1. Introduction
The main purpose
of this assignment is to reinterpret Mathew 8:1-3 in the light of Christology
from below in Myanmar context. In the light of this study is to articulate a
new model of theology that will empower people to show the people with HIV/AIDS
their compassionate hands by welcoming them and identification with them.
Firstly, after this introduction, the paper is going to mention about a brief
historical background of the lepers in the chosen text and some problem will be
stated. Secondly, to solve the problems and response the critical question,
proper methodology will be adopted. Thirdly, in the light of the chosen
methodology, attempt will reinterpret people living with HIV/AIDS in order to
have reality of their life in our community.
Finally, concluding remarks and future expectations will be offered for
further theological explorations and researches.
2. A Brief Historical Background of the Text and Critique
In this passage, Jesus
touched a leper was a powerful demonstration of his willing to loving concern
above social taboo. In the Jewish community, leprosy was regarded as contagious
and anyone having this disease was strictly quarantined and was required to
warm any person approaching.[1]
The law had specific requirements for a person with a skin disease. The
sufferer had to live outside the camp, away from the home of community, which
in later Israel meant outside the wall or gate of the village or city. The
reason why they were isolated from the community is the visible, in infectious
nature of their uncleanness, and they were regarded as sinner. The leprosy sick
people were regarded as paying for their own sin. And then, they were excluded
in the worshipping community.[2]
The social point of view lepers were
quarantined and consigned to live outside of human habitation which means literally
they ostracized (Exo 4:6, Num 5:2, 3; 2 Kings 5:27). Judaism believed in the
fundamental relationship between a life of obedience of God and well being of
the physical health. This was truer in the case of leprosy. Thus the disease
was bracket together with sin and uncleanness which required the priest to
offer sacrifice for the cleansing of a leper (Lev 14; cf Lk 5:14).[3]
The biblical
references are not concerned with treatment. The possibility of spontaneous
cure was presupposed though in a house is assumed to be sent by God. ( Lev 14:
35-53). Nor are they are specifically concerned with infection. The rule that
the victim shall live alone “outside the camp” appears in context to be more
related to ritual impurity. The modern distinction between hygiene and cultus
may however be alien to the ancient situation.[4]
Similarly, as the
time of Jesus, there are many peoples in Myanmar who are suffering from HIV/AIDS
in today. But HIV/AIDS is not the same with the leprosy but these two kinds are
similar. The people livening with HIV/AIDS are also suffering not only disease
but also suffering as discrimination at religion and society and community. Unfortunately,
some pastors, singers and writers also have regarded as HIV/AIDS as results of
sexual sin and those infected and affected persons are the sinners, who are
punished by the Holy and Righteous God. Unfortunately this led to negative
attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in which sickness was simplistically understood as
the effect of sin. This in turn promoted fear and stigma among church members
who neglected or rejected those who need help. Ignorance led the churches to
discriminate and isolate and ostracize them.[5]
2.1. Research Question
- · How Jesus’ identification with lepers and HIV/AIDS infected people Myanmar context in today?
- · Can we apply this leprosy and people living with HIV/AIDS in our Myanmar context?
- · How to Christians Response Towards the people living with HIV/AIDS in social community?
- · How God identification with the people living with HIV/AIDS in community?
- · How to the Church Response Towards the people living with HIV/AIDS in our community today?
