tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post2350581514025977322..comments2024-03-16T10:05:23.129-07:00Comments on LA Quaker: The Subversive Wisdom of JohnLA Quakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084465501021443492noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-17879129183728955772016-01-02T17:15:06.208-08:002016-01-02T17:15:06.208-08:00When Bert came to our home for this study, I was e...When Bert came to our home for this study, I was especially stuck by the parallels he drew between the rather brash Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8-9 and how John portrays Jesus. Lady Wisdom would stand on busy street corners and shout out the entrapping consequences of seeking wealth, and she would set the boundaries for the oceans and dance among the mountain tops, and declare that by seeking her you would find life. This reminds of John the Baptist's powerful message of repentance and pointing us to Jesus. Reading John with an overlay, a lens of Lady Wisdom helps me to appreciate the bold proclamation of Jesus as the Bread of Life, the Way and Truth and Life.... powerful insight. Thank you Bert!! Jill Shook, Anthony's wifeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-53027952691316795212012-06-23T12:24:59.893-07:002012-06-23T12:24:59.893-07:00Thx to both of you for enlarging on that aspect. M...Thx to both of you for enlarging on that aspect. Most useful.Brigidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862531789968068093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-57087396721051435572012-06-23T08:22:11.351-07:002012-06-23T08:22:11.351-07:00Brigid, I am grateful that you pointed out that wo...Brigid, I am grateful that you pointed out that women were not supposed to touch men and vice versa in Judaism, unless they are married, blood relatives, etc. (Islam has the same prohibition.) What I learned when I did more research is that footwashing is an ancient Jewish ritual, going back to the time of Abraham who supposedly washed the feet of his angelic guests. What Jesus did was take this old ritual and give it new meaning by washing the feet of his disciples, thereby inverting the master/disciple relationship. This shocked his disciples. This ritual is also placed in a new context because of the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet. John thereby associates Jesus with this "fallen" woman and shows his love for all, esp. the marginalized and despised. --AnthonyLA Quakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11084465501021443492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-41326783130878145342012-06-22T20:48:48.176-07:002012-06-22T20:48:48.176-07:00I think you're right, Brigid. Anthony did an a...I think you're right, Brigid. Anthony did an awesome of job summarizing the teaching, but I didn't say that Jesus did the job of a woman slave; he followed the example of the woman who washed his feet and promoted what might have been thought of in that culture as a female honor code, but you're right, normally men and women did not touch. When Mary washed Jesus' feet, that was probably thought of as somewhat scandalous.<br /><br />I have to repeat, though, that Anthony's synopsis of our Bible Study is otherwise outstanding! Great synthesis!<br /><br />-BertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571146151683416940.post-71383664551723628632012-06-22T15:41:44.302-07:002012-06-22T15:41:44.302-07:00I find this a very interesting perspective and wil...I find this a very interesting perspective and will follow it up in my biblical reading. However, I have one query which perhaps you could clarify or seek clarification on my behalf. It relates to this: “Jesus assumes the role of a servant and washes his disciples’ feet, a task usually given to a woman slave.”<br /><br />I thought that in Judaism men and women did not touch. I have noted in the gospels that, by and large, Jesus obeyed the touch prohibitions (including leprosy). So I just query and wish to have clarified whether a female slave would actually touch a man, even his feet.Brigidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862531789968068093noreply@blogger.com