WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MOURN?
Matthew 5:4; Luke 6:21b; Isaiah 61:1-4
Rev. Paul Wrightman 7/3/22
MANY BIBLICAL SCHOLARS TODAY AGREE THAT
SENSE TRANSLATIONS OF SCRIPTURE CAN OFTEN CAPTURE
THE DEPTH OF MEANING OF A BIBLICAL TEXT MORE EFFECTIVELY
THAN A LITERAL TRANSLATION IS ABLE TO DO.
A SENSE TRANSLATION TAKES A PHRASE OR SENTENCE
FROM THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE AND – RATHER THAN RENDER IT
WORD FOR WORD AS DOES A LITERAL TRANSLATION –
ATTEMPTS TO CAPTURE THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE TEXT,
OFTEN BY USING WORDS NOT FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL.
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A LITERAL TRANSLATION AND A SENSE TRANSLATION.
LOOK AT THESE TWO FAMILIAR VERSES FROM 1 CORINTHIANS 13.
HERE IS HOW THESE VERSES ARE RENDERED
IN THE NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION,
REFLECTING A LITERAL APPROACH:
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS,
HOPES ALL THINGS, ENDURES ALL THINGS.
LOVE NEVER ENDS.
COMPARE THIS WITH THE RENDERING OF THESE SAME TWO VERSES
IN THE JUST-RELEASED FIRST NATIONS VERSION,
AN INDIGENOUS TRANSLATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT:
LOVE KEEPS WALKING EVEN WHEN CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD.
LOVE KEEPS TRUSTING, NEVER LOSES HOPE, AND STANDS FIRM
IN HARD TIMES. THE ROAD OF LOVE HAS NO END.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LITERAL
AND A SENSE TRANSLATION CAN BE SEEN IN THE WAY
THAT THE BEATITUDE WE’RE LOOKING AT TODAY IS RENDERED.
THE NRSV, THE MORE LITERAL TRANSLATION
WHICH YOU’LL FIND IN YOUR BULLETIN, READS:
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED.
MY PREFERRED TRANSLATION, ONE WHICH I THINK CAPTURES
THE ACTUAL MEANING OF THE TEXT FAR MORE ACCURATELY
THAN THE LITERAL, IS THE SENSE TRANSLATION:
JOYFUL ARE THOSE WHO ARE DEEPLY SADDENED
TO THE POINT OF ACTION.
YOU’LL HAVE NOTICED MY EMPHASIS ON THE WORD ACTION.
IT CAPTURES THE MEANING OF THE PARTICULAR GREEK WORD
USED IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT FOR “TO MOURN,’
WHICH CARRIES WITH IT THE SENSE
THAT THE KIND OF DEEP MOURNING, OR SADNESS,
MENTIONED HERE ALWAYS LEADS TO SOME KIND OF ACTION,
WHETHER THAT ACTION BE WEEPING
OVER THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE,
BEING SO UPSET ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE POOR
THAT ONE ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT,
OR BEING SO CONCERNED ABOUT ONE’S OWN BROKENNESS
THAT ONE SEEKS HEALING.
I FIND IT SIGNIFICANT THAT THE BEATITUDES –
AND THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS A WHOLE –
AND THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS ON THE WHOLE –
ARE OVERWHELMINGLY ACTION-ORIENTED,
AND PLACE LITTLE OR NO EMPHAIS ON BELIEVING
THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT GOD OR JESUS.
IN THE SCENE OF THE LAST JUDGMENT IN MATTHEW, CHAPTER 25,
THE STANDARD THAT GOD WILL USE FOR JUDGING,
AT LEAST ACCCORDING TO JESUS,
IS NOT WHETHER OF NOT ONE BELIEVES
THE RIGHT CHURCH DOCTRINES,
BUT WHETHER OR NOT ONE HAS FED THE HUNGRY
AND WELCOMED THE STRANGER.
IN A SIMILAR VEIN, WHEN JESUS IS ASKED POINT BLANK
TWO DIFFERENT TIMES BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
IN TWO DIFFERENT GOSPELS, “WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO
TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”,
JESUS’ REPLY IS NOT TO RATTLE OFF A LIST OF STUFF
THAT ONE HAS TO BELIEVE ABOUT HIM,
BUT SIMPLY TO LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOR.
I REALLY RELATE TO THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION
FROM FRED CRADDOCK, A WELL-KNOWN DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
THEOLOGIAN AND PROFESSOR OF PREACHING,
WHO TAUGHT AT EMORY UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA.
