Luke 6:20-31

Luke 6:20-31

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: 

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  

21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 

22 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you  on account of the Son of Man.  23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.  

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  

25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. 

"Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.  

26 "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.  

27 "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.  30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.  31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:20-31 is part of the Sermon on the plain that extends to verse 49. 

Luke 6:20-26 present the beatitudes. Luke has stressed that the people came to hear (verse 17).  Now he shows Jesus' response and his giving a challenge to them.  Although surrounded by a crowd, ²⁰ Then Jesus looked up at his disciples. He addressed the sermon to his disciples. By using his eyes to hold his disciples' attention, he lets his closest companions know that these words are of particular importance for them. Before Luke begins the recitation of blessings and woes, he masterfully intertwines this public discourse with a private lesson specifically for Jesus' chosen disciples.

In Luke, the beatitudes and maledictions both speak of material conditions in this life to be reversed in the next. Jesus wants his followers to cultivate a new way of making sense of the world. Jesus addresses the audience directly in form with the second person and giving detailed grounds for blessedness in the final beatitude.[1] They become prophetic sayings. The prophecy of future salvation in the beatitudes refers to the present, for the longed-for age is breaking in now, the immediacy of the eschatological consciousness being something new that distinguishes Jesus from his contemporaries. Blessed are the saints who long for this age.[2]

^20b“Blessed are you who are poor (πτωχοί), for yours is the kingdom of God.[3] The followers of Jesus experience the outward oppression of those who suffer poverty. They are oppressed and cannot defend themselves; they are desperate and hopeless.[4] Jesus pronounces a beatitude promised to God's poor, oppressed people, with the need for them to show love and mercy. Those blessed are those who outwardly whom we should pity.  The Lord hears the oppressed and needy (Ps 69:32-33). God’s future action will meet their present need.  Jesus' blessings are a proclamation of the way the world is in the reign of God.  Note that there are no imperatives here, no exhortations to do better. The poor refers to those who are "so poor as to have to be," that is, those who are completely destitute. Jesus does not find any blessing in being poor; he does find that God's promise makes the poor blessed.

Such a paradoxical formulation of those who belong to the rule of God represents the central theme of the proclamation of Jesus. The poor are near to God because the eschatological reversal of fortunes is beginning to be realized. [5] As Jesus speaks, the future rule of God comes.  Clearly, the rule of God manifests itself differently than the rule of Rome. The sovereignty and authority of God is behind what Jesus says.  The humble receive the promise of the kingdom.  In doing so, the salvation that Jesus mediates consists of fellowship with God and the related life, which also embraces a renewal of fellowship with others. To have part in the rule of God is of the very essence of salvation.^[6]

²¹ “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled (Matt 5:6). The second beatitude has an intimate relation to the first. For where there is poverty there is surely hunger. The followers of Jesus are hungry. The hungry are people who both outwardly and inwardly are painfully deficient in the things essential to life as God meant it to be, and who, since they cannot help themselves, turn to what God has promised. They are believers who seek help from Gpd because of their own helplessness.[7] Again, Luke's text emphasizes a bodily condition, not a spiritual malaise. The particle "nun" (now) focuses this beatitude because while hunger did not describe a social status like poverty, for many, hunger was a constant in their lives. Jesus' blessing promises that this unwanted companion God will banish and instead God will at last fill the hungry. Their hunger is for "now," but God will give complete and unwavering satisfaction. True spirituality, then, focuses our attention upon “now” rather than escaping our “now” for another world.^[8]

In pronouncing this blessing, Jesus demonstrates two aspects of his messianic authority. He reveals that the rule of God is near. He proclaims his authority to declare this rule of God as the special possession of the poor. Upon those who have nothing in this world, Jesus bestows the whole of the coming rule of God. A life without political power or material prosperity was neither inevitably defeated nor depressed, but instead somehow blessed.  The Cynic epistle, in a similar vein, says: "Practice needing little, for this is nearest to God, while the opposite is farthest away." The rule of God is this ability, this wisdom, to incorporate adversity into the enjoyment of contentment.

“Blessed are you who weep (κλαίοντες, mourn) now, for you will laugh (γελάσετε). The third beatitude Jesus proclaims upon those who "weep now" (again the "nun" particle focuses the time and place). The Lucan term for weeping expresses general sorrow, not some specialized mourning over the ways of the world. This weeping accompanies everyday life and its losses. Luke contrasts this weeping with ordinary laughter in his elevated declaration that those with tears will laugh. The prophetic promise is the year of the favor of the Lord will bring comfort those who mourn and gladness instead of mourning (Isaiah 61:2-3). Thus, where Jesus speaks of the transfigured world, he speaks in the images of symbolic language, in this case, the laughter of the time of salvation rings out.[9]

In verses 22-23 (Mat 5:11-12), ²² “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man (τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, which is secondary[10] given Matt 5:11, “on my account”). The reference to the Son of Man here may not be “authentic,” but the general New Testament reference to Jesus as the Son has its basis in the way Jesus referred to God as his Father.^[11] 23 Rejoice in that day (eschatologically meant[12]) and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, speaking of empowerment to participate in the kingdom for the sake of something bigger than personal satisfaction; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets,disciples becoming the successors of the prophets. The followers of Jesus suffer persecution. What kind of reception can Jesus' followers expect? What would happen if the answer were to have others hate, exclude, revile, and attack you? Being "defamed" ("casting out your name as evil") refers to an official excommunication from the synagogue ‑‑ an attack leveled by one's entire community. Jesus' surprising revelation to his disciples is that this experience of rejection is in fact a sign of blessing. The certainty of salvation and the security it provides gives followers of Jesus courage to submit to the uncertainties of life, especially related to seeing suffering in a new light as a child of God, here becoming an occasion of joy that receives recompense from God.[13] Jesus would refer to those welcoming prophets in the name of a prophet receiving the reward a prophet (Matt 10:41a), that many prophets longed to see what this generation sees and hear what this generation hears (Matt 13:17), and that he sends prophets whom the Pharisees will flog (Matt 23:34). Jesus claimed prophetic authority that he then shared with his disciples, claiming for himself the promise of the Spirit (Isa 61:1).[14]The beatitude points us in the direction of the love of enemies. Here is precisely where the task of standing with and for the kingdom comes into play most fully, particularly whenever we confront the sad news of the world with the good news of heaven, no matter what the personal cost. One receives blessing from God especially when the world offers rejection. Such blessed boldness connects us to the same heavenly power that sustains Jesus and the prophets before him.

