I
Timothy 2:1-7 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for
kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there
is one God;
there
is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ
Jesus, himself human,
6 who
gave himself a ransom for all
—this was attested at the right time. 7 For this
I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not
lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Year C
September 18-24
September 18, 2016
Cross~Wind
Title: Recovering the Language of Prayer
Introduction
I am from Minnesota. I did not have
a lot of the distinctive Minnesota language. Our family was largely German in a
Norwegian territory. Yes, mom did say,
“You betcha” and “Don’t you know.”
Hearing someone speak a different
dialect naturally makes us wonder from where the person has come. A good
linguist can offer a good guess. This makes me think of the musical My Fair Lady.
However, times are changing.
Don Graham, an English professor at
the University of Texas at Austin, likes to tell the story of a student who
once worked as a cowboy. "Wore hat and boots," Graham says. "He was
the real deal." At the end of the academic year, the student told Graham
that he was the only professor who ever spoke English. Of course, what he meant
was the professor spoke his language, that is, Texan. You have heard that
distinctive twang and drawl that becomes almost an attitude, from the first
"howdy" to the last "thank you, kindly." Conversation can
be as extreme as the landscape in Texas, where locals will tell you it gets
hotter than a stolen tamale and the wind blows like perfume through a prom.
My first exposure to Texans was not
such a good one. I was present at Asbury Seminary when a large group of future
clergy enrolled from Texas. To put it blunt, they became obnoxious during
football season. They had their hats and boots on during the game. In our
student center, television broadcast most of the Dallas Cowboys games. In those
days, the 70s, they had a very good team. In any case, I got to the point where
whoever played the Cowboys was my favorite team that day.
I came across an article that
suggested that Texas is losing its twang.
The Lone Star State's famous drawl, which was once as much a part of Texas
culture and identity as longhorn cattle and reverence for the Alamo, is quickly
disappearing.
For example, at one time 80% of
Texans interviewed by university researchers had traditional Texas accents,
ranging from the East Texas drawl made famous by Matthew McConaughey to the
nasal West Texas Twang of Laura Bush. Now, just a third of research subjects
have a measurable Texas dialect.
The biggest reason is one many of
us would expect. Texas is not a closed system. It watches the same movies and
television shows everyone else sees. The result is more Texans who, when they
speak, sound like they grew up in Illinois than in "San Antone." To
be sure, their hearts still overflow with that iconic Texas pride (some might
call it arrogance, but I digress) but their language is losing its distinctive
Texas sound.
Did you know that you never have to
ask a man if he is from Texas? If he is, he will tell you on his own. If he
ain't, well, there is no need to embarrass him.
Texas is
not the only place that is losing what many think of as a charming feature of
American identity. Even the valley girl speak we find in southern California or
the “fuhgettaboutit” in New York and New Jersey, have experienced decline.
Christianity
has its language as well. Each denominational tradition has its local language.
Some students of the churches would suggest that it is in the process of losing
its distinctive language in order to have relevance to the secular culture.
More than
that, the church has a distinctive language that is prayer. Is the church
losing that language? Are you losing the language of prayer?
Application
The interests of the rest of the
world can grab our attention. As Christians, we are still human. We are still
susceptible to all the misguided attitudes and behaviors of anyone else. We
forget the simplicity of why we gather as a people to make disciples for Jesus
Christ to transform the world.
We need to recover the language of prayer.
Are you impatient with the pace of your spiritual growth? Thank God for
the growth you have made thus far.
Do you feel unforgiving toward another? Some of you will recall the
theme of the Don Henley song, “The Heart of the Matter.”
You keep carrying that anger; it’ll eat you up inside, baby
I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thought seem to scatter
But I think its about forgiveness
Forgiveness
In a partisan time, when most of us
have probably chosen political sides, Paul has some challenging counsel. He
would have us recover the language of prayer.
First, pray with a bi-partisan, apolitical accent.
"For kings and all who are in high positions," he writes. It is
as if Paul was saying, "Make sure your prayers retain that unique accent
-- you know, the sound of someone not just praying for oneself or those one
knows, but praying for the entire world and those who are in power. That is our
thing. That is our twang. Don't let it get watered down!"
We spend so much time trying to
convince people to vote our way. We seem convinced a Christian could only vote
for one person in this particular election. Maybe we need to ask the Lord to
bless the President in every way, no matter who the President might be.
