Jesus is utterly new. He teaches something utterly new. He is not to be sewn into an old cloak or poured into an old wineskin. Rather, he completes the old cloak in a surprising way! He requires our hearts to be like fresh wineskins to receive anew the wine of his love!
The Old Testament prophets often presented the relationship between God and Israel as a marriage (and Israel as an unfaithful spouse, but one that our faithful God would not divorce). So when Jesus calls himself the Bridegroom, he is drawing from this imagery and placing himself clearly in the role understood as referring to God.
You can understand why the Scribes and Pharisees were puzzled and upset by his claims to be more than just another rabbi, or even just another prophet. They understand that there is an unbridgeable gap between God and humanity. No human can claim to be God. And we can’t deal directly with God; we need mediators. In the Old Covenant, the mediators were those designated through anointing as priest or prophet or king.
But Jesus is proclaiming something utterly new. He calls himself the Bridegroom of God’s people. Emmanuel, God with us. But we still can’t deal directly with God. Christ came to be the bridge between humanity and Divinity. Just as God worked with the Old Testament people through priests and prophets and kings, now in the New Testament, we have only ONE mediator: Jesus Christ, who is Priest and Prophet and Eternal King. He is utterly unique.
He brings to humanity a completely new way of being in relationship with God. That new way is himself. He, himself, IS THE WAY (as he said: “I am the Way…”). In HIM all things were made. In HIM all things hold together. Through HIM all things are reconciled.
Let us proclaim with our whole being the Great Amen in response to the words we hear at each Mass: “Through Him and with Him and in Him, O God, Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, forever and ever.” Amen!
Jesús es completamente nuevo. Enseña algo completamente nuevo. No se le debe coser en un manto viejo ni echarlo en un odre viejo. Más bien, ¡completa el manto viejo de una manera sorprendente! Requiere que nuestros corazones sean como odres nuevos para recibir nuevamente el vino de su amor.
Los profetas del Antiguo Testamento a menudo presentaban la relación entre Dios e Israel como un matrimonio (e Israel como un cónyuge infiel, pero del que nuestro Dios fiel no se divorciaría). Entonces, cuando Jesús se llama a sí mismo el Esposo, se basa en esta imagen y se coloca claramente en el papel entendido como referente a Dios.
Se puede entender por qué los escribas y fariseos estaban desconcertados y molestos por sus afirmaciones de ser algo más que otro rabino, o incluso otro profeta. Entienden que existe una brecha insalvable entre Dios y la humanidad. Ningún ser humano puede pretender ser Dios. Y no podemos tratar directamente con Dios. Necesitamos mediadores. En la Antigua Alianza, los mediadores eran designados mediante unción como sacerdote, profeta o rey.
Pero Jesús está proclamando algo completamente nuevo. Se llama a sí mismo el Novio del pueblo de Dios. Emanuel, Dios con nosotros. Pero todavía no podemos tratar directamente con Dios. Cristo vino a ser el puente entre la humanidad y la Divinidad. Así como Dios trabajó con el pueblo del Antiguo Testamento a través de sacerdotes, profetas y reyes, ahora en el Nuevo Testamento tenemos un solo mediador: Jesucristo, quien es Sacerdote, Profeta y Rey Eterno. Él es absolutamente único.
Trae a la humanidad una forma completamente nueva de estar en relación con Dios. Ese nuevo camino es él mismo. ÉL ES EL CAMINO (como dijo: “Yo soy el Camino…”). En ÉL todas las cosas fueron hechas. En ÉL todas las cosas se mantienen juntas. Por medio de ÉL todas las cosas son reconciliadas.
Proclamemos con todo nuestro ser el Gran Amén en respuesta a las palabras que escuchamos en cada Misa: “Por Cristo, con Él y en Él, a ti, Dios Padre omnipotente, en la unidad del Espíritu Santo, todo honor y toda gloria por los siglos de los siglos”. ¡Amén!
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and seven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: Cristian Gutiérrez, LC, cathopic.com/photo/34124-fresco-duomo-or-cathedral-of-messina-sicily
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