I’VE USED THIS ILLUSTRATION BEFORE, BUT IT MAKES ITS POINT
WAY BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT I’VE FOUND.
CRADDOCK WRITES:
“I THINK I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD WHEN I READ
ALBERT SCHWEITZER’S QUEST FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS.
I FOUND HIS CHRISTOLOGY (HIS UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS
AND HIS SIGNIFICANCE) WOEFULLY LACKING –
MORE WATER THAN WINE.
I MARKED UP THE BOOK, WROTE IN THE MARGINS,
AND RAISED QUESTIONS OF ALL KINDS.
AND ONE DAY, ONE DAY I READ IN THE KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL
THAT ALBERT SCHWEIZER WAS GOING TO BE IN CLEVELAND, OHIO,
TO PLAY THE DEDICATORY CONCERT FOR A BIG ORGAN
IN A BIG CHURCH UP THERE.
ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE HE WOULD REMAIN AFTERWARD
IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL FOR CONVERSATION AND REFRESHMENT.
I BOUGHT A GREYHOUND TICKET AND WENT TO CLEVELAND.
ALL THE WAY UP THERE I WORKED ON THIS
QUEST FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS.
I LAID OUT MY QUESTIONS ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER,
BUT I MADE REFERENCES TO THE PAGES IN THE BOOK.
I FIGURED IF THERE WAS CONVERSATION IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL,
THERE’D BE ROOM FOR A QUESTION OR TWO.
I WENT THERE; I HEARD THE CONCERT;
I RUSHED INTO THE FELLOWSHIP HALL,
GOT A SEAT IN THE FRONTROW,
AND WAITED WITH MY LAP OF QUESTIONS.
AFTER A WHILE HE CAME IN, SHAGGY HAIR, BIG WHITE MUSTACHE,
STOOPED, AND SEVENTY-FIVE-YEARS OLD.
HE HAD PLAYED A MARVELOUS CONCERT.
YOU KNOW HE WAS A MASTER ORGANIST, MEDICAL DOCTOR,
PHILOSOPHER, LECTURER, WRITER, EVERYTHING.
HE CAME IN WITH A CUP OF TEA AND SOME REFRESHMENTS
AND STOOD IN FRONT OF THE GROUP,
AND THERE I WAS, CLOSE.
DR. SCHWEITZER THANKED EVERYBODY:
‘YOU’VE BEEN VERY WARM, HOSPITABLE TO ME.
I THANK YOU FOR IT, AND I WISH I COULD STAY LONGER
AMONG YOU, BUT I MUST GO BACK TO AFRICA.
I MUST GO BACK TO AFRICA BECAUSE MY PEOPLE ARE POOR
AND DISEASED AND HUNGRY AND DYING, AND I HAVE TO GO.
WE HAVE A MEDICAL STATION IN LAMBARENE.
IF THERE’S ANYONE HERE IN THIS ROOM
WHO HAS THE LOVE OF JESUS,
WOULD YOU BE PROMPTED BY THAT LOVE
TO GO WITH ME AND HELP ME?’
I LOOKED DOWN AT MY QUESTIONS;
THEY WERE SO ABSOLUTELY STUPID.
AND I LEARNED, AGAIN, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHRISTIAN
AND HAD HOPES THAT I COULD BE THAT SOMEDAY.”
I SAID EARLIER THAT THIS STORY REALLY SPEAKS TO ME PERSONALLY.
IT REALLY SPEAKS TO ME BECAUSE I’M MUCH LIKE FRED CRADDOCK
IN THE SENSE OF PUTTING A LOT OF WEIGHT ON TRYING
TO DEVELOP THE PERFECT THEOLOGY – A DEFINITIVELY CORRECT
UNDERSTANDING OF GOD, JESUS, GOD’S SPIRIT, AND THE BIBLE.
LIKE CRADDOCK, I AM HIGHLY SKILLED AT QUESTIONING
THE DUBIOUS THEOLOGICAL FORMULATIONS OF OTHERS,
PLACING A VERY HIGH VALUE ON THINKING CORRECTLY.
AND LIKE CRADDOCK, OVER THE YEARS I HAVE COME TO REALIZE
THAT CORRECT THINKING ISN’T NEARLY ALL ITS CRACKED UP TO BE,
AND THAT JESUS HIMSELF PUT VERY LITTLE EMPHASIS ON IT,
WHILE HE GREATLY STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTION,
COMPASSION, AND CONCRETE CARING.
I STILL REMEMBER THE CRUCIAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN
THINKING AND CARING THAT BECAME APPARENT TO ME
DURING A LIVELY DISCUSSION AT ONE OF OUR CHURCH’S
SMALL GROUP MEETINGS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
OUR TOPIC THAT NIGHT WAS ‘JESUS.’
