Brian Zhand always seems to have a hot take on scripture. Today the pastor and renowned author posted some interesting reflections on the connections and tensions between worship and social justice, using a story involving the man who betrayed Jesus to unto death as an example, on Twitter.
He writes:
On Wednesday evening Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with a flask of spikenard worth a year's wages. She did this to testify that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, God's Anointed King. Mary was criticized for this extravagance. (1/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Indeed, think of how many poor could have benefited from this fortune! But Jesus defended Mary, calling it a beautiful thing and predicting that this deed would be remembered as part of the gospel story. (2/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Though social justice must always be a vital aspect of what the church does, it is subordinate to worship. Even today many are offended by this. But… (3/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
It is only through the formation that comes from loving God with all our heart (worship) that we become capable of loving our neighbor as our self (justice). (4/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Mary anointed Jesus because she recognized him as the Messianic King of Psalm 2 anointed by God to rule the nations. But Jesus said he had been anointed for burial. (5/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Jesus understood that the Messianic King of Psalm 2 was also the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53—a sacrificial lamb who would be rejected and cut off from the land of the living. (6/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Jesus' willingness to accept rejection and death as part of his Messianic mission seems to have been the last straw for Judas. Mark's account of Holy Wednesday ends with Judas sneaking back to Jerusalem and arranging to betray Jesus. (7/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
Two questions to ask on Holy Wednesday:
Are we offended by the primacy of worship?
Are we offended by a suffering King? (8/8)
— Brian Zahnd (@BrianZahnd) March 28, 2018
The thread is in honor of Holy Wednesday, the day traditionally correlated with the day that Judas went to conspire with Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.
