Calvin Synod Herald, 2014 (115. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2014-03-01 / 3-4. szám
6 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD THE LITTLE MAN John 19:17-30 Some years ago, Cindy and I were visiting the Grand C any on in Arizona. Right on the side of the road, we have seen many Indians selling their trinkets, made out of silver and naturally turquoise. My attention was focused on one of the tables that had some religious items on it. I as remember the story, one of the tourists turned to the Indian lady and posed the following question: Do you have any crosses for sale. Yes we do she said. What kind are you interested in: "Do you want one plain or would you like to see them with the little man on them?" Except for his devoted followers who were there watching him die at Golgotha, do you think that might have been the view of those who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus? Who were responsible for it? That they looked upon Jesus as "the little man"? Reformation 500th Anniversary Hungary's Planning Underway 2017 marks the Five Hundredth Anniversary of the Great Reformation initiated by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses challenging church practices and corruption. The Hungarian government has begun its planning for the nation’s participation in its observance. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attended the inaugural meeting of the planning committee, with the Speaker of the Parliament László Kövér and Zoltán Balog, Minister for Human Resources (himself a Reformed minister). The country’s ten million citizens are nominally 51% Roman Catholic and 20% Protestant (largely Calvinist). Because of the prominent leading role the Reformation churches played in the cause of independence from Austria, and more recently from Russian oppression, their stories are an unforgettable and significant part of modem Hungary’s history. Minister Balog will provide oversight for the administration of the committee’s designs, led by a ministerial commissioner, Karoly Hafenscher, clerical president of the Evangelical Church. Roman Catholic churches also will be represented, plus two members from academic institutions and several to include the smaller Protestant churches. In remarks by Bishop Gustáv Bölcskei of the Reformed Church, he noted that the Reformation’s effect was to leash tremendous energy for change that enabled a new enthusiasm for people to live their lives to the fullest. The timing was greatly helpful to the unity of a nation suffering division and oppression by bmtal Mohammedan invaders for 230 years. Concurrent observations are planned in Germany, Holland and Switzerland, whose ambassadors will inform the committee of their events. Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss contemporary of Luther, had also begun the reformation there, and his labors were built upon by John Calvin and nurtured in Germany and Holland. It will be on the agenda of the several Reformed and Presbyterian churches in America, as well as of Calvin Synod, although lacking governmental participation. Rev. Albert W. Kovács According to the gospel accounts of the events of Holy Week, the crowds got caught up in the enthusiasm of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, but many were involved later in the week in calling for his crucifixion. Why the sudden and dramatic turnaround? Could it be... that the people longed so desperately for a Messiah, a Deliverer, and that when they were convinced that despite his obvious ability to do extraordinary things... Jesus was not the one to bring them freedom from the Romans, that they turned on him with a bloodthirsty vengeance? Do you think, after all was said and done, that the Jerusalem crowd looked upon the Nazarene as "the little man"? Perhaps they became resigned to the fact... that political power wins out over such impractical ideas... as loving one's enemies,.... turning the other cheek,... .walking the second mile. Maybe they knew that human nature is to turn toward those... who hold the upper hand,.... and everybody knows.... that you don't do that apart from being more powerful than the other guy. Maybe practicality won out over Jesus' obviously useless idealism. John in His Gospel says... that "many of the Jews" read Pilate's inscription, the one that proclaimed Jesus king of the Jews and they were utterly angry. From the way John portrays the crucifixion, which is uncharacteristically brief for his gospel, some of those who read the sign may have reported back to the Jewish authorities. I guess there's a snitch in every crowd. Or perhaps the religious upper crust followed Jesus to the cross. Whatever, they did they immediately complained to Pilate. Yet, they had to know it wouldn't do any good to try and get the Roman governor to remove the sign altogether. At the least, however, he could edit it somewhat. "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' they demanded but, that he said, I am King of the Jews.'" We know how far they got with that, don't we? As far as Pilate is concerned, it's enough that they have gotten their pound of flesh. Now they want this execution accomplished solely on their terms as well. But they're not getting their way about this. Even Pilate has his limits. Pilate is going to preserve a bit of his power, at least, so he gives Jesus his due. But look at this way: is he being sarcastic toward the Galilean? He may have been mocking Jesus while the Jewish leadership responsible for Jesus' death take Pilate and his sign quite literally. Regardless, by their actions they all reveal - every last one of them - that they look upon Jesus as „the little man,” nothing but a pawn in their political gamesmanship. Because of Mel Gibson's movie “The Last Temptation of Christ” which came out a couple of years ago.... much has been said about the role of the Jewish authorities in Jesus' crucifixion. We are given the idea in the gospels that they worked very hard in getting Jesus to the cross. While he obviously posed a great threat to their desire to maintain the religious and political status quo, in a Roman-dominated culture that made it difficult to do so. But do you think... they looked upon Jesus as pretty much nothing more than a thorn in their side to be extracted as best they could? Do you think, when all is said and done, they considered him "the little man"? The gospels portray Pilate in a rather positive light... that political expedience, more than anything else, caused him to cave in to the desires of the Jewish religious leadership. He is seen as one who tried to do the right thing - which history tells us
