Jesus and conflicting proprities

by FPU faculty Camp/Roberts

Purpose/ objectives: This section focuses on making a connection between the events leading up to Jesus’ death and his death itself. Students should see the way in which conflicts and tensions (especially related to his identity and authority) present throughout Jesus’ public ministry escalate in the last week and lead ultimately to his death.

Relevant reading: Matthew, Kraybill, H & Y ch 11 (section on “Son of Man” title)

Students were asked to read all of Matthew’s gospel in prep for last week. Thiss session consists of brief overview of the events that lead up to Jesus’ death, and an activity that works at making a connection between these events and his death. There is a clear connection between this escalating tension with the religious authorities, which ends in Jesus’ execution, and the tension evident during his public ministry.

Lecture/Discussion

Jesus ministry creates a crisis, challenging assumptions and standards of his day.  It is important to keep in mind that the Pharisees are very concerned with what that standard is, and trying very hard to live it out in their own lives. In fact, they are the standard, and are seen as such by the people.  They are respected and looked up to.  Ask the class to consider who those people are that they respect or admire spiritually.  Who is it that they consider saintly or holy people?  That’s prevailing attitude toward the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

As we try to understand the last week of Jesus’ life, it is worth looking at some of the teaching and conflicts in Jesus’ ministry that lead to the last week. Matthew makes very clear this connection between Jesus’ ministry and his death. (The conflicts in Matthew seem to be of several natures: Sabbath, purity, Scripture, loyalties and Jesus’ identity.) What is the connection between the life of Jesus and the death of Jesus? To answer this we will study passages that talk about Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders.

Activity

Students should read and briefly describe the issue(s) at the core of the conflict in their assigned passage (see below).

Part of what surfaces is that the two greatest commandments, love of God and love of others, are interdependent.  One cannot claim to love God, while neglecting or at the expense of loving others.  In these passages, we see the authorities trying to pull these two priorities apart, and Jesus reorienting them back together.

9:2-8                authority to forgive sin; Jesus’ identity; blasphemy (speaking & taking authority that is not yours)

9:10-13                        purity issues

12:1-8              Sabbath; interpretation of Scripture

12:10-13          cannot separate love of God & love of others

15:2-9              purity issues vs. bigger commandments

19:4-9              trying to find loophole in law

22:16-22          God vs. Caesar (if we’re made in God’s image, what then is given to God? We are!)

22:24-33          authorities don’t understand Scripture and don’t understand God

22:36-40          priority of law: love of God & love of others not separate realities

What are some of the things being pulled apart?

1)  Sabbath      devotion to God does not allow neglect of others

2)  Purity         can’t keep separate from people who don’t follow God

3)  Scripture    don’t allow Scripture (i.e., bad interpretation of) to be a crutch for sin

4)  Loyalties    government/God; family/God

Jesus’ identity and authority (especially by what authority he does or says things) should surface and resurface as issues.

Revisit: What seems to be meant by Son of Man? What does the term mean? We initially think affirmation of humanity. But this has a complex use in Scripture. Jesus calls himself this only. What image is he drawing on? Three contexts in the Hebrew Bible

1)   Address to prophet Ezekiel

2)   Emphasizes frailty of humanity vs. permanence of God, also emphasizes human participation in God’s creative act (Numbers, Psalms)

3)   Eschatological figure in Daniel 7, whose coming signals the end of history and the coming of divine judgment (what does Jesus say when he is before the Sanhedrin?! They would clearly understand this as image of judgment, of Coming One of God)

We know that Jesus comes to die in fulfillment of Scripture, but we can also see reasons humanly speaking that would lead to his death. His life and ministry are connected to his death. They lead to it. From the standpoint of the opposition, it is because of what he is saying and doing that Jesus must be killed.