So What?
In this week’s lesson, “redemption”
is the key. Jesus, the first-born, is redeemed, even as he will redeem us.
The question to which the Gospel gives us a new answer is this: “Redeemed
from what? From whom?” In the past, Jesus’ death has been preached
as the means by which we are redeemed from God’s rightful wrath, but
in this scene, the substitution is clear. Jesus is not redeemed from wrath,
and neither are we. He is redeemed from the sacrificial system, a system of
our own making. The death he dies, he dies for all, so that we might not ever
again be subject to the victimage mechanism.
A word of exegetical caution is in order.
We must be careful not to assume that the destruction of the temple meant
the rejection of Israel by God. The theory, known as supercessionism, whereby
Christianity replaces Judaism is rightly disregarded. It is anti-Semitic.
Nowhere in the New Testament is Christianity the replacement of Judaism. Our
task as Christian interpreters is to see how Jesus’ Jewish critique
of the sacrificial religion of his time can be applied to our contemporary
Christian practice of faith. To do so will unmask the ‘violence’
we have hidden in our views of God, humanity and all creation.
2005:
Suppose during a baptism at your church,
someone should come forward and say that the baptized child will mean the
end of the congregation, as you know it. How do you think the congregation
would respond?
I know it is hard for us to talk about
the end of Christianity, but it is an end that is long overdue. Kierkegaard,
Bonhoeffer, Ellul, Barth, Eller, all have spoken of the end of Christendom
as a religious structuring of culture. It is difficult for us to imagine ourselves
as people without buildings, without paid staff, without great and plentiful
ministries run out of those buildings by those staff. We are as bound to religious
structure as was first century Judaism. In a sense, one might say that Christian
history is no different than the history of the Jewish people in the Hebrew
Bible. Both histories are replete with the substitution of faith by institution
and the concomitant prophetic call to turn back (‘shuv’, metanoia)
to God.
Finally, it is a question of whether
or not the birth of this child Jesus really informs our eschatological imagination;
will God deliver us from the power structures that dominate our religion,
our culture, our lives? Do we put our hope in Jesus or in political processes?
It seems to me that both right wing Christianity and liberal Christianity
in America have confused the two, so much so, that political processes are
perceived as salvific. Jesus, as envoy for the kingdom of God, is not and
can never be identified with human political process, for every political
process is sacrificial and beholden to an ideology of violence in one form
or another. Our text today might make us shudder when we apply it to our own
religious institutions but the time for the churches to be transformed is
at hand. God is faithful and will see to it that the people of God will always
have hope, hope that does not disappoint for it is grounded already in the
promise of life eternal given to us in the child Jesus.
Jeff adds: Somewhere, buried even in
evangelical Christianity, is the notion that Christianity must die. There
is a song, popular in the Contemporary Christian worship scene, called "Fields
of Grace." (By Big Daddy Weave) Each verse sings of a vision of the future
that rests fully in the love and care of God. When the (live) recording comes
to the third verse, the band sings, "There's a place where religion finally
dies," and the crowd of thousands cheers. I mean, they cheer! Of course,
I think those prophetic words are probably not understood as I understand
them in many cases, but it still speaks to the hunger, present especially
in our young people, for something other than "religion." (That
incomparable juxtapostion of ritual, myth, and prohibition in one ghastly
mix.) Surely Jesus' warning that following him means taking up a cross is
no less deadly to the institution than it is to us.
Do we have the vision and courage to
preach the end of the Church? Can we pray for its death? I don't suppose it'll
fill a megachurch, this kind of preaching, but I think it'll help bring about
the reign of God.
Anthropological Reading
All of themes of mimetic theory can be
found here. The temple as a place of substitution, sacrifice, atonement, ritual
and prohibition are all present.
The temple as a theme will occupy our
attention as we go through the gospels. It plays a major role in both Judaism
and early Christianity. Jesus’ relation to the temple is a matter of
intense scholarly debate. However we understand it, it is important to recognize
that even if Jesus rejected the sacrificial system, he did so as an affirmation
of Jewish faith. He never sees himself apart from the people of God. It is
not Jewish faith that is being attacked but the religious-political-economic
structure that had developed around it. In short, Jesus echoes the critique
found in the Prophets.
Bruce Chilton puts it well. “The
Temple of Jesus was the focus in Jerusalem of Israel’s cultic routine.
It was not an ideal or a vision, but the place where sacrifice was in fact
offered. Jesus’ innovation lay not in calling for a removal or rebuilding
of that place, but in insisting that the kingdom of God would be disclosed
when all Israel joined in the pure sacrifice enacted by righteousness and
forgiveness.”
A key point in our text is that the
revelation of God’s salvation comes in the midst of the sacrificial
system, the system of substitutes. There are any number of substitutions in
the temple: foreign and local currency can be exchanged for sacrificial offerings
which are an exchange for the worshipper. The worshipper is twice removed
from God. In the midst of this system of substitution Jesus comes as the substitute
for God and before God as the substitute for each of us. In short, he is the
final, the ultimate substitute, the one whose substitution puts an end to
all substitution.
