Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann
delivered on 17 January, 2010
by Rev. Dr John Evans
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11
One of the classics of theological writing in the last generation has been the comparatively small book by Walter Brueggemann, The Prophet Imagination. Brueggemann, an American Old Testament scholar, has keen insight into the contemporary issues facing the church in the West. He has seen there is much to learn from, and be challenged by, the prophetic witness of the Old Testament.
Brueggemann sees that the prophetic task of the church, or indeed of ministry is to nurture, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception which is alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us. The task of the church is not just to address specific public crises – say government or community attitude towards indigenous people. Rather it is to always be a community who sees there is another way to way of the world. This alternative consciousness can be used to criticize the dominant culture, but it is to energize persons within that community with a promise of another time and situation toward which the community of faith may move. This community is to be where full and true humanity may be discovered and experienced.
Brueggemann pre-eminently saw this model for ministry and community life played out in the foundational story of the Jewish nation – the story of Moses and the Exodus. We usually do not see Moses as a prophet, let alone a prophet with imagination. Perhaps he is leader or lawmaker – but not as a prophet. However, the story of Moses can be summarized as being about the creation of a new community with an alternative consciousness; and a new community with a new understanding of what it means to be human in relationship to God. Moses begins by confronting the empire of Egypt – an empire in which everyone and everything is to serve the need of the Pharaoh. From all the gods to the lowliest of slaves – the whole of society is about serving and preserving the place of the ruler and the royal house. Moses holds a different vision. Yes it is at one level about on ethnic group in bondage escaping from their captors and making a new start, however, it is much, much more. It is about understanding a god, who we call Yahweh, literally the very ground of all being, all life – I am who I am. This God recognises our freedom, and wants to be in relationship with us. We again give this the fancy word, covenant; a covenant with us. Instead of human beings serving Pharaoh or the empire; together they, in their freedom, would enjoy the fullness of life in relationship with God. Here was a radical new consciousness Moses saw for his community.
Suffice it to say this new community, formed in this way, did not live up to its hopes and ideals which Yahweh, and Moses, had. It was as if the old history of Pharaoh was now continued in the monarchy of Israel. Again the focus of the nation became just securing the position of the royal house, their own role – but never it would seem were they able to silence the prophets. And so there came over the centuries the prophets who again and again placed before the people, and their rulers – with various degrees of imagination - the simple vision of Moses; the vision of being a covenant community with Yahweh; a vision of community based on a full life, justice and compassion.
The prophets of Israel continued the radical movement of Moses – but how they operated depended on their circumstance; their imagination. So a prophet like Jeremiah offers a radical critique of royal consciousness – he suggests the end of the monarchy; who stubbornly believe that things as they always have been can go on for ever. Jeremiah’s tone is not anger – but anguish; just profound sadness it had come to this. And so the nation ends – they are carried off into Babylonian exile, the great temple is destroyed. But somehow the vision of community life is still maintained.
And that is where we about get to in a very brief survey of Jewish history, when our reading from Isaiah comes into play. Here the tone is not stubborn denial that everything can go on as it used to. The context is despair. And so the consciousness the prophet endeavours to foster in this alternative community is of hope. As Jeremiah presented grief, lament and dying as the ultimate criticism of forsaking the covenant, our later Isaiah brings to Israel the hope of a new historical beginning. The language of the prophet is thus to permit the community to engage with amazement that will not let despair dominate. The prophet will not let the community languish believing everything has collapsed. Yes the community has been granted its freedom from Babylon by Cyrus, the Persian ruler. However, back in Jerusalem, there is no temple, no infra-structure. Everything will have to be established again. . . say a bit like Haiti today.
The word of the Lord is that God is going to stand by Israel.
“The nations shall see you vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.”
Once this nation was called Forsaken, in Hebrew Azubah, or Desolate, Shemamah. Now the nation will be known as Hephzibah, or My Delight is in her, or Beulah, Married. So no longer will you feel forgotten and forsaken – God is faithful and has claimed you. This is the message of the prophet; this is the message to energise and form a new community; to stand over and against all the gloom and despair.
Brueggemann, in this little book, also sees Jesus as a prophet. Of course he is much more – but in many respects his life and ministry illustrates the prophetic imagination of those who had gone before. By his actions and words, and especially his crucifixion, he engaged in dismantling the royal consciousness of empire and the role of religious authorities in preserving it. He brought his community to grief, great grief, in facing that dismantling. He was killed by the dominant culture. However, that was not all of his work. The counterpoint to that, as Brueggemann suggests, the focus of the work of Jesus, was not so much the dismantling, but the inauguration of a new thing. This imagination and action stood against all the doubt and resistance of those to whom he came. His imagination and energizing gave to people a new future, just when the grim present was all people thought they had. Of course that newness, that new possibility was shown when we use that big, virtually incomprehensible word, resurrection, his resurrection took place. He would not succumb to empire or the dominant culture, even to death. There indeed was new life.
