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JESUS’ MODEL: DIVINE - HUMAN PARTNERSHIP

(Judges 6:11-24, Luke4:16-21)

2011년 10월 23일 주일예배 말씀증거

Rev. Dr. James Massey (인도 달릿 신학자)

At the outset, I would like to offer my thanks to the Pastor and Pastorate committee and the members of this Church for inviting me to share with you in the fellowship and also to bring this message.

Based on this reading I would like to reflect together on the model of Jesus' ministry.

Jesus' Model

The Bible actually is the story of the numerous encounters between the Divine and the human. Each encounter is supposed to carry a challenge from the Divine and a response from the human being. The story of these encounters began with the first human beings according to the book of Genesis (Chs 1-3). God after creating the whole creation, placed on the human beings a responsibility to take care the same. But while doing so they were to follow certain personal discipline. But we know Adam and Eve failed on both of these accounts. But God continued to struggle with the human beings in order to restore their original human status. The authors of the Bible selected a case history of a nation namely Israelite to show the working of God in human history. According to the account of this story, we see God always working through human beings.

One such case was of Gideon which represents a great success story. But at the end of Gideon's story, we see his leadership could not sustain his people's liberation after his life time was over. The similar end, we find many other cases of prophets and biblical leaders, who responded to God's or Divine challenge at different times. Therefore finally God had to take an extreme step, according to which He himself opted to become a human being. The story of God's becoming human, we find in the four Gospels in the New Testament. According to the authors of the Gospels, it was Jesus Christ in whom God became human (John 1:1-3, 14-18), who represented for us a model of a perfect partnership of 'Divinehuman'.

It is true in Jesus we see a perfect model of a 'DivineHuman Partnership', but how does this get related to our to-day's reflection? The book of Hebrews helps in understanding this relationship. This he does by introducing Jesus Christ as a priest. He compares Jesus as a priest with a Levite priest Aaron. We all know the role played by Aaron along with Moses in the liberation of Israel from the slavery of Egyptians. Also it was he who later on became the first priest of his community and also founded the highest order of the priestly class known as 'Aaronic' (Leviticus 3:2, Hebrew 7:11). But to reach that level, first he had to go through a most difficult experience by acting as a 'spokesperson' (Exodus 4:16) not only of his brother Moses, but of his whole enslaved community namely the Israelites. The details of the Israelites' misery, oppression and suffering from the hand of their oppressors in Egypt are listed in the first few chapters of Exodus. But the role played by Aaron as spokesperson of his people and of his brother is also stated in the book of Exodus. Aaron, his sons and other members of his clan Levi have to go through a most comprehensive and intensive training by becoming a part of the liberation struggle of their people. So Aaron's training as a priest was more organic in nature, which was not based upon a predetermined curriculum plan of a theological education.

Beside the Aaronic order of priesthood, the other order which the Bible refers is the non-priestly or non-Aaronic order, the head of which, according to Hebrews chapter 7 is Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews also sees Jesus in the model of Melchizedek, the king cum priest, who also did not belong to any priestly class. From the description of the writers of the Gospels, it becomes clear that Jesus also has to encounter a number of powers and authorities on behalf of the poor, prisoners, blind and broken victims of his time (Luke 4:14-19). But the difference between Aaronic order and Jesus' order, according to the author of Hebrews is that Jesus besides belonging to a non-priestly order, his priesthood is perpetual in nature. It is because he had a victory over death through resurrection and therefore he lives forever, and his work of advocacy on our behalf also continues forever.

So it is clear, Jesus Christ's ministry as a priest and pastor continued is non stop, because it does not end with his death like Gideon and other deliverers and liberators of the Old Testament. But then how this 'Divine-Human Partnership' model will help us to-day in our ministry? The answer to this question lies in the principles, on which this model was based. So these principles need our special attentions, which include:

(1) Identifying with the People in their actual situation

The first principle is related to God's becoming a human being. As human beings' responses in different points of human history to the Divine challenge proved more as ad hoc in nature, therefore in order to make these on going, God Himself became human being through His incarnational act. The summary of this act of God, we find in John 1:14. Here we find that through the act of incarnation God not only identified with human beings by becoming a human being, he also fully became a part of human history. A concrete picture of the same Divine act can be seen in Luke 2:1-7. Here we find a human child wrappedin swaddling clothes, laidin a manger (Luke 2:7). With this, two of the Old Testament prophecies also got fulfilled, which many hundred of years earlier predicted about God's participation in human history. It was prophet Isaiah who prophesied A young womanwill give birth to a son, who will be called 'Emmanuel' means 'God with us' (Isaiah 7:14) and the same prophet said, God as a human being will have no form or comeliness (Isaiah 53:4). So here (as part of the fulfillment of these prophecies) in the act of incarnation, we do meet God as a full human being, but not just as any human being, but one who became the poorest of the poor, who lost his other worldly identity for the liberation/salvation of His whole creation.

