ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 5, 2024
There were a lot of confused folks in regard to the resurrected Jesus; at least that’s the implication when I read Jesus saying to his disciples, “Ghosts don’t have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). Those words were probably important a century later, when a group began to push what is called Gnosticism. That is a term used to describe a large swath of ideas, but much of it was based around the words from Mark 4, where it speaks of Jesus taking some time to privately teach his disciples, offering them more information than what he shared publicly (vs.34). Many within the Gnostic movement believed they had special teachings and insights that were not recorded in the four Gospels. These teachings emphasized an internal search, often presenting a sharp dichotomy between the world of matter and the world of spirit, which included the ideal of escaping the world in pursuit of spiritual things. They understood Jesus to be the quintessential example of one who had reached spiritual perfection, and thus he did not have a physical body. That, of course, complicated the crucifixion, as bodiless people do not die.
Sorry, but that was a convoluted way of setting the stage for an interesting statement by the resurrected Jesus about having flesh and bones. Gnosticism was not yet around in any sort of formal expression at the time of Jesus, yet there were forms of Greek philosophy that held a strong dualistic thought, even some implying the spirit is the ideal. Could Jesus have been seeking to counter such thinking, or were there those who accused the Jesus followers of seeing what they wanted to see—seeing what was nothing more than a ghost?
For me (and let’s emphasize the ‘me’ part), the question presented here: What does it mean to be alive? I appreciate Rob Bell, who has done both a video and a book under the title “Everything Is Spiritual.” It is hard to completely move away from dualism: spirit vs. body, good vs. bad, light vs. dark, but I am trying to live in a mindset that does not immediately jump to strict either/or. Spirit vs. body has given us all kinds of negative thoughts about the human body; it is even the basis of unhealthy perceptions around sex, at least in some circles. What if the spirit/body divide is nothing more than a human construct? What if the human experience is one, like the language we attempt to use to describe the Trinity? We are one, whole, and inseparable, and though we might use language to help us parse and to seek an understanding of what it means to be human, what we describe as different aspects of our humanity cannot be at odds with one another. We are who we are, flesh and spirit woven together in an inseparable tapestry of life.
Holy God, O Model of Oneness, we celebrate this thing we call life, allowing our curiosity to explore what it means to be a human being created in your image. In our own journey toward a greater understanding of health, may we strive to know the perfect relationship of love that exists within the divine nature. This we ask in the name of Jesus, the one brought back to life with skin and bone. Amen.
2 thoughts on “04-05-24”
Just as a matter of interest, in Luke 24:37-39, when Jesus first appeared to the Apostles (minus Thomas) they were afraid as if they were seeing a ghost. – Is it possible it was because Jesus was in a Transfigured state?
When Jesus took Peter, James and John up into the hill to pray the men fell asleep and awoke to see Jesus in a Transfigured state with Moses and Elijah. – As described, that would have shaken anyone.
Since you brought up the subject of the Emmaus. – When Jesus first met up with the two men walking on the road to Emmaus the men didn’t recognize him – In Luke 24:16, he states that “They didn’t recognize him because God kept it from them” But later at dinner they suddenly did… and then he disappeared. So was Jesus in a Transfigured state then?
Also in John 20:14 – 17, Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Jesus at first after leaving the tomb but then suddenly did. – As she went to hug Jesus, he said “Don’t touch me for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father.” Yet in John 20:27 Jesus told Thomas “To put his finger in his hand and his hand in his side.”
And so I question, #1) Did Jesus ascend to the Father and then return thus allowing Thomas to touch him and #2) Was Jesus in different levels or stages of Transfiguration as he appeared to his disciples?
You ask a lot of great questions, and I think the questions are what are so important as they keep us going deeper. Jesus had a wonderful ability of answering a question with a question, never wanting his followers to be content with their answers, as contentment often leads to complacency. I’m just guessing, but there are probably 1000 theories on how Jesus appeared and what that expression of resurrection looked like. And exactly what does ‘transfigured’ mean on the mountain of transfiguration? Some have suggested it was a glimpse into the future; others have very different thoughts on the subject. I do remind people of the importance of trying to determine a single Gospel’s thought on the subject, as each Gospel was written for a specific community in a specific situation. For instance, I believe Matthew and John had very different understandings of who Jesus was and what his purpose was. I think there is Good News in both, but I’m always cautious when it comes to using one to try to interpret the other. Thanks for your great stuff!