Some have suggested that the use of the
term sacrifice or substitution indicates that there is still a valid appreciation
for the sacrificial system, more so, that the notion of propitiation must
still be attached to any notion of sacrifice. The New Testament, it seems
to us (mostly Paul), may use sacrificial language but that language does not
carry the denotation of appeasing the deity. Luke’s narrative use of
the Temple does not indicate an appropriation of a propitiatory understanding
of sacrifice, rather, it brings into sharp focus the problematic nature of
the sacrificial system and the problem with propitiation and its propaganda
controlled by the ruling masses.
The prophecy of Simeon that Jesus will
be a sign that will be spoken against clearly suggests the process of scapegoating
to which Jesus will be subject. He will be isolated as the mob seeks one against
whom it can unite. His mamzer status will socially marginalize him. He will
be betrayed and abandoned by his intimates. In his trial, he will be falsely
accused.
In this foreshadowing of the Passion, Girard’s observations on the character
of the gospel narrative, the way that it exposes the scapegoating process,
ring true because they describe on an anthropological level what the Gospel
asserts on a theological level, that is, a theology of the Cross. It all starts
here. Here is where revelation begins to emerge. And what will be revealed?
God does not retaliate. “Father, forgive them, they don’t have
a clue what they are doing.” Jesus blood speaks a better word than that
of Abel. And that is the ‘consolation of Israel.’
The event of the death of Jesus will
constitute revelation, “the thoughts of many are revealed.” It
will be revealed that “we have murdered God” (Nietzsche). The
Gospel story itself, the story about Jesus, is a story that affirms his innocence,
as opposed to “myth” which constantly declares the victim guilty.
“Jesus did nothing to warrant the way he was treated by his contemporaries.”
The gospel destroys the effectiveness of all myth with this announcement.
The final verdict on mimesis, violence and death is in. Jesus is innocent,
but God does not repay evil for evil. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that
God triumphs over human violence not with more violence, but with more life.
Historical/Cultural
The narrative of the Presentation of
Jesus in the Temple presents some unusual possibilities for the preacher.
As in the previous Sunday’s text, it is crucial to keep in mind the
socio-political background, in this case, though, it is not the Roman empire
that is in view but that of Jewish salvation history.
This can be seen in:
1. The temple in Jerusalem as the
narrative setting for the story.
2. The allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures.
Tannehill observes that the neuter ‘soterion’ (salvation) which
is used four times in the New Testament (3 of them in Luke-Acts) is found
throughout Isaiah 40-66. Fitzmeyer and Marshall both see numerous antecedents
in Isaiah as well.
3. The theme of promise-fulfillment
which is highlighted in Simeon’s prophecy.
This is the second Temple scene in the
Infancy Narrative of Luke. The temple figures prominently in Luke-Acts. It
opens and closes the Gospel and opens the book of Acts. By the time Luke composes
his gospel though, the temple in Jerusalem stands in ruins after the crushing
defeat of the revolution under Titus. Though it has been argued that some
temple sacrifices were being offered from 70 C.E. to the final destruction
of Jerusalem under Bar Kochba in 135 C.E., Luke’s audience would have
been aware that the temple was no longer the institution it was just decades
before (the best overall discussion is in the revised Schurer, Vol. 2).
At the time of Jesus the temple was
one of three pillars upon which Judaism was established (the Torah and the
Land being the other two). In our own time, when the remaining ruins of the
Temple (the ‘wailing wall’) threaten to crumble, it is difficult
to imagine the size and importance of this institution. During times of festal
pilgrimage, it could hold between 80-100,000 people (numbers you only see
nowadays at a college football game or protest!). The doors to the temple
were 80 feet high and took 200 men to open them each morning and close them
each night. The creaking of the doors, made of Corinthian bronze, could be
heard all around Jerusalem and its environs. The temple served as the depository
of the wealth of the rich and powerful. It had its own fortress and complement
of Roman soldiers. In it were all the treasures of Jewish history. It was
a place of great importance politically, economically and religiously.
Herod’s temple was one of the wonders
of the ancient world, but to us it is an archeological ruin. In order to get
a ‘feel’ for the temple in the gospels, we need to exercise a
certain historical imagination. Ever been to a slaughterhouse? Can you smell
the burning flesh from the altar? Can you feel the fear in the livestock as
they encounter the smell of death? Can you hear through the din of thousands
of conversations and prayers? How do you move as you make your way through
the crowds?
Everyone knew that the temple priesthood
was controlled by four families in Jerusalem, the house of Annas supplying
seven high priests from Herod to the downfall of Jerusalem. The house of Annas
had a monopoly on the ‘meat market’ located in the temple vicinity,
and thus the money exchange system (only Tyrian gold was accepted). It was
all about the economics of religion. It was a booming business.
It is in this context that two old folks
happen upon a couple carrying a child. They do not come together, their encounters
with Mary, Joseph and Jesus are sequential. They take place one after the
other. Luke describes Simeon and Anna in terms that he will use of the early
Christian movement: Simeon is “righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit
is upon him.” Anna is a prophetess and a long time widow. Both await
the fulfillment of the promise to redeem Israel. Interesting is the detail
by which Anna is described. She is Anna (Hannah) in the house of Annas.
