Jesus Taught by Questioning and Arguing (Contd):
Sin Against the Holy Spirit: What exactly is a slander or sin against the Holy Spirit that is an eternal sin? It is nothing but putting oneself beyond the realm of influence of the Spirit of God Who is all-pervasive. It can happen only to someone who closes the door of his or heart from within without leaving a handle outside the door. Deliberately refusing to acknowledge truth even when it is sufficiently evident is equivalent to shutting oneself off from the influence of the Spirit of God. An example would be the assessment of the Doctors of Law from Jerusalem who saw the power of Beelzebub in the actions of Jesus. Anyone who is open to truth that sets us free can never be guilty of a sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" and "everyone who commits sin is a slave" (John, 8: 32, 34).
Rhetorical Questions: When Jesus asks questions like "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" (Mark, 3: 33) and "What made you search for me?" (Luke, 2: 49), he did not expect any answer. Those questions were designed in a most effective rhetorical and pedagogic way to teach us the meaning of detachment resulting in true attachment. Thus the mission of Jesus was safeguarded from being encroached upon by natural human relationships, which were safe only within the ambit of the fulfillment of God's Will.
Jesus did not expect any answer to most of the questions put forward to the audience, instead he answered them himself. Thus the method was rhetorical and pedagogic meant to invite the attention of the audience to be alert and to concentrate on what he taught. As for Jesus, it was essential that people understood properly what he taught without which he could never expect people to do the Will of God. In this context we should understand the questions quoted below and similar ones. "So he said, 'You do not understand this parable? how then are you to understand any parable?' " (Mark, 4: 13). "He said to them, 'Do you bring in the lamp to put it under the meal-tub, or under the bed?' " "He said also, 'How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we describe it?' " (Mark, 4: 30).
For Strengthening Faith: Jesus made use of the method of questioning not only for teaching but also for strengthening the faith of his disciples. Jesus taught the people at the Galilee beach escaping into the boat kept ready for him to be relieved from the rush of people crowding around to touch him.. At the end of one such session Jesus asked his disciples to set sail for the other side of the lake. But the people were not willing to give up their desire to be with Jesus and to hear him. They too followed Him and the disciples in other boats. A heavy squall came on and the waves broke over the boats almost sinking them. Jesus was calmly sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat unaware of the furious change in nature. The disciples were overtaken by fear of the impending danger and brought it to the notice of Jesus after waking him up. After rebuking the wind and the sea, in response to which the wind and the sea turned dead calm, Jesus addressed the disciples. "He said to them, 'why are you such cowards? Have you no faith even now?' " (Mark, 4: 40). Jesus mildly reprimanded his disciples having seen that they were swayed by the antics of nature instead of putting faith in him. The purpose of questioning the disciples here was not to blame them but to rekindle their faith in him. We have already seen in a previous Post about the woman suffering from hemorrhages the question "who touched my clothes?" was meant to bring her secret faith in Jesus out into the open (See Mark, 5: 25-34).
For Understanding: When exasperated by the lack of understanding of his teaching by the people and his own disciples, Jesus expressed himself strongly through certain questions. The Pharisees came to discuss with Jesus and to test him they asked for a sign from heaven. "He sighed deeply to himself and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you this: no sign shall be given to this generation' " (Mark, 8: 12). When the disciples misunderstood the warning of Jesus about the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, he questioned them to bring them to their senses. "Knowing what was in their minds, he asked them, 'Why do you talk about having no bread? Have you no inkling yet? Do you still not understand? Are your minds closed? You have eyes: can you not see? You have ears: can you not hear? Have you forgotten? When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many basketfuls of scraps did you pock up?' 'Twelve', they said, 'And how many when I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand?' They answered 'Seven'. He said, "Do you still not understand?' " (Mark, 8: 17-21). Matthew makes the mind of Jesus clearer by adding one more question. "How can you fail to see that I was not speaking about bread? Be on your guard, I said against the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saddiccees" (Matthew, 16: 11). Matthew adds further: "Then they understood: they were to be on their guard, not against baker's leaven, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and sadducees" (Matthew, 16: 12).
For Revelation of Truths: Occasionally Jesus asked questions to bring out new truths and allow direct revelations from God to take possession of the disciples. One such question was put forth by Jesus when he came to the region of Caesarea Philippi with his disciples. "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" (Matthew, 16: 13). Jesus was not concerned about what people thought about him as he knew how fickle-minded they could be (See John, 2: 24-25). What he was really interested in was to form his disciples into a string foundation of the new community of which he himself would be the corner stone. So when the question was addressed to the disciples, the Heavenly father revealed the fundamental truth of the Messiah being at the same time the Son of God Himself to Simon Peter. This faith received as a revelation from above by Peter was to remain as the foundation of the Church. All the other powers in the Church are derived from this fundamental truth professed by the head of the Apostles (See Matthew, 16, 13-20). It is another matter that in the centuries after the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in A.D. 337, the powers in the Church including that to the keys of the Kingdom of heaven were understood more in tune with a worldly kingship than with a spiritual kingship. (See the coming Section 5 on "The Theology of Gospel proclamation"). Therefore, those Churches, Sects and Groups professing the name of Christ have an ecumenical role to play in bringing out the nature of the Church according to Gospel traditions, although at the moment they are not in communion with the Church of Rome. (To be Contd).
