Sunday, March 29, 2015

Every Knee Shall Bend



Palm Sunday is March 29, 2015

Celia Sirois is an instructor, lecturer, and Co-Director of New Directions for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue. I was privileged to be able to attend one of her lectures about a year ago.

The main thesis of her talk was that in 2 Philippians, Paul presents THE central beliefs of the Christian Faith.

She compared our knowledge and Paschal presentation of 2 Philippians, to the Passover celebration in a Jewish home. And, in comparison to Jewish teachings, she found the Christian teaching of our central belief -- well, sorely lacking.

In the Judaic Faith, the central core of their belief is in the Exodus story, according to Sirois. The Exodus story is bound up in the identity of each Jewish person. The fact that Yahweh, the holy "I Am", delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, into the Promised Land, and gave them the Torah and the Ten commandments, informs the daily life of every observant Jewish family member.

Each Passover, a Jewish family not only re-reads the Exodus story aloud around the Passover table; in fact, every member of the family plays a role. The youngest child present asks the famous first question: "Why is this night different than any other night?" The leader of the seder is often the male elder in the family. The children are even encouraged to act out some of the Exodus story, by going on a hunt for the last piece of matzoh to be consumed after dinner, which represents the Israelite's reclamation of the soul or self that was missing during enslavement.

Sirois laments that, at Easter, we Christians do not teach our children the central story of Jesus' human appearance on earth, His death for us and His Resurrection. How many of us, even adults, do not realize the full extent of our central story?

In Deuteronomy 6: 5-7, appears the central command to the Israelites [the Shema] : "And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. . . And you shall teach [these] diligently to your children, and shall talk of [these] when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up."

And SO, Our Jewish brothers and sisters have a sacred duty to teach their children, down all of the generations, their central story of being saved, by God, from slavery.  Why do not WE Christians do the same with our Faith?

 Herein lies our central belief:


"Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, He emptied Himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found in human appearance,
He humbled Himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted Him
and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."  -[ 2 Phil. 6-11].

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONCORDANCE:

Christ Jesus ---

Though He was in the form of God-- [Matthew 17: 1-5- "Jesus was transfigured before them. . . A voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him!"]

Did not grasp at equality from God -- [John 5: 19- "I say to you, a Son cannot do anything on His own, but only what He sees His Father doing. . I cannot do anything on my own."]

He instead emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave-- [After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus says, 'Amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master.' " - John 13.]

He came in human likeness-- [Luke 2: 7- "She gave birth to a firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes."]

And found in human appearance: [John 11: 35- At the death of Lazarus, "When Jesus saw Mary weeping, . . He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Jesus wept."]

He humbled Himself:  [Mark 10: 45- "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve."]

Becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross: [Matthew 26:38- "My soul is sorrowful, even unto death." AND, Mark 14:1- " Not what I will, {Father}, but what You will".]

God greatly exalted Him: [Luke 2: 14- "{Upon the birth of Jesus}, suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with angels, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest.'"]

And bestowed on Him the name above every name: [Matthew 1: 23- "Behold, the virgin shall bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us'."]

That, every knee should bend: [John 18: 4-6- Judas the betrayer gathered a band of soldiers and chief priests, with lanterns, torches and weapons. . "Jesus {asked}, 'Whom are you looking for?' They answered Him, 'Jesus the Nazorean.' He said to them, 'I AM.' They turned away and fell to the ground."]

 Of those in heaven: [Luke 22: 43- "And to strengthen Him, an angel from Heaven appeared to Him {in the Garden of Gesthemane}."]

And on earth: [Matthew 27: 54- "The centurion and the men with him, keeping watch over Jesus and all that was happening, said, 'Truly, this was the Son of God!' "]

And under earth: [John 6: 70-71- "Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?'; Matthew 27:5-6 - "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver, saying, 'I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.' Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself."]

 And every tongue confess:  [ Matthew 28: 19- "Go, therefore, and teach all nations."; Acts 2: 5-6- "Now there were devout Jews from every nation staying in Jerusalem. They were confused because each one heard {and understood} them speaking in their own languages.]

That Jesus Christ is Lord: [John 18: 5: "Jesus answered them, "I AM".]

To the glory of God the Father:  [John 11:40- "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?].

God, I love, you, the Lord my God, with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my might. And I will diligently teach these words and the story of Jesus' Crucifixion, to everyone, when I sit in my house, when I walk by the way, when I lie down, and when I rise up. All the days of my life.

[Related Postings: "Palm Sunday" April 6, 2011 ; "My Palm Sunday Life", March 24, 2103; "Why Did Jesus Have to Die?", August 31, 2014.]

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