NL 415: Word Became Flesh (Advent 4)

image: Saint John's Bible exhibit, St. Mary's Abbey, Morristown, New Jersey by Randy Greve

John 1:1-18

December 19, 2021

John 1:1-18

INITIAL THOUGHTS

  • “The Gospel of John opens with one of the most challenging texts in the New Testament.”  (Gail O’Day,New Interpreter’s Bible, v. IX, p. 516)

    • Just look at a few different versions of the Bible, and note the footnotes.  There are a lot of “Or this could mean…” footnotes.

    • Poetry - not easy to interpret.  Open to many different ways to understand

      • Poetry is the language of Creation.

  • Many themes that are important in the rest of the gospel are found in the prologue

    • Interplay of God and Light

    • Rejection of Jesus by the people (Jews vs Judeans)

    • Incarnation - close relationship between Jesus and God (Father)

BIBLE STUDY

  • Overall movement of “The Prologue”

    • v. 1-5 God, the Word, and Light.

    • v. 6-8 God, John, and Light.

    • v. 9-13 Light, the World, God’s people, God’s new people.

    • v. 14-18 The Word, the flesh, God’s new people.

  • The Bible Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-2e9mMf7E8

    • Start at 1:29

  • “In the beginning”

    • Same words benign the Hebrew Bible - Genesis 1:1, in the Septuigent

      • The first “thing” God speaks into creation is light

      • Establishes the work of God as creator, life-giver, and the invitation into abundant life, Karoline Lewis, Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries: John, p.13

      • See also Psalm 33:6

    • The relationship between God, The Word, and The Light is a poetic relationship that is difficult to sort out.

    • “In the beginning” is direct parallel to Genesis and the creation, which occurs by God speaking, and first bringing light.

    • “All people, whether they believe it or not, live in a world illuminated by the light just as they live in a world created by the Word. What they are called to do is to trust the light, to walk in it, and thereby become children of light” (Texts for Preaching, Year A, p. 80)

  • The Word - logos of God

    • Logos does mean word, but also much more than simply word: wisdom, logic, knowledge, reason, revelation

    • Logos as a foundation principle of creation was not new

      • Zeno of Citium, founder of classical stoicism, believed that logos was the active reason or logic pervading and animating the entire universe. They believed in the logos spermatikos or the active reason which permeated all things including humans, who were possessed of the divine logos.

      • Alexandrian Jewish philosopher Philo believed God’s logos was the first fruit of creation. Adele Reinhartz, “John” Jewish Annotated New Testament, p.174

    • God spoke all of creation into existence - with the logos, the divine word, the “heart, character, will, and creative mind of God. It was logic that created the cosmos.” Adam Hamilton, John: The Gospel of Light and Life, p.16

  • Light and Darkness

    • “The life was the light for all people” - not for one religious or enthic group- but all people

    • The light does not vanquish or destroy the darkness, anymore than the light and order of Genesis destroyed or eradicated darkness and chaos.

    • However, from the moment this divine will entered into creation - creation was never the same, it would never again be defined as darkness or chaos, but there would also ways be a light.

      •  “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

      • “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” Anne Frank (attributed, but unlikely the source of the quote)

      • “To see a candle’s light, one must take it into a dark place.“ —  Ursula K. Le Guin American writer 1929 - 2018 Source: Earthsea Books, The Farthest Shore (1972), Chapter 9, "Orm Embar" (Sparrowhawk)

      • “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.“ —  Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States 1884 - 1962 Variant: Light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. Source: This is My Story

      • “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.“ Francis of Assisi 1182 - 1226

    • “It only takes the slightest bit of light for our optical system to adjust and see in the dark. When there is no light present at all, our eyes will never become accustomed to the darkness.” Lewis, p.15

    • Light and darkness rethought (is light=good, darkness=bad helpful?)  https://thatstorygirl.com/2020/12/13/light-dark-and-the-colour-of-god-an-advent-reflection/

  • John is not the Light

    • Knowledge of John’s ministry and life is a given to the author.