Either this page has not yet been completed, or we have not found any significant textual issues in the lectionary texts for this Sunday.
Introductory Articles
We will add articles as we are able,
or as users of the site request them, so if you have suggestions for additional
pieces, please write to us!
"Introduction
to Mimetic Theory"
"Mimesis"
"The
Scapegoat"
"The
Pillars of Culture"
"Jesus"
"The
Four Gospels"
A Brief Introduction
to Luke
What's New:
What's New? on Preaching Peace. (Hover your mouse over to pause cycling) |
Is 61:10-62:3
Ps 148
Gal 4:4-7
Lk 2:22-40
(Isaiah 61:10-11)
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with
the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its
shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord
GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
(Isaiah 62:1-3)
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not
rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like
a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings
your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD
will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal
diadem in the hand of your God.
(Galatians 4:4-7)
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that
we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has
sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir,
through God.
(Luke 2:22-40)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they
brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in
the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy
to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated
in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous
and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit
rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would
not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit,
Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms
and praised God, saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant
in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which
you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to
the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." And the child's father
and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed
them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling
and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so
that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce
your own soul too." There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband
seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.
She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night
and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about
the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they
had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to
Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong,
filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division
of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Occasional Articles
As with the Introductory Articles, we
will add other articles as time permits or as our readers request. If you
have a suggestion for anything, please let us know.
Michael Hardin
Is the Apocalypse Inevitable?: Native American Prophecy and the Mimetic Theory presented to the Colloquium on Violence and Religion 2008
Michael's Essay for a Celebration Volume honoring Rene Girard
Michael's Response to Willard Swartley's Covenent of Peace at the November Colloquium and Violence Meeting
Does
Peace Make A Difference? - Michael's essay in response to Rick
Warren's P.E.A.C.E. plan (which somehow never mentions peace).
An Analysis of Rick Warren - Michael's response to "The Purpose Driven Life."
"The
God of Pat Robertson" - a response to Pat Robertson's words
to the people of Dover, PA.
"A
response to Charles Stanley's "A Nation at War"
"Must
God be violent? A Diagnosis and Prescription for Modern Christianity"
The
Scapegoat: Christologies in Conflict - A Study in Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Biblical
Testaments as a Marriage of Convenience: Rene Girard and Biblical Interpretation
Finding
Our Way Home: A Brief Note On The Authority and Interpretation of Scripture
"Does
The Passion of the Christ Preach the Gospel?"
A
sermon for the holiday devoted to Dr. Martin Luther King. (requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
GRASPING
GOD: Philippians 2: 1-11 in the Light of Mimetic Theory
Essay on Brethren Life & Thought to Rene Girard and the Recovery of Early Christian Perspectives (Brethren Life and Thought)
Essay on Mimesis and Dominion to The Dynamics of Violence and the Imitation of Christ in maximus Confessor (St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly)
"EcoSpirituality"
Or What Happens When You Sit Down With A French Literary Critic
Jeff Krantz
Mighty
One or Crucified Messiah? Competing Christologies and the Chiastic
Structure of Mark's Gospel
There's
No Such Thing as the Rapture - A sermon preached at the Church
of the Advent, Westbury (requires Acrobat Reader)
Holy
Scripture and the Consecration of Gene Robinson - a response
to the request of the Windsor Report for a Scriptural rationale. (requires
Adobe's Acrobat Reader)
Worship - The Redemption of Desire by Jeff Krantz
Myth
and Film - a piece written for the City of Angels Film Festival
The Stations of the Cross - Rewritten by Jeff Krantz
A Dramatic Presentation of the Stations of the Cross for Youth by Barb Fabijan-Waddell
Escaping
the Power of "My" - A NonViolent Approach to Stewardship
Preaching
Peace in Hollywood: The Theologies of Terminator, Lord of the Rings, and the
Matrix
V
for Vendetta - The Name Says It All A review of the movie.
Essays, Sermons and Liturgical Pieces by Friends of Preaching Peace
"Jesus and the Gibeonites: Reading the Bible from the Perspective of the Hidden Victim" by James Warren.
Mark Heim's "No More of This" - A hymn on Nonviolent Atonement
Kate Layzer's "No More of This" - A hymn on Nonviolent Atonement (and inspiration for Mark Heim's hymn!)
Alan Cork, "Transformation" in L'Arche: A Mimetic Account presented to the Colloquium on Violence and Religion 2008
"The Wisdom of God's Peace" a sermon by Jim Amstutz, co-pastor of Michael's church.
Girard's Christology - Per Bjornar Grande
Violence, Anarchy and Scripture: Jacques Ellul and Rene Girard - Matthew Patillo
Comparing
Plato's Understanding of Mimesis to Girard's - Per Bjorner Grande
C. Frank Terhune, an Easter Sermon: "God's Big But" (no kidding!)
Gerald Biesecker-Mast's paper from Theologia Pacis on Pacifist Gospel Epstimology.
An essay by the Rev. John Hill on Mimetic Theory and Catechesis
