MHBS Blog
Beatific Vision of the Kingdom Part I
Blessed
We are all in search of that elusive thing called happiness. We have felt happiness’ effervescent glow but found the promise fleeting in our natural circumstances. The ancients, like us, pursued the “good life.” Aristotle used the Greek work εὐδαιμονία to describe happiness and fulfillment which was to be found in achieving the “golden mean” of moderation and balance. The stoics spoke of ἀταραξία, which was described as discovering a state of mind which was emotionally unperturbed or numb to the assault of life’s troubles and trials. Moderns have found consolation in narcissistic adages like Joseph Campbell’s “follow your bliss” or “do you.” All these definitions depend on a human capacity which is psychologically false and unfeasible.
The world advertises that we can find happiness in the endless products of convenience and status. We are always just one purchase away from total fulfillment as we peruse Amazon and Pinterest. It seems everyone else is achieving something that appears like happiness on social media because we find ourselves envious and left with feelings of inadequacies as we scroll through the smiling pics of new lovers, houses, cars, and tropical vacations. All the while, the house needs cleaning, and our spoiled children keep asking for something else that cost too much and that we never had growing up.
Jesus begins the sermon by saying the word μακάριοι or blessed. The word means happiness, fortunate or favored. Christ pronounces the blessing of the Kingdom on eight different states of human character. These states of character are inversions of what we hold to be elite by the world’s standards then and now. It is a total reevaluation of where happiness can be found. First, we must acknowledge that happiness begins with Jesus Himself. He is the One, who speaks reality into existence and can pronounce happiness into your soul and life. There is no sustaining happiness apart from Himself.
The Scriptures reveal that our joy is not circumstantially based in this world but found in our eternal relationship with God. Our relationship is opened through these eight spiritual states of character that Jesus blesses: poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, spiritual appetite, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecution. It is through these often-avoided doors that we find true fulfillment and happiness because Christ’s personality is revealed thoroughly. The Apostle Paul had discovered this beatific vision in his own life. He was chained but could say, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:11-13).
The experience of God Himself is the greatest felicity and happiness. Other experiences only vaguely allude to God’s goodness or are counterfeits altogether. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (Ps. 34:8-10)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The sublime sermon begins with the blessings of the Messiah on an unlikely list of personalities known as the Beatitudes. The kingdom of Heaven is proclaimed by Christ to be of immeasurable value throughout the Gospels. Jesus compares it to a “treasure hidden in a field” or a “pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:44-46). The Kingdom is eternal and “not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). Yet, we will find it totally victorious over the kingdoms of this world (Rev. 11:15). Moreover, Christ in His temptation, yields not to their fleeting earthly glory but upholds the majesty of the one true God of Israel (Matt. 4: 8-10).
The kingdom of heaven is promised to be possessed by the improbable “poor in spirit.” Those who are spiritually destitute, dependent, and impoverished have the real capacity to receive His kingdom. Those whose hearts are filled with frivolities of pride, possessions, and self-will are unable to receive the innumerable riches of His Kingdom. Jesus, rejected in his own hometown of Nazareth, identified Himself with the “poor in spirit” by proclaiming the words of Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18,19)
We are reminded of the young man who questioned, “Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The inquirer rejected the counsel of Christ for the vanity of the world. First, we see that his heart had fallen prey to pride and self-righteousness. Christ gave a partial list of the ten commandments that the young man carelessly dismisses as “kept” in justifying himself without further thought or introspection. It is the very unnamed first commandments along with covetousness that we find him guilty by story end.
Jesus reveals that the rich young ruler “lacks one thing” and lovingly commands him to “sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.” His heart was filled with pride and possessions because he will not relent the earthly riches in the pursuit of eternal life with Christ. His allegiances are with the world and himself. He became sorrowful because he had not the poverty of spirit required for the inheritance of eternal life (Lk. 18:18-23).
In contrast, the apostles Peter and John find at the temple gate, a man totally incapacitated and deprived by lameness. He is “carried” daily to beg from those who enter at the place called “Beautiful.” He had not any pride but begs in humiliation, he had not possessions but dependent on the daily mercy of almsgivers, his own will becomes powerfully superseded by the grace of God. “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
What begins in richness and self-righteousness ends in sorrow with the young ruler. What begins in total deprivation and poverty ends in joy. “So he, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered the temple with them- walking, leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:1-11). The lame man, who was prohibited to enter the temple by law and tradition (Lev. 21:15), is now welcome into the full fellowship of God by the blessing of Jesus.
