Blog Assignment #12

What kinds of meals do these events seem to describe (e.g., ordinary meals, festive meals)?  Is there a typical structure of the ritual meal (and, if there is, do some of these instances seem to depart from that structure)?  What meal elements are mentioned specifically (e.g., bread, wine, cup)?  What actions are taken in relation to these elements?  What theological purpose do you think the Gospel writers had in mind by relating these events the way they did?

On the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and a fellow disciple engage in a meal with Jesus, what today is celebrated as the Eucharist. The breaking of bread reveals Jesus’s identity to these disciples demonstrating its core value to the Church today. In this story, Luke writes that Jesus took the break, “blessed and broke it and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30). From this act, the disciples eyes were opened. Their hearts were “burning” the entire day as Jesus spoke of the Scriptures, but it wasn’t until this ritual that they truly saw Jesus and “how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread” (24:35).

At the Last Supper in Luke, Jesus describes the earnestness of his desires to engage in the meal before he is to suffer. He takes the cup and asks them to take and drink, dividing amongst them, telling also that he will not drink of the “fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). Further, he takes the bread and gives it to them, his body, given for them. The road to Emmaus meal relates to the Last Supper as Jesus is fully given in gift to them, fully theirs and by eating of the bread of Christ, the disciples are remembering him. This act of remembrance could be symbolized through the act of their eyes opening.

When Jesus feed the five thousand, the apostles are discouraged because they do not believe they could feed the crowd. However, Jesus says a blessing over the fives loaves and two fish while looking up to the heavens (Luke 9:16). Then, he breaks the bread and gives it to the disciples to set before the crowd. This act of breaking bread and dividing amongst the crowd of followers is continued today. As we eat of the body of Christ, we are fully remembering all that Christ did; he suffered and died for our sins. By eating the Eucharist, we are committing ourselves to living out Eucharistic love, selfless love and giving ourselves as a gift. Just as Jesus did. 

Blog Assignment #11

The soundtrack of the film, except for one piece (Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake plays during the “Last Supper” scene), consists of hymns and psalms sung by the actors.  Lambert Wilson, an actor who plays one of the monks, said that it was the singing that “helped us become this community of monks.”  How does music form the monastic community, incarnate the mission of the monks in the world, and further the plot of the film?  What role does worship—especially the chanting of the Psalms—play in the monks’ lives?  Where do you see elements of “city prayer” and “desert prayer?”  {We haven’t talked about city prayer and desert prayer yet, but see the PowerPoint posted for 12/3 for more details, especially the summary chart on slide 25.  We’ll review this material in class on 12/5.}

 

The music in this movie provides a consistent theme traveling through the entire movie. I really appreciate reading how Lambert Wilson appreciated the assistance of truly coming into his character through singing. Music means participating with your full heart and voice, and the monks in this movie truly exemplify the words that they sing. One of the most touching parts for me was the scene after Fayattia enters the monks’ compound on Christmas Eve. After they are recovering, they enter into prayer and song and sing this particular line, “And nothing exists except love.” I believe this particular phrase could be spoken in a normal conversation; however, the true sentiment could not reach an audience, or the fellow monks, in a way greater than song. With a chant like state, they are releasing their breath, releasing all that they are into these words. It is incarnate of their mission as well, as it believes in a unified sense of solidarity, community. This community is reached through music. Worship plays the most central part of the movie. I believe the director did a remarkable job enhancing this part by including worship not just as a clip audiences see for a second and pass through, but as a central focus. The time of worship takes up a lot of time of the movie, highlighting its centrality. The elements of city, or cathedral, prayer that I see are the outward focus of the monks prayers and worship and the leading by ordained leaders. The desert prayer I saw when one of the monks is setting up the candles and singing a song; inwardly focused and a ultimately irrelevant. The specificity of these two prayer types within the movie are harder to determine, but overall, the musical themes ring as a strong foundation for monastic living. 

Blog Assignment #10

Arius said that the Son was appointed by God to demonstrate how human beings might approach a divine essence that must remain incomprehensible to the created order. The Son is a model of the unity between two dissimilar essences. “God then himself is in essence ineffable to all. He alone has neither equal nor like, none comparable in glory” (158). “By the power of which God can see, and in proper measures, the Son sustains the vision of the Father as is right” (159). The existences are unmixable and the Son does not know his own essence, for being Son he truly came to be at his Father’s will.

Alexander puts a larger emphasis on the metaphysical relationship between God the Father and Son, between the Creator and the created order. “And by supposing that he came out of nothing, they utterly abolish the sacred writings about his eternal being, which indicated the immutability of the Word and the divinity of the wisdom of the Word, which is Christ. (161). Knowledge of this hypostasis, this existence, is beyond human comprehension. The Father is always the Father, thus the Son is always the Son. Athanasius: The Father is in the Son, while giving his essence to the Son, like the essence of the sun is passed on to its rays, as the mind is present in a word… The Father and Son are one, thus their divinity are one.