In Luke 6:24-26 are prophetic sayings on woes to the rich. 

The context is that of blessing in the beatitudes upon some and woe upon others. In Sukka 56b: “And due to Miriam’s father and mother, do we penalize an entire watch? Abaye said: Woe unto the wicked, woe unto his neighbor. To conclude the tractate on a positive note, the Gemara says: Good for the righteous, good for his neighbor, as it is stated: “Say you of the righteous that it shall be good for him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” (Isaiah 3:10); the neighbors of a righteous man who witness and acknowledge the good that befalls him will benefit from their proximity to him.” In Yoma 87b is a similar combination of blessing and woe: “Fortunate are the righteous because not only do they accumulate merit for themselves, but they accumulate merit for their children and their children’s children until the end of all generations … Woe to the wicked, as not only do they render themselves liable, but they also render their children and children’s children liable until the end of all generations.”

Further, the “woe” is common in prophetic literature. Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, … Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink … Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood … Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, … Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes … Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes” (Isa 5:8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22). Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees (Isa 10:1). Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own … Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house … Woe to him who builds a town with blood … Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink … Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake (Hab 2:6, 9, 12, 15, 19).

The woe upon contemporaries suggests God is giving one final respite before the final catastrophe.^[15] The prophecy of future judgment refers to the present, for the new age is breaking in now, the immediacy of the eschatological consciousness being something new that distinguishes Jesus from his contemporaries.^[16] The pointedness of the "woes" in Luke's beatitudes section indicates that many of these listeners may have been actively hostile toward Jesus and his message. 

In Luke 6: 24-25 is ancient tradition, since there is no reference to the person of Jesus. We find an element of compensation for the suffering and deficiencies of the present world, which is part of the eschatological transformation that will take place. Those compensated now and find satisfaction in what they receive now, and therefore no longer yearn for the coming salvation of God, will be those whom God shuts out of the participation in salvation.^[17] Jesus is reminding us of the challenge in leading a human life. Out of its challenges can come a new person with renewed vision and purpose.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. The "woe" declared upon those who are rich in this world stipulates that these rich ones have nothing to look forward to at all. Having "received their consolation," that is, they have all their receipts, they have no future claims whatsoever.

^25aWoe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. 

^25bWoe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep

²⁶ “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. Jesus directs the linked declarations in verses 22 and 26 to those who have at least established themselves in some sort of relationship with Jesus. The "woe" that Jesus warns the disciples to stay away from is the experience of acceptance, the disaster of having "all speak well of you." Jesus contrasts the historic treatment of genuine and false prophets to demonstrate his disciples' own acceptance or rejection by their communities. Thus, Jesus cannot spare his messengers hardship. He does help them understand why they suffer. Suffering is part of the service of a messenger. True prophets suffer, and the disciples are in that line.[18] The false prophets, those crowd‑pleasers who used smooth words to hide evil intentions, stand as a warning to all who may be tempted to accommodate the gospel message to make it more acceptable to everyone. Followers of Jesus need to reconcile themselves to adversity. In fact, we need to consider that when the culture or the tribe to which we belong smiles upon us, we need to have some caution.^[19]

Thus far, the message of Jesus is promise and peril. The promise of God’s blessing upon the needy at the end of the age is beginning to be fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry, and that very approach of the end holds out peril to those who would seek to arrogate those blessings only to themselves. Judgment is as sure as blessing.

Luke 6:27-38 (Year C Epiphany 7, verses 27-31 Year C All Saints’ Day) undergirds and develops the perspective sketched in verses 20-26 by outlining the new commitments and behaviors that flow from this fresh way of understanding how the world works by focusing upon God as the merciful Father, whose own practices are not stingy or calculated, but lavish and full of grace. This portion of the message represents a concern for ethics. Ethics directs attention at the resolution of concrete problems or specific cases as well as the further specification of an established or developing way of life. What is the concrete situation in life that must be imagined for the ethical instruction given here, if taken at face value, not to register in practice merely an open invitation to repeated abuse by others and self-destruction?  What is the logic of this speech?  How do its various parts fit together?  Why "love your enemies"? The problem dealt with here is the experience of hostile opposition: the various predicaments provoked and suffered by the early Jewish-Christians because of their decided social marginality.  The result is a skillfully argued piece of early Christian ethics, helping further to articulate in both word and deed as a moral posture the underlying ethos of the Christians of this period, most of whom lived around Galilee.  Clearly, this life was on increasingly under fire.  They assume that people want to be like God.  They also assume that God will reward the faithful.  

Scholars call these parenetical hortatory sayings, aphorisms, and parody. They are a form of discourse that exaggerates certain traits for comic effect. Such sayings have the design of producing insight, prompting the listener or reader to react differently to acts of aggression. The supreme art of the world government by God is to cause good to come from evil, and in this way to overcome evil with good, as Jesus commanded his disciples to do.^[20] That may well be the intent. Yet, at the least, the demands of Jesus do not consider their consequences, which might be very ambivalent: it also could happen that the one who strikes winds up for another hit, that the poor person without a cloak must freeze and that one strengthens the hostile occupation power!  There is a piece of conscious provocation in these sayings.  It is a matter of alienation, of shocking, a symbolic protest of the regular rule of force.  They are the expression of a protest of any kind of spiraling of force which dehumanizes the human being and of hope for a different behavior of the person from that which is the everyday experience.  In these sayings, we might find a gentle protest and an element of provocative contrast to the force that rules the world.  These commands intend to find obedient persons to obey them. One understands provocative renunciation of force as an expression of love. In the circumstances of the first centuries of Christianity, the church applied these sayings literally. Christians could not be part of the armed forces of the Roman Empire. The reason is obvious. The Empire could call upon you to arrest and kill Christians. As Christianity no longer experienced persecution, the application of the rule changed. Once Christianity had some responsibility for the culture, the application of the rule changed. The point is that a provocative use of this saying intends that nonviolence lead to the possibility of change in the aggressor. However, we also have experience of people for whom such nonviolence is a sign of weakness that invites more violence. The point is that an absolute application of this rule without regard to context is hardly the intent of Jesus.