Sin Against the Holy Spirit: What exactly is a slander or sin against the Holy Spirit that is an eternal sin? It is nothing but putting oneself beyond the realm of influence of the Spirit of God Who is all-pervasive. It can happen only to someone who closes the door of his or heart from within without leaving a handle outside the door. Deliberately refusing to acknowledge truth even when it is sufficiently evident is equivalent to shutting oneself off from the influence of the Spirit of God. An example would be the assessment of the Doctors of Law from Jerusalem who saw the power of Beelzebub in the actions of Jesus. Anyone who is open to truth that sets us free can never be guilty of a sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" and "everyone who commits sin is a slave" (John, 8: 32, 34).
Rhetorical Questions: When Jesus asks questions like "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" (Mark, 3: 33) and "What made you search for me?" (Luke, 2: 49), he did not expect any answer. Those questions were designed in a most effective rhetorical and pedagogic way to teach us the meaning of detachment resulting in true attachment. Thus the mission of Jesus was safeguarded from being encroached upon by natural human relationships, which were safe only within the ambit of the fulfillment of God's Will.
Jesus did not expect any answer to most of the questions put forward to the audience, instead he answered them himself. Thus the method was rhetorical and pedagogic meant to invite the attention of the audience to be alert and to concentrate on what he taught. As for Jesus, it was essential that people understood properly what he taught without which he could never expect people to do the Will of God. In this context we should understand the questions quoted below and similar ones. "So he said, 'You do not understand this parable? how then are you to understand any parable?' " (Mark, 4: 13). "He said to them, 'Do you bring in the lamp to put it under the meal-tub, or under the bed?' " "He said also, 'How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we describe it?' " (Mark, 4: 30).
For Strengthening Faith: Jesus made use of the method of questioning not only for teaching but also for strengthening the faith of his disciples. Jesus taught the people at the Galilee beach escaping into the boat kept ready for him to be relieved from the rush of people crowding around to touch him.. At the end of one such session Jesus asked his disciples to set sail for the other side of the lake. But the people were not willing to give up their desire to be with Jesus and to hear him. They too followed Him and the disciples in other boats. A heavy squall came on and the waves broke over the boats almost sinking them. Jesus was calmly sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat unaware of the furious change in nature. The disciples were overtaken by fear of the impending danger and brought it to the notice of Jesus after waking him up. After rebuking the wind and the sea, in response to which the wind and the sea turned dead calm, Jesus addressed the disciples. "He said to them, 'why are you such cowards? Have you no faith even now?' " (Mark, 4: 40). Jesus mildly reprimanded his disciples having seen that they were swayed by the antics of nature instead of putting faith in him. The purpose of questioning the disciples here was not to blame them but to rekindle their faith in him. We have already seen in a previous Post about the woman suffering from hemorrhages the question "who touched my clothes?" was meant to bring her secret faith in Jesus out into the open (See Mark, 5: 25-34).
For Understanding: When exasperated by the lack of understanding of his teaching by the people and his own disciples, Jesus expressed himself strongly through certain questions. The Pharisees came to discuss with Jesus and to test him they asked for a sign from heaven. "He sighed deeply to himself and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you this: no sign shall be given to this generation' " (Mark, 8: 12). When the disciples misunderstood the warning of Jesus about the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, he questioned them to bring them to their senses. "Knowing what was in their minds, he asked them, 'Why do you talk about having no bread? Have you no inkling yet? Do you still not understand? Are your minds closed? You have eyes: can you not see? You have ears: can you not hear? Have you forgotten? When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many basketfuls of scraps did you pock up?' 'Twelve', they said, 'And how many when I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand?' They answered 'Seven'. He said, "Do you still not understand?' " (Mark, 8: 17-21). Matthew makes the mind of Jesus clearer by adding one more question. "How can you fail to see that I was not speaking about bread? Be on your guard, I said against the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saddiccees" (Matthew, 16: 11). Matthew adds further: "Then they understood: they were to be on their guard, not against baker's leaven, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and sadducees" (Matthew, 16: 12).
For Revelation of Truths: Occasionally Jesus asked questions to bring out new truths and allow direct revelations from God to take possession of the disciples. One such question was put forth by Jesus when he came to the region of Caesarea Philippi with his disciples. "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" (Matthew, 16: 13). Jesus was not concerned about what people thought about him as he knew how fickle-minded they could be (See John, 2: 24-25). What he was really interested in was to form his disciples into a string foundation of the new community of which he himself would be the corner stone. So when the question was addressed to the disciples, the Heavenly father revealed the fundamental truth of the Messiah being at the same time the Son of God Himself to Simon Peter. This faith received as a revelation from above by Peter was to remain as the foundation of the Church. All the other powers in the Church are derived from this fundamental truth professed by the head of the Apostles (See Matthew, 16, 13-20). It is another matter that in the centuries after the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in A.D. 337, the powers in the Church including that to the keys of the Kingdom of heaven were understood more in tune with a worldly kingship than with a spiritual kingship. (See the coming Section 5 on "The Theology of Gospel proclamation"). Therefore, those Churches, Sects and Groups professing the name of Christ have an ecumenical role to play in bringing out the nature of the Church according to Gospel traditions, although at the moment they are not in communion with the Church of Rome. (To be Contd).
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