Second, let us be honest. The
prayers of God's people often take on different
emphases, divergent accents, based on a whole host of factors such as
geography, political persuasion or denominational tribe.
Right here in town, we have a quite
different prayer in our clergy meetings between when the priest prays as over
against one of our non-denominational ministers prays. I have been in urban,
suburban, and rural settings. The focus and content of prayer can change
immensely, given our setting. Such diversity is important. We have our unique
voice in prayer, even as we have our unique application of the English
language. Yet, underneath the diversity in our prayers is the unity of our
prayers to God the Father, through faith in Jesus Christ, and in the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Praying is no easy matter. It demands a
relationship in which you allow someone other than yourself to enter into the
very center of your person, to see there what you would rather leave in
darkness, and to touch there what you would rather leave untouched.
Third, let us be honest. The prayer
life of most Christians has an accent or twang that is intensely self-focused.
When we say "thank you"
it is usually for the blessings in our life. We ask for help most often for
ourselves. In this church, thankfully, we have regular reminders in the
bulletin and on email to intercede for others.
"Prayer is made of attention. It
is the direction towards God of all the attention that the soul is capable of.
The quality of the attention makes for much of the quality of the prayer. It
cannot be replaced by the heart's warmth." This comment by Simone Weil
reminds us that prayer is not essentially request or routine, but kavvanah,
focus, intensity, intention. It is the soul's upward climb. ...
Prayer comes to pass, writes Heschel,
"When we forget ourselves." Perhaps our society's increasing focus on
the self and our inability to pray are related.
As we concentrate on each quiver of
self-regard, we push away the self-forgetfulness that is central to prayer. So
in contrast to all the places that propose to help you to realize yourself,
fulfill yourself, celebrate yourself, perhaps our motto should be: "Forget
yourself -- come to synagogue and pray."
Remember, our passage tells us to
pray for everyone, and an example is to pray for those who have political
authority. God can work through others. Your personal life will expand in
peace, godliness, and dignity. Remember that this kind of prayer accent is
"
right and acceptable."
Fourth, remember that this God, to
whom we pray, has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ.
Why is this important? This God
desires the salvation of everyone. The sacrifice of the life of Jesus paid the
price, the
ransom, for the salvation
of all persons. We are all captives to our sinfulness. We can try to change our
ways, fix our mistakes and get ourselves on the right track, but our efforts
are always going to fall short. In his letter to the Romans, Paul admits his
own frustration when he says, "
I am
of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions.
For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate"
(7:14-15). The Father sent the Son, who enjoyed life within the love of the
Trinity, to live among us, to suffer and to die “for us.” He did all this to
redeem us.
We know God truly because
of Jesus, and therefore he is our
mediator.
A mediator in the legal profession tries to make peace between two warring
parties. In this case, in Christ, we know that God is not at war with us, but
we have been at war with God. Christ, in the sacrifice of his life, has shown
the love of God for us
. Through him,
we come into the presence of God in prayer.
Jesus is also fully
human, showing us that God fully identifies with us and helps us in
our struggles.
Conclusion
Perhaps you have never thought
about it this way, but the privilege of prayer is also the responsibility of
prayer. If Christ gives us access to divine mercy and power then there is a
moral responsibility for us to use that access to affect the most change among
others and bring the most blessing to others as possible.
This issue was of such importance
to Paul that he made it the first pastoral issue on his list of leadership
"musts" for Timothy, his young successor. You see, if this particular
"accent" fades then the world has lost something far greater than the
sound of Texans talkin' funny. We will have lost the presence of a people
inviting the power of God upon a planet and people who desperately need it.
"Y'all" is something we can live without, but true Christian prayer,
that we simply cannot.
May our prayers never lose their
twang.
May our supplications never lose
their distinct drawl.
May we always be a people whom
people can hear from a mile away with a very peculiar accent: the sound of
people praying for all persons, including their political leaders, and not just
for themselves.
Going deeper
I Timothy 2:1-7 is liturgical or
public prayer. The transition between these two sections seems awkward. To some
scholars, it may suggest the hand of a later editor who had both personal and
creedal sources before him.
This portion of the pastoral letter focuses primarily on issues of
worship (2:1-3:16). The church faces disruptive personalities ("false
teachers") and the hazardous, haphazard upwelling of wrong doctrine -- not
to mention its precarious position amidst first-century opposition.
