I decided to move on to the next few chapters for a while. Bruner calls the section after the Sermon on the Mount the "The Touching Messiah" (Chapters 8 and 9) since Matthew tells a number of stories about Jesus healing people and being present and involved with people.
When I read the beginning of Ch 8 the thought came to mind to read the stories in first person as if Jesus were retelling them to me. So here is how I heard the first story.
After teaching and speaking about Father's kingdom, I came down from the mountainside and a large crowd followed me. Can you believe it!! A man with leprosy came up to me, bowing down and worshiping me. He said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." With great affection for this despairing man, I reached out my hand and I grabbed him and touched him. "Oh Yes! I am willing. Be clean!" Immediately, he was cleaned and cured of his leprosy. Then I said to him, "At this moment don't tell anyone. However, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, so you will be a testimony to them." (Matthew 8:1-4)The story came alive like never before. I continued reading chapters 8 and 9 in this same way and felt like I'd just experienced a story-time with none other than Jesus himself.
Part 1 - The Leper Encounters Jesus
Part 2 - Coming Down from the Mountain
Part 3 - Painful Questions
2 comments:
Wonderful! You are practicing your own lectio divina, or sacred reading. (See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectio_divina )
I have been in groups where we read scripture in the present tense, imagining ourselves as a bystander--I see Jesus motion for Zacchaeus to come down from the tree, or Jesus leaves us to be alone in the garden. What is he praying? Your approach is equally ripe for insight. What is amazing about focused, disciplined reading of the scripture is that the act can create a space for the Holy Spirit to move.
This can be troubling for literalists, who cling to a particular translation as "inerrant." This has been a part of my own journey of rediscovering the faith, realizing that the Bible is not an end in itself but an instrument of the Spirit. The Bible itself is not salvation, but it contains all things necessary to salvation. (See here: http://holycross-raleigh.org/bcp/526.html )
As presented in the Catechism (see here: http://holycross-raleigh.org/bcp/853.html ) :
"Q: How do we understand the meaning of the Bible?
A: We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the scriptures."
Doing that can be a leap of faith, but isn't that what it's all about?
Anyway, I didn't mean to lecture. Again, a wonderful post. Post again!
I had no idea there was a latin term for this and thanks for including the link to wikipedia. Amen! and Amen! to your other comments especially "the Bible is not an end in itself but an instrument of the Spirit."
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