3. Methodology
For the
methodology, the researcher will use Christology from below model. Traditional
approach to theology which is usually knows as ‘theology from above’ is no
longer relevant, if not useless, for the people and community ; suffering from
HIV/AIDS by having lost many innocent lives to that disease. The traditional images of God is emphasized
like, Lord, King, Almighty, father and Warrior. These traditional images of God
are in crisis because they are not capable of liberating the poor and the
marginalized people like people with disability and people living with
HIV/AIDS.[6]
The traditional Christology also
emphasizes the lordship or kingship of the Christ. This theology also ignores
the social or physical aspect of Christology for its emphasis on the spiritual
aspects. Christology from below is starting with the human Jesus and
working our way from there to Jesus’ being fully God as well. In our humanity
we will be affected by cultural understanding and also historical understanding
this indeed is a limitation for us but we cannot escape it as Human beings.[7]
Christology from below is
interconnected with identification with the poor, unclean person,
discrimination, oppression, social, and religion. The words of Jesus “for even
the son man came not to be served unto, but to serve, and to give his life a
ransom/ liberate for many’ (mark. 10:45) is interconnected with the (Day of)
atonement which demands the total commitment for others- serving, and is
practically constitutive to ‘Christology from below’ because ‘to be served,’
constitutes ‘Christology from above’ while ‘to serve,’ constitutes ‘Christology
from below.’ It Christology from below can be interpreted terms of human who
suffer from HIV/AIDS.[8]
This Christology from below model its will be practically relevant and
significant in the context of Myanmar confronting HIV/AIDS pandemic at present.
4. Reinterpretation
4.1 Jesus’ Identification with Lepers and HIV/AIDS Infected People in Myanmar
Context
Jesus is given
many titles such as Lord, Messiah, King, servant-the age of today when the
HIV/AIDS epidemic is challenging the people and community, demands to identify
who is Jesus is.[9]
Traditional Christology emphasizes the lordship or kingship of Christ. This
theology also ignores the social or physical aspect of Christology for its
emphasis on the spiritual aspects. The result is that Christological understanding
has nothings to do with physical suffering. Christ saving work is relevant only
life after death or others world. In this regard, a new aspect of Christology
from below is the demand of our time which will be the meaningful of our world.
Jesus used most of his time by serving the needy, the outcast and the
downtrodden. Jesus presented his healing miracles as a sign of the love of god
available to all. For Jesus every single person was precious valuable.[10]
Jesus the Messiah
come to correct the wrong attitude meted out against the less fortunate people
of his day. Jesus broke the cultural and religious mores of his time when he
stepped forward to identification with the lepers. The wrong conception about lepers was set
right by Jesus in his ministry to the sick. In Jesus the lepers of his day
found a liberator who identification them free to become members of the society
again to which they rightfully belonged.[11]
We can apply this leprosy and people living with HIV/AIDS in our Myanmar
context. Because, leprosy persons suffering and people living with HIV/AIDS
suffering are the similar. Jesus was identification among the poor people,
discrimination people and among the leper. His identification was not only his
ministry time but also identification among the people living with HIV/AIDS in
Myanmar context.
Jesus of the
people is he who is with the people and for the people. He is Immanuel, God
with the people (Mt 1:23). He is people of all kinds, all religion. Christ who
is suffering with a leper person and infected by AIDS whom worship challenges
his believers and church to be involved with him in the saving work.
Wati longchar, by
quoting the writings of Rasouselie Lasetso and Pratap Chandra Gine, formulates
the Christological concepts as follows;
Jesus stood for the cause of risk
people. He defended them against the prevailing attitude that suffering and
physical impairment is due to sin. Jesus rather reached out and touché them to
bring healing to sick. He not only healed them of their physical infirmities
but also restored them to their right full place in the society. Because of his
compassionate love for the disabled and sick, Jesus did not hesitate to break
the Sabbath law (Mt 1:1-6). Jesus whole motive behind his healing ministry was
not to present himself as a kind of healer or super magician but his aim was to
start a movement hope for the hopeless; a movement from nobody to somebody. On
encountering Jesus, the sick and disabled experience the worthy and dignity of
life. In the kingdom of God, there is nothing such as unclean that can’t be
made clean again.
For Jesus every
single person was precious and valuable. They must be protected and cared for.