    • John’s only role is to point to Jesus.

    • John is further subordinated by this gospel.

    • John does not baptize Jesus, but merely sees “The Holy Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him” (John 1:31).  

    • John is never called “the Baptist” in this Gospel

  • Something new, and yet eternal, is happening

    • The Johannine community is claiming Jewish roots, but clearly the separation from the Synagogue is complete.

    • Much of the polemic in the rest of the Gospel of John is rooted in v. 11. “God’s own people didn’t welcome him”

    • The rejection of Jesus by “The Jews” is seen as the primary tragedy of human creation.

      • Historically, this has become the source of much evil.

    • Rejection by “God’s people” forces a redefining of who God’s people are.

    • No longer birthright, or by Covenant with the Law, but by belief in The Word.

    • Following “The Word,” or seeing “The Light” is prerequisite to seeing God.

    • Adoption as God’s people only happens by seeing God through Jesus.

  • The Word is made flesh - The Incarnation

    • v. 14 “The Word became flesh and made his home among us.”

      • Skenoo - ‘made his home’ = ‘pitched his tent’, “to tabernacle”

        • Reminiscent of God in Exodus, residing in the Tabernacle

      • Implies deep intimacy, not just a passerby or temporary guest.

      • At the same time, something different, and not fully native.

    • Radical

      • While the claim that the world was created through divine logos was accepted throughout the Greek world, the idea that this logos could take on human flesh was radical, even scandalous. For logos to come down fully enfleshed in physical form would mean to lose its formeless perfection.

      • Also radical for Jews - while God was known to come and dwell with people in the wilderness following the Exodus and to dwell in the Temple, “God now dwells with us by taking on our form, our humanity...the dwelling of God as not simply where God’s people are, but who God’s people are.” Lewis, p.18

        • Paradoxical - flesh is perishable and logos is “an eternal divine quality; cf. Isa 40:6-8, “All people [lit.,flesh] is grass [that] withers...but the word of our God will stand forever.” While 1st and 2nd century Jews did believe in physical manifestations of supernatural beings, angels, etc, “the idea that a divine being can simultaneously be human is often seen as a major dividing line between Judaism and Christianity.” Reinhartz, p. 175

    • Grace - only appears 4 times in the Gospel of John and only here in the prologue, v. 14, 16, 17

      • “Once the Word becomes flesh, grace is incarnate in the rest fo the Gospel.” Lewis p. 19

    • v. 18 “God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side.”

      • At the Father’s “breast” or “bosom” is a more accurate translation and before 1750 was how this was translated. However, after 1750, the breast began to be viewed in Western culture not as a source of nourishment and care, but as an object of desire and sexuality. Religious art and biblical translations changed accordingly and so we have the more platonic nation of the son at the side of the father instead of being nourished at God’s breast. Lewis, p.22

        • Reminiscent of the seating at the Passover (13:23) “One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was at Jesus’ side.” (also his bosom)

      • “Who has made God known”

        • Literally, Jesus will exegete God. 

        • Can be translated that Jesus exegetes the father’s heart

        • Unlike Moses who was not able to look at God, Jesus will make God known to the world. Reinhartz, p.175

    • Jesus is flesh - not a gnostic rejection of flesh and the material world.  

THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS

  • We are invited into God’s eternal activity.  Becoming adopted by God is not initiation into a club.  It is joining in God’s eternal work to redeem Creation.

  • On this, the day we commemorate the day that the Word was made flesh, what can be made new?  How can we participate in the ongoing work of creation?  How are we being created, even now?

  • What does it mean to welcome God (v. 12)?  

  • How has the Word made its home among us?  Where is the Incarnation today?  It is in a manger in a stable, among shepherds.  It is in a small village, with strange foreigners bearing gifts, amidst the tyranny of a jealous king.  What other strange yet ordinary place is the Word made flesh?

Year 4Eric FistlerJohnComment