Both, And, Beyond

“For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord?” Romans 11: 32-34

Jesus is Lord of the paradox. Christ holds opposites together: man and God, innocent and condemned, Author of Life killed on a cross, victim and victor simultaneously, Son of Man and King of the Jews, bread and wine, matter and Spirit, crucified and Risen, Suffering Servant and Lord of all, life and death, …

The ways of the world are dualistic; power structures are fed on us vs them. In Jesus of Nazareth, we are confronted with something beyond our binary systems. Jesus fearless functions outside of our sinful reward and punishment framework. He plays by a totally different set of rules whose judgements rule in favor of mercy.

Jesus hardly ever gives direct answers instead he asks deeper questions. Jesus’ inquisitive way of thinking breaks through black and white paradigms and opens up new possibilities.

Is it possible that by God taking human form in Jesus, we were shown how to live free of the dualistic systems we have become slaves too? Jesus is not either or, Jesus is both and, and, beyond! Jesus taught how the Kingdom of God is not only hereafter but can be here and now. He brought spiritual healing to the physically impaired. Jesus who when doing miracles still points to the authority of his Father. Christ is always going beyond our expectations. Jesus went beyond the borders of towns where the outcasts lived in isolation and brought them back into community. The Author of Life went into the graveyard to minister with the man who had lost his very identity to evil spirits and restored his humanity. In healing the individual, he reconciled the whole community. Jesus constantly challenged the unjust status quo. He broke societal norms to bring equity, like when he ‘worked’ to heal and feed on the Sabbath. The Savior of the world even went beyond our morals of what is good. Teaching: love thy enemy, go the extra mile, give away your shirt and your coat, turn the other check. All of these non-violent acts challenge the persecutor to see the error in their ways.

The Alpha and Omega who told Lazarus’ family to ‘unbind him and let him go’ out of his tomb. The Light of the World whom no dark tomb can conceal. The Master of the Sea, calmer of the storm, whom the earth quaked for and the sun turned dark. Son of Man and Messiah who somehow occupied the space between living and dead, who was able to travel from earth to hell and back. The Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, who went on before us to pave the way to heaven.

Fittingly the go-to book on our UMC theology of Communion, the remembrance of the Last Supper, is entitled This Holy Mystery. Jesus seems to always be up to more than we can phantom. The Bread of Life born in a feeding trough. The Living Water that washes away sins. The one who said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” lived differently than anyone in history. The Liberator who flipped over tables of corruption and hypocrisy in the temple. The Prince of Peace who triumphed through losing.

Is it possible that in following the example of Jesus defeater of sin and death that we can defeat our dualistic systems that divide us by differences? Jesus was not Republican or Democrat, his movement was seen as a threat to the entire political system of the time. He showed a better way to live as a community, not under Roman government oppression or controlled by corrupt religion. His resurrection from being put to death, should have shown the folly of the death penalty and the supremacy of God’s judgement. The Lamb of God being slaughtered should have ended our endless scapegoating. Suffering the unjust punishment and then rebuking it in the resurrection should have snuffed out the cycle of retributive vengeful bloodlust.

For me the most meaningful mystery of Jesus is that he is wounded and risen. When he appears to the disciples in the locked upper room after his resurrection, he shows them the wounds the nails made on his bleeding flesh. He has beaten death, came back to life in human body and still has the open wounds. God has made him whole, with wounds, with blemishes, with imperfections. What a powerful testament of solidarity our brother Jesus makes with all those who carry wounds of any kind. The wounds in the Risen Lord can represent our wounds, those seen and unseen, those caused by weapons or words. As someone who society could label ‘disabled’ and lives with chronic pain, it is deeply comforting that Jesus unveils for us the ability to be fully whole and still carry the pain. Our Savior transformed his pain into our pathway to deliverance. The Good Physician’s solidarity with our suffering is our source of healing.

Yet we seem to still be trapped in these prisons of our own making and yet God still continues to show us grace! Praise God Almighty, slow to anger and quick to love.