In him, the great messianic words are fulfilled in a disconcerting and unexpected way: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you” (Ps 2:7). At certain key moments, the disciples came to the astonishing realization: This is God himself. They were unable to put all this together into a perfect response. Instead they rightly drew upon the Old Testament’s words of promise: Christ, the Anointed One, Son of God, Lord. These are the key words on which their confession focused, while still tentatively searching for a way forward. It could arrive at its complete form only when Thomas, touching the wounds of the Risen Lord, cried out, in amazement: “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28). In the end, however, these words send us upon a never-ending journey. They are so vast that we can never grasp them completely, and they always surpass us. Throughout her entire history, the pilgrim Church has been exploring them ever more
deeply. Only by touching Jesus’ wounds and encountering his Resurrection are we able to grasp them, and then they become our mission.
–Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth
I finished reading this book two weeks ago while on vacation. (Yes, I know, this is not your usual beach reading). I highly recommend it. It offers a graceful and intellectually fruitful defense of an orthodox view of Jesus. I particular found interesting his treatment of the Gospel of John, He hints at future additional volumes. Let’s hope they are indeed forthcoming.
My wife, who is RC, is reading it, and thinks highly of Benedict’s exposition. I read the excerpt on the baptism of Jesus published in “Newsweek” and was impressed as well. I look forward to reading it when time permits.
I particularly appreciate these words: “In the end, however, these words send us upon a never-ending journey. They are so vast that we can never grasp them completely, and they always surpass us.” This truth certainly expresses of my own pilgrimage.
This passage from Pope Benedict’s book is outstanding and so well expressed that it makes me want to read the rest of its contents. (And I’m a former Roman Catholic who now considers herself very much a Protestant!)
“I particularly appreciate these words: “In the end, however, these words send us upon a never-ending journey. They are so vast that we can never grasp them completely, and they always surpass us.—
Agreed. Unfortunately, some people like Borg and his epigoni Spong and Schori ended the journey (or took a wrong turning) waaay too soon.
Oh, please, can we just stick to Benedict and leave out the swipes at others?
Well….I bought the book, based on a huge exerpt in Amazon.com, but after the pope told me that my Christianity did not measure up to his, I’ll not be reading it. Probably it will go into file 13.
bl
Highly recommend the book. Highly.
I knew His Holiness was something special when, after making sure we knew the book was not Magisterial Pronouncement, he spoke clearly on how the pursuit of power had damaged the Church in the past. Remarkable admission I thought.
KTF!…mrb
Bob from Boone, B16’s use of the term “pilgrim Church” jumped out at me. It brought to mind a book by him titled “Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith” — a compilation of his writings assembled by the Association of the Former Students of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in celebration of his 75th birthday. In it, he speaks of the Emmaus experience of “traveling together with Christ the living Word, who interprets for us the written word, the Bible, and turns that into the path, the path along which our heart starts to burn and thus our eyes are finally opened. ” Good stuff.
Bob Lee: the pope didn’t tell you that ‘your Christianity’ doesn’t measure up to his. Actually, he said quite the opposite: that there is just one Christainity, and the most perfect expression of it is found in the Roman Catholic Church.
This is a great book. I read it earlier this summer and blogged through parts of it. It’s great to read the words of such an intellectual and solid thinker on our Lord Jesus Christ.
His Holiness has part of the story. His part of the story concerning Thomas comes after the Resurrection. The remarks His Holiness makes about Peter’s great confession, however, come before the Resurrection. Benedict seems to leave out the rest of the story.
The part of the story to which I refer is what, to me, remains the Great Mystery. It is found in Phil 2:5-11. And, again, Heb. 2:9, 17. And, again, I Pet 4:1. And, again, I John 4:2.
I confess: this is utterly beyond my comprehension. He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped? He emptied Himself? He became obedient unto death?
Now the confession of Peter took place before the Crucifixion. In fact Jesus asks, “who do you say that I, the Son of Man, am?” What Peter had seen was the Son of Man. In the Last Supper narrative Jesus assures his disciples that in seeing Him, they have seen the Father. But not the blinding, transcendent, King-to-come of Revelation. Not the vision granted Moses on the Mountain. Not the Glorious One Who Sits On The Throne. They saw the Godhead, but still veiled in flesh, still obedient, still emptied of all power and glory.
Paul tells us in Rom. 1:4 that Jesus was declared the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead.
Talk about a mystery.
Or perhaps you would like what surely was a truly ancient hymn:
I Tim 3:16.
It appears to me that, at least since the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council at Ephesus, folk have had a difficult time reducing the greatest of Mysteries to something accessible to human reason and philosophy. The Nicene Creed is okay as far as it goes, but certainly comes short of capturing the whole picture. St Cyril states that the Godhead could not suffer and die, since the Godhead is by nature immortal, immutable, unchangeable. But He died. What actually happened is that St Cyril attempted to use human reason on an issue which is beyond our mortal understanding. Someday we will see face to face, says Paul, and then we will understand. But not now.
I submit to you that the Incarnation simply does not submit to being compressed into any formula or philosophy which we are able to reach. Any and all such attempts will end up losing part of the story.
Is God? Yes. Is Man? Yes. Is mixed? No.
How? I do not know. That it is so, I know.
Tread carefully here. This is Holy Ground.