The Image of Jesus
Our reading from First Corinthians today continues Paul’s discussion of the resurrection of the dead. First we must note that these verses are quite difficult to understand. Although the translators have done much of the hard work for you, these verses still are confusing. Our difficulty primarily comes from the fact that we do not know what concern Paul is actually addressing here. Although he begins with stating the question of how the dead are raised he seems to spend more verses on explaining what the resurrected body will be like. This argument is done by contrasting the present body with the resurrected one. To help our understanding verses 39 to 41 are left out. In those verses Paul talks about the luster of our present and future bodies. Comparing them to the different luster of the moon and sun. The word Paul uses for “Luster” is the same word he uses for “honor” in verse 43. A play on words lost in the English language. He then sums this argument up by talking about image (icon in Greek). We now bear the image of Adam, then we will bear the image of Jesus.
Paul concludes this argument with the well-known verses that follow (verses 51-58, which we did not read) – “Lo, I tell you a mystery, we will not all die, but we all will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye… and the perishable will put on the imperishable.” A text often read at funerals. Paul’s purpose, then, is not to describe resurrected life or what the resurrected body will be like, but to reassure the Corinthians of resurrected life. To question or argue over resurrection of the dead is not their task. Their task is to share the gospel of Jesus – the love of God – with the world.
How we become the image of Jesus in this world is given by Jesus in our text from Luke. We are still reading from Luke’s account of Jesus’ sermon on the plain (his equivalent text to Mathew’s sermon on the mount). After the beatitudes and woes of last week Jesus begins to fill out what life with God is about – Love. “Love your enemies,” he tells us. If someone does wrong to you do not return wrong, instead love them. Then Jesus tells us how to live out that love. Be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive, and give. For that is what Jesus has done for us. He has loved us despite our sin. For we have not always (if ever) loved our enemies, we often are quick to judge others different than ourselves, we hold grudges over others, and we withhold our gifts.
In spite of all that. Because of our sin God sent Jesus into the world so that we may have resurrected life. We do not know what that may be. We do know that we are called in this imperfect body to show the luster of God by reflecting God’s love upon the world by what we say and do. We, like Joseph, are called to give up our charade of being better than others and take on the image of Jesus. We are called to bear the cross of love so that others will see Jesus in what we say and do and desire to live as children of God.