My next sermon series is aimed at helping people to appreciate something of the diversity of the four gospels and is provisionally titled 'Portraits of Jesus.' The good challenge, for me anyway, is deciding what in one sermon each might be - the theme to choose from each gospel - and which books might help me here.
Some vague ideas floating around are...
Matthew's Portrait - 'The New Moses' - fulfilment
Luke's Portrait - 'The Friend of "Sinners" ' - inclusion
John's Portrait - 'The Living Word' - incarnation - kind of logos made simple (I thought about 'Revealer' and the delightful 'Johannine Pimpernel' but am not sure about communicating them!)
Mark is proving more tricky - 'The Secret Messiah' - the frequent 'don't tell anyone yet,' Messianic Secret theme but not easy to work with; the absence of birth/childhood AND post resurrection material is obviously significant but what 'portrait' does it match? I've just ordered 'Binding the Strong Man' and 'Through Mark's Eyes' from Amazon but whether they will help (or get read in time) is another matter.
Any clever folk out there got any ideas or books to point me at?
Comments
I think Richard Burridge's Four Gospels, One Jesus is a great little book that looks at each of the four gospels against the four pictures of human, lion, ox, and eagle. Matthew's Jesus is the human Jesuus, the teacher of Israel. Mark's Jesus is the roaring lion, who never stops to breathe. Luke's Jesus is the burden bearing ox and John's Jesus is the high-flying eagle. I like your titles, sounds a great little series.
Thanks Andy, have now ordered it from Amazon. Also spotted one called 'Four Portraits, One Jesus' published this year by Mark L Strauss, but decided it was too expensive to buy on spec. for a four week series.
Am still open to other ideas...
Just an odd thought and probably one you're already considering regarding Mark, but the "whodunnit" angle intrigues me - "Who is this ..." (4:41), "Who do you say I am?" (8:29), "Whose son is the Christ?" (see 12:35-37) - and at the end the reader has to make his / her mind up.
Hi Catriona, An unnecessary greeting in a comment to a post (don't take that personally - I'm not comparing you to an upright lump of wood), but the world is a better place for unnecessary greetings, so hello.
I think Ched Myers basically paints Jesus as a radical, political activist (politics and religion being the same thing in those times).
Like the rest of us and our readings of the gospels, there's sometimes a question of who's being modelled on whom. But it's all good stuff - one of the books I bought and kept. I found it hard to read quickly (you'll probably eat it up in a week!). I seem to remember Sean was going to ask Myers at Greenbelt whether he would still stick to his reading of Jesus in Mark if the social setting mapped out in his socio-literary reader-centred criticism of Mark ever proved to be wrong. I don't know if Sean ever asked the question or, if he did, what the answer was...
If your budget is unlimited, or can stretch another £6 or so on Amazon, Myers C. et al. - 'Say to This Mountain - Mark's Story of Discipleship' is a collaborative exploration of some of the themes in 'Binding the Strong Man', but in only 212 pages and less technical language. As you'll guess, Mark's portrait of Jesus is viewed through the lens of his call to radical discipleship. You'll have Dibley chaining themsleves to the railings yet!
P.S. in an act of not quite radical discipleship, if you wanted to borrow my copy of STTM, we could probably arrange a handover and save you £6.
Just another thought, (as long as the people trusted you enough not to misinterpret your intentions). How about echoing the gospel's cliffhanger ending and taking the theme 'Jesus - The Dead Messiah?'
Who is this man that you're being challenged to follow him, even though...? Yet another scandal that Jesus caused. The Skandalous Messiah?
Sorry. I'll stop trying to get you sacked!
Hi Andy, greetings are never amiss in my little world!
Hmm, you want me to start another 'Northern, can anything good come from that place' debacle?!!!! Have you read the whole chapter on it in 'English Baptists for the 20th Century'? I think I'll leave that honour to Glen on hellfire and damnation... ;-)
I like the Skandalous idea - but not sure I can commuicate effectively to my good people. Will look out for the other little book too.
best regards (closing greetings ok too!)
Just say he went around upsetting people (not us of course...). Sydney Carter would agree - and Ched Myers and Mark might as well.