). Now they appeared with Jesus who was transfigured and then they disppeared, scholars see this as symbolic too, that now Jesus is the new Law and the Prophet. It is now the New Testament and how we are being recreated anew by Jesus' life and death and ressurection. So yes, I challenge you to see Jesus also as the master of our lives, our Lord and God.
mark
Fully Human, Fully Divine
The session today by Mel was really interesting. It offered not only his spirituality, but the understanding of many others.
Before I go deeper into my reflection for today and about the session, i will apologize for the big hoo-ha I threw up over what von said for the passage and also clarify my discomfort with it. I talked to Andrew about it and he hit the nail on its head. We both agreed that freedom and predestination has to be present in Jesus' choice. When Jesus makes the choice to save us, which is necessary, we feel that sacrifice in a very impactful way. It is necessary that he had to make the choice. Using a biological theory to describe Jesus' character would however be, uncomfortable to me, even though from how we (excluding me :p) see how it can account for Jesus being fully human. However in fact, Jesus would know better what is fully human than us humans do, because He created us in the first place. Therefore, using a biology theory, created by humans, would not be apt nor sufficient to describe what Jesus was feeling then.
On the other hand, I would also feel that conviction when I know that Jesus would have died for me either way. Because He is also God, and He willed it to happen. When Jesus cried, 'My Father,'if this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, your will be done!' (Taken from the New Jerusalem version), the nuances I get from this sentence is that, Jesus does know that He will drink of the cup. It is out of fear, part of his human nature, that prompts him to pray this. But deep down, He would definitely save us. It is in murky ground and we probably can't guess his disposition at that time. Yet taking a human-formed theory to describe Jesus, not only insufficiently describes his fully human nature, it also neglects his divine nature.
Now about the session. I have experienced such a kind of prayer before and today Mel just showed me again how beautiful it is. We really try to understand where Jesus is coming from and empathize with them. Yet perhaps in a way, I am also unwilling to shed my image of Jesus - that He is more God than human. The way we characterize him in having so much emotions and feelings about the disciples may bring us closer to understand his fully human nature, but it may reduce the fully divine nature of His. In a nutshell, I was pretty uncomfortable because though Jesus is close, Jesus is my Lord and God. However, sensing how Jesus may feel and what sacrifice He has done, does help us to know Jesus more and more. But perhaps the challenge today is to also see Jesus as God.
There was this footnote in my bible that I would not forget about this passage. Moses was the one who brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai and Elijah was the one who prophesized on Horeb (Sinai too). Now they appeared with Jesus who was transfigured and then they disppeared, scholars see this as symbolic too, that now Jesus is the new Law and the Prophet. It is now the New Testament and how we are being recreated anew by Jesus' life and death and ressurection. So yes, I challenge you to see Jesus also as the master of our lives, our Lord and God.
mark