Sunday, April 29, 2012

Jesus and the Afterlife

The emphasis upon the graciousness of God in the message of Jesus often leads to questions about whether there is any element of of judgment at all.  A number of clarifying remarks may help.  The passages in the synoptics that speak of a last judgment with eternal consequences are largely the products of Matthew's redaction. Moreover, the notion that our life on earth is primarily about meeting God's requirements so that we may have a blessed next life is, it seems to me, foreign to Jesus.  Though I think he probably "believed in an afterlife," I don't think his message was about how to get there.  
    
~ Marcus Borg, "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time", excerpts from Chapter Four
     
TALK ABOUT IT
  • What is the difference between "going to heaven when you die" and "entering the Kingdom of God which is at hand"?
  • How do we enter the Kingdom?    
   
CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY: WISDOM AND PRACTICE: CHURCH OF RECONCILIATION   

3 comments:

  1. As I understand it a first century Jew really did not worry much about the after life, and a whole segment of the community did not believe in it at all. The focus in Judaism was on the present, on right relationship with others and with JHWH. So, it would be unlikely if Jesus even thought it very important (unless of course he was being asked trick questions by his adversaries) and his standard response seemed to say, focus on the here & now, the Kingdom is here, it is with you.

    As a modern Christian I do not see any reason to think much about the after life. For me, it is more critical to live in the Abiding Presence day-in-day out, hopefully moment by moment following in the Master's footsteps. When I do that, there is no need for a future kingdom...because God's Presence is close at hand (which is what it is all about anyway, right)?

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  2. Spent a lot of time working on a reply and lost it in the transmission!

    I said something like this...

    Mostly the Jews have imagined a place for the dead called Sheol. Belief in resurrection and afterlife has been varied. With the immanent expectation of a Messiah there was an accompanying belief in a resurrection and afterlife for those who also believed that the Messiah was bringing an old age to an end and launching a new apocalyptic one.

    The Pharisees were strong proponents of resurrection and afterlife based on obedience to the Torah. Jesus seems to have shared the belief in a resurrection and afterlife, but not based on external compliance to external beliefs or behaviors. Jesus seems to have experienced his own vision of a reality he called "The Kingdom of God", which was universally comprehensive rather than limited to certain individuals who were "first rather than last" or "right rather than prodigal" or "whole rather than sick", or "found rather than lost". And his vision/experience of this Kingdom was in the present moment while transcending physical reality altogether. In the world but not of the world.

    So the bottom line is indeed: It is "more critical to live in the Abiding Presence day-in-day-out, hopefully moment by moment following the Master's footsteps".

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    Replies
    1. A nice discussion on Jewish belief in the afterlife...
      http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/022284.html

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