In 6:27-35, Luke provides a unitary theme around the love of the neighbor.[21]

²⁷ But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies (Matt 5:44), placed first in the list of ethical concerns for rhetorical effect. Such love at the heart of the life of discipleship is boundless, extending beyond those of like mind to the enemy.[22] The saying has become one of the most central commands of Christian texts. Quoted often in early Christian teaching, they consider it a Christian distinction and innovation. The opinion of the church fathers that Jesus' commandment to love one's enemies is something new is only conditionally correct.  In Greek philosophy, particularly in the Platonic and Stoic tradition, there are basic statements like those of Jesus.  Diogenes, a Greek Cynic philosopher, gave similar advice: "When asked by someone how to repulse an enemy, he replied, 'You be kind and good to him."' In contrast with this, it is striking that Jesus speaks explicitly of the love of enemies. Nelson Mandela took this approach in South Africa when he said, "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." It creates the condition of the possibility that now permits the reader to imagine the heretofore inconceivable notion of overcoming evil with good, to use Paul's terms, or the defeat of enmity through different means than those of hatred and retaliation. The saying is memorable because it cuts against the social grain and constitutes a paradox. Enemies are not those we love; those we love are not usually our enemies.  Those who love their enemies have no enemies. The secret hope is that such love could turn an enemy into a friend. The phrase "love your enemies," would lose its rhetorical force, if the activity of love in the imagined confrontation were somehow to eliminate or ignore the hostile character of the stated enemy.  It is a strategy for handling unfriendly opposition.  Love your enemies becomes a way to take care of the jerks.  It rejects the potential violence inherent in hate of the enemy. Abiding hostility provides the context for the injunction.  This counsel to love your enemies has the purpose of forming a certain social character.  One of the morally salient features of the teachings of Jesus was precisely this ability to handle hostility with notable restraint and calculated inversion. 

Further, on a practical level, one wonders if it asks too much of a disciple. Paul is not squeamish about writing of his enemies. II Peter 3:12-22 has a separate way of handling enemies in calling enemies irrational animals, and so on. Not only that, if one reads Matthew 23 from the perspective of a scribe or Pharisee, one might not feel the love. One could even wonder if the ethical teaching of Jesus is so high that it fails to produce solid and practical results in the followers of Jesus. Some people would say it violates the basic biological, anthropological, and psychological dimension of the human being. Church history, with its crusades, wars between Protestant and Catholic, forced missionary endeavors, and anti-Judaism in Christian Europe, all suggest as much.

Jesus of Nazareth lived among enemies. The follower of Jesus has a vocation in which he or she will need to have the courage to live among enemies Christianly. The rule of God is amid its enemies. If we only want to be among friends and among those whom we think of as devout, then we are avoiding the suffering that is part of our vocation.^[23]

In verses 27b-29, Jesus continues that disciples are to pray for those who persecute them, so that they may be children of their heavenly Father. However, we need to meditate upon these sayings and think of ways in our setting that we can practice an unusual object of love. His advice may feel impractical and idealistic. Yet, it may be the most practical and realistic thing Christians could practice. Such love is provocative and may bring a change in the enemy, but such love can liberate us from the bondage of hate. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”^[24]

You love your enemies by 1) ^27bdo good to those who hate you, 2) ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you, which presupposes you have forgiven them.[25]  In verses 29-30 is a demand for non-violence and rejection of rebellion.[26] 3) ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also (Matt 5:39),[27] instead of giving in to the natural inclination of striking back. One is humiliated, but offering the other cheek is the embodiment of refraining from self-assertion.[28] In that culture, a slap in the face was an expression of hate and insult. It was a sign of challenge in which the aggressor was ready for a real fight.  In this verse, a certain proactive strategy of passive resistance is apparent.  Not always successful, the same behavior may nonetheless frequently produce a holding pattern, delayed attack, bewilderment, and retreat, if not defeat on the part of the predator.  The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, in a similar vein: "Does anything seem strange to him?  Does he not expect worse and harsher treatment from the wicked than befalls him?  Does he not count it as gain whenever they fail to go to the limit?  'So-and-so reviled you.' I am obliged to him for not striking me.  'But he also struck you.' I am obliged to him for not wounding me.  'But he also wounded you.' I am greatly obliged to him for not killing me." He also said, "Now the Cynic must have such patient endurance that most people will think that he is insensate and a stone.  Nobody reviles him; nobody beats him; nobody insults him.  But his body he himself has given for anyone who wants to use it as they see fit." And 4) from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt (Matt 5:40). This notion is a case parody, with an extremely narrow focus that has broad application.  In this case, it points to a situation that rarely occurs.  One could not take such a saying literally without comic effect.  When taken literally, it can produce insight, prompting the listener to react differently to acts of aggression. In fact, the proposed response reverses the natural human inclination: when struck, we tend to strike back.  The demand level on the follower of Jesus through such a saying is high.  The use of the singular “you” makes this very personal: you offer the other cheek; you give up your coat and cloak.  In Semitic culture, striking someone was a form of insult among Jews and Romans.  It was a sign of challenge in which the aggressor was ready for a real fight.  In this verse, a certain proactive strategy of passive resistance is apparent.  Not always successful, the same behavior may nonetheless frequently produce a holding pattern, delayed attack, bewilderment, and retreat, if not defeat on the part of the predator.  The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, in a similar vein: "Does anything seem strange to him?  Does he not expect worse and harsher treatment from the wicked than actually befalls him?  Does he not count it as gain whenever they fail to go to the limit?  'So-and-so reviled you.' I am greatly obliged to him for not striking me.  'But he also struck you.' I am greatly obliged to him for not wounding me.  'But he also wounded you.' I am greatly obliged to him for not killing me." He also said, "Now the Cynic must have such patient endurance that most people will think that he is insensate and a stone.  Nobody reviles him; nobody beats him; nobody insults him.  But his body he himself has given for anyone who wants to use it as they see fit." By not feeling the need to protect what they had, every material means of manipulating and imposing oneself on Jesus and his followers in Galilee had been taken out of their enemies' hands.  Under the circumstances, such injunctions were smart moves. We cannot meaningfully understand such statements as the demand for an extraordinary exercise of moral virtue, but only as the marching order never to allow the rejection and opposition that they encounter to divert them from their accepted role as witnesses of the reign of God in which they must love, do good, and bless. They cannot be witnesses of the rule of God in any other way. They must witness in this way, even though they meet with enmity, hatred, cursing, and affliction.^[29] The text offers one more way to love your enemies. 5) ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again (Matt 5:42). Obeying Jesus here could leave one naked. Such an action would move against the natural inclination of suing in return. The point of the saying is that one should not involve oneself in such lawsuits at all. Here is another case parody.  If taken literally, it is ridiculous; the person would soon be destitute.  It cuts against the social grain. 

