Rabbi

Looking at Luke’s gospel, as we all are at the moment, I was struck by the breadth of Jesus’ teaching style. Christ of course engaged people relentlessly with story, including the parables that we’re studying this autumn, and I’ve noticed in my own preaching how often the congregation seems to turn up or possibly wake up – you know who you are – when I use a story or analogy. Suppose one of you has a friend and he goes to him at midnight and says… (Luke 11:5). Now we’re listening.

But Christ doesn’t just teach in parables. Detail is not my greatest strength; I have to work pretty hard to scale down from the vision of an awesome family life to actually put the bins out and do the washing up occasionally. So Christ working in the detail reminds me: He said to them, when you pray say: Father, hallowed be your name (Luke 11:2-4). It’s not a liturgy; it’s the detail, the specifics of praying for the transforming presence of the Kingdom.

But Christ doesn’t leave it at the small picture. Metaphorically Christ the Prophet gives sight to the blind and places a compelling vision before us; such as in Luke 11:30: For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. Jonah coming forth from a fish on the third day to change a people; Christ coming forth from the tomb of the third day to change all peoples. Big picture teaching - can you see it?

But if we recognise the story and detail and vision of Christ’s teaching ministry, perhaps we are left most uncomfortable when he launches an assault. We want our Jesus domesticated and skip over the challenge of Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but the inside you are full of greed and wickedness… (Luke 11:39) Because of course we’re not like the Pharisees are we? Surely he’s not talking to me. But as we reel in our hypocrisy we shouldn’t miss the pastoral teaching of Jesus; He is after all a shepherd: I tell you do not worry about your life… (Luke 12:22) The same white-hot holy love that challenges the Pharisee in us, leads us to still waters and binds our wounds.

His words challenge and comfort, instruct and inspire. Awesome God, awesome Rabbi.