{"id":2868,"date":"2018-04-30T19:42:16","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T19:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=2868"},"modified":"2018-04-30T19:42:16","modified_gmt":"2018-04-30T19:42:16","slug":"the-sixth-sunday-of-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2018\/04\/30\/the-sixth-sunday-of-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sixth Sunday of Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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S<\/em><\/strong>unday Gospel Reading <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

6th <\/sup>Sunday of Easter <\/em><\/strong>May 6, 2018<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Readings:<\/em><\/strong> Acts. 10\u00a0:25\u201326\u00a0;34\u201335\u00a0; 4 \u201348\u00a0; Ps. 98:1\u20134; <\/em>1 John. 4:7\u201310; John 15, 9\u201317.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Download<\/a><\/p>\n

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T<\/em><\/strong>his week\u2019 Gospel reading reminds us of the most important commandment of the whole Law: love [cf. Mt. 22:39\u201340]. In the Gospel of John this commandment is expressed in universal categories as a way of existence, style of life, credo of a truly disciple of Christ. Its origins have to be found in the Heavenly life of the Holy Trinity. As the same evangelist declares, \u201cFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life\u201d (Jn 3:16). The heavenly example of a sacrificial love: this is the meaning of the Greek verb agapao<\/em> used throughout the whole Gospel. Another meaningful marker of this portion is the verb abide, dwell, remain: altogether rendered by the Greek term meno<\/em>. His Hebrew equivalent, vb. shakhan<\/em>, provides us with an image mostly reiterated by the Rabbis: Shekina, the Presence of God, Our Beloved. In this sense, God renders Himself present in our lives when we follow His example of love and \u201clay down our life for our friends\u201d (Jn 15:13). That is the second great feeling of God towards us which we are told to imitate: fili,a<\/em> (friendship). Cf. Jam. 4:4. So, Jesus Himself can testify that \u201cYou are my friends if you do what I command you\u201d (Jn 15:14). In the Hebrew Bible \u201cto be a friend of God\u201d (rea<\/em>) becomes a brilliant metaphor of a righteous, pious and devoted man or woman who is enabled speak with the Lord \u201cface to face\u201d: cf. Ex. 33:11.<\/p>\n

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This intimacy and closeness to the Lord grant us a privilege to dwell in His love, to stay in front of Him, to be His friends, yet not servants. In fact, the Apostle exemplifies that principle \u2013 the \u201claw of love\u201d \u2013 in the following sentence: \u201cSo now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family\u201d (Eph. 2:19). Nevertheless in the inter-testamental period the precept of love was a subject of hot discussions between the Rabbis. For example, questioning who must be neighbor to love (cf. Lv. 19:18), R. Hillel who elaborated a general principle: \u201cYou shall love peace and research peace, you shall love the creatures and make them approach the Torah\u201d (cf. Abot 1:12; 1:2; b.Sota 14a). On the contrary, the Pharisaic leaders used to consider the word \u201cneighbor\u201d in a restrictive way on the basis of Lv. 19:34=Dt 10:19; i.e., this term referred exclusively to a fellow citizen or a stranger who decided to establish his or her dwelling in Israel. Finally, in the Post-talmudic exegesis a fellow man or woman was simply reduced to an observant Jew [Neudecker, 499\u2013501].<\/p>\n

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This short picture of different opinions shows how challenging is the commandment of love that urges us to go out of limits and false stereotypes of this world. In the First Letter of John (1 Jn. 4:7\u201310) there is a summary concerning such strategic topics as \u201cto be born from God\u201d, \u201cto know God\u201d, \u201cJesus as an atoning sacrifice (hilasmos<\/em>) for our sins\u201d. The knowing of God represents an ontological summit for a human being, a new step of existence as well as a great responsibility to be inserted in the continuum<\/em> of loving kindness of Merciful God, misericordia Dei<\/em>. Like in the Garden of Eden, once Adam started to experience the presence of a fellow woman, he became aware of a dialogic nature of love. Thus, the famous sentence \u201cGod is love\u201d (1 Jn. 4:8) can be adequately understood only in the context of \u201cbeing in front of\u201d somebody. That is what the Book of Genesis stresses out (Gn. 2:20): \u201cfor Adam there was not found a help like to himself [lit. \u201cin front of him\u201d: ke<\/sup>negdo<\/em>. This dialogical unity of love \u2013 relationship \u201cface to face\u201d \u2013 is revealed by God Himself as the Psalm says: \u201cThe King is mighty, he loves justice \u2013 you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right\u201d (Ps. 98:4). In fact, God\u2019s justice is unthinkable without mercy, from the Rabbinic point of view. Finally, only love can make known to today\u2019s world a Holy Name of the Lord Who truly loves His creation by judging and forgiving it at the same time.<\/p>\n

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For Reflection and Discussion<\/strong>: 1<\/strong>. How do I experience love of God & love to God in my daily life? 2.<\/strong> What is my understanding of a neighborhood regarding the precept of love? Is it possible nowadays to love everyone? 3.<\/strong> Which way or ways of existence, teaching and studying the Torah opens to me spiritually the Gospel motto \u201cGod is love\u201d?<\/p>\n

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Bibliography:<\/strong> Artyushin, Colui che fa misericordia. Lc 10,25\u201337 in chiave comunicativa <\/em>(Roma, 2009); Grilli, Quale rapporto tra i due Testamenti? Riflessione critica sui modelli ermeneutici classici concernenti l\u2019unit\u00e0 delle Scritture<\/em> (Bologna, 2007); Neudecker, \u00ab\u201cAnd You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself \u2013 I Am the Lord\u201d (Lev 19,18) in Jewish Interpretation\u00bb (Biblica<\/em> 73 (1992) 496-517).<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s teaching commentary was prepared by<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Philotheus Artyushin, Moscow Theol. Academy, Doctorate in Biblical Theology.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bat Kol alumnus <\/strong>2011\u00a0 email: <\/strong>\u00a0artyushins@yandex.ru<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2018]<\/strong><\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE<\/em><\/strong>: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.\u00a0 Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/em><\/p>\n

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B<\/em><\/strong>at <\/em><\/strong>K<\/em><\/strong>ol <\/em><\/strong>I<\/em><\/strong>nstitute, <\/em><\/strong>J<\/em><\/strong>erusalem<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

~~<\/em><\/strong>1983<\/em><\/strong>–2018<\/strong><\/em>~~<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

gill@batkol.info <\/em><\/strong>Website: <\/em><\/strong>www.batkol.info<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sunday Gospel Reading 6th Sunday of Easter May 6, 2018 Readings: Acts. 10\u00a0:25\u201326\u00a0;34\u201335\u00a0; 4 \u201348\u00a0; Ps. 98:1\u20134; 1 John. 4:7\u201310; John 15, 9\u201317. \u00a0 Download \u00a0 This week\u2019 Gospel reading reminds us of the most important commandment of the whole Law: love [cf. Mt. 22:39\u201340]. In the Gospel of John this commandment is expressed in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":2861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}