We can imagine what Jesus would to for HIA and AIDS infected and affected
people. He would there with them to bring healing and hope. Jesus will not take
the road of denial discrimination, and isolation. It is not our duty to pass judgment and
undermine them, but accept and identification those with HIV and AIDS the way
they are and minister to them with compassion, open-hearted acceptance love and
care.[12]
4.2 Towards Christians Response the people living with HIV/AIDS in
social community
Family and community members send people
livening HIV/AIDS away from their home and village as leper at the time of Jesus. The Jews always associated suffering and
sickness with divine punishment for sin. Therefore any people who suffer from a
disease not only suffered physical pain or any disability associated with the
disease but they also had to suffer mentally and psychologically as well at the
experience of social rejection. But the bible tells us that suffering is not
necessarily because of sin (Job 4:7-9; Jn 9:1-3). And then, they are denied their basic right
and access to medical care, employment, marital right, housing and social
security, pushing them into further poverty and deprivation. Therefore, these
people are new social outcast like the outcasts in the time of Jesus Christ
whom Jesus stood, to who Jesus give love and compassion and whose dignity and
right were restored by Jesus.[13]
By pointing to the life and ministry of
Jesus and Jesus identification with the poor, needy people, outcast’s people,
Christian can understand how sinful it is to discriminate and stigmatize people
living with HIV/AIDS. Jesus who is
neither “political” “messiah” nor a Magical messiah is a social Messiah.
Messiah in the sense that Jesus identification the society which splits into
pieces by way of racial political, religious and social conviction and which
fall apart as the outcome of social and political injustice. Jesus looks for
the holistic liberation, physical economic, social and political or the total
healing of humanity.[14]
Looking anew at the ways of Jesus identification a vision of what God will for
our response. Paramount to this examination is to look at how Jesus responded
and identification with leper. They are reinstated into society and their
social relationship is restored. Therefore the social community must be
identification with the people living with HIV/AIDS and welcome them and accept
them in worshiping community and show
them love as Jesus identification with the people who outcast and discrimination
in the community.
4.3 God Identification with the People Living With HIV/AIDS in
Community
Our traditional
doctrine of sin encourages the people to judge person with AIDS as sinner and
the lepers. Our pietistic and individualistic concept of sin made us blind to
see the structural level of sin in the form of social discrimination, political
oppression and all other unjust systems and structures that all promote the
spread of HIV/AIDS in society. The bible affirms that God become flesh, he
become Immanuel. Jesus is the incarnation of God and he gives his life for the
down trodden people. He touched, cared, love and worked for the liberation of
the people who have been excluded and stigmatized by the society. These kinds
are God identification with people living with HIV/AIDS.[15]
African churches declared that the Lord God is the creator of heaven and earth:
the creator of life and everything good. In this HIV/AIDS era, he sees the
misery of his people, who are infected by this disease: he has heard their cry
on the account of epidemic. He knows their suffering and he comedown to deliver
them from HIV/AIDS. So he calls to send us to the infected and affected, to
bring his people, his creation, out of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
We shall remember,
proclaim and act on the fact that the lord our God is a compassionate God, who
calls upon us to be compassionate and identification, to suffer with those who
suffer, to enter their places and hearts of pain and to seek lasting change of
their suffering(Luck 6:36; Matthew 25:31-46). We shall therefore have no
tolerance for HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination and do all that is necessary
to eliminate the isolate, rejection fear and oppression of the infected and
affected in our communities. God created human in his own image. Human is thus
the representative being of God’s image with body, soul and spirit. The body is
not destined to be destroyed. Even though a person is inflicted by disease like
HIV virus, the person still continues to remain the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The stigmatization of individual is a sin against the creator God in whose
image all human beings are made. To stigmatize an individual is to reject the
image of God in the others and to deny him or her life in all its fullness.
This is not just a sin against the neighbor but also a sin against God.
