[Propertalk] Jesus doesn't make it easy

[michael at st-davids.org]

Bill Loader, an excellent biblical scholar from Australia writes:

"Theclaim of the fourth gospel is that Israel?s religious heritage is notto be abandoned but to be owned as metaphor which bears witness to thetruth."

Which is to say that what was so hard for Jews followingJesus was that at some point he becomes something akin to a new Torah,new Bible, new Law. Not another Torah, but an updated version. He has'the words of eternal life.'

The Gospel of John is usually hardfor me. It seems gnostic sometimes--full of specialized secretknowledge you have to be initiated into to understand (or appreciate!).It's helpful to think of this section of John's gospel in Bill Loader'sterms--something we have truly to own as metaphor that bears witness tothe truth.

it's still challenging--even to understand. And as weunderstand, we still have to deal with the realization that Jesusdoesn't make it easy. Like in Chapter 3--with Nicodemus--we are calledto be born again! And what does that mean for each of us? What cruciallife-passage does that bear witness to? And can we stand the persistentdiscomfort and disorientation that comes to everybody who decides tostay with Jesus to find out?

The above is also posted on Homilyblog

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