Jesus opens an indirect opposition to the OT law of pledging. To the poor man, who must give his cloak as a pledge, one must return this cloak every evening so that he can sleep in it.

Exodus 22:26-27

²⁶ If you take your neighbor's cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun goes down; ²⁷ for it may be your neighbor's only clothing to use as cover; in what else shall that person sleep? And if your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.

Deuteronomy 24:12-13

¹² If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. ¹³ You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the LORD your God.

 

One could not take such a saying literally without comic effect.  When taken literally, it can produce insight, prompting the listener to react differently to acts of aggression.  By not feeling the need to protect what they had, Jesus took every material means of manipulating and imposing oneself on Jesus and his followers in Galilee out of the hands of the enemy.  Under the circumstances, such injunctions were smart moves. We cannot meaningfully understand such statements as the demand for an extraordinary exercise of moral virtue, but only as the marching order never to allow the rejection and opposition that they encounter to divert them from their accepted role as witnesses of the reign of God in which they must love, do good, and bless. They cannot be witnesses of the rule of God in any other way. They must witness in this way, even though they meet with enmity, hatred, cursing, and affliction.^[30]

The philosopher Crates once said: "You will be able to open your purse easily and to give away freely what you draw out with your hand: not as you do now, calculating, hesitant, trembling, as those with shaky hands.  But you will regard a purse that is full as full and after you see that it is empty, you will not complain." Note the casual approach to cash and collateral.  This is subversive wisdom of the Cynic regarding money and its proper management.  Significant deviation from the usual habits for handling such an issue belongs to the teaching of Jesus and his effort to upset the social order or disorder created by these patterns of both thought and action.  One should see everything in these verses as part of the regular daily grind of a subjugated people's struggle to survive.  Personal violence and theft are as normal a part of everyday existence as the more peaceable exchange of goods and services. It provides yet another example of how one should express the love of the enemy.  The use of the singular “you” makes the difficult response direct and personal: “You give go beggars.” 

In an exhortation that is part of the common wisdom of the time, in the form of a single stranded Jewish proverb[31]known since the 1700s as the golden rule (Matt 7:12), ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you. This positive version of the golden rule is a summons to a demonstration of love. The saying is consistent with the injunction of Jesus to love enemies.[32] The standard of behavior is how one wants to be treated by others.  Thus, if I wanted others to treat me as a king, I should treat others as though they were kings.  If I want others to love me, I should love others. Given the natural tendency of human beings to retaliate and seek revenge, we need to adopt another set of values.  In Mand. Ginza R., I: Do nothing to your neighbor which you yourself dislike. A similar saying is in the Letter of Aristeas 207: “As You desire that evils should not befall you but to partake of all that is good, you should act in this spirit to your subjects and to offenders, and should more gently admonish such as are virtuous: for God leads all men by gentleness.” A similar saying is in the Letter of Aristeas 207: “As You desire that evils should not befall you but to partake of all that is good, you should act in this spirit to your subjects and to offenders, and should more gently admonish such as are virtuous: for God leads all men by gentleness.” Verse 12b (unique to Matthew), Jesus says of the golden rule that This sums up the whole of the Law and the Prophets.[33] In addition, in Tobit 4:15a, “And what you hate, do not do to anyone.” However, the version known in Israel was that of Hillel (b. Shab. 312, 20 BC), who took up the Stoic idea of the law of nature when he remarked to a Gentile who was ready to become a Jew that the golden rule was the sum of the written law: “Do not do to another what seems to you to be hurtful; that is the whole Torah. All the rest is commentary. God and learn.” This version of the golden rule is content with one not doing harm to one’s neighbor.

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[1] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 110, suggesting this beatitude arises after the events, created by the early Jewish-Christian community, making as it does a direct reference to the person of Jesus. On p. 128, this leads him to suggest that the beatitudes in Luke may be a formulation of the early community.

[2] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 111-2, 126.

[3] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 112, where he thinks of this version as being original. It is standard in scholarly circles to suggest that Jesus is more likely to have blessed the poor, than the poor in spirit. "In spirit" looks like an editorial safeguard against misunderstanding: to be in lack of money is not enough. Luke's phrase, then, is the more primitive. But on the other hand, St. Luke's eight beatitudes-and-woes with their carefully paired antitheses are not a more primitive affair than St. Matthew's eight beatitudes, but very much the reverse. And the phrase "in spirit" cannot stand in St. Luke's beatitudes-and-woes without overthrowing the logic of the paragraph. The poor are opposed to the rich. The poor in spirit would challenge comparison with the rich in flesh, but that does not mean anything. Thus St. Luke may well have read "in spirit" in Matthew and dropped it in obedience to the logic of his own thought. 

[4] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 112-3.

[5] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 96-7, 222.

[6] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, 1998, 1991)Vol II, 398)

[7] Goppelt, TDNT, VI, 17-8.

[8] Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, inspired this thought.

[9] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 248.

[10] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 262.

[11] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, 1998, 1991)Volume 2, 364

[12] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 240.

[13] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 183-4.

[14] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971),79.

[15] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 142.

[16] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 111-2, 126.

[17] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, 1998, 1991) Vol 3,  p. 639.

[18] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 240.

[19] John Wesley.