God is the God of
people living with HIV/ AIDS not because they are morally holier than other but
because they are the warts suffering people who are suffering not only from
physically sickness but also from social discrimination and rejection. God is
Immanuel, the God with people living with HIV/AIDS giving preference to them
but without excluding other. This kind of God’s the God of Bible, the God of
Christianity, and the God of the universe, the Alpha and Omega God and the God
of Truth.[16]
4.4 Towards the Church Response the People Living With HIV/AIDS in Our
Community Today
As
Christ identifies with our suffering and entire into of the church as his body
is called to enter into the suffering of the people from HIV/AIDS and from
rejection and despairs.[17]
The church regards it as a medical problem, not their problems. This thought
leads that the gospel of Christ nothing to do with the AIDS problem is that the
church usually regards of it as a medical problems, not their problems. This
thought leads the church that the gospel of Christ has nothing to do with the AIDS
problems of the world. The church as the body of Christ has to continue the
work of Christ which is His healing ministry. Messer calls on the churches that
God does not want the church of Jesus Christ to stand idly by when the world
faces the worst health crisis. God is at work in the world faces the worst
health crisis. God is calling us to think and act decisively as Christians. It
must be agreed that the church by its very nature as the body of Christ call
its members to become healing communities. [18]
The
WCC’S executives committee said in 1987. The AIDS crisis challenges us great to
be the church in deed and in truth to be the church as healing community. AIDS
is bread barking and challenges the churches to break their own beards to
repent of inactivity of an activity and of rigid moralism. The church is thus
called to work rewards both the prevention of stigma and the care of the
communities and also need to undertake the heating ministry as a continuing
process of Jesus, the churches can actively involve at the various segments of
this HIV/AIDS both ministering to them and learning from their suffering its
relationship to them indeed make a difference in the handling of the total
crisis will be providing place for sharing telling and listening the church can
be healing community only if it is truly a something that is a safe space, a
healing pace, for healing people need a place where they can be comfortable in
sharing their pain, the church needs to create an atmosphere of openness and
acceptable to provide a climate of Love to those who are vulnerable to or
affected by HIV/AIDS. The church’s healing ministry covers not only care and
love of the victim of AIDS but also to heal the broken community characterized
by many person from the margin vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection the church’s
calling is to break every forms of unjust structures in community and create
equal structure that manifest a truly community of human an equal and just
community.[19]
Christian
can respond to God’s call to combat stigmatization and discrimination in the
church and world by offering love, acceptance, forgiveness, and healing not
judgment and prejudice. Therefore although the church will not provide the
finances or scientific research that finds a cure or vaccine finances or
scientific research that finds a care or vaccine for HIV the church will not
likely match the contributions of many other non-governmental organizations,
which have devoted themselves and their resources to creation a world devoted
themselves and their resources to creating a world without AIDS. What the
church can do is relieve the stigma and discrimination by standing on
solidarity with those living with HIV/AIDS and by identification and action out
in every Venue possible to encourage acceptance, understanding love, compassion
core and treatment.[20]
In
21st century, when the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been and is killing
millions of people around the world and also Myanmar, if the Church does not
respond and identification such tragedy, such Church will no longer be
up-to-date Church. An authentic Church is the community which serves the
suffering community and people by healing a broken society.
5. Conclusion
As
I have clearly stated in my introduction, I look at reinterpret Mt 8:1-4 from
in the light of Christology from below. By this research work the following new
contribution toward Christian theology. Jesus used most of his time for the
needy and the outcast people. And then, Jesus was identification with poor,
discrimination people and the leper. Jesus who is Immanuel, God is with the
people (Mt 1:23). Christ who is suffering with a leper person and infected by
AIDS. As we are the follower of Jesus, we must be identification with the
people living with HIV/AIDS. The social community must be identification with
the people living with HIV/AIDS and welcome them and accept them in worshipping
community and show them love as Jesus identification with the people who
outcast and discrimination in the community.