We must empty ourselves of the pretension of pride, possession, and self-will. Let the true richness of God’s kingdom find reign in our hearts with this blessing.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
We can hardly imagine the horrific scene of Jesus on the cross. Beaten and scourged within an inch of His life and suspended by nails before the holy city of Jerusalem. He struggled for every breath in the race against asphyxia and blood loss. His nerves radiated with pangs and paroxysms. His soul shadowed in the darkness of evil and injustice. The Apostle John recollects, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother” (Jn. 19:25). Mary witnessed the excruciating death of her own son. Her own soul pierced through by the sword of sorrow and grief (Lk. 2: 35.)
The word “mourn” (πενθέω) connotes severe grief as with the loss of a loved one or family member. It is the kind of sorrow that cannot be shrouded or hidden but overwhelms like the unrelenting waves of the sea. It is the anguish of the heart and soul which brings uncontrollable tears. Tragedy and suffering will find all of us in due time as with our Savior. Jesus mourned for His friend Lazarus (Jn. 11:35). Jesus wept for Jerusalem because of the catastrophic estrangement from Yahweh (Matt. 23:37-39).
The capacity for grief reveals the courage to see the suffering within ourselves and others. It is so much easier to look away than to emotionally invest. The good Samaritan “saw” the wounded man and “had compassion on him” (Lk. 10:33), whereas the other more prestigious men saw but “passed by the other side.” They lacked the ability to really see the person and feel another’s pain. Jesus blesses those able to empathize with others and act accordingly.
The blessing of grief is also indicative of one’s ability to love. Our grief is a mirror to the heart. It is with those we love the most, that we feel the greatest bereavement. Jesus wept so much for Lazarus that the people remarked, “See how he loved him!” We can hardly contend that the greatest of virtues, eternal love- is not worth inevitable finite losses. Anyone, who has ever loved knows its immense value. As the poet Tennyson says, “tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
Also, the “Franciscan Blessing” urges, “May God bless you with tears, to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.” It is when we have the spiritual capacity to mourn that we can love in the deepest sense and find the greatest comfort. The promise of God’s intimacy is even through our darkest moments of despair. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18).
Mary endured the crushing heartbreak that no mother should endure. She found, however, interminable comfort. Mary was gathered with the disciples 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost, as directed by her risen Son in Jerusalem. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts. 2:14).
Mary’s mourning gave light to the greatest joy ever known. (Rev. 21: 4) “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
God ordained earth to be placed under the stewardship of humanity. This is the original blessing and covenant of creation. The book of Genesis says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:27,28). Mankind has fulfilled this primeval vocation of dominion but only in a truncated manner. Humanity became subdued by the earth itself because of mankind’s rebellion to God in the fall. The ground is cursed, and pronouncement was made, “For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:17-19).
The restoration of the inheritance of earth was initiated in Abram. God entered a covenant which included a promise of making the descendants of Abram- a great nation, great name, and great blessing among all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3). Israelites, the seed of Abram, subdued the earth by capturing Canaan but only as a “shadow of the good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). The people of Israel entered the promise land after centuries of slavery, nomadic life, and conquered through many battles and bloodshed.
The people of Israel expected the Messiah to reinstate their standing as a nation long lost. Christ came not to merely subdue Israel from the Romans but to fulfill humanity’s most ancient vocation over the entire creation! This inheritance would not come through violence, as with Joshua, but through the meekness or gentleness of Jesus. The word “meek” is almost synonymous with weakness in our language but the original Greek word (πραΰς) carries the meaning of strength under control. Jesus quotes (Psalms 37:11) which expresses the Messianic hope emergent in His ministry and eventual kingdom.
The Scriptures speak of Moses as “meek” or humble, “more than all the men who were on the face of the earth” (Number 12: 3). Moreover, we find in Christ, the greatest strength under control or meekness, which will vanquish all the powers of evil and death. Jesus remarked, “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). It is through the dominion of Christ that the original blessing of creation is fulfilled. The Hebrew writer states that God has “put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him” (Heb. 1:6-9).
We must follow Christ in his humility and gentleness knowing, all things are under His control. It is through the means of the Gospel that the greatest victory can and will be won. Our meekness will ultimately be revealed and rewarded in the fullest sense when Christ returns. He will eschatologically create the “new heavens and new earth” which will be His and His people. Not only will Christ subdue the creation, as originally intended, but will transform us into the “image of God” which was defaced by the fall (Rom. 8:29, II Cor. 3:18, Phil. 3:21). Truly, the meek are blessed.
