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Authors: George Eliot
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who, even after the death and resurrection of Jesus, expected a restoration of tlie kingdom to Israel (Acts i. 6:)-tliese had clearly from the beginning to tlie end of their intercourse with Jesus, no other than tlie popular notion of tlie Mcssiali; when, therefore, Jesus despatched them as heralds of Ills kingdom, it seems necessarily a part of his design, tliat they should disseminate in all places their political messianic idea.
Among the discourses of Jesus there is one especially worthy of
pote in Matt. xix. 28. (comp. Luke xxil. 30.). In reply to the question of Peter, We have, left all and followed thee ; what shall we have therefore ? Jesus promises to his disciples tliat in tlie mXt.yyevKoia,, when the. Son of Man shall sit on his throne, they also shall sit ofi twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
That the literal import of this promise formed part of tlie tissue of
““ ~• T --•’ --’•-- ir.n™,. s ins-157.+ Conip.
Fritzsche, ii
Fritzsche, ii
JESUS AS THE MESSIAH.
the messianic hopes cherished by the Jews of that period, is not to be controverted.
It is argued, however, tliat Jesus spoke figuratively on tills occasion, and only employed familiar Jewish images to convey to tlie apostles an assurance, that the sacrifices they liad made here would be richly compensated in their future life by a participation in his glory.* But tlie disciples must have understood the promise literally, wlicn, even after tlie resurrection of Jesus, they harboured anticipations of worldly greatness ; and as Jesus liad had many proofs of this propensity, he would hardly liave adopted such language, liad lie not intended to nourish their temporal hopes.
It is argued, however, tliat Jesus spoke figuratively on tills occasion, and only employed familiar Jewish images to convey to tlie apostles an assurance, that the sacrifices they liad made here would be richly compensated in their future life by a participation in his glory.* But tlie disciples must have understood the promise literally, wlicn, even after tlie resurrection of Jesus, they harboured anticipations of worldly greatness ; and as Jesus liad had many proofs of this propensity, he would hardly liave adopted such language, liad lie not intended to nourish their temporal hopes.
Tlie supposition tliat lie did so merely to animate the courage of his disciples, without himself sharing their views, imputes duplicity to Jesus;-a duplicity in this case quite gratuitous, since, as Olshausen justly observes, Peter’s question would liave been satisfactorily answered by any other laudatory acknowledgment of the devotion of the disciples.
Hence it appears a fair inference, that Jesus himself shared the Jewish expectations which lie here sanctions; but expositors have made the most desperate efforts to escape from this unwelcome conclusion.
Some liave resorted to an arbitrary alteration of tlie reading ;f others to the detection of irony, directed against the disproportion between tlie pretensions of tlie disciples, and their trivial services;:): others to different expedients, but. all more unnatural than tlie admission, tliat Jesus, in accordance with Jewish ideas, here promises Ills disciples the dignity of being his assessors in his visible messianic judgment, and that lie thus indicates the existence of a national element in his notion of the Messiali’s kingdom. It is observable, too, tliat in tlie Acts (i. 7.), Jesus, even after his resurrection, does not deny that he will restore tlie kingdom to Israel, but merely discourages curiosity as to tlie times and seasons of its restoration.
Hence it appears a fair inference, that Jesus himself shared the Jewish expectations which lie here sanctions; but expositors have made the most desperate efforts to escape from this unwelcome conclusion.
Some liave resorted to an arbitrary alteration of tlie reading ;f others to the detection of irony, directed against the disproportion between tlie pretensions of tlie disciples, and their trivial services;:): others to different expedients, but. all more unnatural than tlie admission, tliat Jesus, in accordance with Jewish ideas, here promises Ills disciples the dignity of being his assessors in his visible messianic judgment, and that lie thus indicates the existence of a national element in his notion of the Messiali’s kingdom. It is observable, too, tliat in tlie Acts (i. 7.), Jesus, even after his resurrection, does not deny that he will restore tlie kingdom to Israel, but merely discourages curiosity as to tlie times and seasons of its restoration.
Among tlie actions of Jesus, his last entry into Jerusalem (Matt.
xxi. 1 ff.) is especially appealed to as a proof tliat his plan was partly political. According to tlie Fragmcntist, all the circumstances point to a political design : the time which Jesus chose,-after a sufficiently long preparation of the people in tlie provinces ; the passover, which they visited in great numbers ; the animal on which he rode, and bv which, from a popular interpretation of a passage in Zachariah, h<;
announced himself as tlie destined King of Jerusalem ; the approval which lie pronounces when the people receive him with a royal greeting ; tlie violent procedure wliicli lie hazards in tlie temple ; and finally, his severe pliilippic on the higher class of the Jews (Matt.
xxiii.), at tlie close of wliicli lie seeks to awe tlicm into a reception at him as their messianic king, by tlie threat that lie will show himself to them no more in any other guise.
