Scripture, Culture, and the Human Heart

To illustrate, connect, and apply

So much to be said here. Thanks to my buddy Jeremiah Lepasana for finding this.

Identity, Idolatry, and the Gospel (part 1)

The following is a two part post looking at the nature of the human heart and how it intersects with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah will take the first part. Jeremiah is an unbelievably perceptive, analytical individual. He understands cultures and their particular tendencies, and what that tells us about humanity and the gospel. He’ll take the first part, and I’ll take the second. This is ultimately the written record of a wonderful conversation (among many) Jeremiah and I had in Caesarea. 

Jeremiah Lepasana

I’ve always found greatness fascinating. As a kid it made watching Jordan can’t miss events, and studying successful wartime presidents fun to research. At times, it even gave me an unhealthy curiosity for examples of greatness-gone-bad in the stories of Hitler and Pablo Escobar. Ambitious people are intriguing. They are dominant, and more often than not, ruthless. If you don’t believe me, just listen to Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech. Erik and I were talking about it the other day during an extended walk/hike. It’s crazy. Jordan could not help but give a verbal beating to all the people he already humiliated during his career.  He just gives beating after beating. It’s too amusing.

Here’s where I explain why this all matters. On this trip we’ve been running into countless of names and figures that at one point on another shaped history. You’re thinking, “right, no big deal, you’re on a history trip.” But let me tell you about one particularly intriguing personality, whose contributions to the Israeli landscape not only helps students better understand the story of Scripture, but also whose personal ambitions help me better understand myself.

Waves breaking over the barrier wall at Caesarea

The man’s name is Herod the Great. He was alive for parts of the 1st Century on both sides of 0 (meaning both BC and AD) and he built these incredible structures. Last week we visited the crown jewel of his desert fortresses at Masada. The thing was impressive, and totally unnecessary. He built it in the middle of the wilderness where there’s hardly any water. It’s right next to the Dead Sea. Our professor described the place as one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. I’m guessing it’s either because of the unusually high salt content in the water, or maybe because of the insane drop in elevation that makes sets it on the lowers point on the earth’s surface. Either way, there are some serious geographical difficulties.

It’s almost like Herod picked the most difficult project he could find just to make a statement. You don’t do that unless you have a lot of confidence. Like the kid at the local basketball courts who went out of his way to pick the two nerdiest kids to complete his three-person squad, just so there would be no discussion about who best was when they won. You hated the fact that he did that, but couldn’t help but be impressed at the same time, because he would win everytime. Herod had it like that. He was the king of Judea, and anytime he entertained people from Rome, he had food from Naples imported to the wilderness, just because he could. And he stomped on people in order to make it happen.

We visited five or so sites Herod built, and all of them seemed like they would have been remarkable. Aside from Megiddo, he built the Jews a lavish temple, his mother a winter palace complete with gardens and pools (also in the wilderness), and countless other temples for other deities. But at each place we visited only ruins were left. Our prof had to tell us to use our imaginations. On top of that, people hated the guy, so pleasant stories aren’t exactly told about him. Only piles of rock are left to speak for the legacy he hoped to build. They say when his death was nearing, he had popular Jewish leaders put in prison to be killed at the time of his death so that genuine mourning would take place when he died. Nothing he tried to build stuck.  Instead of story of massive accomplishment that is the story told of him. That can’t be greatness, but if not that, then what? Or maybe the better question is who? What force of nature from the 1st century still dominates conversation in the way Herod hoped to? Yesterday, we found the answer in a squatty town in northern Israel. We met Jesus.

The Person and Work of Jesus (Part 1)

Throughout our time and studies in Jerusalem, we have been consistently exposed to ancient Jewish culture in the time of Jesus. Our professor, Dr. Wright, has been a great help in making somewhat of a foreign culture more familiar to us. We have seen how this culture worked especially in terms of the ancient cultural standard of “ritual purification.” The ultimate aim of these rituals would be to remove specifically defined “uncleanliness” prior to worship or interaction with a deity. The culture in the time of Jesus was transfixed on this notion of cleanliness. It defined their social interactions and very being. As our professor noted, “uncleanliness” could be transmitted by touch our even transitively through pots, jars, doors, etc. Due to this fact, those who were considered unclean were exiled--social pariahs--in fear that these people would blemish other’s standing before God. These ideas are still practiced today, as seen through Orthodox Jews. Kosher food laws would be an example of this.

Me Looking out over the Sea of Galilee and its surrounding settlements

Now, why does this matter? Why should we know this stuff? Is it relevant to us today? Oh, yes. Yes it is. You see, God sent his one and only Son, Jesus, into this particular culture. This culture. Not 21^st century. Therefore, in order to understand the person and work of Jesus, and ultimately the character of God, we must examine how he interacts with this particular culture. We need to grasp the ritual purity laws to understand ancient Jewish culture, just as someone 2,000 years in the future would need to grasp the economy, technological innovation, or political structures to understand our modern American culture.

            With this understanding, I want to now turn to Mark 5:21-42, which vividly demonstrates how Jesus interacts with and challenges ancient Jewish culture in ways that are exceedingly relevant to us today. I’ll finish part 1 of this post with the passage, and attempt to explain it in part 2. All of the following took place around the Sea of Galilee, the exact region we just spent four days examining as a class.

Mark 5:21-42

 “And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, ‘my little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.’ And he went with him.

            And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say ‘who touched me?’’ And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

            While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, ‘your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ but overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, ‘why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha cumi,’ which means, ‘Litter girl, I say to you, arise.’ And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.”