Seek First the Kingdom
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying…
The sermon on the mount represents the single longest recorded teaching of Jesus in the New Testament. The breadth and depth of the sermon are utterly amazing despite its brevity by modern standards. The sermon can be read in just twelve minutes, but covers a plethora of subjects including character, ethics, marriage, authentic religion, and happiness. Jesus challenges His hearers to ascend to the mountain top of Christian living. Today, we will embark on that journey for the higher perspective in Christ. But first a warning, Jesus’ teachings are not always easy, comforting, or agreeable, but neither is climbing a mountain.
“And seeing the multitudes”
Jesus was surrounded by need. We may recall that people clamored for Him in various situations (Mark 2:4, 5:31). The multitudes were sick, hungry, desperately alone, and spiritually broken. The multitudes were gathering around Jesus because of His immense power, pure life, and pervading voice. Multitudes need this sermon more than ever! We pride ourselves in our individualistic modernity and pluralism, in which everything seems relative, but Jesus emphatically says, not so! The only way to achieve mountain top living is under the mantle of His lordship and teaching.
“He went up on a mountain”
The Messiah ushering in the new covenant from the mountain is typologically tied to Moses delivering the law at Sinai. The Hebrew writer declares that Jesus is “counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house” (Heb. 3:3). Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy and successor of Moses as promised centuries beforehand (Deut. 18:15,16) (Acts 3:22). The mountain plays a significant role in Jesus’ life. It was a place of solitude and prayer (Matt. 14:23), temptation (Matt. 4:8), transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13), and redemption on Golgotha (Mark 14:22). Jesus preaches from the mountain and urges us to see things from a higher perspective. But more importantly, to live out what we learn.
“He was seated”
Jesus assumed the position of sitting which was the traditional posture for teachers and rabbis during their discourses. His teaching was marked by unprecedented spiritual authority. Jesus made no reference to other notable rabbis as was custom but only to the law and his declaration, “But I say unto you.” The sermon concludes with Matthew’s observation, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:29). Jesus’ teaching was sometimes described as a “hard saying,” and caused questioning, anger, or astonishment (Jn. 6:60, Mk. 2:20, Lk. 4:28). Yet, when chosen as with Mary, the sister of Lazarus, described as that “which will not be taken away” (Lk. 10:42). Jesus’ teaching was not limited to his words but was divinely demonstrated in His life (I Pet. 2:21) (Heb. 4:15).
“His disciples came to Him”
Will you answer Jesus’ call to follow even unto the mountain or the cross? Albert Schweitzer famously wrote, “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same words: ‘Follow thou me!’ and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.”
This post is the first in a series taken from Dr. Rushing's forthcoming book, Mountaintop Living. Preorder your copy by clicking here!
The Nature of Man: The Incarnation of Christ
“He is the image of the invisible God.”
The nature of humankind was fundamentally changed in the fall of Adam. The image of God in man was defaced and vitiated because of sin. The Apostle Paul notes, “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2,3).
Our estrangement and rebellion from God necessitated a Savior. This is the very message of the Bible even back in the garden. A Savior is promised as the “Seed of woman” which would crush the serpent’s head and curse of sin (Genesis 3:15). Our Savior would also have to be God because of humanity’s inability due to our contingent and creaturely complexion. The spiritual predicament required that God enter human flesh and restore His own image in mankind. This is exactly what the Bible reveals about the historical person known as Jesus of Nazareth.
The concept of God becoming human, or flesh is known as the doctrine of the incarnation. The word itself is of Latin origin but built on the Greek phraseology found in (John 1:14), John states that the eternal Word “became” (ἐγένετο) “flesh” (σὰρξ ). This is also a reference to the Torah and Yahweh with the word “dwelt” or tabernacled (ἐσκήνωσεν), from the time in the wilderness additionally substantiating Christ’s divinity (Exodus 29: 42-46). This doctrine is also consistent with the nativity story of Jesus being miraculously born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1, Luke 2) and designated, "Son of God" (Matthew 3:16, 16:18, John 1:14, 3:16).
Jesus of Nazareth is described as the Eternal Word. (John 1:1-4) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
The Bible puts in no uncertain terms that Jesus is eternal God. From the prophetic voice of the Old Testament to the book of Revelation, Christ is revealed as deity. (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The Apostle Paul enjoined by describing Jesus as, “being in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6).