[20] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, 1998, 1991)Volume 3, 525.

[21] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958) 96. “But I say to you” is Luke’s introduction. But Luke has gathered sayings into this section around the theme of the love of the neighbor, since they are in other portions of Matthew.

[22] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 213.

[23] Inspired by —Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Harper Collins, 1954), 17-18.

[24] King, Martin Luther Jr. “Loving your enemies” (a sermon preached at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, on November 17, 1957). The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University website, kinginstitute.stanford.edu. Retrieved August 1, 2021.

[25] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 192.

[26] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 229.

[27] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 96. In verses 27-28, it is hard to say whether Luke added them or they were in Q or Luke had a different form of the sayings. It is hard to say whether verse 29b is more original than Matthew is. Luke has added verse 29 at this point.

[28] Stahlin, TDNT, VIII, 263.

[29] (Barth K. , Church Dogmatics, 2004, 1932-67)IV.3 [71.5] 625.

[30] (Barth K. , Church Dogmatics, 2004, 1932-67), IV.3 [71.5] 625.

[31] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 81.

[32] For some, the flaw in the saying is whether there is a calculating egoism.  Does it suggest that one should not go beyond self-interest? Some would say that the saying makes oneself the standard for how we treat others. Such questions raise the possibility to propose at least a relativizing of this saying, and they may even evaluate the saying in a negative way. In other words, Christian ethics must go beyond the mere consideration of what we would like others to do to us.

[33] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 211-2, where this proves to be more original than the version in Luke 6:31.

Ephesians 1:11-23

Ephesians 1:11-23

11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.  13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.  15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.  17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,  18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,  19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.  20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.  22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

            The theme of Ephesians 1:11-23 includes verses 11-14 as the end of a discussion of the plan of God for the salvation of humanity that began in verse 3 and verses 15-23, a prayer focusing upon the supremacy of Christ. 

We now come to the third benefit of life in Christ. Ephesians 1:11-12 praises God for a redemption that brings with it an inheritance, continuing a reflection on the work of the Son. ¹¹In Christ (enw), we have also obtained an inheritance (ἐκληρώθημεν), suggesting a special status. These days we think of an inheritance as simply money we unexpectedly receive or some property that one can turn into money. We could talk about the Christian hope of heaven at this point. God has no desire to spend eternity without us. Yet, the vision Paul has at this point is more than simply our personal destiny. Our inheritance is the renewed heaven and earth promised in Christ in verse 10. The moment will come when earth will do the will of God even as heaven already does it. We are to act now as those who possess the inheritance. All of this may seem like too much. G. K. Chesterton, with a wisdom contrary that of Mark Twain offered above, said, “If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might the heart of man become in its long journey toward the stars?” In Christ, Paul sides with Chesterton. Having been destined (προορισθέντες) according to the purpose of himwhom accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, stressing that God is the one who destines. ¹²So that we who were first to set our hope on Christ, which seems to refer to the Jewish origin of the church, and thus, to those Jews who saw their long-expected dream of a Messiah fulfilled in Jesus. If such hope depends upon our vitality or ability, it is perishable. Christian hope has its source, not within us, but outside us, in Christ.[1] The point is that all of us, Jew and Gentile alike, might live for the praise of the glory we find in Christ. 

We come to the fourth and final benefit of life in Christ. Ephesians 1:13-14 praises God for a redemption that the Holy Spirit seals or assures to us. He shifts his attention to the work of the Spirit. The point is the imparted Spirit guarantees believers a share in the future consummation.[2] Participation in this redemption is not dependent on genealogy but rather on a series of three steps. Thus, ¹³ in him (enw) you Gentiles also, when you, first, had heard the word of truth, identifying word and truth. Paul valued the word of the messengers of Christ more than speculation. “Truth” (Hebrew 'emeth) is also the root for faithfulness. Hosea will take his wife “in faithfulness” (Hosea 2:20). God is faithful and without deceit (Deuteronomy 32:4). Truth is a way of living. Something is true when someone enacts it in life. Philosophy in Greece developed an abstract and intellectual concept of truth. Walking in Christ is the way Christians enact the truth. Such faithful living began in the Jewish community, embraced the Gentile world, and eventually embraced creation. He further defines the word of truth as the gospel of your salvation. Thus, we learn that participation in this redemption depends upon hearing the word of truth, the gospel of salvation. Further, second, they believed in Christ. Participation in this redemption involves, after hearing, a response of believing the message. The third step says Christ is the one who marked them with the seal (ἐσφραγίσθητε) of the promised Holy Spirit, probably a reference to baptism. It refers to the gift of the Spirit at baptism, meaning an opening of hearts and lips of the saints to render testimony.  The sealing began in baptism but it still continues. As a third step in participating in this redemption, all believers enjoy the full of measure of the gifts of the Spirit. He furthers identifies the Spirit as ¹⁴ the pledge of our inheritance. The Spirit must be a pledge, for all of us have felt separation and estrangement. Have you not had the experience of being lonely in the midst of a social event? Surrounded by noise and talk, we realize how strange we are to each other. We realize how estranged life is from life. Technical progress keeps removing the physical distance between us, but the walls of distance and estrangements remain in our hearts.[3] Yet, the presence of this Spirit is a sure sign of the full inheritance of redemption that all who live within the faith community share in common. Such a pledge is a promise, but one that one already receives a tangible down payment. The Spirit is part of our reality. A portion of the plan of God for cosmic unity resides in our lives. We are to bring that plan into the world that so desperately needs a vision of unity. The pledge of our inheritance is toward redemption as the people of God, to the praise of his glory. All peoples can now celebrate their common redemption as the people of God. Beginning in verse 3 with offering a blessing to God, Paul ends the segment with saying all of this action of God is to our praise of divine glory. Prosperity causes amnesia.  Great blessings of God tend to cause forgetting.  Present benefits of faith appear self-generated, making gratitude rare.  Having no one to thank for our lives, there is no one to whom we must hold accountable our lives.  Poor thankfulness, bad doxology, leads to bad living and poor ethics.