The body of this letter (2:1-6:19) opens with a deceptively simple
command to pray and to make that prayer all-inclusive. In 2:1-7, Paul asserts
that there are both good social reasons (the desire to live in peace and quiet)
and good theological reasons (there is truly only one God and one Redeemer) for
this call to universality in prayer.
I Timothy 2:1-7 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
[Prayer for help in personal need. The first
type of prayer, dehsiV,
means request and Paul often uses it (1 Timothy 5:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Romans
10:1; 2 Corinthians 1:11, 9:14; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 1:4, 19; 4:6). It
is a cry for help, an expression of need and can entail an intense cry of
lamentation.]
prayers, [entreaty for
beneficial outcomes. The second type of prayer, proseuch, is more of a general prayer term and can
even denote a place of prayer.]
intercessions, [petition for
others in need. The third type of prayer Paul lists is enteuxiV "intercession." Paul uses the verb
form in Romans 8:27 to denote the intercessory role of the Holy Spirit and in
Romans 8:34 to describe Christ's intercession for believers. He also uses the
verb form in Romans 11:2 to describe Elijah's complaints to God against Israel.
In secular literature, the term includes the notion of a petition to one's
superior, who is often the king. In light of how Paul uses the term in Romans
and in light of how the term appears in secular literature, here enteuxiV probably has the connotation of intercessory
petitions made on the behalf of others to a superior, which in this case is not
a king, but God.] and
thanksgivings [thanksgiving
for blessings received. The final type of prayer on
Paul's list is the eucaritia "prayer
of thanksgiving" in which thanksgiving should be made for all people.
While there is certainly some overlap in these categories of prayers, the above
distinctions can be helpful.] be made for everyone, [Paul identifies prayer as the main activity
of a Christian community. The exhortation for Christians to pray in worship
seems obvious enough; however, there is a bit of a twist in his urgings. The
Christian community's prayers are for everyone. Prayer is the first cause, the
vital heartthrob of Christian public worship. Without prayer, the church is
empty, no matter how full. With prayer, the church is empowered, no matter how
empty. As Paul places all these types of prayers together, he stresses that all
prayer should be for all people.] 2 for
kings and all who are in high positions, [Paul's first directive is that everyone should be included in prayer,
with "kings" and those in "high positions" just one example
from that extensive list. Prayers for political leaders had long been a part of
Jewish worship. Paul wants to make sure that the practice that is a heritage
from Judaism's worship is one that Christian congregations adopt as well.
Christians and Jews were both suspect in the larger pagan society because they
refused to worship the emperor or to pray to him. However, Christians could and
should pray for the emperor and all others in positions of authority. The concern expressed here is consistent with
the discussion of Christian obedience to the secular authorities in Romans 13.]
so that we may lead a quiet [this call to "quietness" perhaps
contrasts with the excessive eschatological expectations and excitement that
rippled through the faith community.] and
peaceable life [By linking
the possibility of peace and quiet to prayers for those in authority, early
Christians, for good or ill, experienced directly the whims and temperaments of
the civil rulers under which they lived. It appears that Paul wants his communities
to be perceived as peaceful religious groups and therefore free from the
watchful eye of the secular authority. Hence, there is a very practical concern
here: At a time of tension in which Timothy is attempting to maintain churches,
it is most important to stay focused on the spiritual matters and out of the
spotlight, keeping distant from any political intrigue. The central issue is
the attitude of the church toward kings and those in authority. It may be the question of public prayer for
the emperor cult. The reason for such
prayer is that they will have freedom to live on their own and that these
people may receive the salvation offered in Christ. In obeying authorities and praying for them,
Christians believed they were rendering to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Some scholars would say that the author has a
piety that is at home in church and world, while Paul had a tension between two
worlds. Moderation is the key note. This desire for "peaceableness"
counterbalances the more strident urgings in I Timothy 1:18 to "fight the
good fight" for truth.] in all
godliness [Godliness is
an often-repeated term in the pastorals to denote the essential faith and reverence
that defines the Christian life.] and
dignity ["Dignity"
describes an attitude that demands respect, a quality all Christians are to
express. The idyllic life Paul describes here, one that is quiet and peaceable,
is a life characterized by inner tranquility. He makes this tranquil existence
definitively Christian by the additional qualities of "godliness" and
"dignity." Practicing inclusive prayer and demonstrating godliness
and dignity are particularly right and proper in worship because these
attitudes reflect God's own intentions.]
