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CORNERSTONE a PUBLICATION by SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERATION THEOLOGY CENTER Theologies of Palestine Bible Study Luke 7 : 1 - 23 (NIV)

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CORNERSTONE a PUBLICATION by SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERATION THEOLOGY CENTER Theologies of Palestine Bible Study Luke 7 : 1 - 23 (NIV) ISSUE 81, WINTER 2019/2020 CORNERSTONE A PUBLICATION BY SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERATION THEOLOGY CENTER Theologies of Palestine Bible Study Luke 7 : 1 - 23 (NIV) MCC & Sabeel Staff 1When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6So Jesus went IN THIS ISSUE with them. Theologies of Palestine p. 1 He was not far from the house when the centurion sent Rev Mitri Raheb p. 4 friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do 7 Fr. Rafiq Khoury p. 7 not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say Jean Zaru p. 9 the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am Rev Yohanna Katanacho p. 12 a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. Bishop Munib Younan p. 15 I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Cedar Duaybis p. 19 9 H.B. Michel Sabbah p. 21 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not p. 24 2019 Sabeel Activities found such great faith even in Israel.” 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. 11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his 2 ISSUE 81, WINTER 2019/2020 disciples and a large crowd went along As Palestinians, we feel that we are These convictions, like the wall, with him. 12As he approached the town being imprisoned – surrounded by must be broken down. Jesus sees gate, a dead person was being carried the wall, checkpoints, and military beyond the wall of segregation and out—the only son of his mother, and occupation. We do not see beyond discrimination. He sees the faith in a she was a widow. And a large crowd the walls of our everyday prison. Our stranger, in a soldier maintaining the from the town was with her. 13When movements are restricted, and even occupation. He can see faith where the Lord saw her, his heart went out to our life inside the walls is strictly no one else can see it. Everyone has her and he said, “Don’t cry.” controlled. eyes to see, but Jesus follows the example of Isaiah 11:3 “He will not 14 Then he went up and touched the The Nakba of 1948 was not just a judge by what he sees with his eyes, or bier they were carrying him on, and social and land catastrophe but also decide by what he hears with his ears;” the bearers stood still. He said, “Young a theological one. We stand like John Jesus opens the eyes of those who 15 man, I say to you, get up!” The dead the Baptist with no way to voice our cannot see, those whose pain and man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus faith in the Lord. Secluded, how suffering cause them to be unable to gave him back to his mother. can we have any hope in the dark? see the faith in the face of another. He How can this hope be sustained amid heals our pain and offers us a glimpse 16They were all filled with awe and hopelessness? behind the walls in our lives, giving praised God. “A great prophet has us the will to recognise the ‘other’ as appeared among us,” they said. “God “Are you the one who is to come, or our brothers and sisters. has come to help his people.” 17This should we expect someone else?” (Lk news about Jesus spread throughout 7:20). Are you the One who will Judea and the surrounding country. end the occupation and bring down 18John’s disciples told him about all the wall? Are you the One who these things. Calling two of them, 19he will answer our prayers for justice? sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you These questions are the same for us the one who is to come, or should we as they were for John the Baptist; expect someone else?” they stem from the same land, under occupation, and a feeling of 20When the men came to Jesus, they desperation. said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or These questions come about after should we expect someone else?’” the healing of the Centurion’s servant (Lk 7:1-10). However, this 21At that very time Jesus cured many parable is about more than a cure who had diseases, sicknesses and evil – or even more than a miracle. If spirits, and gave sight to many who there is a miracle in this story, it were blind. 22So he replied to the is the recognition, by Jesus, of the messengers, “Go back and report to Centurion’s faith: “I tell you, I have not John what you have seen and heard: found such great faith even in Israel.” The blind receive sight, the lame walk, (Lk 7:9), Jesus creates a crack in the Shortly after his encounter with the those who have leprosy are cleansed, wall – he lets a glimpse of light shine Centurion, Jesus meets a widow the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and through. He brings into question the crying over the death of her son. the good news is proclaimed to the belief that only certain people have As today, there is a large crowd poor. 23Blessed is anyone who does not the right to faith, and only certain lamenting the death with the mother. stumble on account of me.” people are the ‘chosen’ ones of God. Under occupation, the loss of a child ISSUE 81, WINTER 2019/2020 3 is not private grief – it is a social come to help his people.’” (Lk 7:16). A can see the Good News told out. “The Nakba. The death carries the hope for prophet has arisen, giving a voice to one who is to come” is amongst us, in liberation – a young man who bears those who were removed from the everyone whose faith makes him or the promise of an entire people. The living. God is truly here with his her arise from the oppression of our death of any young person breaks the people. Do we see him as he visits, prison. Hope is the power that will strength of a people under occupation and will we arise? make us rise. – a social and political defeat. Jesus turns to the mother with compassion, In his prison, John the Baptist hears Sabeel’s 1st International Gathering, “Do not weep.” We hear the echoes about these events but cannot see held at the beginning of December of the Beatitudes “Blessed are you them. He doesn’t see outside the walls 2019 in Bethlehem brought together who weep now, for you will laugh” of his prison. He sends messengers to a number of organisations including: (Lk 6:21). The mother will laugh, Jesus: one prophet talks to another Al Liqa, Bethlehem Bible College, and the whole crowd around her will through these messengers, breaking Kairos Palestine, Dar al Kalima laugh – their hope will be restored, through the constraints of the prison University College, and Musalaha their future will be renewed. – much like social media can be used Ministry of Reconciliation. These to give voice to the voiceless today. organisations have grown out of this “Kumi!” the young man arises and need for Palestinians to rise with a speaks! His words are words of hope. Is now the time to arise? Which new theology. Sabeel are thankful for Twice, the dead have been raised up – direction shall we take? How can the organisations for being willing hope emerging from the devastation we interpret what we hear? “Are you to participate in this new way of of death, opening up yet more cracks the one who is to come, or shall we bringing people together. in the wall. Death will not have the wait for another?” last word – raised, the dead will Out of this same sense of Kumi, comes announce the Good News of how Jesus doesn’t give a yes or no answer this edition of Cornerstone. As part life is stronger than death. to the questions of the messengers. of an attempt to bring together the He doesn’t provide them with various organisations and theologies reassurance and rest by saying yes – among the Palestinian Christians. he sends them to announce what they Therefore, Sabeel interviewed a have seen and heard. He doesn’t send number of Palestinian theologians them back to check the facts; instead, and the transcripts of those interviews he quotes scripture “The blind receive make up this edition of Cornerstone. sight, the lame walk, those who have This collection of interviews aims leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the to give the reader a wide overview dead are raised, and the good news is of the different theologies among proclaimed to the poor” (Lk 7:22).
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