Session 7: Q&O

Here's an assortment of questions and observations I heard from the group during our class.

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What did he say?
Someone mentioned that the incarnation was important for him because it gave him hope that he could be like Christ.  I mentioned that this sentiment reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite early church fathers, Athanasius the Great, who said,

"He was incarnate that we might be made God"

Athanasius literally wrote the book On the Incarnation.  It was his way of talking about Jesus as fully human and fully divine which became highly influential to the early church.  Now, the quote above does not mean that through Jesus we become gods.  This quote is expressing a broader theological concept prominent in the Eastern Orthodox church known as theosis.  Theosis is the lifelong transformative process of union with God.



He's Making a List, Checking it Twice
I mentioned that one of the reasons we might have a hard time remembering all of the disciples is because there are two separate lists.  Below is a chart of the four gospels and who they name as the 12.  Also, just for kicks you should check out this HR Letter of Recommendation on the 12 Apostles.

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
Simon ("who’s name is changed to Peter")	Simon ("who’s name is changed to Peter")	Simon ("who’s name is changed to Peter")	Simon Peter / Cephas
Andrew ("Peter's brother")	Andrew	Andrew ("Peter’s brother")	Andrew ("Peter’s brother")
James ("son of Zebedee")	James ("son of Zebedee")	James	one of the "sons of Zebedee"
John ("James's brother")	John ("brother of James")	John	one of the "sons of Zebedee"
Philip	Philip	Philip	Philip
Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Nathanael
Thomas	Thomas	Thomas	Thomas ("also called Didymus")
Matthew	Matthew	Matthew	not mentioned
James ("son of Alphaeus")	James ("son of Alphaeus")	James ("son of Alphaeus")	not mentioned
Thaddaeus	Thaddaeus	Jude ("son of James")	Jude
Simon ("the Cananean")	Simon ("the Cananean")	Simon ("who was called the Zealot")	not mentioned
Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot	Judas ("son of Simon Iscariot")

Dropping the Ball?

After class someone asked me, "Why were the disciples unable to cast out the demon?  Hadn't Jesus taught them how to pray?"  Great question.  My first response, "I don't know."  I can offer a couple of reflections though on the question.  First let's look at the verse.

"When Jesus had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, 'Why could we not cast the demon out?' He said to them, 'This kind can come out only through prayer.'" - Mark 9:28-29

A couple of things to note:

• The disciples weren't new to the casting out gig.  Jesus had commissioned them to such a work earlier in their ministry and they seemed to be successful. "So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.  They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them" - Mark 6:12-13.
• Just after our story in Mark 9, we hear of people who are not direct disciples of Jesus casting out demons in Jesus name and the disciples seem a bit jealous. "John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”  The irony here is that once again those on the "outside" seem to be getting it better than those on the "inside".

Why were the disciples unable to cast out the demon?  My guess,

• This is another example in Mark where we are meant to see the disciples as foolish.  They aren't getting it.  Perhaps the question we need to wrestle with is, "Why is it so important that the disciples come across as bumbling and dense?"
• Jesus said this kind only comes out with prayer.  Authentic prayer is inherently an act of humility (or perhaps another way to say it is, "to walk humbly is to pray without ceasing").  Whatever formulation(s) of prayer Jesus likely taught them, their response to the other who was healing ("he is not following us") seems to demonstrate a lack of humility.  Perhaps, the power to overcome demons is not found in the right words but is a power rooted in humility.