[Yet it is important to remember, "This statement is made against
the backdrop of the pax romana, the 'Roman peace,' and suggests that
Paul may not have intended it to be valid everywhere and for all times". Moreover, emphasizing the
church's peace does not cohere with one of the major themes of this passage
that is the inclusive nature of salvation. Paul's statements in this passage
show that his primary concern is for the availability of salvation for all and
not necessarily for the church's peaceful existence. Therefore, one could read
verse 2 as parenthetical. Christian prayers are for all people, including
secular rulers, and, because of praying for all people, believers will have
peaceful lives. On this reading the emphasis remains on prayer for all people
and how engaging in such action results in better lives for Christians. If
believers pray for all people and do not become exclusivist in nature, they
will live devoid of conflict. Such willingness to include all people in their
prayers shows outsiders that believers are not antagonistic to society. This
behavior contrasts with the false teachers who bring in dissension and dishonor
upon the church (1 Timothy 1:3-4, 6-11, 19-20; 4:7; 6:20-21; cf. 3:7). Here
Paul emphasizes that true teachers and true Christian behavior does the
opposite.]
[There is a passive quality to Paul's advice. Paul believes that
Christians make the best witness to the secular world by remaining dignified
and prayerful. This advice is not the social gospel that many activists favor.
One can only wonder if the practical exigencies of spreading the gospel in the
first century Mediterranean world had not diluted Jesus' original teachings
that seem to suggest a more radical social upheaval. However, to Paul, now that
Christ's return (parousia) was not imminent, it seemed more faithful and safer
to alter the strategy.] 3 This is right and is acceptable in the
sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires everyone to be saved [Living quiet, peaceful and prayerful lives
would not only protect the fledgling communities, but also bring about the
salvation of everyone. No matter how one attempts to clarify the issue, this
verse along with Romans 13 raises the continuing theological dilemma of a Christian's
responsibility to obey secular authority, even if unjust, or to serve in the
military. The author makes the theological assertion that God desires the
salvation of everyone. Throughout the Pastoral Epistles, the focus is on the
saving grace of God made possible by Christ. The explicit inclusivity of the
assertion here may have a direct bearing upon the teaching offered by gnostic
"false teachers" -- or even against Jewish claims to exclusivity. In
a discussion of the doctrine of election, Barth stresses that we see here the
unlimited quality of the divine will in Jesus Christ toward the salvation of
humanity in intention and sufficient for the salvation of all people.] and to come to the knowledge of the
truth. [The verse is
representative of John. "Truth" is Christian faith. There may have been a tendency toward
exclusiveness. The phrase has a distinctly gnostic ring to it, but here the
"saving knowledge" is available to all, not just a select few. Barth
will stress that it is not enough to have the objective knowledge of the
objective revelation of the divine will in Christ. The Holy Spirit brings
people to the subjective knowledge of the truth that frees humanity for
faithfulness to God.]
5 For
there is one God;
[The author makes a transition in verses
5-6. Using an earlier creedal formulation (of which there were many in the
early Church, as in Mark 10:45, he moves from the subject of behavior to one of
doctrinal truth: God is one. Barth will discuss such a doctrinal truth under
the topic of divine freedom that focuses on the unity of God. Of course, any
Jew would affirm this monotheistic statement of divine identity. The
high-modern era of systematic theology was fixated on God, nervous about
talking about the Spirit and ran from talking about Jesus. High-modern
theologians only wanted to talk about God, and even then in abstract terms like
"The Ground of Being." However, the significant part of the Gospel is
not "Ground." It is Jesus. Jesus is our all in all.]
there
is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
[Then, the author makes a crucial distinction that separates
Christianity from its Jewish roots and from any other religion: God has only
one mediator between divinity and humanity. This one mediator is Jesus. The
description of Jesus as "mediator" is ambiguous. A mediator implies
that at least two parties are estranged. Mediation implies that both parties
must compromise to find middle ground. This is not what Paul intends for his
readers to understand. It is better to see Jesus' role as mediator as, in
reality, more of a defense advocate for his human clients who have, because of
the sin of Adam, no legal ground to stand on. God may choose to be gracious,
but it is not because anyone or anything forces God to compromise. Of course,
this does not mean that Jesus is an intermediate being, a third being between
God and humanity. Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 5.17.1) appealed to this
passage to the work of the Mediator in the reconciling of the Father to the
offending by humanity of its sin. Augustine would follow this line of thought.
