The Persuasive and Compelling Power of Jesus' Holy Presence

Don Friesen
February 1, 2009
Ottawa Mennonite Church

www.ottawamennonite.ca

Last Sunday Craig reflected on the story of Jonah. It reminded me of a teacher who told his Sunday School class that it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human being because even though it is a very large mammal its throat is small.

A little girl in the class was having none of it. "Jonah was definitely swallowed by a whale," she said. "The story says so!" Irritated by her resistance to his progressive ideas, the teacher repeated his point: It is impossible for a whale to swallow a human being!

"Well," said the girl, "when I get to heaven I'll ask Jonah."

"What if Jonah went to hell?" asked the annoyed teacher.

"Then you can ask him," answered the girl.

Teachers are often the brunt of jokes, and I do not envy the task of public school teachers whose profession is a very challenging one and whose influence is seldom acknowledged.

I was trying to recollect the names of people who have been my teachers. I remember a Mrs. Love, who taught me Grade 1 in the one-room school house I attended. She also taught Grades 2 through 10 in the same room at the same time! I remember a Mrs. Spoonheim, who crowned me the spelling champion of my Grade 8 class, which was really not that great an achievement, given that our class was squarely outside the school's academic stream. In high school I had two teachers named Mr. Dyck, and since the one taught literature and the other physics we called them Lit-Dyck and Phys-Dyck. I also remember a high school literature teacher who was so distracting that I never heard a word she said all year. As a result, there's a large gap in my grasp of Shakespeare.

My brother, a professor, was never officially my teacher, but he taught me the basics of writing by deconstructing anything I wrote and leaving the pieces and my ego on the floor for me to pick up later. I remember and cherish several seminary teachers: Clarence Bauman, who introduced me to Christianity's mystical tradition; and John Howard Yoder, whose crisp, logical arguments were a wonder to behold. I remember teachers of the Church, like Wes Willems, whose gentle leadership was an inspiring example to me. I remember Ernie Sawatzky's low-key but thoughtful sermons that taught me that faith could consist of more than emotional impulses. I remember the first time I heard Myron Augsburger, an articulate and passionate apologist for the faith. I remember Ralph Holdeman's charismatic presence in the pulpit in a United Methodist church we attended. When I think of the many people who have taught me about faith and about being a community of faith, I remember Bill Block, Jake Pauls, Frank Epp, and many, many others, including many of you.

I have been blessed by a whole raft of teachers who devoted themselves to the education of those willing to be taught – as well as those unwilling – and my only regret is that I did not thank them enough.

Jesus, Teacher Extraordinaire

Jesus was a teacher, and the Gospel of Mark introduces his ministry with Jesus teaching in a synagogue. His disciples often addressed him as "Teacher" (Mark 4:38; 5:35; 9:17, 38; 10:17, 20, 35, 51; 12:14, 19, 32; 13:1; 14:14) or as "Rabbi" (9:5; 11:21; 14:45), which means "Teacher". Sometimes Jesus' teaching role is eclipsed by the more dramatic things he did, like calming a sea squall (4:35-41), returning sight to a blind man (8:22-26), or raising a young girl from the dead! (5:35-43) Mark covers those dramatic events, but his Gospel introduces Jesus as a teacher.

Jesus, according to Mark, met up with John, the Baptist, was baptized by him, recruited the first of his disciples, and then set right to work – teaching. He started in a town called Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Mark tells us, he "...entered the synagogue and taught. (Those who heard him) were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority...." (Mark 1:21-22) Other translations say that those who heard him were "amazed" (1:22, NIV; NASB; TEV) at his teaching; they were "astonished" (AMP), "astounded" (NEB). One translation says that "his teaching made a deep impression" (JER) on those who heard it.

What is curious and a little dumbfounding is that we have no idea what he said! Mark divulges nothing of what Jesus taught! Granted, Mark's Gospel is the most succinct of the NT Gospels, but he devotes eight verses to introducing John, the Baptist, even describing John's strange wardrobe and eating habits, but of Jesus' inaugural teaching we get nothing! We are told that "he taught them as one having authority" (Mark 1:21-22), but it would be nice if he had provided some detail so that we could draw our own conclusion!