AS USUAL, THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, SOME TWELVE OR SO OF US, WERE WILDLY DIVERGENT IN OUR UNDERSTANDINGS
OF WHO JESUS WAS AND IS.
SOME OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, BELIEVE THAT
JESUS’ BODILY RESURRECTION WAS SOMETHING
THAT REALLY HAPPENED; OTHERS DO NOT.
SOME OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, BELIEVE THAT
JESUS ACTUALLY SAID MOST OF THE THINGS
HE IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID; OTHERS DO NOT.
I WAS BEGINNING TO DESPAIR OVER THE POSSIBILITY
THAT WE HELD ANYTHING IN COMMON,
WHEN CLOSE TO THE END OF THE EVENING
THE TOPIC OF OUR CHURCH’S PARTICIPATION
IN THE I-HELP DINNERS FOR HOMELESS MEN CAME UP.
THERE WAS IMMEDIATE CONSENSUS
THAT IN EXTENDING HOSPITALITY TO THESE HOMELESS MEN,
PREPARING A HEARTY AND WHOLESOME MEAL FOR THEM,
CONVERSING WITH THEM DURING DINNER,
AND PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM TO SLEEP,
WE AS INDIVIDUALS AND WE AS A CHURCH
CAME CLOSEST TO ACTING AS REAL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST –
WHATEVER OUR PARTICULAR BELIEFS ABOUT JESUS
WERE OR WERE NOT.
THAT NIGHT WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION
THAT WHAT JESUS REALLY CARED – AND CARES – ABOUT
IS NOT BELIEVING THE RIGHT THINGS,
BUT FOLLOWING HIS EXAMPLE BY DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.
SO WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID, LITERALLY,
“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN,
FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED.”
AS WITH MANY OF HIS TEACHINGS, JESUS ECHOES
THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES.
THIS IS WHY THE READING FROM ISAIAH 61 APPEARS TODAY.
JESUS SEES AND UNDERSTANDS HIMSELF AS THE FULFILLMENT
OF THIS TEXT.
HE CLAIMS FOR HIMSELF THE REALITY THAT
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME.”
IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF GOD’S ANOINTED THAT FOLLOWS,
WE CAN SEE HOW JESUS’ “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN,”
IS A DIRECT ECHO OF ISAIAH’S “HE HAS SENT ME
TO BIND UP THE BROKEN-HEARTED.”
THESE FIRST TWO VERSES OF THIS TEXT FROM ISAIAH
WERE OF SUCH CRUCIAL IMPORT TO JESUS THAT HE QUOTED THEM
AS HIS MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT
IN HIS INAUGURAL SERMON AT THE SYNAGOUE IN NAZARETH.
BUT WITH ONE ALL-IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.
AS GEORGE PROCLAIMED OUR TEXT TO US THIS MORNING,
I HOPE THAT YOU WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE BEAUTY OF THE WORDS
“HE HAS SENT ME TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE OPPRESSED,
TO BIND UP THE BROKEN-HEARTED,
TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RELEASE TO THE PRISONERS;
TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR” –
AND THEN DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED, PERHAPS EVEN SHOCKED,
AT THE NEXT PHRASE:
“AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.”
HOPEFULLY YOU ASKED YOURSELF THE QUESTION:
“HOW DID VENGEANCE SUDDENLY SNEAK IN HERE?”
IF YOU’RE AT ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT,
YOU’RE WELL AWARE THAT VENGEANCE AND VIOLENCE
MAKE FREQUENT APPEARANCES.
AND NOW COMES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTANCES
OF HOW JESUS CORRECTED SCRIPTURE:
WHEN JESUS SOLEMNLY PROCLAIMS THIS TEXT
FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH
IN THE SYNAGOGUE AT NAZARETH,
HE BLATANTLY LEAVES OUT THIS SENTENCE
ABOUT GOD’S VENGEANCE.
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE CLEAR:
ONE, FOR JESUS, GOD IS NOT A GOD OF VENGEANCE.
TWO, JESUS CLAIMS THE AUTHORITY TO CORRECT SCRIPTURE.
I MENTIONED LAST WEEK HOW ONE OF MY GOALS
IN THIS NEW SERMON SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
WILL BE TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT HOW JESUS HIMSELF
APPROACHES THE BIBLE.
HE HIMSELF DOES NOT APPROACH THE BIBLE
LIKE A CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALIST,
ASSUMING THAT EVERYTHING IN IT IS EQUALLY INSPIRED.