So through His act in Jesus Christ as a lowest human being, God identified with all the human beings. As His this act was inclusive, therefore services offered through this 'DivineHuman Partnership' was also inclusive. So the first challenge which we all receive to-day particularly those who are going to the field to begin their ministry is that if we wish our ministry will be acceptable, creative and fruitful, we have to identify willingly with those among whom we plan to work. It has to begin from the lowest with the least one. In fact, this is the first secret of any sustainable ministry, which to-day we need within the Church as well as in the society in general. But how such ministry becomes operational? Our answer to this question leads us to second principle of Jesus' model, which includes:

(2) Carrying Ministry to the People where they are

Jesus began his public ministry when he was about thirty years old. But right on the first day of his ministry, in his own local village Nazareth, he made his manifesto public, by describing very clearly, the purpose, focus, goal and scope of his ministry. The text of his manifesto was:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. (Luke 4:18-19).

We know Jesus was rejected by his own village people. As Christians many times we have to be ready for such rejections. One such example from the past is standing before us in person. Such an experience is very hard to bear. One needs a real empowerment of the Spirit to do so. But if we can overcome that state, then nothing can stop us to fulfill your ministry. This we learn from the Gospel about the ministry of Jesus. St. Luke tells us: Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 8:1). The result was amazing. When the disciples of John the Baptist came to find out from Jesus, if he is the one who is to come? Jesus in his answer told them: Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. (Luke 7:22).

Jesus by following the dictate of his Nazareth manifesto, continued to work with the various excluded and oppressed groups of people. Among these people were the tax collectors, the other outcasts (Luke 15:1) and women (even belonging to lowest considered social groups, John 4:7-9). He welcomed the change in poor (Mark 12:41-44), in rich a person like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9), in a non JewCanaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28) and a sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50). Jesus continued according to the Gospel writers visiting all the towns and villages, with his message of Good News of the Kingdom of God bringing to the poor, blind, captive and oppressed. But then he had to pay a price for that. He was rejected and abused with all kind of titles and names. About this truth once he himself said: For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say, 'He has a demon', the son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! (Matthew 11:18-19).

My friends this is a second challenge for all of us. This challenge demands from us to name the people to whom we intend to serve. As we have mentioned earlier, Jesus' target were both urban and rural poor, sinners, women and various groups considered outcasts in his time. Which ones are our target groups? Are we clear with the terms of our manifesto of our ministry? Anyhow according to Jesus' model of ministry we have to be both clear with our target and goals and also have to be ready to face the consequences of the same. But then what about the sustainability and continuity of our ministries? This question leads us to the third principle of Jesus' model:

(3) Continuing of a Ministry by organizing and empowering the people

Continuing the ministry, specially which deals with the people is the most difficult task. That was true with most of the works of the prophets and biblical leaders. Even to-day most of the good works carried by many of the peoples' movements and organizations, which began with the very clear vision and efforts of one or some persons, but in most cases those got vanished from the scene in due course of time either at the end of that person's or group's life or after some time. Most of the development projects are having the same fate. To-day the Church as a whole and the institutions and organizations related to the Church are facing the similar challenge. But then how Jesus was able to plan for the continuity of his ministry?

According to Gospels and other books of the New Testament, Jesus took care by planning in advance for the future work, which he undertook during his life time in this world. According to Gospel writers right from the beginning he started organizing his close circle of disciples. (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11). Soon he selected twelve disciples, whom he gave the status of 'apostles'. (Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16). This he did after spending many hours in prayer to God. Then according to St. Luke, he chose seventy two disciples and trained them and also empowered them to carry on the work, which he began. In order to create faith commitment in them, he instituted a sacrament known as 'the Lord's Supper' or 'Holy Communion' (Luke 22:14-23, 1 Cor. 11:23-25). Every time his believers take part in it, this sacrament reminds them, what the Lord has done for them. It also helped the believers to be in solidarity with one another based on the relationship of flesh and blood. Because Jesus' own flesh and blood is the foundation of this solidarity. 

(Ephesians 2:13-16). To these believers, he entrusted his task to carry on, before leaving this world, he prayed for the empowerment of his disciples. He entrusted them into the safety of God. While placing them in the world, he prayed to God the Father: Sanctify them in the truthAs you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. This prayer of sanctification he also offered on behalf of those who will believe in him through their word. (John 17:9-18).

Beside praying for the future continuing ministry, Jesus also promised his disciples a Helper, who will takes his place as enabler. It is this Helper, which actually is the Holy Spirit, in future, who will guide them into all the truth. (John 16:5-15). After his resurrection, when Jesus met his disciple be told them about their future task as his witnesses, but before they begin their task, they need to get empowered with the 'power' from above. (Luke 24:44-49) in the form of Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). This process of empowerment began when the first set of disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12). The change in their life was amazing. Now they were ready to face any challenge or power of this world. The story of the early Church is most powerful testimony to this truth as narrated by St. Luke in the book of Acts.

Concluding Remarks

Friends, in closing, I want to stress the fact, first, there is a great need of Christian ministry to-day, but the right one. One of the most important goals of a Christian ministry is to empower God's people, so that his ministers may become instruments of liberation. Ministry is 'of course' is not one kind, it differ both in nature and kind, but all the ministries have a common target and goal, which St. Paul has summed up for us in these words:

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Have you received a gift of your ministry? May God help you to find answer to this question, as you make a move to enter in His active sacred service in order to equip and empower God's people so that they may render their services faithfully in this world. Amen.