I think it fitting to offer a brief reflection on praise. Like the truths of music and art, we apprehend religious truths at a deeper level than we comprehend them. Feelings being treacherous, the mind must play a critical role in the religious life, but the mind alone cannot discover God. It may well be, then, that God is not too hard to believe in, simply too good to believe in, we being strangers to such truth, goodness, and beauty.[4]

Often, we link praise with music. I am not a singer or musician. We often feel like the praise we offer is weak, hesitant, and sporadic. Yet, we have the faith that God can take our feeble response of praise and turn it into beautiful music. I share a well-known story I have shared often in my ministry. A mother wished to encourage her young son's progress in playing the piano.  She bought tickets for a concert by Ignace Paderewski.  The seats were near the front.  It was not long until the mother was talking with a friend.  The boy slipped away.  At 8:00 pm the lights went out and the spotlight shown on the stage where the Steinway piano was.  It was only then that people noticed the boy on the bench, innocently picking out, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  The mother was embarrassed.  She started up to the stage to get him.  Just then, the master pianist appeared on stage.  "Do not quit, keep playing,” he whispered to the boy.  Leaning over, Mr. Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.  Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato.  Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.[5]

Praise is the main business of Christians, both in church on Sunday morning and through the week in our words and deeds. Think of our lives as Christians as thanksgiving to God.  We are the only song to God that many may ever hear.  Make it a good song, a song worth singing, a song with so catchy a tune that others may pick up the beat and sing it as well.  At some point, I hope we hear the question. We may not even know who put it or when we heard it. We may not remember answering. Yet, at some moment, we say Yes to the meaningful quality of our lives. Our lives have a goal. We do not look back. We are not overly anxious about tomorrow. We have the assurance of that our lives are part of something grand.[6] For people of Christian faith, Jesus belongs to no age, race, or creed. When we look into his face, we see in it the glory of our possibilities as individuals and as the human race. We utter a heart-felt “Thank you” to God.[7] We are mortal,and we desire to praise. We are only a small part of creation. Yet, God prompts us to praise and delight in offering praise, for God has made us for this relationship with the one who has made us, and we are restless until we find our rest in that relationship.[8] We offer our praise with our whole lives, with attitude and action, word and deed. 

Ephesians 1:15-23 is a prayer focusing upon the supremacy of Christ. The segment is one long sentence in Greek. It includes thanksgiving, intercession, praise of the resurrection, and a description of the church, of which God, the Spirit, and Christ are the primary agents. The prayer mentions the apostles, saints, and church. 

The prayer in Ephesians 1:15-16 with giving thanks to God, similar to what we also find in Colossians 1:3-4 and Philemon 4-5. ¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. For some scholars, why must he hear of their faith and love since he founded the congregation. He would know of these virtues by personal experience. However, others think he is writing specifically to newly baptized gentiles, in which case this reference would make sense. More importantly, we see what Christian tradition would call the theological virtues become an important part of this prayer. Paul will commend congregations for their faith and love. He commends the church in Thessalonica for the faith they have and of which others have told him (I Thessalonians 1:6-10). He does not praise a general quality of faith, but faith in Lord Jesus. He does not praise a general quality of love for humanity, but love focused on its expression to other Christians. Whenever Paul speaks of saints, he is talking about members of the church, a group of people God has chosen and set apart to the work of God in the world. They are holy people because they are the people of God who have the mission in life to witness in word and deed to the work of God in Christ. He will describe this faith later in the letter. Faith is part of the means of salvation “by grace” (2:8), and it is also through faith that we have “access to God” though Christ, who sits at God’s right hand (3:12; 1:20) but who, through faith, dwells in our hearts as well (3:17). Additionally, the author continues to emphasize the importance of love in the community. Their love has its foundation in Christ’s love (2:4-5; 3:19) and is necessary for the “building up” of the body of Christ (4:16) as he exhorts the whole congregation to “live in love, as Christ loved us” (5:2). Further, for this reason, their faith and love, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. Paul was aware of people's sin and weakness, but he refused to get involved in flaming indictments of his congregations.  Rather, he begins with expressions of thanks.  At the same time, he usually shares intercession with them related to the conditions prevailing in them. A pattern in Pauline letters is that he will begin with a prayer of thanksgiving for the congregation. Paul adopted the pattern common in the Greco-Romans letters of his time. We see the pattern in I Thessalonians 1:2-10, Romans 1:8-17, and I Corinthians 1:4-9. The offering of thanks will also foreshadow some of the themes of the rest of the letter. Beginning in this way focuses on the positive dimension of their congregational life. 

Paul is offering two signs of sainthood. 

The first sign of a saint is faith in the Lord Jesus. What does it mean to have faith in the Lord Jesus? It means trusting the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. The word “truth” among the Greek philosophers could be a quite abstract and intellectual matter. For the Hebrews, truth is that which is endurable and reliable, that which stands the test of time. You can place your trust in this word, that Jesus is the way to God. It will be the journey of a lifetime. You are not to just be a member of this congregation. You are to make this the journey of your life, in which Jesus becomes the center of your life.  That is what saints do, plain and simple — they follow Jesus on the way to God. 

The second sign of sainthood is their love toward the saints. In my experience, saints are best known through seemingly small, earthly gestures, deeds of love and mercy made all the more holy because they are so earthly. In the first days of the church, the saints were part of a community of love and concern, one in which acts of practical service demonstrated such love. One of the first things the early Christians did was to organize a diaconate to make certain that widows and the needy got some relief (Acts 6:1-7). “Contribute to the needs of the saints,” wrote Paul to the Romans; “extend hospitality to strangers” (Romans 12:13). We find widows commended in the Christian community for showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, and helping the afflicted (1 Timothy 5:10). Paul spearheaded a collection for the church in Jerusalem and described it as a special “ministry to the saints” (II Corinthians 8:4). Today, as in the earliest days of the church, love needs to be more than a word, more than an emotion — it needs to be an act of practical service. 