In short, yes, Jesus is fully human. Yes, Jesus is fully divine. The relationship between God and Father is that they share the same substance; the same essence. 

Blog Assignment #9

Pick ONE of these ancient accounts of martyrdom and analyze how the martyr(s) in the story imitate(s) Christ’s Passion, citing specific examples from the text to support your answer.  How does the martyr view his/her impending death?  How might the example of the martyr’s courage, calm—and even joy—in the face of death have encouraged and sustained other Christians facing potential martyrdom?  What transformations occur in and through the martyr’s death (e.g., in the martyr’s body, in the lives of Christians and non-Christians who witnessed the martyr’s death)?

 

The martyrdom of Felicity and Perpetua and Christ’s Passion hold similar views on their impending deaths. Just as Christ accepts his passion and mission on Earth coming to an end, Felicity has a hopeful view of her death. She holds a view that her own father does not, a sense of maturity and true wisdom from God that he cannot grasp. She was so willing to face death in order to defend her Christianity, knowing that God would not forget her and bring her to his kingdom. The vision she did experience demonstrated that her faith carried her beyond the deepest fears and obstacles: “Slowly, as though he were afraid of me, the dragon stuck his head out from underneath the ladder. Then, using it as my first step, I trod on his head and went up” (4). She literally steps on the dragon’s head, this symbol of fear and evil, on her way up to the gates of heaven. Another similarity with the Passion comes from the trial that both Jesus and Perpetua; they were both condemned. I think it is noteworthy that just as the centurion realized Jesus was a holy man, one of the prison guards also realized the power of Perpetua: “Some days later, an adjutant named Pudens, who was in charge of the prison, began to show us great honor, realizing that we possessed some great power within us” (9). This similarity is great in the way that her powerful faith was a gift of abundant richness to all that met her. This transformation occurs with all that meet Perpetua, realizing that her faith is beyond any decision they can inflict on her. Even at the point of death, her faith is strong. This courage, this joy felt within her faith could greatly encourage readers to become inspired. Their faith can become something they are not ashamed of; something to echo after each word they say and each action they make. 

Blog Assignment #8

Each church must adhere closely to the authority of its bishop, along with his ruling board of elders (the “presbytery” and the group of ministering deacons. For Ignatius, bishops held the same authority of “God himself” and were to be obeyed similarly to the apostles. The idea, which he called “monarchial episcopate” became a standard later for the proto-orthodox Christians. Ignatius urges the Ephesians to become spiritually close with their bishop, acting in accordance with his mind and will. To the Magnesians, he wishes them congratulations on their good discipleship and “godly love”, also urging them to recognize that “where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church” (328).

In today’s world, leadership can gain this similar idea of faithfulness and devotion from followers. The stress Ignatius puts on the idea of unity continues to echo today. In business corporations, if there is no team unity, the company could lose morale, thus failing as a progressing unit. In today’s churches, at least in my own, joining together in harmony, as Ignatius poetically puts it, sets the idea that our faith will grow within the power of numbers. Gaining greater unity, the voices of faith are able to sing louder and with greater conviction. The concerns involved, Ignatius says, include those that do not chose to follow such a distinct type of leadership: “He who fails to join in your worship shows his arrogance by the very fact of becoming a schismatic” (326). When not all around joined in harmony, the tune becomes noticeably distorted. 

Blog Assignment #7

) Read Luke’s story about the encounter between the risen Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).  What do the disciples experience as Jesus engages them, and how do they come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah rejected by his own people but vindicated by God?  What aspects of this encounter might early followers of Jesus incorporated into their regular gatherings in his memory?

       As Jesus engages with them, the two disciples look downward and are discussing the events that had happened within the past couple of days. At the point of the encounter, the two were kept from recognizing Him. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, they were shocked that He did not know: “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18). Then they explained to him all that happened to Jesus and how women said that his body was missing. Jesus replies that the two disciples are so quick to forget all that the prophets explained; how the Messiah was supposed to suffer and then enter into glory. Thus, Jesus explains all that the Scriptures say about him and proceeds to walk with the two until they reach Emmaus. When they urged him to say and eat with them, he obliges and sits down to break the bread. At this act, their eyes were open and they recognize Jesus with their “hearts burning” just as He disappears from their sight. They return to Jerusalem and find the disciples, proclaiming that the Lord has risen, explaining all that happened that day.

By the act of the breaking of the bread, the two are able to see Jesus. This is the act that represents all the suffering and sacrifice given by his death. Recognition of this sacrifice allows early followers to incorporate Jesus into their gatherings. They are not “foolish” to fail to follow and remember him in their daily lives, as He lives within each of us. 

Blog Assignment #6

In each of the four Gospels, Jesus utters some “last words” from the cross before he dies.  What does Jesus say from the cross in each of the Gospels, and what do these statements reveal about Jesus’ identity and mission, as the authors of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John understand it?

