February 8, 2004
Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13); I Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
Perhaps it is time to be reminded once again that every part of the Bible was written by a human being who lived at a specific time in history and with a general view of the world which was harmonious with the knowledge available at that time. It should especially be noted that each author was sharing the message for a particular reason. There was something which he believed to be important for the listeners to hear. All of these things are of interest to us in knowing another part of the puzzle related to "From whence we have come." Beyond this, our goal as readers should be to gain insights from what the author had learned and shared which can be applied to our experience in our world in relationship to the needs of our day.
Isaiah, as was true with most of the prophets, lived at a time when his people, the Hebrews (Jews) were in dire and threatening circumstances. The prophets general saw their role as being three-fold. First they felt the need to give their people some reason for hope. Second, and associated with the first, they attempted to discover and communicate the reasons for the circumstances in which the people found themselves. Finally, they attempted to answer the question, "What must we do to get out of this mess?" If they were to speak with authority, they had to communicate the source of that authority to their listeners. They must also be equipped themselves with a sense of security which enabled them to speak with boldness, and if necessary, with great courage in the face of opposition. Isaiah found his credentials for authority in a vision. He believed God spoke to him in a dream. The question God was asking was "whom shall I send and who will go for us?" Isaiah responded, "Here am I! Send me." It was this kind of personal experience and his response to it, that enabled Isaiah to bring an instructive message of responsibility and hope to his people.
The message of the Apostle Paul in his letter to Corinth was similar in spirit to that of Isaiah, but different in content. Paul, just as Isaiah had done, established his credentials. Paul believed that God had spoken to him through Jesus in a dramatic conversion experience as he was on his way to Damascus. This story is recorded in the Book of Acts as well as in other of Paul's writings. After establishing his credentials, Paul then proceeded to share the message which became the central theme of the early (and traditional) church. "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scripture...was buried...raised again on the third day." Furthermore, Paul attested to the "truth" of this testimony by reminding his listeners/readers that Jesus appeared to many after his resurrection, including the Apostles. Paul then, in great humility, indicated that he viewed himself as the least of the Apostles, and unfit to be called one, because prior to his conversion he had persecuted the church of God. Nevertheless, said Paul, "...by the grace of God I am what I am...I worked harder than any of them...." Paul continued by indicating that the message was more important than the messenger. "Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed." In other words, I and other Apostles are sharing the "word of God with you". Paul affirmed that his message was authentic and that he shared it by the authority given to him by God. In reality he was saying, "You do well to believe it!"
It is interesting to note the difference in the message of Paul and that of Jesus. Jesus spoke of his "Heavenly Father" and apparently was so comfortable in his perceived relationship with God that he wanted to encourage others to know that they could enjoy the same sense of security and love which empowered him. As he perceived human need, the places in need of the great attention were these: (1) Reverence for God; (2) Respect for God's work in creation; (3) Love for one another; and (4) Personal responsibility for one's behavior in relation to "living love as a verb," i.e. "do unto others as you wish them to do to you." Paul, on the other hand, while emphasizing the importance of these same aspects of religion, made believing in Jesus as the Son of God who died on the cross as a sacrifice to atone for human sin the pivot on which every other religious belief must rest. Early in its history, the Church combined the "Jesus approach" and the "Paul approach" into a belief system that insisted Christianity was THE WAY and the only way for human beings to live and die in a manner pleasing to God. Consequently the Church taught that the Christian way was the only way to experience eternal reward after physical death. The inquiring mind has to wonder if this is exactly what Jesus had in mind!
Although the four Gospels are each written from a different point of view and with slightly different specific motives, the main theme was to emphasize Jesus as The Son of God who died on the cross to save us from our sins. Keep in mind that there is no indication that Jesus wrote anything, except in the sand. Also keep in mind that the Gospels were written long after the death of Jesus. Much memory and some "spin" was involved in what was included in what the authors wrote in their specific Gospels. Luke was desirous of giving an account of the life and ministry of Jesus from the time of his birth until the birth of the church. There is no indication, and thus no reason to believe that Luke ever came in contact with Jesus. His information came from sources other than personal contact. It is clear that the major goal of Luke in his writing the Gospel and the Book of Acts was to present Jesus as "The Son of God who died on the cross to save us from our sins." Nevertheless, the Gospels each present a message of instruction and hope. Efforts were made to validate the life and message of Jesus by portraying him as one who could work miracles. Thus we have the story of Jesus helping Simon reap a wonderful net full of fish, as well as other miracle stories. Many people were so impressed that they immediately decided to become disciples of Jesus, and some were honored to become part of the group known as "Apostles".
Large as the miracles of the Gospels seem to have been to the people in that day, many much more impressive "miracles" are witnessed and enjoyed by each of us everyday--to the point that we take them for granted. Think about it! I need not elaborate further. In reality God works through a process of human creativity in learning and experience. There is no need to attempt to duplicate the miracle stories of the Bible. We have found a better way where we discover the work of God in more profound, durable and dependable ways. In fact, we have discovered that we can work with God on creativity. As Paul said, we are unworthy but we are what we are and God has made us to be partners in an important part of creativity. What a privilege!