In Ephesians 1:17-19, Paul next moves toward an intercession for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will reveal hope, riches, and power from God. ¹⁷ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, beginning with identifying who God is. The word glory may actually refer back to Jesus, in which case we should translate as “Glory.” His prayer is that this God will give them a new human spirit of wisdom (σοφίας)that will guide them in how to live and revelation (ἀποκαλύψεως) or special insight into the gospel. Such persons remain fallible, of course. All the saints receive such guidance and inspiration. He makes the goal of this new human spirit clear in saying as you come to know him (God, Christ, or both), the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of Glory. Such guidance and inspiration suggest growth, so God will continue to give to them this Spirit. The goal of the giving of such a new human spirit of wisdom and revelation is ¹⁸ so that, in a unique phrase, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, suggesting such enlightenment or illumination is a continuous process throughout life rather than just a moment. The emphasis is the creative function of the human spirit. Biblical literature will use the eyes and heart as metaphors for comprehension and understanding. Thus, those who worship idols do not know or comprehend, for they have shut their eyes and minds so that they cannot understand (Isaiah 44:18). God created humanity in the image of God, giving them eyes and a mind for thinking, filling them with knowledge and understanding (Sirach 17:6-7). Further, having already referred to their faith and love, the goal is that they may know what is the hope, rounding out the theological virtues. Most readers of Paul recognize that Ephesians does not put as much emphasis upon the future consummation of Christian hope as do other letters. Paul can stress the importance of waiting for the Son from heaven (I Thessalonians 1:10). He can stress that while we grieve over those who have died, we do so with hope, for the dead in Christ will rise first, so that all faithful will be with their Lord forever (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). The content of that hope will conclude the prayer. Such hope refers to the future and the thing for which they hope.He further refers to the hope as that to which he, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of Glory, has called you. The instrument of the calling is the gospel that invites us to enter into a new relationship. The hope to which God calls them finds further definition in that they will know the riches of the glorious inheritance among the saints, stressing the unity that forward-looking hope brings to the people. 

A third sign of sainthood is knowing the hope to which called us. We can enjoy this quality right now. People who are saints in this life assume that God is always ahead of them, not stuck behind them, and they are constantly seeking to learn what God is revealing to them. We need the spirit of wisdom and revelation in order to see the hope that is already present. A generation ago, entertainer Gracie Allen said, “Never put a period where God has placed a comma.” There is a lot of truth in it because it reminds us that God is leading us into a future of new wisdom, new revelations, new understandings, new insights. Don’t put a period where God has placed a comma — saints take this seriously as they look for new revelations every day. This spirit of wisdom and revelation knows the hope to which God has called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of his power. We do not have to die and go to heaven before we can have this wisdom

Certain segments of the church in the world today will emphasize this Other-sidedness or Yonder orientation of the New Testament. Some will do so while expressing little concern for This-sidedness or Here orientation that we also find in the New Testament. When people are hungry, it does not show materialism. It shows they are hungry. Yet, one could make a good case today that the focus of the modern western church is a passionate anxiety about economics and political organizations. The problem with this approach is perspective. It treats Here and This-sidedness as if eternal. I grant the element of truth in the saying that some people are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good. The opposite is also true. Some people are so earthly minded they are of no heavenly good. Time is no judge of eternity. Rather, eternity is the judge and tester of time. Eternity is present within us and around us as a spiritual presence. Eternity is the creative root of time. Eternity embraces time. Thus, we need to learn to live our lives at two levels simultaneously. We live at the level of time that eternity embraces. Sometimes, we are aware of the glory of eternity, even while also aware of our daily temporal routine. Sometimes the clouds settle low and we are chiefly aware of the world of time. Yet, the hint of the eternal, the divine presence, remains with us, even if at the margins of our consciousness.[9] In addition to this hope, his intercession includes their present experience of ¹⁹ the immeasurable greatness of his power for those who believe, according to the working (ἐνέργειαν) of his great(κράτους) power (ἰσχύος). Paul will further connect the power that we may presently have with the resurrection of Christ and the enthronement of Christ over all powers. 

In Ephesians 1:20-21, Paul refers to the resurrection of Christ land the enthronement of Christ over all powers. The same power at work in believers is the power that raised Christ from the dead. He will express these thoughts in what appears to be a hymn that praises the resurrection and exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God. Such exaltation by God explains the role of Christ in the present. The church needs to know what Christ’s role is in the present, not just what his position will be in the future (e.g., eschatological judge). The background for the hymn is two psalms. In Psalm 110:1, we find a phrase that receives other multiple references in the New Testament, “The Lord says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’” We also find references in Hebrews 1:13, Mark 12:36, and I Corinthians 15:24. The other psalm is Psalm 8:6, “he has put all things under his feet.” Using such psalms helps him to describe a picture of the current exaltation of Christ in which one has no question of the victory of Christ. Thus, ²⁰ God put this power to work in Christ first, when God raised him for the dead and second, when God seated him at the right hand of God in the heavenly places. He further stresses the finality and completeness of this exaltation by saying that the exalted Christ is ²¹ far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. These angelic beings reside in the heavens.  The list is not exhaustive.  He recognizes them as real powers.  This enumeration helps to make clear the extent of Christ's victory and rule.  All powers are under the control of God. It would include the demons expelled by Jesus and the princes of the nations in Daniel.  Paul has in mind those institutions and structures that administer earthly matters and invisible realms and without which human life is impossible: life/death; nature; law; tradition, customs; political structures, ideologies, prejudices, authority, parenthood.  Thus, this is not superstition.  Ephesians focuses on a community rather than personal piety. Here, it deals not only with that community but also with the structures within the world. Terrestrial power does not limit the power of Christ. Further, God has also exalted Christ above every name that anyone could name, not only in this age but also in the age to come. Time does not limit the power of Christ. The point is that even the cosmic powers, often discussed in Jewish apocalyptic literature, is under the dominion of the exalted Christ. The enumeration makes clear the extent of the victory and rule of the exalted Christ. Paul has in mind those institutions and structures that administer earthly matters and invisible realms, without which human life is impossible. It refers to life and death, nature, torah, tradition, customs, political structures, ideologies and authorities. Angels, for example, are not so much personal figures as they represent forces, such as the principalities and powers we find here, which, as strong as these forces are, God has set them under the dominion of Christ.[10]