Mark does provide us with contrast, saying that the conclusion drawn by his first students was based, in part, on comparison with other teachers, in this case the teaching of the scribes. (Mark 1:22) The scribes were students of the Law, and gained their distinction by their intimate acquaintance with its detailed contents. They wrote out the law; they classified the law; they arranged it, formatted it, and painstakingly counted every letter in it. They devoted themselves to the careful study of the text and developed a host of rules for transcribing it with scrupulous precision. At times the "words of the scribes" were honoured above the law. Their casuistry was suspect at times, resulting in evasion of the most basic obligations, and tampering with matters of conscience. (Matthew 15:1-6; 23:16-23)

In contrast to the scribes, who simply repeated the teaching of tradition, Jesus "taught ...as one having authority". While the scribes confined their teaching to scholars sequestered in seminars, Jesus appealed to the public (Mark 6:34; 8:32), travelling through cities and villages (6:6, 56) to meet the people in the places where they lived. The scribes spoke of the kingdom of God as some vague, far-off thing, while Jesus announced that it was already here! (1:15) Jesus spoke, not as the scribes, appealing elsewhere for authority, not even with a prophetic "Thus saith the Lord," but with a more immediate authority, saying: "I say unto you...." (Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, & 44) Jesus was not ignorant of scribal tradition, but he was not constrained by it. In fact, his penetrating questions often struck at the very root and purpose of the tradition.

Mark does not divulge the content of Jesus' teaching, but we know it was markedly different from that of the scribes, and people warmed to it. It reminds me of a couple who attended a church I once attended. Both members preached from time to time. She spoke with considerable poise, eloquence, and depth, whereas her husband droned on and on ... and on. The contrast was so vivid that even those who were opposed to women in church leadership would, given the choice, invariably choose her to preach.

A Persuasive Jesus?

What is it that caused people to regard Jesus as an authoritative teacher? Perhaps he was a persuasive speaker. It's quite something to watch Jesus sparring with the religious leaders, often turning the tables on them when they try to trap him. It's fun watching Jesus respond to the lawyer who asked him for help in identifying who is and who is not a neighbour. (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus' story sneaks up on the lawyer with great stealth, laying to waste the lawyer's selfish assumptions. None of those situations, however, qualify as persuasive, for there is no indication that the lawyer and the religious leaders were convinced by Jesus.

The Apostle Paul was a persuasive fellow. Acts tells us that many people, including "a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women" (Acts 17:1-4) joined his ranks because they were "persuaded" by his teaching. People in Corinth complained about Paul, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law." (18:13) In Ephesus Paul taught in the synagogue for three months, where, Acts tells us, he "spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God." (19:8) This did not sit well with everyone; merchants who made their living selling silver souvenirs of popular gods complained that "not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods." (19:26)

Paul had great persuasive powers and the gumption to train them on anyone, including royalty! Appearing before King Agrippa II in the midst of much "pomp and ceremony" (Acts 25:23), Paul held forth for some time (26:1-27) about Jesus, about his own conversion, and about his work, until the king said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." (26:28, KJV)

Persuasion is not always enough. For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it will fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, so how could he be wrong? I guess it never occurred to anyone to take two objects, one heavy and one light, and drop them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did! It wasn't until 1589 that Galileo (1564-1642) summoned learned professors to the Leaning Tower of Pisa – or so legend has it – and pushed a ten-pound and a one-pound weight off the top of the tower, both landed at the same time, and Aristotle's theory bit the dust a nano-second later. It should have spelled the end of his theory but the learned professors could not be persuaded by evidence; they continued to maintain that Aristotle was right.

Paul was a persuasive fellow, but he also realized the limits of persuasion. He realized that people who are easily persuaded might be persuaded of the wrong things. (Galatians 5:8) He realized that persuasion can cross over into enticement and manipulation. (Acts 20:30; 1 Corinthians 12:2) Paul confessed to the Corinthians, "I came to you in weakness and in fear and ...much trembling." (1 Corinthians 2:3) "What I spoke and proclaimed was not meant to convince by philosophical argument...." (2:4, JER) "My language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom...." (AMP) It was not my intention to "sway you with subtle arguments...." No! It was "to demonstrate the convincing power of the (Holy) Spirit, so that your faith should depend not on human wisdom but on the power of God." (2:4, JER)

The art of human persuasion has a long and noble history, one particularly prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans, in whose educational institutions Paul was well-schooled. The ancients called it rhetoric; moderns call it "persuasion theory". Paul used the techniques so highly prized in his culture, but he realized, with humility, that wisdom and arguments alone do not have the power to transform us. There is something greater at work here. Even "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom," said Paul. (1:25)

"Christianity was conceived in a Jewish womb" (A. Duane Litfin, "The Perils of Persuasive Preaching," originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1985, Volume 2, Number 2, pages 267-273), however, and the OT notion of persuasion seems gentler and less argumentative. Proverbs, for example tells us that the "mind of the wise makes their speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to their lips" (Proverbs 16:23), that "pleasant speech increases persuasiveness" (16:21), and that "with patience" even "a ruler may be persuaded...." (25:15)

An unusual Recognition of Jesus' Holy Presence

Perhaps Jesus was a persuasive speaker – the people obviously favoured him over the scribes – but our passage quickly moves on to something else. "Just then," writes Mark, "there was in (the) synagogue a man with an unclean spirit...." (Mark 1:23) Some translations (NIV; TEV) call it an "evil spirit," and yet another simply describes the person as "a man who was deeply disturbed". (The Message) Just what a teacher needs! Someone to disturb the class!

