Before Jesus speaks persons gather. They converse in crowds. They anticipate. Expectation and excitement stands up and walks about with nervous energy. Strangers bond with shared eagerness. Friends bond with shared stories.
But after Jesus speaks these bonds can break. The words of Jesus can agitate. Listeners transform into intense preachers. “He has a demon,” some proclaim. These profess that Jesus speaks from an evil source. His words are devilish. Others declare that Jesus “is insane.” His words are jibberish. Lunacy drapes him. He is out of his mind. Yet, others find clarity. The words and deeds of Jesus rescue sanity and returns it to them. “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon,” they say.
When Jesus speaks people divide. Bonds break. Opinions separate.
The cause of the division is not surprising in one sense. But what facilitates the division does surprise me. Jesus claims to be “the Good Shepherd.” This exclusive claim outrages and scandalizes. Borrowing Old Testament language for God and applying it to ones’ self is bound to spark controversy. Less understandable is how Jesus’ use of poetry disrupts. Prior to the outrage, Jesus confounds with His choice of language. All Jesus said was that He was the Good Shepherd. He explored the metaphor. He fleshed it out. But Jesus’ word-choice dismantled crowds into bewilderment. The narrator (John) tells us about it:
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not
understand what he was saying to them. (John 10:6)
Jesus’ language choice is on my mind. Jesus seems to possess the habit of doing theology with poetry. When Jesus wants to teach us about His divinity, he says: “I am the bread of life,” or “I am the light of the world,” or “I am the Good Shepherd.” Jesus’ language choice resembles the Old Testament pattern. When God speaks of Himself He refers to Himself as a rock, or an eagle or a strong tower.
For those of us whose church stories are rooted in the language of systematic theology or western philosophy, the way Jesus does theology can confound us. I wonder if we sometimes assume that in order to demonstrate a deep and rich appreciation for God we think that we have to speak with the language of systems, creeds and confessions. We may even think that theology done with poetry demonstrates a watered-down and simplistic approach to God. We may feel that if a person really cared about God and the doctrines of God they would quickly abandon poetry. After all, to say that God is a rock seems childlike. More adult language would say that God is omnipotent. Right?
But while I value and treasure my theological heritage with its language. I can’t help but consider a question: “Which phrase is theologically more accurate? Which phrase is more doctrinally sound? To say that “God is omnipotent? Or to say that “God is like an eagle underneath whose wings we are sheltered?”
The Language of Religion, C.S. Lewis helpfully describes these three language options. I can summarize them and then apply them to the Bible in this way:
Scientific Language: The language of precision and measurement
e.g., “It’s 13 degrees outside.”
e.g., “It does not say, “and to your offspring’s,” referring to
many, but referring to one, “and to your offspring” which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
Ordinary Language: The language of daily and ordinary life
e.g., “It’s really cold out.”
e.g., “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
Poetic Language: The language of metaphor and experience
e.g., “The owl with all of its feathers is skin and shivering”
e.g., “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:7)
While precise language is necessary and ordinary language is prudent, I wonder what it would mean to confound the religious elite with poetry as Jesus did? What does it mean for me that Jesus seeks to do theology with poetry? How do I come to terms with that?
-Zack
But after Jesus speaks these bonds can break. The words of Jesus can agitate. Listeners transform into intense preachers. “He has a demon,” some proclaim. These profess that Jesus speaks from an evil source. His words are devilish. Others declare that Jesus “is insane.” His words are jibberish. Lunacy drapes him. He is out of his mind. Yet, others find clarity. The words and deeds of Jesus rescue sanity and returns it to them. “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon,” they say.
When Jesus speaks people divide. Bonds break. Opinions separate.
The cause of the division is not surprising in one sense. But what facilitates the division does surprise me. Jesus claims to be “the Good Shepherd.” This exclusive claim outrages and scandalizes. Borrowing Old Testament language for God and applying it to ones’ self is bound to spark controversy. Less understandable is how Jesus’ use of poetry disrupts. Prior to the outrage, Jesus confounds with His choice of language. All Jesus said was that He was the Good Shepherd. He explored the metaphor. He fleshed it out. But Jesus’ word-choice dismantled crowds into bewilderment. The narrator (John) tells us about it:
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not
understand what he was saying to them. (John 10:6)
Jesus’ language choice is on my mind. Jesus seems to possess the habit of doing theology with poetry. When Jesus wants to teach us about His divinity, he says: “I am the bread of life,” or “I am the light of the world,” or “I am the Good Shepherd.” Jesus’ language choice resembles the Old Testament pattern. When God speaks of Himself He refers to Himself as a rock, or an eagle or a strong tower.
For those of us whose church stories are rooted in the language of systematic theology or western philosophy, the way Jesus does theology can confound us. I wonder if we sometimes assume that in order to demonstrate a deep and rich appreciation for God we think that we have to speak with the language of systems, creeds and confessions. We may even think that theology done with poetry demonstrates a watered-down and simplistic approach to God. We may feel that if a person really cared about God and the doctrines of God they would quickly abandon poetry. After all, to say that God is a rock seems childlike. More adult language would say that God is omnipotent. Right?
But while I value and treasure my theological heritage with its language. I can’t help but consider a question: “Which phrase is theologically more accurate? Which phrase is more doctrinally sound? To say that “God is omnipotent? Or to say that “God is like an eagle underneath whose wings we are sheltered?”
The Language of Religion, C.S. Lewis helpfully describes these three language options. I can summarize them and then apply them to the Bible in this way:
Scientific Language: The language of precision and measurement
e.g., “It’s 13 degrees outside.”
e.g., “It does not say, “and to your offspring’s,” referring to
many, but referring to one, “and to your offspring” which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
Ordinary Language: The language of daily and ordinary life
e.g., “It’s really cold out.”
e.g., “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
Poetic Language: The language of metaphor and experience
e.g., “The owl with all of its feathers is skin and shivering”
e.g., “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:7)
While precise language is necessary and ordinary language is prudent, I wonder what it would mean to confound the religious elite with poetry as Jesus did? What does it mean for me that Jesus seeks to do theology with poetry? How do I come to terms with that?
-Zack
Who said we have to choose?
ReplyDeleteIn teaching students to write and present in a public forum, we often talk about audience. It is interesting to me that Jesus often didn't speak to his audience in the language that they were accustom to hearing. He didn't always speak to the townspeople in poetic or informal language, and he didn't always speak to the elders in formal language. This choice is an interesting one, and it seems to push on the idea that Jesus as a teacher looked to expand thought and ideas through varied language choices. Only the most skills can tell a fart joke to the Pope, and it is clear that Jesus as a teacher was quite skilled.
ReplyDeletegreat question anonymous! No one says we have to choose (at least I'm not saying that:) In John 10, Jesus uses ordinary language like the word, "the". He uses the language of precision, "I and the Father are one." And he saturates the ordinary and precise language with the poetic. Each of these kinds of language serves genuine and earnest and deep theology in the hands of Jesus. That is my point. Thanks for contributing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob for your comment. You are funny and thoughtful. I'm still enjoying the thought of Emily's baptism.
ReplyDeleteThis is encouraging, Zack. I am in the midst of a congregation of engineers who love their systematic theology and even above that...they love their linear thinking. Poetic language in sermons sometimes loses many of them. One of our elders told me that he struggles in reading the Psalms...i nearly wept. It is amazing to me that people can come to me and say things like, "i was totally tracking with your sermon today...very descriptive...it was as though I was standing there with Jesus" and in the next handshake i get, "you totally lost me." But they say they are glad to have me to stretch them...and I am glad to have them to keep me clear!
ReplyDeleteNathan C.