Jesus’ own self-understanding is also evidence of His deity. Christ forgave sins which is the prerogative of God. Christ forgave the sins of the man afflicted with paralysis in which He shockingly said, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?” We find later in the house of the pharisee, a woman washes and anoints Jesus’ feet. Jesus exclaims, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7: 36-50). Moreover, on the cross to thief, “today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
God became flesh or incarnated in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Furthermore, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3,4).
Jesus also confirms by powerfully alluding to His self-existence prior to human birth. Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, my honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:54-58).
Jesus was born physically that we might be born spiritually which is restorative in eternal salvation. (John 1:12,13) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
No wonder when Thomas saw the risen Jesus he confessed, “My Lord and my God.” It is through Jesus that we find the image of God created again, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8: 29, 30).
Christ came to earth to initiate a new creation and kingdom. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:17-19).
It is into His kingdom we are born through water baptism and spiritual regeneration. (John 3:3-8) "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The Nature of Man: Sin
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”
God created the world and humanity good. Yet, we find in our world the stubborn fact of sin. In one sense, our greatest dignity and identity is wrought through free will, but choice also makes possible our sinfulness and rebellion. The first truth concerning sin is that it is not ontologically sourced in God.
The Bible clearly depicts the perfection and goodness of our heavenly Father. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-16). Moreover, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1: 5).
The Bible gives the story of the original fall which details temptation and the eternal existential consequences. The Apostle Paul reveals that something profound happened to humanity in the fall of Adam. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Sin entered the world through Adam and proliferated with the result of physical and spiritual death. “Till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The Apostle Paul relates, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, sin means literally “missing the mark.”
(I John 3:4) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” The word is related to an action or behavior which is contrary or deficient from the standard required, commanded, and expected by God. It also in some Biblical contexts carries the notion of power. Sin can exert hegemony and control over a person. Jesus relates, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” The Scriptures also say, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6: 12-14).
Sin spiritually estranges us from God which isolates us from life and being itself. (Isaiah 59: 1,2) “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you.” The Scriptures characterize humanity’s dilemma as spiritual death because of sin. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2: 1-3). Salvation must come in terms of a new birth (John 3). “Those who are born once (physically) will die twice (physically and eternally); however, those who are born twice (physically and spiritually) will die only once (physically).” (Geisler 2004)
The holiness of God stands in contrast to our sinfulness. The Bible puts this into stark terms, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). Isaiah when confronted by an appearance of the Lord reacted, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Peter similarly with Christ, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
We are sinful. (Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our recalcitrance is rooted in our own inner being “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Our salvation must be found in God. The Apostle Paul details the magnificent grace and intervention of the Father through Jesus Christ, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).
The Nature of Man: Image of God (Part 4)
Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees and the Herodians about His allegiance to Caesar or the Jewish nation when asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” The attempt was to entrap Jesus in an answer that was either disloyal to Rome or unbecoming of Jesus in the Davidic anticipation of Messiah. Jesus ingeniously retorted, “Whose image and inscription is this?” The people responded, “Caesar’s.” Jesus concluded famously, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
The image of Caesar was on the coin, but the image of God is inscribed on the soul. The instilled image of God is a human nature which is spiritual, free, rational, and relational.
The ancients pursued knowledge of the fundamental essences of life. Many conjectured on the classical elements such as fire, water, air, and earth as dominant. Democritus proposed the idea of an atom which was highly intuitive and ingenious, millennia before the microscope. Some proposed a fifth unknown element, a quintessence. What is the quintessence of life? The biologist would point to the cell, the smallest unit of life. The chemist would present a periodic table. A physicist would exclaim that the Hadron Collider has found the building blocks of the universe in evanescent entities known as quarks. But none of these things speak to the soul of man about the quintessence of life.
We desire relationships and belonging with one another. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We were created with the capacities of communication, companionship, and community. Philosopher Martin Buber explored, “When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.” (Buber 1923)
Christ was asked about the central commandments to the Torah which He summarized in the commandments of love! It is a relationship which is fundamental and focal to life and Christianity. (Matthew 22:37-39) “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The phrase “one another” is prominent in the New Testament and appears 100 times and 59 as a command, which directs our attention on the reciprocal quality of life, the aspiration and command of love. (Sterk 2023)
Jesus gives His followers a new commandment, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Our Lord magnifies the command of love by insisting on his own love as the basis of the command towards one another.
Other “one another” phrases include:
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10).
“Be of the same mind toward one another” (Romans 12:16).
“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (I Thessalonians 5:11).
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).
The nature of Humanity reflects the “image of God.” The Genesis narrative summarizes God’s creative actions of human beings as “very good.” God created humanity with the spiritual endowments of soul, freedom, rationality, and relational faculty.