WE’VE JUST SEEN AN EXAMPLE OF A SENTENCE FROM SCRIPTURE
THAT JESUS FOUND SO OFFENSIVE THAT HE SIMPLY LEFT IT OUT,
IMPLICITLY ASKING HIS FOLLOWERS TO DO THE SAME.
WE’RE GOING TO FIND PLENTY OF OTHER EXAMPLES
OF HOW JESUS CORRECTS THE BIBLE
IN THE SRMON ON THE MOUNT.
THEY WILL GIVE US SOME CRUCIAL TOOLS
FOR OUR OWN APPROACH TO THE BIBLE.
SO, WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID, LITERALLY,
“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN,
FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED?”
FOR JESUS, “TO MOURN” IS A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VERB
COVERING A LOT OF TERRITORY.
IN ONE DIMENSION IT MEANS THAT THOSE WHO GRIEVE DEEPLY
OVER THE DEATH OR SERIOUS ILLNESS OF A LOVED ONE
WILL BE COMFORTED BY NO ONE LESS THAN GOD.
IN ANOTHER DIMENSION IT MEANS THAT THOSE
WHO ARE DISTRAUGHT OVER THE INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD
TO THE POINT OF DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT
WILL EXPERIENCE DEEP JOY IN THE DOING.
IN YET ANOTHER DIMENSION IT MEANS THAT THOSE
WHO ARE UPSET ABOUT THEIR OWN BROKENNESS
TO THE POINT OF CHANGING THEIR BEHAVIOR
WILL EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF POSITIVE CHANGE.
I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A NUMBER OF QUOTATIONS
FROM ALBERT SCHWEITZER, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT HE
TRULY EMBODIED THE SPIRIT OF JESUS FOR OUR TIME.
THESE QUOTATIONS ARE TAKEN FROM VARIOUS OF HIS SERMONS,
AND FROM HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FOR THE NOBEL PRIZE IN 1952.
REMEMBER THAT SCHWEITZER WAS WRITING AND SPEAKING
BEFORE OUR TIME OF INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE.
“WHEREVER A MAN TURNS, HE CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HIM.”
“DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL, PEOPLE MAY IMITATE IT.”
“EXAMPLE IS NOT THE MAIN THING IN INFLUENCING OTHERS.
IT IS THE ONLY THING.”
“THINK OCCASIONALLY OF THE SUFFERING
OF WHICH YOU SPARE YOURSELF THE SIGHT.”
“ETHICS IS NOTHING ELSE THAN REVERENCE FOR LIFE.”
“BY HAVING A REVERENCE FOR LIFE, WE ENTER INTO
A SPIRITUAL RELATION WITH THE WORLD.
BY PRACTICING REVERENCE FOR LIFE WE BECOME
GOOD, DEEP, AND ALIVE.”
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR DESTINY WILL BE,
BUT ONE THING I DO KNOW: THE ONLY ONES AMONG YOU
WHO WILL BE REALLY HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO WILL HAVE SOUGHT,
AND FOUND HOW TO SERVE.”
“UNTIL HE EXTENDS THE CIRCLE OF HIS COMPASSION
TO ALL LIVING THINGS, MAN WILL NOT HIMSELF FIND PEACE.”
AND ON A LIGHTER NOTE:
“THERE ARE TWO MEANS OF REFUGE FROM THE MISERIES OF LIFE:
MUSIC AND . . . CATS.”
FINALLY, FROM THE VERY LAST PARAGRAPH FROM HIS
INFLUENTIAL BOOK THE QUEST FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS:
“HE COMES TO US AS ONE UNKNOWN, WITHOUT A NAME,
AS OF OLD, BY THE LAKE-SIDE,
HE CAME TO THOSE MEN WHO KNEW HIM NOT.
HE SPEAKS TO US THE SAME WORD: ‘FOLLOW THOU ME!”
AND SETS US TO THE TASKS WHICH HE HAS TO FULFILL
FOR OUR TIME.
HE COMMANDS.
AND TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM, WHETHER THEY BE WISE OR SIMPLE,
HE WILL REVEAL HIMSELF IN THE TOILS, THE CONFLICTS,
AND THE SUFFERINGS, WHICH THEY SHALL PASS THROUGH
IN HIS FELLOWSHIP,
AND, AS AN INEFFABLE MYSTERY,
THEY SHALL LEARN IN THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE WHO HE IS.
(END QUOTE)
MAY WE, IN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF FOLLOWING JESUS,
IN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF BEING HIS DISCIPLES,
LEARN WHO HE IS.
AMEN.