In de ton {met 'n hoepeltje}!

The germ of revolution in Yeshua's preaching does not emerge from his criticism of Jewish
law, but from other premises altogether. These premises did not originate with Yehoshua. On the contrary,
his critical assault stemmed from attitudes already established before his time. Revolution broke through at three points: the radical interpretation of the commandment of mutual love, the call for a new morality, and the idea of the kingdom of heaven.

In about 175 B.C. a Jewish scribe bearing the Greek name Antigonos of Socho said, "Be not like slaves who serve their master for the sake of reward, but like slaves who serve their master with no eye on
any reward; and may the fear of heaven be among you!
"


This saying is characteristic of the change in the intellectual and moral atmosphere that had taken place in
Judaism since the time of the Old Testament. At the same time, it exemplifies the expression of a new & deeper sensitivity within Judaism, which was an important precondition for the preaching of "JC".

The religion of Israel preaches the one righteous "G d". His iconoclastic exclusiveness is linked with his inflexible moral will. The righteousness of the Old Testament sought concrete exoression in e new and just
social order. "G d's righteousness" is also his compassion. He espouses especially the cause of the poor &
oppressed, for he does not desire men's physical power and strength, but rather their fear of him.

Judaism is an ethical religion in which the principle of justice is indispensible; that is why the division of mankind into the righteous and the sinners is so important. For the Jew, the concept that G d rewards the
just and punishes the wicked is confirmation of G d's steadfast truth. How, otherwise, could the righteous-ness of G d rule the world?

Man's destiny in this world, however, seldom corresponds to his moral endeavor. Often guilt goes conspi-cuously unpunished and virtue unrewarded. It is thus easy for us to conclude that somethings is amiss.
No ethics & no religion has yet succeeded in solving the problem of evil! In the Old Testament, the book
of Job is devoted to the topic of the bitter lot of the righteous. Eastern pagan wisdom literature, too, knows the cry: "They walk on a lucky path, those who do not seek a god. Those who devoutly pray to a goddess become poor and weak!"

It was not this problem that caused the revolution that sparked the moral imperative of Yehoshua.
As we have noted several times before, the moral religious maxim, according to which the righteous flourish and the evil come to a bad end, is constantly refuted by life itself. For the Jew of ancient times, the statement was also doubtful from another point of view.

Even if the maxim had been confirmed by experience, the question would still have to be asked:
Is the simple division of men into righteous and sinners itself appropriate? We know that no one is perfectly just or utterly evil, for good and evil struggle within the heart of every person.

The question also arises whether there are any limits to the mercy of G d and his love for people.
Even if there were no problems regarding the reward of the just and the punishment of the sinner, would
one be performing a truly moral act if he or she were motivated to act because of a reward?

As we have said, already Antigonos of Socho rejected such a shallow, slavish attitude as basically vulgar.
One ought to act morally, and at the same time give no thought to the reward that will surely come ...

The rigid morality of the old covenant was clearly inadequate for the new sensitivity of the Jews in the Greek and Roman period. Having recognized that people are not sharply divided into the categories of the
righteous & sinners, one is compelled to admit the impossibility of loving those who are good and hating
the wicked. Because of the difficulty of knowing how far "G d's love & mercy" extended, many concluded that one ought to show love and mercy toward all, both righteous and wicked.

In this they would be imitating "G d" himself. Lucky Luke puts this saying into the mouth of Yehoshua:
"BE MERCIFUL, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL!"
[Luke 6 {36}].
This is also an old rabbinical saying.
WECHAL-HEHAMON MEVAKSHIM LAGA'AT BO KI GVURAH YATSAH MEE'ITO WERAFAH ET-KULAM;
WEHU NASA ET-EINAW EL-TALMIDAW WAYOMAR ASHREICHEM HA'ANIYIM KI-LACHEM MALCHUT HA'ELOHIM; ASHREICHEM HARE'EEVIM KAEET KI TISBA'U
ASHREICHEM HABOCHIM KAEET
KI TISCHAKU!
A.S.O.

Ze
waren gekomen
om naar hem te luisteren
en zich van hun ziekten te laten genezen;
ook degenen die gekweld werden door onreine geesten
werden genezen, en de hele menigte probeerde hem aan te raken,
want er ging een kracht van hem uit die allen genas. Hij richtte zijn blik op zijn leerlingen en zei:
"Gelukkig jullie die arm zijn, want van jullie is het koninkrijk van g d: jullie die honger hebben zullen verzadigd worden & wie huilt zal lachen. Maar wee jullie die nu rijk zijn: jullie hebben je deel al gehad!
Wee jullie die nu al helemaal verzadigd zijn: jullie zullen omkomen van de honger.

Die nu niets doen dan lachen zullen treuren en huilen & wee jullie wanneer
alle mensen lovend over je spreken, want ook al hun voorouders
hebben de valse profeten op dezelfde wijze behandeld.
Tot jullie die naar mij luisteren is het dat ik zeg:

heb je vijanden lief, wees goed voor wie jullie haten,
zegen we je vervloekt & bid voor wie jullie slecht behandelen.
Als iemand je op de rechterwang slaat, bied hem dan ook de linkerwang aan,
& weiger iemand die jou je bovenkleed afneemt niet ook je onderkleed! Geef aan ieder
die iets van jou vraagt, & eis jouw bezit niet terug als iemand het van je afneemt! Behandel anderen zoals jij wilt dat ze jullie behandelen: is 't een verdienste als je alleen maar liefhebt wie jullie liefhebben? Want ook zondaars en heidenen hebben degenen lief die hen liefhebben? En is 't zo'n grote verdienste als jij weldaden bewijst aan wie weldaden bewijzen aan jou? Ook de zondaars & heidenen
handelen precies zo! En is 't zo'n grote verdienste als jij geld leent aan degenen
van wie je iets terug verwacht? Ook zondaars & heidenen lenen goederen &
geld aan alle anderen in de verwachting alles terug te krijgen
[en nog veel meer dan dat!]?! Daarom zeg ik je:
heb je vijanden lief, doe goed en leen geld
& goed aan anderen zonder ooit nog iets
terug te verwachten: want alleen dan
zullen jullie rijkelijk worden beloond
en echte kinderen van de Aller-
hoogste zijn, want ook hij is
goed voor wie ondankbaar
& kwaadwillig zijn.
WEES DAAROM
BARMHARTIG ZOALS
JULLIE VADER OOK BARMHARTIG IS!
lacheen heyu rachamanim ka'asher gam-avichem rachum hu:
bismillahrachmanurachiem!
'sjeiwiedeiwiedoewiedei'
engel

16 okt 2009 - bewerkt op 16 okt 2009 - meld ongepast verhaal
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Asih, man, 80 jaar
   
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