John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
I have wondered lately, and sometimes in this blog, about the meaning of Jesus's statement to the Samaritan woman, "Salvation is from the Jews." Among all the billboards and bumper stickers I have seen which proclaim the Lord as Savior and ask whether I have been saved, I have never seen that expression. I think it might disappoint many people who rush to the Lord, although it was not such a problem to the gentiles of Jesus's day. The Acts of the Apostles describes their eager desire to learn more about the Jewish Messiah.
The approach to Jesus via the Jewish people (and through Mary) is also our approach to him through John the Baptist. Saint Luke describes an important transition moment in Salvation History with his story of the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary. He has arranged these two narratives -- that of John the Baptist and that of Jesus -- with five stories. Two concern the annunciation and birth of John; and two concern the annunciation and birth of Jesus. The story lines converge in the middle when Mary visits Elizabeth. Their meeting anticipates the mission of the Baptist who will go before the Lord and prepare his way.
No one can know the Lord who does not hear John's demand to repent of your sins. Can anyone know the Messiah who is not willing to unfasten the sandals of his Jewish feet?
Saint Paul warns his gentile converts about their presumption of superiority to the Jews,
Indeed you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, [perhaps] he will not spare you either. See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
As we are grateful to the Jewish people for the gift of Jesus and his salvation, we accept their practice of penance. We must daily and continually repent, atone, and make reparation for our sins. Which is to say, we must know the regret, shame, and remorse of our guilt.
The Bible is, among other things, a detailed account of the guilt of God's people. Where other nations boast of their achievements, Jews remember their sins against their faithful God. They kept the scalding memory of the ancient prophets Elijah and Elisha, and the searing writings of the later prophets. All of the prophets denounce the sins of their contemporaries, and the writing prophets often paid the penalty for it. Jerusalem saw to that:
Some Christians and Muslims believe in the replacement theory of supersessionism, that God has cancelled the covenant with his people and given it over to gentiles. Despite the overall gist of the Old and New Testaments, they cite certain passages to prove their theory. They believe this because they are unwilling to repent of their own sins. They become haughty and do not stand in awe of God's mysterious ways.“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
True freedom lies here, dont fall for the lies of the evil one!
ReplyDeleteGalatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.