He went further in his Confessions (10.68)
and City of God (9.15.2) that Christ
is Mediator only in accord with his humanity. The notion influenced Latin
Scholasticism. The notion is behind the satisfaction theory of Anselm. John Calvin (Institutes 2.12ff) would use this
passage in a similar way, although he emphasized that the divine-human person
is the bearer of the office of Mediator. As Barth puts it, Good Friday makes
Jesus the mediator and Easter Day reveals, confirms, and brought it into
effect. This means Jesus is the one who represents us, who bears the sin of the
world, and reconciles the world with God. Pannenberg concludes that
reconciliation cannot come solely from the Father. It must happen on the side
of humanity as well. In exemplary fashion, this took place in Jesus of
Nazareth. Jesus vicariously reconciles in his own person the independence of
humans all creatures to God. Therefore, he is the Mediator between God and us,
as this passage makes clear. He is Mediator by his death because the acceptance
of death was the extreme consequence of the self-distinction of the Son from
the Father. By this death, Jesus Christ made room for the glory of God and for
the existence of others alongside Jesus.]
6 who gave
himself a ransom for all
[Jesus effected the successful mediation by offering himself as a
ransom for all. Jesus is not only a mediator, he is also the ransom paid. The
notion of ransom has a close connection to the theme of expiation and a
relation to the explanatory words of the Lord’s Supper. A ransom implies that
someone abducted humanity. Hence, Jesus, in reality, becomes the mediator
between God and Satan who appears willing to release his human bounty if Jesus
becomes the payment in kind. Here is an articulation of a
"substitution" theory of atonement. This ransom quality (literally
redemption or buying back out of slavery) is the most important component of
Christ's qualities for the Pauline argument for inclusivity. Christ as a
"ransom for all" makes Christ the Savior for all.]
—this
was attested at the right time.
[The author subtly shifts the
focus back from Christ's sacrifice to God's ultimate plan. God determined the
time of salvation. There are no divine errors in time-keeping. The cross came
at the "right time."]
[Shorter than other creedal statements in Paul (compare Philippians 2),
this "Credo" stresses the humanity of Jesus and says nothing of
Christ's pre-existence. Furthermore, both here and in Philippians there is no
mention of the Holy Spirit; rather, the focus is on the first two persons of
the Trinity. Not too much should be read into this. It shows that in the first
century of the Church, Paul and others were free from strict and complete
doctrinal formulations.]
7 For this I was appointed a herald and an
apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in
faith and truth.
[Also part of God's perfectly timed plan for salvation is the divine
choice of a proclaimer. Paul defines himself as "herald,"
"apostle" and "teacher." Again, it would appear that Paul
might have some Gnostic disclaimers in mind for he emphasizes his role as
"teacher" by more fully explaining his mission as to "the
Gentiles in faith and truth." It is a startling and graceful clause. While
humans may wonder about the timing of God's revelation, Paul is secure that God
has revealed this final stage of salvation history in God's own time and in
God's own way. This declaration also serves Paul's contention that God has
called him especially for his mission to the Gentile world. He is not only a
herald of the good news, but an apostle. Paul's parenthetical comment that he
is telling the truth and not lying suggests two things: (1) that many people in
the early church scorned his claim to be an authentic disciple (see Galatians),
and (2) that the intent of Paul is that more people than just Timothy read this
letter. Given the close relationship that Timothy had with Paul, it is
inconceivable that Timothy would doubt his mentor's claim.]
[The call to pray for secular leaders, followed by the doctrine of
Jesus as mediator, may have a more subtle connection. After all, religious
beliefs do have political and secular implications. For example, the Roman Emperor
perceived himself to be a mediator between humans and the gods. Hence, for the
author to move abruptly from behavior to belief is more of a radical transition
than one might suppose. With a theological perspective that is so implicitly
political, it is no wonder that the author urges Timothy to maintain dignity
and peacefulness.]
[In conclusion, Paul reminds his readers that the quality
of the inner life of prayer effects enormous power in the outer world.]
--Molly Hennessy-Fiske, "Texas talk is losing its twang," The
Los Angeles Times Website. January 17, 2013, latimes.com. Retrieved April 4,
2013.
I came across a list of 10
Texas Sayings.
1. It's so hot, the
trees are bribing the dogs.
2. Lettin' the cat
outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back in.
3. If you're ridin'
ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still
there.
4. If you get to
thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog
around.
