The dialogue this week continues in the same way. They ask sensible, leading questions and Jesus gives weird non-responsive answers.
In this week's Gospel the Capernaum crowd asked "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" which prompted Chris at our Bible Study Tuesday to ask "Did Jesus ever call himself the Son of God" None of us were absolutely sure The answer turns out to be no, he called himself son of man but never the son of God.
When Jesus asks "Who do people say I am?" Peter answers "You are the Messiah." The crowd and disciples did not recognize Jesus as God or the son of God. Jesus did not declare he was God with the possible exception of John 8:56-58 where Jesus and the disciples talk about Abraham. The disciples ask how Jesus could make definite observations about someone in so far in the past and Jesus answers "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Many think Jesus said he is God here. Considering the name of God of Abraham is "I am" I doubt this is as straightforward a declaration that some would understand it to be.
When we talk about Jesus and God for most there is a question of lineage and authority. Matthew and Luke are careful to provide the complete lineage of Jesus. Matthew has twenty-seven generations from David to Joseph, whereas Luke has forty-two, with almost no overlap between the names on the two lists. Both follow the paternal line of Jesus. The Virgin Birth narrative disrupts either of these lineages further if Joseph is not really the father of Jesus.
The people who actually knew Jesus in his ministry, besides Lord and master, used rabbi or rabboni (teacher) to address Jesus.Referring to Jesus as teacher fell out of fashion for a time as I was a teenager because it implied that Jesus was "just" a teacher and not the Lord. I like the word teacher now because it implies Jesus was so much more as Lord. He not only was imparting knowledge he was learning that knowledge through experience.
An example for me was brought up in an after service talk where we were talking about Matthew 15:26-28: He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
I believe Jesus learned from this gentile woman that his mission extended beyond the children of Israel.
Anyway, lineage is wrapped up in the question "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" the other is authority. What allows Jesus to speak with authority? This is more than he can never be wrong. I think there were times where he did not see his mission as completely as he finally saw it. People were amazed at his answers; inspired by his answers throughout his ministry. That is why today I have faith that the truth that Jesus was God was not revealed until the historical Jesus died. The recognition came from the communities of Christian followers who told and shaped stories from their oral traditions and scripture.
It helps us ask the question "Who do we, as Christians, need Jesus to be today?" We know there are Christians who needed Jesus to be king. Others needed Jesus to have all the powers of God. Omnipotent, Omniscient, and omnipresent. Today Pastor Janell had us sing "They will know we are Christians by our love." That may not express itself in the same way for every Christian on the path but it is a good place to start the answer of who we need Jesus to be today.
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