Heavy Lifting (Part 2 of ?)

I did a quick search online and looked for rabbinic references to moving mountains. Was Jesus drawing on rabbinic thought? I didn't find any. Has anyone seen anything?

Next, I went through the Tanakh looking for references to mountains. Other than part of setting descriptions, I found the prophets use the picture most often. Isaiah talks about the chief amoung mountains. He also talks about preparing the way for the Lord by every mountain being brought low and all mankind will see it. Jeremiah talks about the destruction of a mountain, Babylon. Daniel talks of a rock cut from a mountain that crushes kingdoms and endures forever. I was particuarly struck by Zechariah 4:

"Who are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' "

I have been absorbed by the prophet Zechariah for these past few weeks. His words echo in the Gospels in many ways, or is it the other way around? Palm Sunday was last week, the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem the week before his death. The Gospel writers turn to Zechariah 9 when describing this:h

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The following verses are amazing. Peace is proclaimed. Bows are broken. Chariots are taken away. Were the people thinking this when Jesus entered the city and he wept for Jerusalem? John records that they took palm branches and went to meet him. Why? Did they wave them? I thought so until Kevin pointed out recently at Via that they were laid down, so the Gospels say. So they weren't waved? Why?

All this happens the day before Jesus makes the statement about faith that moves mountains.

A Million Voices

Ni dyar'izuba, Rizagaruka,
Hejuru yacu, Ni nduzaricyeza ricyeza.
These are the cries of the children...

Ni dyar'izuba, Rizagaruka,
Hejuru yacu, Ni nduzaricyeza.
Lord, can't you hear us calling you?

Were we there when...they called out for our help?

Tremble...tremble.

Heavy Lifting (Part 1 of ?)

During his talk last week, Jim Wallis mentioned "faith that could move a mountain" as a motivating force for social movements like abolition, women's suffrage, and civil rights. He was quoting Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, Matthew 21:21,22:

²¹Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²²If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Metaphorically, this is a powerful image of active faith but I've always struggled with the picture. Would Everest suddenly be flung to the sea? Would Shasta hover all the way to the Pacific? It never dawned on me to ask what mountain was Jesus talking about until recently when it was brought to my attention. What if there was one in particular he had in mind? Where did Jesus say this? Did he say it more than once? If there is a particular mountain, does it add to the picture of faith that Jesus is painting? Let's wrestle with this.

Pliny vs. Brown

I read the Da Vinci code awhile back and my wife is reading it now. This is not a full treatment of the book, I'm sure they exist elsewhere, but I did notice something this morning. My wife brought up a question about Brown's (the author) discussion on the divinity of Jesus. He says that before the council of Nicea in 325, followers of Jesus believed him to be mortal only. This appears to be wrong. David Stern in his commentary on the first chapter of John quotes Pliny the Younger, one of the first pagans to mention Christians. In the Letter to Emperor Trajan, around 112 C.E., Pliny writes that they gather to "recite by turns a form of words" "to Christ as a god". So, according to Pliny, Christians were discussing the divinity of Jesus 200 years earlier than the Council of Nicea.