So, I'm dragging this old dusty blog out of retirement for the sake of a worthy subject and something like a challenge. David Zimmerman, over at his blog Loud Time, is starting a project based on the premise that many of us have lost touch with the perspective of the people and writers of the Bible. Read more about his challenge here. The short version is that much of the Bible is written through the perspective of the oppressed and marginalized. Once we adjust the lens in this way, many of us would have to admit we are more like centurions than the disciples. That seems as good a reason as any to re-examine the New Testament through a revised point of view. The following is my own meager attempt to contribute to this conversation. The challenge is to choose a chapter of the New Testament and interpret it online with the hashtag #PeoplesCommentary so David Zimmerman and other contributors can see what you found.The more the merrier, since "people" is part of the whole idea and happens to be a plural word. I chose Luke 1 and will highlight what stands out most to me in this perspective. Feel free to join in.
Luke 1:5-24
Gabriel announces the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, a priest in the order of Abijah. It's worth noting that priests were not like the clergy we imagine today, with fairly stable salaries and benefits. The Levitical law made provisions for priests to receive a part of the tithe along with the poor and needy, since not receiving a paycheck per se, they were poor and needy. Add the Eastern tradition of children taking care of their parents, and it's safe to assume the The Baptist parents weren't exactly secure financially. And we can't forget that Zechariah was a priest operating in occupied territory, making the limits of freedom a possible threat. All this to say, the prospect of having a son could have many implications for rectifying any of these situations. Instead of hope, however, he has settled on resignation.
In this passage, we see Zechariah losing his voice for being resigned to the fact that the promise of God's kingdom breaking through probably won't happen anytime soon. It is easy to just keep one's head down and accept the reality that very likely has been all one knows. Zechariah lost his voice because he had lost hope, or at least set it aside for later. He will regain it, when he sees the hope begin to come to life. Accepting the current realities of oppression and powerlessness can crush hope, which makes faithfulness impossible. Gabriel reminds Zechariah to keep hope alive.
23-24
Elizabeth would have been disgraced in her culture for being a woman who could not bear children, and Luke makes sure to mention her joy at having this "disgrace" removed. Even within the limited confines of cultural understanding, God is interested in bringing hope and joy to all. It is also worth mentioning that Elizabeth's immediate joy and hope are a stark contrast to Zechariah's resignation. This one verse reveals that the one who lacked the same access to the temple and privileges as a male priest showed the most faith and immediate obedience.
26-56
Mary questions Gabriel at his announcement that she will be the mother of the coming King, but she quickly accepts the new reality and like Elizabeth, embrace hope. Elizabeth says "You are blessed because you believe what the Lord has said." Luke takes extra pains to show the faithfulness of women in this passage, a group who was often marginalized and silenced at the time. And if that wasn't enough, Luke even includes a song sung by Mary herself.
"For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed." It would be too easy to overlook the weight the perspective lends to this verse. Someone who is seen as lowly by her own culture based on something as arbitrary as gender is praising God for noticing those who the culture overlooks. Like Elizabeth, Mary knows the score. It's almost like Luke is trying to tell us these are voices worth listening to.
In verses 51- 53, Mary imagines a world in which earthly power is subverted. In God's Kingdom, those who hunger after power will become powerless, and those who fill themselves to the detriment of others will be sent away hungry. The hope of Christ is that justice will be restored, that the needy will have their fill and the oppressors will go home empty handed. A hope without this reality is incomplete and does not reflect God's vision for the world. As a member of an oppressed and marginalized group on many counts, Mary sees the reality of the need for this component of hope right away.
