Christ Blessing the Children – Nicolaes Maes

                                                                                                        

Which Jesus and Why?

Back in December 1951, I “accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.” Today, after many years of study and reflection, I still identify as a Christian, or more specifically, a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. I must admit that, over decades of study, thought, and experience, my understanding of what it means to call oneself a follower of Jesus has undergone a profound transformation. After my experiences in college, multiple graduate schools, and 60 years of teaching philosophy and religion to college students, my thoughts and commitments have undergone significant evolution. Here, I will attempt to outline the key steps in my personal growth in faith and beliefs.

1.  

     Since there is very little historical data about Jesus’ origins and life, I have no firm beliefs about many details of his birth and subsequent life. It seems pretty likely that he lived roughly between 1 and 33 CE in and around the region known as Palestine, especially in its northern area, Galilee, and southern area, Judea, particularly in Jerusalem. It also seems probable that he was crucified in Jerusalem by the local Roman authorities and died there. Between his birth and death, he appears to have led a quiet, unnoticed life before becoming an itinerant teacher throughout the Palestinian region for about three years before his crucifixion by the Romans. This is the familiar picture the Gospel writers give us of Jesus’ life and death.

       The central mystery surrounding Jesus’ life concerns his first thirty years. The Gospel writers do not mention anything about those early years spent in and around the small city of Nazareth. It must be acknowledged that the scarcity of information about Jesus’ childhood in Galilee, likely spent as a carpenter, is both surprising and disappointing. As I understand it, there are some non-canonical and fantastical stories about Jesus as a child, such as turning clay birds into real ones and winning all his childhood races, among others. But setting aside such stories, we are left with almost nothing, aside from the accounts of his birth in the Gospels, which also border on the fantastical. 

It is intriguing yet pointless to speculate about what Jesus’ teenage and young adult years were like. The record does seem to suggest that he had brothers, and perhaps sisters, one of whom eventually became the first leader of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. However, regarding his youth, education, and even romantic life, we know very little. Nikos Kazantzakis wrote a fascinating but fictional account of aspects of Jesus’ youthful life, but it remains a highly personal and non-historical version. We are left to imagine what Jesus might have been like as a young man. He did not come from outer space like David Bowie in “The Man Who Fell To Earth.” 

 2.

So, what remains are the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament. They include many events in Jesus’ life, numerous encounters with various groups and individuals, his final trials with several Jewish and Roman leaders, and many of his core teachings, mainly in the form of parables and practical lessons. The manuscript situation concerning the Gospels is far from perfect. Still, once the major versions are compiled and compared, a significant amount of reliable information about what Jesus thought and taught on a wide range of issues, involving diverse groups, beliefs, and events, becomes clear. Unfortunately, these cover only the last three years of his life.

Besides the well-known manuscripts of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which contain familiar events and teachings, there is also what scholars call “the Gospel of Q.” Although there is no gospel officially titled this way, scholars have inferred its existence because specific lengthy passages appear in both Matthew and Luke. These passages not only match exactly but also seem to be copied from an earlier manuscript source. It appears clear that the authors of Matthew and Luke both copied these passages verbatim from a source known as “Q,” which is derived from the German word for “source,” “Quelle.” These duplicate sections include the core teachings of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount.” Therefore, Q likely serves as the primary foundation of the Gospels, at least in Matthew and Luke. (“The Lost Gospel Q” ed. by Marcus Borg. Ulysses Press, 1996). 

The Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus’ more radical teachings, such as “Love your enemies,” “Go the extra mile,” and “Turn the other cheek,” which contrast sharply with the typical value systems of that era. Therefore, it appears that the so-called “Gospel of Q” offers the closest version we have of Jesus’ teachings, as no complete copies of the Q document have been discovered to date. Nonetheless, these more “radical” teachings from the Gospels are what got Jesus into significant trouble with both Jewish leaders and Roman authorities. Therefore, if someone is seeking the “authentic Jesus” within the Gospel accounts, the “Q” passages are likely the best place to begin. At his core, Jesus was and is “A man for others.”

The New Testament remains my primary guide for daily life and thought, particularly in the teachings and examples demonstrated in Jesus’ life. I find his conversations and encounters with various people, as depicted in the Gospel of John, particularly insightful and challenging. There is an openness, even playfulness, in his way of talking with those he meets that impresses me greatly. Indeed, there is a touch of humor and loving care in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in the third chapter of John’s Gospel, for example, as well as in his dialogue with the infamous “woman taken in adultery.” In these moments, Jesus has a way of going deeper and revealing more as the conversations continue. There’s often a hint of irony and humor in his comments, but never at the expense of the other person. This shows his genuine concern for others and his desire to draw them into a deeper understanding of the spiritual meaning behind his words and their shared search for truth.           

Thus, after years of studying and teaching the New Testament, I have focused my attention—both personally and theologically—on Jesus’ radical teachings about our relationship with God and with other humans. Over time, this approach to Jesus’ teachings, along with their theological implications, has taken me far from my Fundamentalist beginnings. Developing this stance regarding the various church and academic situations I’ve encountered has been both a blessing and a curse. I’ve been fired from several institutions and left multiple churches due to differing views on how Jesus’ teachings should fit into different social, religious, and academic contexts. 

Sometimes the differences have been about theological perspectives, while at other times they have involved conflicting views on Christian ethical issues. These differences have been negotiated fairly smoothly, with workable solutions, so overall, I have grown both spiritually and intellectually from the conflicts and conclusions that followed. Throughout, my understanding of the relationship between Jesus’ life and teachings, on one hand, and my existential situations, on the other, has been resolved in ways that are fair and fortunate for everyone involved. Overall, I can say that my theological and academic journeys have led me to a remarkable career, both as a scholar and a Christian. Throughout, I have aimed to live a life dedicated to sharing God’s love, as reflected in Jesus, with others. 

Finally, besides my love and life with my wonderful wife, Mari, my relationships with many students over the past 65 years have been a great source of joy and comfort. In Mari’s case, she started as my student and eventually became my teacher in many ways. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of forming deep and lasting friendships with scores of my students, which is its own reward. Overall, I still don’t have a clear understanding of what I think about the “cosmic” nature of Jesus. I have no theories about or much interest in the nature or timing of any celestial reality. I’m content knowing that this fellow Jesus appeared long ago and revealed a way of living and thinking that still captivates my imagination and, hopefully, my way of being in daily life. As for an afterlife, I remain curious but not particularly interested in it.