 Ephesians 1:22-23 concludes the prayer with Christ as head of all things, but especially the church. God has put all things,[11] referring to the structures of powerful institutions like governments and authorities, but necessarily identifying them as evil, under the feet of Christ. These angelic beings reside in the heavens.  The list is not exhaustive.  He recognizes them as real powers.  This enumeration helps to make clear the extent of Christ's victory and rule.  All powers are under the control of God. God ²² has made him the head[12]over all things for the church. Christ is the head in a way that sums up, renews, and is the source of the universe. The image thus denotes Christ's authority over the church, power exerted in the church, presence to the church, unity of the church, and the coordination of its members. He makes it clear that the divine plan of redemption includes the entire creation. Until the consummation of the age to come, hostile powers will exert their influence. Yet, we can begin to experience the power of that consummation now. The new age is a present reality. We no longer have to live under the influence of the old order. God has not revealed to the cosmos this already completed reality.[13] The reference to the church hints at the catholicity of the church in a qualified way as the fullness of the eschatological consummation of the church. It will manifest itself at any given historical moment in the openness of the actual fellowship of the church, of transcending any particularity, to the fullness of Christ that will fully come only in the eschaton. True catholicity will always recognize the provisional nature of this affirmation of the church, rather than seek to identify the true church with any particular church.[14] Further, only Christ is the head of the church. This means that referring to any pastor or to the Bishop of Rome with the same terminology causes justifiable offense. Byzantium was quite right to reject the claim of the Bishop of Rome based upon this passage.[15] Christ is head over all things and the head of the church. He further identifies the church as ²³ his body.[16] Here is an effect of the resurrection and exaltation of Christ. The church is the embodiment of Christ and maybe even an extension of the Incarnation and is therefore an expansion of the fullness of Christ. The church is the manifestation of Christ to the world. The church has a cosmic role. As such, Christ is the fullness[17] of him who fills all in all.[18] Christ has a role in the present, in making the power of God available today, but in a way that provides movement toward the unifying hope of the future. Nothing is outside the power of Christ.

Since the prayer ends with the cosmic orientation of the church and its manifestation of Christ to the world, I share a brief image from Sam Shoemaker. He used to refer to certain long-established churches as “aquariums.” He would cite the teaching of Jesus that the disciples were to fish for people. Then he would point out that many followers of Jesus, in long-established churches, are more like “keepers of the aquarium” than “fishers of people.” An aquarium is a closed system. It is a beautiful thing to look at, but aquarium fish just swim around and around in that limited space, enjoying one another’s company (or so we presume). He thinks it far better, for the sake of the gospel, to be sailing out over the open ocean, encountering newcomers whom God has sent here. He wonders how much of today’s license-plate evangelism is little more than a conversation within the aquarium?

---

[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 3, 174.

[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 98.

[3]  --Paul Tillich, "You are accepted," The Shaking of the Foundations (Scribner, 1948). Who has not, at some time, been lonely in the midst of a social event? The feeling of our separation from the rest of life is most acute when we are surrounded by it in noise and talk. We realize then much more than in moments of solitude how strange we are to each other, how estranged life is from life. ... The walls of distance, in time and space, have been removed by technical progress; but the walls of estrangement between heart and heart have been incredibly strengthened.

[4]  --William Sloane Coffin, interviewed in Tikkun magazine, March 2006, shortly before his death. 

[5] (Leadership, Spring 1983, 92).  

[6] The Oxford Book of Prayer, 1987, 265.  Dag Hammarskjold I don't know who--or what--put the question.  I don't know when it was put.  I don't even remember answering.  But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone--or Something--and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life in self-surrender, had a goal.  From that moment I have known what it means 'not to look back' and 'to take no thought for the morrow.'

[7] Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited, 112 Jesus belongs to no age, no race, no creed.  When we look into his face, we see etched the glory of our own possibilities, and our hearts whisper, "Thank you and thank God. 

[8] Augustine, in Confessions, has the prayer that in spite of our mortality, we desire to praise, 

"Still the desires to praise thee, this man who is only a small part of thy creation.  Thou has prompted him, that he should delight to praise thee, for thou has made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it come to rest in thee."  

[9] Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion (New York: Harper & Row, 1941) 90-92. We live our lives at two levels simultaneously, the level of time and the level of the Timeless. They form one sequence, with a fluctuating border between them. Sometimes the glorious Eternal is in the ascendancy, but still we are aware of our daily temporal routine. Sometimes the clouds settle low and we are chiefly in the world of time, yet we are haunted by a smaller sense of Presence, in the margin of consciousness.  --Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion (New York: Harper & Row, 1941) 91-92.

[10] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 2, 105.

[11] I am following Markus Barth here. Others might follow the idea that the plural of pas may mean "all people" rather than "all things."  Another possibility is to take it as an adverb, "all in all" or "altogether, wholly."

[12] "Head"--1) in Old Testament means chief, ruler, leader.  2) In Greek literature the whole universe is a body, but this pantheistic view is an unlikely source.  3) The medical knowledge of the day. I assume the last, with Markus Barth.

[13] Barth Church Dogmatics III.2 [45.3] 301.

[14] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 407. 

[15] Pannenberg Systematic Theology Volume 3, 430, 466.

[16] "Body"--Paul always means a living body.  Does he preach that in some sense the church is Christ an embodiment of the Logos, an extension of the incarnation, an expansion of his fullness?  1) Borrowed from the analogies of the unity of a State and the human body.  2) Parallels with Gnostics.  3) Old Testament concept of "corporate personality."  Christ fulfilled the role of the patriarchs and kings in whom the Israelites experienced their own salvation.  But the use of "body" is a stumbling block.  4) Sacramental or Eucharistic incorporation.  5) Going to 5:22-33, marriage symbolizes one body, so the union of Christ and church signify one body.  6) It expresses both the church's connection with Christ and its mission to the world.  The church is the manifestation of Christ to the world.  The value is the centrality of Christ, his self-manifestation, his mission, and the world.

[17] "Fullness"--1) Gnostics make big use of this term.  2) Associate with Old Testament concept of Shekina, which is glorious presence.  It is a one sided movement, a gift of God's self-revelation, salvation, self-presentation. 

[18] Philological facts: 1) fullness may either have active or passive sense.  2) In abstraction, it means to complete, carry out, sum up.  If the verb is passive, the power is active, or if the verb is active the noun is passive.