God created human in his own image. Human is
thus the representative being of God’s image with body, soul and spirit. God is
a compassionate God, who calls upon us to be compassionate and identification,
to suffer with those who suffer, to enter their places and hearts of pain and
to seek lasting change of their suffering (Luck 6:36; Matthew 25:31-46). The
church as the body of Christ has to continue the work of Christ which is His
healing ministry. As Christ identifies with our suffering and entire into of
the church as his body is called to enter into the suffering of the people from
HIV/AIDS and from rejection and despairs. In my conclusion it is hope that only
engagements in these HIV/AIDS issues will identification with them and there
will be deeply of the text and more meaningful for our context by doing this
research paper.
Author: Mana Naing
[1]
Willian H. Geren, “lerosy” in Watson E. Mills et al, eds., The Lutterwoth Dictionary of the Bible ( Cambridge: The Lutterwoth
Press, 1994), 504.
[2]
G.E Post, “Disease” in Merril F. Unger et al, eds., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Publisher, 1988),
309.
[3]
Razouselie Lasetso, “ Jesus and Disease: A search for a place for HIV&AIDS
in Jesus approach to human Disease” in Razouselie Lasetso, ed., Heath and Life: Theological Reflection
on HIV&AIDS (Assam: Barkataki and Company Pvt.Ltd,2007), 36.
[4]
P. Ellingworth, “Leprosy” in Joel B. Green et al, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospel (Leicester, Inter varsity
Press, 1992), 463.
[5]
Gideon B. ByamuGisha, Church communities
confronting HIV/AIDS (London: SPCK, 2010), 13.
[6]
David j Bosh, Transforming Mission:
Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (New York: Obis Books, 1991), 423.
[7] Leo D. Lefebure, Christology from above and Christology from below [article online]
available from http://emilpienaar.blogspot.com/2012/03/christology-from-above-and-christology.html#!/,
internet accessed 4 December 2013.
[8]
Ngurliana, ‘Jubilee and The Nazreth Manifesto
Christology from below,’ Diamond Jubilee Issue; Myanmar theological Blletin,
vol.6. December, 2012. 32.
[9]
Wati Longcher, “HIV/AIDS: A Challenge to Theological Education in Asia,” CCA News, vol.39.no .1. March 2004, 25.
[10]
M. Stephen, Introducing Christian Ethic (Noida: Academic Press, 2005), 57.
[11]
Razouselie Lasetso, “ Jesus and Disease: A search for a place for HIV&AIDS
in Jesus approach to human Disease” in Razouselie Lasetso, ed., Heath and Life: Theological Reflection
on HIV&AIDS, 39.
[12] Wati Longchar, 39.
[13] Ling yaw, “Ecumenical
movement and Its significance for the churches in Myanmar Today”, Term paper
for Ecumenics class, Myanmar Institute of Theology, February 2007, 5.
[14] M.Stephen, Introducing Christian Ethic (Noida:
Academic press, 2005), 57
[15]
Donald E Messer, Breaking the conspiracy of silence: Christian churches and the Global AIDS Crisis, Myanmar Edition
(Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004), 33.
[16]
Donald E Messer, Breaking the Conspiracy
of Silence, 37.
[17]
Ling Yaw, “ AIDS: Christian Ethical response,” term paper for Christian Ethics,
Myanmar Institute of Theology ,September 2006, 6.
[18]
World Council of Churches, Facing AIDS: the Challenges: The Church Responses
(Switzerland: WCC, Publication, 1997), 6. Quoted in Ling Yaw, Ecumenical
movement and Its significance for the churches in Myanmar Today, Term paper for
Ecumenic Class, Myanmar Institute of Theology, February, 2007,10.
[19]
Mercy Amba Oduyoye, “Africa”,
History of the Ecumenical Movement, vol. 3 edited by John Briggs, Mery Amba,
Oduyoue and Georges Tretis (Genera: WCC publication, 2004), 488.
[20] Donald E Messer, Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence,
74.
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