The disturbed man "cried out, ‘Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God's Holy One.'" (Mark 1:24, CEV) Addressing the disruptive spirit, Jesus said, "Be quiet and come out of the man!" (1:25, CEV) Whereupon the spirit shook the man, "gave a loud shout and left." (1:26, CEV) "They were all amazed," Mark tells us, "and they kept ...asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.' At once his fame began to spread throughout ...Galilee." (1:27-28)

There's an interesting biblical motif or theme at work here. In a number of biblical stories it's helpful to ask yourself: Of the characters in this story, which one is least likely to succeed? Who is the least likely to emerge the hero? As in Leo Tolstoy's stories, where the peasant almost always trumps the wealthy landowner – or even the Tzar – so in biblical stories some unlikely candidates emerge as heroes. The weasel-like Jacob is chosen over the robust Esau. (Genesis 27) Joseph, the youngest of a whole passel of boys and the least popular among them, rises to high office in a foreign country and becomes the one that helps his family survive a severe famine. Gideon, described as the "least important member" of his family (Judges 6:15), is the one chosen to defeat the Midianites, although with the ludicrous weapons God provides it's quite clear that it's God's power and not Gideon's arsenal that achieves the victory! In the story Jesus told the lawyer, the two figures one might expect to help the wounded man at the side of the road fail the test and it is the foreigner, a Samaritan, who does the godly thing.

When Jesus entered the synagogue to teach, who is it that recognizes the presence of God in Jesus? It's the crazy one in the group! It's the disturbed man who disrupted Jesus' teaching. "I know who you are," said the disturbed man, "(you are) the Holy One of God." (Mark 1:24) The man sensed something unusual about Jesus, a holy, divine presence. It's as if Mark is telling us that the content of Jesus' teaching is not as important as who Jesus is. Or perhaps it's all of one piece. A teacher may pass on impressive content, but a disinterested tone in delivering it makes you wonder why the content is important. A teacher with a dynamic presence who mouths platitudes is equally ineffectual. The content of Jesus' teaching, judging from the other Gospels, was impressive, as was his holy, healing presence.

Jesus: A Holy, Charismatic Presence

There was an attractiveness about Jesus, something about his person that gave his words gravity and authority. The way in which Jesus lived and acted gave him the authority of authenticity, which was very attractive to those who heard him. Jesus had, and has, appeal. There is a winsomeness about Jesus. His personality, his stories, his compassion speak to the hearts of people. It wasn't by accident that he attracted crowds. It wasn't by accident that he attracted the deep loyalty of twelve disciples, and a following that transcended misunderstanding, denial and even betrayal. It wasn't by accident that a Church that encompasses the globe is built in his memory and guided by his spirit.

The disturbed man in our Gospel reading says it best: "You are God's Holy One.'" (Mark 1:24, CEV) The word, "holy," is no longer used with any frequency, perhaps because those who claim to be holy are an easy target of ridicule. We speak disparagingly of those in whom we detect a "holier-than-thou" attitude. In the Scriptures the words "holy" and "holiness" are used most often to refer to God. Holiness describes the essential nature of God. The Hebrew word for holy means "separateness," or "withdrawal," and is associated with words like "majesty," "unsearchable," "incomprehensible," "incomparable," "wonderful," "great," and "exalted". It suggests the ineffable. It cannot be defined or taught; it must be evoked or awakened. Wherever God's presence is felt, there we encounter the wonder and mystery of holiness.

Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889), it is said, could find no adequate human benchmark for holiness, even in his most admirable friends. He writes:

"And so my trust, confused, struck, and shook
Yields to the sultry siege of melancholy.
He has a sin of mine, he its near brother,
And partly I hate, partly condone that fall.
This fault in one I found, that in another:
And so, though each have one while I have all,
No better serves me now, save best; no other
Save Christ: to Christ I look, on Christ I call."

("Myself unholy," 1865)