* Kuinol, Comm. in Matt. p. 518. Olshauscn also, p. 714, understands the discourse symbolically, though he attaches to it a different meaning,
^ Paulus, exeget. Handb. 2, S. 613, £ t Liebe, in Winer’s exeg. Studien, 1, 59, ff.
^ Paulus, exeget. Handb. 2, S. 613, £ t Liebe, in Winer’s exeg. Studien, 1, 59, ff.
310
THE LIFE OF JESUS.
THE LIFE OF JESUS.
§ 66. DATA FOR THE PURE SPIRITUALITY OF THE MESSIANIC PLAS
OF JESUS--BALANCE.
NOWHERE in our evangelical narratives is there a trace of Jesus having sought to form a political party. On the contrary, lie withdraws from tlic eagerness of tlie people to make him a king (John vi. 15.); he declares tliat tlie messianic kingdom comes not with observation, Lut is to be sought for in tlie recesses of tlie soul (Luke xvii. 20 f.); it is his principle to unite obedience to God witli obedience to temporal authority, even when heathen (Matt. xxii. 21.);
on liis solemn entry into tlie capita], lie chooses to ride tlie animal of peace, and afterwards escapes from the multitude, instead of using their excitement for the purposes of liis ambition; lastly, lie maintains before liis judge, that liis kingdom is not from. hence ova ivTevOev, is not of t/iis v:orld OVK EK -ov is.uaf.wv TWTOV (Jolin xvi. 36.), and we have no reason in this instance to question cither liis or tlie
evangelist’s veracity.
Thus we have a scries of indications to counterbalance tliosc detailed in tlic preceding section.
Tlie adversaries of Christianity have lield exclusively to tlic arguments for a political, or rather a revolutionary, project, on tlic part of Jesus, wliilc tlic orthodox tlicologi.-ins adhere to tliosc only which tell for the pure spirituality of Ins plan ;* and cadi partv lias laboured to invalidate by hcrmencutical skill the passages unfavourable to its theory.
It lias of late been acknowledged tliat buih are equally partial, and that there is
Tlie adversaries of Christianity have lield exclusively to tlic arguments for a political, or rather a revolutionary, project, on tlic part of Jesus, wliilc tlic orthodox tlicologi.-ins adhere to tliosc only which tell for the pure spirituality of Ins plan ;* and cadi partv lias laboured to invalidate by hcrmencutical skill the passages unfavourable to its theory.
It lias of late been acknowledged tliat buih are equally partial, and that there is
nerd of arbitration between them.
This has been attempted chiefly by supposing an earlier and a
later form of tlic plan of Jesus.”!” Although, it lias been said, tlie moral improvement and religious elevation of liis people were froin the first the primary object of Jesus, lie nevertheless, in tlie beginning of liis public life, cherished the liopc of reviving, by means of tills internal regeneration, the external glories of the theocracy, when he sliould be acknowledged by his nation as the Messiah, and thereby be constituted the supreme authority in tlic state.
But in tlic disappointment of this liopc, lie recognized tlie Divine rejection of every political clement in liis plan, and thenceforth refined it into pure spirituality.It is lield to be a presumption in favour of such a change in tlic plan of Jesus, tliat there is a gladness diffused over liis tirst appearance, wliicli gives place to melancholy in tlie latter period of liis ministry; tliat instead of tlie acceptable year of tlie Lord, announced in liis initiative address at Nazareth, sorrow is tlie burthen of Ilia later discourses, and he explicitly says of Jerusalem, that lie liad attempted to save it, but tliat now its fall, botli religious
But in tlic disappointment of this liopc, lie recognized tlie Divine rejection of every political clement in liis plan, and thenceforth refined it into pure spirituality.It is lield to be a presumption in favour of such a change in tlic plan of Jesus, tliat there is a gladness diffused over liis tirst appearance, wliicli gives place to melancholy in tlie latter period of liis ministry; tliat instead of tlie acceptable year of tlie Lord, announced in liis initiative address at Nazareth, sorrow is tlie burthen of Ilia later discourses, and he explicitly says of Jerusalem, that lie liad attempted to save it, but tliat now its fall, botli religious
• So Heinliani, ulx-r dun Plan. wclihen der Stiftcr der christliehen Kelision zum Besten der ilenselilieit eutwarf.
S. r>7 ff. (4tc AuH.) “t- Paulus, Lebrn Jesu 1. li. S. S.’i, 9+, 1()(; rt.; Vcntiirini, •2, iS. ;ilU f. llase, Lebcn Jeau, 1 ed.