 

In Mark and Matthew, Jesus says “ “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)” and he cried out and then breathed his last. In Luke, Jesus says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” and then breathed his last. In John, it is the most different, as Jesus says he is thirsty, receives wine and says, “It is finished.” These different statements reveal the general witnessing of this even from different standpoints. John recounts that he was extremely close to Jesus, thus possibly hearing more than the other writers. Jesus speaks to Mary, handing over John as her son (John 19:25). John is writing about events that happened in a more private relationship with Jesus. Matthew, on the other hand, writes of words said in a loud voice.

In all of the accounts, Jesus is breathing his last and giving up his spirit to God, entering into the Trinity. Jesus, according to these Gospels, was showing his humanity by crying out in anguish and agony. God never forsook him, but in these words of abandonment, he was further sending himself into God. The different Gospels are all on the same page in regards to this, yet their relationship with Jesus causes them to have this difference. John was in a more intimate setting in his location and relationship with Jesus, thus giving him insights that Matthew, Mark, and Luke did not have. They all revered Jesus in the upmost regard, however, calling forth his agony, trust, and power in his death. 

Blog Assignment #5

Compare Matthew’s parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-10) with Luke’s version of this same story (Luke 14:16-24).  What differences do you notice between the two accounts, and how do these stories function in terms of Ralph’s categories of parable and/or allegory?

 

The main differences between these two parables are the commands and reactions of the king giving the feast. First, let’s start by saying that these stories function in terms of Ralph’s categories of parables by personally trying to challenge and teach the readers a lesson. Secondly, this is like an allegory in the characteristic that knowledge of the audience is not necessary in order for the reader to understand its meaning. In Luke, the story is preceded by a guest that says “‘Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 14:15). Jesus goes on to explain how the individual guest has the free will to decide whether they wish to dine at the great feast. However, in Matthew, the guests are given two chances, two opportunities to accept Christ and yet they respond with weak excuses. In Luke, the servants are then sent out to seek the poor, crippled, and lame first, and then when there is more room, to gather anyone they can find. In Matthew, however, the fate of both the servants and guests are a bit more gruesome. The guests kill the servants and then the king, in rage, destroys their city and then invites anyone else his other servants can find.

 The difference in the process of invitation comes in the intentionality of the guests. In Luke, the intention, at first, is for the friends, who then find excuses not to go. But then, the invitation extends to the lame, the poor, and the weak. Finally, everyone else is included to fill up the room and enjoy the merriment. This order of invitation does not happen, and Jesus’s intentionality when reaching out to the poor is overlooked in Matthew.

Blog Assignment #4

A key theme in Mark is what is called the “messianic secret”—i.e., the idea that Jesus wants to keep his true identity a secret.  Jesus continually tells people not to let others know about what he has done.  He does not want his fame to spread.  He does not want others to know that he is the Messiah. Where do you see evidence of this “messianic secret” in the text?  Why do you think Jesus acts this way?

Readers can see evidence of the “messianic secret” in Mark 8:27-30 and Mark 4:10-12 powerfully. In Mark 4:10-12, Jesus speaks of the power of his mysterious teachings through parables. The mystery of God has been granted to the lives of those touched by Jesus’s words to provide greater emphasis, I think, to the powerful workings of God entering to relationship with us, through Jesus. Having the Son of God enter into relationship with us, just like suffering, is something our minds cannot fully understand in its entire wholeness. We may believe that we grasp it, set in our normal, everyday lives, but this is something so beyond our understanding. God sent His only son to come to the Earth, share his word through parables and miracles and then proceed to die for us. When Jesus in Chapter 8 tells the disciples not to share his identity, it is because he is fully embracing his humanity and demonstrating a humility that we could not even being to understand. When Peter answers Jesus saying that he believes Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus has to ask for their discretion. He does this, I believe, because He must remain tied to his humanity, while also his divinity. He is honoring his humanity by keeping his true identity a secret, therefore reminding us of God’s true devotion to His people, for He sent his only son to be human among us and for 

Blog Assignment #3

I would summarize Amos’ message as one of bold proclamation of corruption, yet with a hopeful ending. Amos was wild, in all aspects of his role as a prophet. He spoke boldly, living with the fire of God in his bones. He looked at the blemishes of the world and did not have them rest in his soul. His spilled them out for the whole world to be stained and therefore affected. In the first chapter, readers are struck with the imagery of intense destruction and despair for wrongdoing. The repetition of “For three crimes of…, and now four” drives the image that we have reached the climax of God’s tolerance (Amos 1:3). In the passages of the Three Woes, Amos demands the people recognize the hypocrisy of their faith and actions: “The melodies of your harps, I will not listen to them. Rather let justice surge like waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream” (Amos 5:23-24). The Book of Amos describes a relationship of distance and despair between the entire world and God, but of protection granted to the Israelites and compassion show to them from God, as well. The world has no ability to fathom God’s power and will: “See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord God—when I will send a famine upon the land: Not a hunger for bread, or a thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord” (8:11). The Lord goes on to say that this thirst will never be quenched. By turning away from God, they are condemned to His rage when God will avenge the Israelites.