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"Do you cherish that of God within you, that his power growing in you may rule your life? Do you seek to follow Jesus who shows us the Father and teaches us the Way?" (Christian Faith & Practice, London Yearly Meeting, 1960)
November 27, 2011
Luke 11.27-28
While he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "Happy the womb that carried you and the breasts that suckled you!"
He rejoined, "No, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it."
This is a very busy passage... First of all, it's seriously undercutting the birth stories. If his parents have once been led to expect their son to be a divine gift, they've evidently forgotten all about it, since.
And the cultural conventions, the customary expectations, are getting rejected, thrown back in people's faces. Do people of this time get their ego-points from the children they bear and raise, from the families they belong to? From being (even) 'children of Abraham'? No, that doesn't do the job here.
"Where you're from" is supposed to benefit from your talents and accomplishments, not just in pride, but in the role of setting up 'insider' deals. 'My son the Messiah, I can get you a personal appointment with him!' Not happening!
We see, here & in other places, a pervasive alienation between Jesus and his family, and from his home village-- and eventually, from the political/religious leadership of his own nation. If he gets to be Israel's light to the goyim-- It's only some of his own people, the ones who hear 'the word of God' at work in Jesus' words, who become his followers and get any direct benefit.
And do any of us Quakers want to brag about being called "Friends"?
1 comment:
This is a very busy passage... First of all, it's seriously undercutting the birth stories. If his parents have once been led to expect their son to be a divine gift, they've evidently forgotten all about it, since.
And the cultural conventions, the customary expectations, are getting rejected, thrown back in people's faces. Do people of this time get their ego-points from the children they bear and raise, from the families they belong to? From being (even) 'children of Abraham'? No, that doesn't do the job here.
"Where you're from" is supposed to benefit from your talents and accomplishments, not just in pride, but in the role of setting up 'insider' deals. 'My son the Messiah, I can get you a personal appointment with him!' Not happening!
We see, here & in other places, a pervasive alienation between Jesus and his family, and from his home village-- and eventually, from the political/religious leadership of his own nation. If he gets to be Israel's light to the goyim-- It's only some of his own people, the ones who hear 'the word of God' at work in Jesus' words, who become his followers and get any direct benefit.
And do any of us Quakers want to brag about being called "Friends"?
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