§ § 49, M. (eoinp. theol.
S. r>7 ff. (4tc AuH.) “t- Paulus, Lebrn Jesu 1. li. S. S.’i, 9+, 1()(; rt.; Vcntiirini, •2, iS. ;ilU f. llase, Lebcn Jeau, 1 ed.
§ § 49, M. (eoinp. theol.
Streilsi.’liril’t, 1, S. (11 tl’.), lliiniKli wilh apparent reluctance, anil be now maintains lhat lo^n^ li;i,] .i.,i,ii ii’uive tlie iioliticul nuliun of the inr.-isiailic kingdom before Ilia miblic ap
JESUS AS THE MESSIAH. 311
and political, was inevitable. As, however, tlie evangelists do not keep tlie events and discourses proper to tliese distinct periods within their respective limits, but happen to give tlie two most important data for tlie imputation of a political design to Jesus (namely the promise of the twelve tin-ones and the public entrance into tlie capital,) near tlie close of liis life; we must attribute to these writers a chronological confusion, as in tlic case of tlic relation which tlie views of Jesus bore to tlie messianic idea in general: unless as an alternative it be conceivable, that Jesus uttered during the same period, the declarations wliicli seem to indicate, and tliose wliicli disclaim, a political design.
Tills, in our apprehension, is not inconceivable; for Jesus might, anticipate a Ka0li,eci0ai enl Opovovc; for himself and his disciples, not regarding tlie means of its attainment as a political revolution, but as a revolution to be effected bv tlie immediate interposition of God.
Tliat such was liis view may be inferred from liis placing tliat judiciary appearance of liis disciples in tlie “c/ltyyei’Effia; for this was not a political revolution, any more than a spiritual regeneration,-it was a resurrection of tlie dead, which God was to effect through the agency of tlic Mcssiali, and which was to usher in the messianic timcs.f Jesus certainly expected to restore tlic throne of David, and witli liis disciples to govern a liberated people; in no degree, however, did lie rest. liis liopes on the sword of human adherents (Luke xxii. 38. Matt. xxvi. 52.), but on tlic legions of angels, which liis heavenly Father could send him (Matt. xxvi. 53).
Wherever lie speaks of coming in liis messianic glory, lie depicts himself surrounded by angels and heavenly powers (Matt. xvi. 27, xxiv. 30 f. xxv. 31 ; Jolin i. 52.) ; before tlie majesty of the Son of Man, coming in tlie clouds of heaven, all nations are to bow without tlie coercion of tlic sword, and at tlie sound of tlie angel’s trumpet, arc to present themselves, witli tlie awakened dead, before the judgment-scat of the Messiah and liis twelve apostles. All this Jesus would not bring to pass of liis own will, but lie waited for a signal from liis heavenly Father, wlio alone knew the appropriate time for this catastrophe (Mark xiii. 32.), and lie apparently wag not disconcerted when liis end approached without liis having received tlie expected intimation.
They who shrink from tills view, merely because they conceive tliat it makes Jesus an enthusiast,!
They who shrink from tills view, merely because they conceive tliat it makes Jesus an enthusiast,!
will do well to reflect how closely sucli liopes corresponded witli the long cherished messianic idea of the Jews,:}: and how easily, in that day of supcrnaturalism, and in a nation segregated by the peculiarities of its faith, an idea, in itself extravagant, if only it were consistent, and liad, in some of its aspects, truth and dignity, might allure even a reasonable man beneath its influence.
Witli respect to that wliicli awaits tlie righteous after judgment,-everlasting life in tlic kingdom of tlie Father,-it is true
* Fritzsche, in Mittth. p. G06 f.f De Wette, Bibl. Dogm. g 216.f Bertholdt,
THE LIFE OF JESUS.
that Jesus, in ciccordance with Jewish notions,* compares it to a feast (Matt. viii. 11; xxii. 2 ff.), at which he hopes himself to taste the fruit of the vine (Matt. xxvi. 29.), and to celebrate tlie passover (Luke xxii. 16.): but his declaration that in the awv {i.eXXuv the organic relation between the sexes will cease, and men will be like the angels ((CTayye/.ot, Luke xx. 35 ff.), seems more or less to reduce the above discourses to a merely symbolical significance.
Thus we conclude that the messianic hope of Jesus was not political, nor even merely earthly, for lie referred its fulfilment to supernatural means, and to a supermundane theatre (the regenerated earth): as little was it a purely spiritual liope, in the modern sense of tlie term, for it included important and unprecedented clianges in the external condition of things : but it was tlie national, theocratic hope, spiritualized and ennobled by his own peculiar moral and religious views.
§ 67. THE EELATION OF JESL’S TO THE MOSAIC LAW.
BOOK: Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated)
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