E-Book Club: "The Lord" Ch. 5

Alas, The Lord has been put aside a few times already, and I'm about to put it aside again.  For Lent, I'm going to be reading Pope Benedict's second Jesus of Nazareth book.  Ironically, this was about how far I got through The Lord the last time I picked it up (for class, about 10 years ago).

The most recent break I took from The Lord (other than laziness) was to read an Advent book: Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives.  It was a short book and one that didn't go into quite as much depth as his first Nazareth book.  Even so, our German shepherd's reflections are very profound and even personal.  I likened reading the book to sitting down with him and having a cup of coffee, as you would your grandfather or a favorite professor.

Anyway, my last Guardini post for a little while.

Ch. 5: Baptism & Temptation
What stood out to me in the beginning of this chapter was Guardini pointing out the key that unlocks the story of Jesus' baptism.  It is an act of incredible humility.  Jesus, the divine Son, condescends to our level and abides by our rules--the source of John the Baptist's hesitation.  Jesus had no sins to wash away!

We think according to our fallen nature, and can't step inside Jesus' mind to know how He thought as He lived on this earth.  One of the greatest temptations for me in the past has been to think of rules as not pertaining to me.  Sure, this or that is generally wrong, but not for me in this instance!  Jesus would've been perfectly justified (literally) in not getting baptized.  And what a lesson in humility He taught us by going through with it!

The second part of the chapter goes into the temptation in the desert.  One of the little things Guardini points out is that Jesus doesn't engage in dialogue with the devil.  He answers "straight to the core of the test" (pg. 29).  It's the only strategy to employ when facing off with the evil one.  How often to we get into it with the devil, thinking we're stronger and smarter?  Sort of negotiate with him, and think we can entertain the temptation without succumbing?

I thought this final point very insightful, too: reading between the lines of the story.  For the 3rd temptation, imagine the draw for Jesus.  Again, not that He entertained the temptation or ever sinned.  In offering the world to Him, the devil could have been implying: who better to rule the world than You?  I mean, really?  Power hungry emperors will rise and fall; nations will form and disintegrate.  Who would be the literally perfect ruler of the entire world?  JESUS!!  Like so many other temptations, there's an element of truth in it--and even a good (although flawed) intention.  Temporal power was not His aim, however.  Jesus had an even greater role to play in humanity.

E-Book Club - "The Lord" ch. 4

One of the good lines in this chapter helps me understand a passage that I've never fully understood.  When Jesus descends into the Jordan to get baptized by John, and John initially refuses--Jesus responds, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness" (Matt 4:15).  It obviously made sense to John at the time, since he proceeded to baptize the Lord of Lords.  

Guardini had a brief line to describe this scene: "But Jesus insists on placing Himself completely within human law." (pg. 20-21)

Also, it's good to be reminded how intricately woven Jesus & John's lives were.  Since John was killed in the early part of Jesus' public ministry, we don't hear about him as much as the other disciples.  Guardini's narrative puts a few things together: John's disciples questioning about fasting, Jesus' disciples' jealousy at John's baptizing, and Jesus' disciples request for prayer lessons.  I didn't think about it before, but those two circles probably interacted more than we're told in the gospels.  That makes sense, as 1st century Palestine was only so big... 

On pg. 22, the difficulties of the prophetic life are described, and this, too, didn't occur to me before.  I'll have to read 1 Kings 17-19 like Guardini recommended.  

E-Book Club: Romano Guardini's "The Lord"... Chapter 3

Ch. 3: The Incarnation

The major line that stood out to me was: "But love does such things!"  The Incarnation is a deep mystery, not only because all divinely-rooted mysteries have infinite depth.  The heart of this mystery is the very heart of God.  Out of all the ways that the Father could've offered salvation to humanity... why this?  Love!

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1)
"God so loved the world that He gave His only Son..." (John 3:16)
"Who shall separate us from the love of God?" (Rom 8:35) (answer: NOBODY!)
"And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (Col 3:12-15)

I liked Guardini's line, "When it is the depth and power of God that stirs, is there anything of which love is capable?" (pg. 15)  I think of Paul's conversion.  A Pharisee who was so convinced of the truth of his own faith and of how false Christianity was!   Another example is how the Church began with some scared disciples in Jerusalem.  Add the Holy Spirit, stir, and a missionary explosion.  Countless saved souls, martyrs, saints!

Love just does those things.

E-Book Club: Romano Guardini's "The Lord"

Romano Guardini published his book The Lord in 1954.  He was a favorite of the young Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, and it's easy for me to see why.  I read some pieces of this book for a theology class years ago, but it's taken this long for me to actually start reading the whole book.

I have an older edition, so the page numbers might be a little off...

Ch. 1, Origin & Ancestry

One of the first neat things that stood out to me was on pg. 4, the paragraph that starts "Only in the flesh, not in the bare spirit..."  The Incarnation/Logos and the dwelling place of God among His people in the OT... a beautiful combination!  It reminded me of a Scripture paper I wrote for a class.  One of the words I examined was "tabernacle."  I was surprised to see that the same word "tabernacle" was used a variety of times.  It was the tent that housed the ark of the covenant; it was at the Transfiguration, when Peter offered to build 3 booths; it is the house of the Eucharist in the New Covenant.

What stood out to you?