Now we have just passed through a season in which the birth narratives, especially of Luke, point to an energising of this new community and new social reality. Outsiders are used, impossible, well seemingly impossible, events take place – old Elizabeth has a child, a virgin, Mary, gives birth, the lowest of all, the shepherds, see the Christ child first, and as we saw two weeks ago with the wisemen, other faiths and other traditions came and worshiped this child. Here was the beginning of a new, different sort of community, an alternative community to the dominant culture.
Today’ story of turning vast quantities of water into wine – also pushes our imagination. It energises us, to believe, like it is said the disciples did after this event, to believe in a new community and new humanity. It perhaps is no accident that this is the first sign that is recorded in John’s gospel. It certainly sets the tone to what follows in that gospel.
When we examine this story of the wedding in Cana, it is fair to say, we can get a little defensive about it. It does not show those typical hallmark acts of compassion, or relieving people of their fear, or indicating great faith, or directly challenging the Roman or religious authorities. We might even think that it is flippant and trite – to think that so much water, might become so much, top quality wine.
This miracle however, has an echo of our reading from later Isaiah, in sounding a note of joy and of hope. Joy and hope in the face of despair. Here is a messianic banquet – or a wedding feast in which the messiah attended. Unfortunately this featst had all the possibility for joy and energy and hope, as an Australian summer picnic if someone had forgotten the barbecue and the esky, or didn’t bring the aeroguard. Right at the outset of Jesus’ ministry, he indicates there will be, to use Bruggemann’s image, an alternative community of consciousness, an alternative to the dominant culture. A wedding party is indeed a good model, or image for such a community. Isaiah used it – it shows God is committed to us; and there is much joy.
But from time to time, in this party, in this feast, things are not always going to run to plan. We may run out of a few essentials – like the wine. Insiders, like the mother of Jesus herself, are going to perceive this. Staggeringly the first words Mary utters in all of this gospel are these powerfully double-meaning words “they have no wine”; “or possibly “they have no blood of the new covenant”. Mary’s anxiety for this new community shows. Jesus sees that. She does not see or yet understand, how, using Brueggemann’s categories, this new community will challenge (and overcome) the dominant culture. It is not sufficient for Mary, to believe all is well with Jesus just being there in the midst of the banquet. She does not see that is enough, even if there is no wine for the party. Mary feels compelled; she must do something; and so she gets her rebuke from Jesus.
However, things do happen. Purification jars of water, or is this really the old dispensation, are called into assist the new. Or perhaps the old is being overturned. Anyhow, silently, without fuss or fanfare, and certainly without the knowledge of the guests, the feast continues – and it is even better than before. A few workers – literally deacons – know; and the host knows, who interestingly is a bit grumpy about it all.
From a distance the messianic banquet has continued – seamlessly. This is the good news, and significantly the disciples who were just guests at this banquet, believed. All the frantic action, and questioning and doubts happen out the back, out of sight, Unfortunately however, even today, those are the details that seem to concern and worry us: the treatment of Mary, the quantity of the wine, the possible extravagance of keeping the best till last. But then all this happened “on the third day” the opening phrase of our story; and people had not realised his hour at not yet come.
And so for us what does all of this mean.
All of this points to what our mission needs to be, and I guess what my ministry needs to be: encouraging and fostering an alternative community to our dominant culture. A community – as Paul in our reading from Corinthians suggests, held together through the one Spirit of Christ, recognising that we have different gifts to serve that one body. That is not an easy task – and we, like the returning exiles to Jerusalem can feel despairing and despondent. . . . especially in times like the present when the church seems to be under such pressure.
We need to see that we are indeed a joyous and privileged community – fortunate enough to share in a banquet, a banquet symbolising the basis of our hope and our joy. . . joy which should not be far off in the future, but now. However, often we can doubt the very presence of the Christ at our banquet. The spirit of Christ just does not seem to be around. We say, “well, we have no wine.” And yet over there, we have vast stores of tradition and history, well for us at least 150 years of tradition. True it is not wine, but something still very significant, water. There will be those who will beaver away, those who serve, but really many will not know of the crisis. All however, will be energized by the presence of the risen crucified Christ; and be this new community.
