the heavens declare
Good morning or afternoon, dear friends,
no, by golly, it's still morning, how about that!
As already said, this, Lectionary Year B, prominently features the Gospel according to Mark. As promised, I’m working toward the Sunday morning, not yet, when we take a whirlwind tour through the entirety of it, noticing some of Mark’s idiosyncrasies, and discovering what Mark intends as a whole - - because it’s not really a Book of Snippets from which we read selected bits and pieces Sunday after Sunday; Mark has an agenda, a complete story, and Mark is breathlessly in a hurry to tell it to you. We’ll get to all that, it’ll be after the Holidays and into the New Year. Maybe we’ll treat it as a real life Epiphany during the season that begins January 6 with the coming of the magi and Jesus’ baptism.
For now, we’re still in Advent, and in Sunday School class tomorrow I want to talk about something that some of you have raised more than once, that is in fact an Advent theme. It’s moshiach, the Jewish originated idea of,
- First, after the ultimate fall of Israel and the Davidic monarchy, moshiach anticipated to rise as a divinely chosen human king in the male line of David, anointed and acclaimed to defeat Israel’s enemies and oppressors, restore the throne of David in Jerusalem, and bring peace;
- Encouraged by Malachi/Elijah, developing over generations of waiting, evolving reimaged or reimagined as the Danielic Son of Man (Daniel ch 7), coming as God’s regent to take charge on earth and rule as was envisioned moshiach would rule (maybe this is the sort of End of Days rushing apocalyptic expectant messianist Paul was initially?);
- Messianism over time further refining in Jewish thought such as and including Maimonides, to expect a Jewish moshiach, always in David’s male line at least theoretically, theologically, even eponymously, an ultimately righteous man who, having a direct connection with God (but will be human, not divine), will rise up into a plentiful Messianic Age where there is no want, no war, no hunger, no jealousy or envy, be anointed and acclaimed worldwide, rule wisely and authoritatively under the unquestioned absolute truth of Torah;
- branching off, Christianity as a Jewish sect quickly surfacing the idea of the messiah having indeed arrived as a righteous One who suffers and is killed, whom God restores to life on earth, then elevates to divine Sonship, waiting in heaven until the time comes when, incorporating the Danielic Son of Man concept, will return to earth to rule as God’s anointed king.
Such that Jewish eschatology went its way to become, at least in mainline Jewish theology and orthodoxy, basically as is outlined above, while Christian eschatology, originating in Jewish eschatology of the first century AD, went somewhat differently, though with recognizably common roots, and specifically discernible in Paul, who began thinking it was all imminent, in his lifetime (as some Gospel texts indicate Jesus also believed?).
Doing minimal research for our SS lesson this week, I heard a spellbinding Jewish rabbi explain moshiach (at least in Hasidic thought), say that the Christian idea of messiah “will not work” because it does not include holding the absolute unquestionable truth of Torah.
Hope to see whoever wants to come, and feels safe in coming, tomorrow, Sunday morning.
Parish library, at the end of the nevertheless yellowing brick road, 9:15 to 10:15. Facemasks at least coming and going, social distancing, open doors for air circulation, hand sanitizer, soap and hot running water, free coffee and snack right there in the library.
RSF&PTL
Tom+