5. Never kick a cow
chip on a hot day.
6. If you find
yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
7. Don't squat with
your spurs on.
8. It don't take a
genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
9. Always drink
upstream from the herd.
10. Never miss a good
chance to shut up.
Do you feel overwhelmed by problems? Pray for the burdens of others.
Are feelings of resentment arising
toward a person? Give thanks for that person.
Do you feel alone and uncertain?
Pray for wisdom.
Do you feel critical of others? Thank God for the person and ask God to
make them a blessing.
Do you feel bitter where another succeeded and you have failed? Pray
for their continued success.
Yes, we want peaceful lives. However, do our prayers
include a prayer of peace for those who live far away? In fact, maybe our
prayers for others to the Lord, the giver of life, will bring an increasingly
peaceful life our way.
--Rabbi David Wolpe, Off the Pulpit e-newsletter for July 14, 2011,
sinaitemple.org/learning_with_the_rabbis/writings/index.php.
Too often -- perhaps because of the same influences,
like pop-culture, that water down regional dialects -- our prayers become too
apathetic and are absent any language that, with hope, calls upon God to right
wrongs, overturn injustice and instill peace, not just in the age to come but
also in the age that is. When we fail to do this we are losing part of our
distinctly Christian voice, which proclaims that God not only
"exists" but that, through the prayers of God's people, God is
active, loving, immanent and able.
God,
to whom we pray, specifically says that prayers for everyone, including our
leaders, are a good thing. Again, what more do we need? Seems pretty
straightforward.
Those words ring terribly true, do they not? We are
slaves to sin and need rescuing. Fortunately, says Paul, Jesus "gave
himself a ransom for all" (v. 6). Jesus took personal action to buy us out
of slavery. A ransom that Jesus offered was his own life through a crucifixion
that was the worst possible way to die. Fleming Rutledge, a retired Episcopal
priest, says, "Crucifixion was specifically designed to be the worst of
the worst. It was so bad, good Roman citizens didn't discuss it in
public." The death of Jesus was a ghastly sight. On the cross, says
Rutledge, we see Jesus Christ "giving up not only his life but also his
position as ruler of the universe and Lord of all that exists, suffering
something degrading, dehumanizing and shameful." Moreover, why did he
sacrifice everything? Why did he do it? For our redemption. To be our ransom. Innocent
Jesus died so that all of us could receive rescuing and forgiveness, becoming
right with God.
This is why the Apostles' Creed says that Jesus is
God's "only Son" -- that is his relationship to God. The creed also
says that he is "our Lord" -- that is Christ's relationship to us. As
the only Son of God and as our Lord, Jesus has a unique relationship with God
and with humanity. A mediator bridges a gap, and only Jesus can bridge the gap
between God and us. A mediator is
someone who stands in the middle of two parties and tries to make peace between
them. In order to achieve reconciliation, "he must have a relationship
with the two parties," writes Brian Mattson, a scholar of public theology.
Jesus is the Son of God who is also one of us.
Jesus is an authentic human, not an artificial
product. The true humanity of Jesus
helps him to identify with us and really help us in our struggles. The letter
to the Hebrews says that Jesus is able to "sympathize with our weaknesses" (4:15); because "he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested" (2:18). The humanity of
Jesus enables him to be with us in all of the difficulties we face. He
accompanies us, just as he accompanied people in his earthly life. The English
priest Samuel Wells has written a book called A Nazareth Manifesto, in which he
reminds us that Jesus spent most of his life in the town of Nazareth, simply
living with people. The stories of the gospels focus mostly on the end of his
life on earth, leaving out the years that he was simply "Immanuel,"
the name that means "God with us."
"Jesus
is Immanuel before he is Savior," writes Wells. "By overcoming our
isolation, Jesus saves us." Therefore, the second ingredient in the
make-up of Jesus is that he is truly human, right beside us, sympathizing with
our weaknesses and helping us when we are tested.
The unique voice, the accent of Christian prayer,
should be such that it is distinct from that of the self-righteous and
self-important "all hat and no cattle" Pharisee praying in the public
square, who can only be heard asking for that which blesses himself. No, we
must call upon God to cure our neighbor's cancer, to spread his fame to
unreached peoples, to open up wells in Africa, to protect our nation and to
bless our president or prime minister even if we did not and would never vote
for him or her. That is what we must do. That is the unique twang and drawl of
Christian prayer.
