Eternal Life (part 3)

A man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? The man then recited the Ten Commandments and commented that he had kept them from the time of his youth. Jesus replied, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (The Gospel of Mark 10:17-22)

Tziporah:
While it is true that many Jews believe that observance of mitzvot (commandments) and strict adherence to Jewish Law is the path to eternal life, there are varying opinions regarding the centrality of ritual laws.  One stream of rabbinic thought emphasizes gemilut hesed (deeds of lovingkindness) as taking precedence over all else.  These acts of kindness, such as visiting the sick, burying the dead and bringing peace between people who disagree, can never be repaid. Rabbi Elazar quotes the prophet Micah to define lovingkindness: “You have been told what is good and what God requires of you: ‘to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.’ What does this verse imply? To act justly, this is the law.  To love kindness, this is deeds of lovingkindness. To walk humbly with your God, this is to bury the dead and accompany the bride to her wedding canopy.”[1] Similarly, the Talmud lists examples of gemilut hesed, stating that the principal of the reward for these deeds—a richly fulfilling life— is earned in this world, and the interest is rewarded in the world to come.[2] Personally, I am striving to achieve a life of gemilut hesed, with the early rabbis—and Jesus and Muhammed—as my guides along the path.

[1] Sukkah 49b
[2] Shabbat 127a

This is the third of three reflections on Eternal Life, originally posted in October 2011.

Eternal Life (continued)

A man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? The man then recited the Ten Commandments and commented that he had kept them from the time of his youth. Jesus replied, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
(The Gospel of Mark 10:17-22)

Yasmina:
As a Muslim, I believe that the path to eternal life is belief in God and living righteously. The means for staying upright and walking on this path are interdependent, and building one’s life on them can be described as servitude to God and His creation. They include belief in God, His messengers, the Scriptures and the Day of Judgment; ritual practice; and Ihsan, high moral character, which is reflected by doing acts of kindness. The messengers and prophets exemplify righteous living, and people who follow their example in life will be closest to them in the hereafter. It is for this reason that Jesus [Peace and Blessings be upon him] invited the man to an even higher place in heaven, where he would find treasure and companionship with the most upright beings. The prophet Muhammad [Peace and Blessings be upon him] said: “A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good he does in this world to his fellow man.” As a Muslim, I believe in all the prophets, whose lessons were given in different times and contexts but share a common thread: love and servitude to God, and dependence on Him alone.

This is the second of three reflections on Eternal Life, originally posted in October 2011. During the summer, we will rerun several conversations that didn't receive much attention (according to Google Analytics) when we first launched the blog. Please tell us what you think in the comments section!

Eternal Life: Part One

A man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? The man then recited the Ten Commandments and commented that he had kept them from the time of his youth. Jesus replied, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

The Gospel of Mark 10:17-22 

Grace:

This story from the Gospel of Mark challenges its Christian audience for several reasons. On the surface, it appears to be making a statement against material wealth. It further suggests that obedience to the Law of God is insufficient for inheriting eternal life, usually understood as life after physical death. However, this text challenges me in a different way. I think Jesus was emphasizing that although obedience to religious life is important, it is not completely life giving, even in this life.  Life in its fullest sense comes through sacrificial giving, not hoarding, of whatever riches a person may have; these riches may be talents, resources, special traits, monetary wealth, or other gifts. To follow Jesus, in this case, is not so much about dutiful obedience to the Law—or even about fervent belief in Jesus and his teachings—as it is about living fully every day through the giving of oneself to others. 

* * * * * * *

This is the first of three reflections on Eternal Life, originally posted in October 2011.  During the summer, we will rerun several conversations that didn't receive much attention (according to Google Analytics) when we first launched the blog. Please tell us what you think in the comments section!

Eternal Life

A man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? The man then recited the Ten Commandments and commented that he had kept them from the time of his youth. Jesus replied, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

The Gospel of Mark 10:17-22 

Grace:

This story from the Gospel of Mark challenges its Christian audience for several reasons. On the surface, it appears to be making a statement against material wealth. It further suggests that obedience to the Law of God is insufficient for inheriting eternal life, usually understood as life after physical death. However, this text challenges me in a different way. I think Jesus was emphasizing that although obedience to religious life is important, it is not completely life giving, even in this life.  Life in its fullest sense comes through sacrificial giving, not hoarding, of whatever riches a person may have; these riches may be talents, resources, special traits, monetary wealth, or other gifts. To follow Jesus, in this case, is not so much about dutiful obedience to the Law—or even about fervent belief in Jesus and his teachings—as it is about living fully every day through the giving of oneself to others.

Yasmina:

As a Muslim, I believe that the path to eternal life is belief in God and living righteously.  The means for staying upright and walking on this path are interdependent, and building one’s life on them can be described as servitude to God and His creation. They include belief in God, His messengers, the Scriptures and the Day of Judgment; ritual practice; and Ihsan, high moral character, which is reflected by doing acts of kindness.  The messengers and prophets exemplify righteous living, and people who follow their example in life will be closest to them in the hereafter. It is for this reason that Jesus [Peace and Blessings be upon him] invited the man to an even higher place in heaven, where he would find treasure and companionship with the most upright beings. The prophet Muhammad [Peace and Blessings be upon him] said: “A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good he does in this world to his fellow man.” As a Muslim, I believe in all the prophets, whose lessons were given in different times and contexts but share a common thread: love and servitude to God, and dependence on Him alone.

Tziporah:

While it is true that many Jews believe that observance of mitzvot (commandments) and strict adherence to Jewish Law is the path to eternal life, there are varying opinions regarding the centrality of ritual laws.  One stream of rabbinic thought emphasizes gemilut hesed (deeds of lovingkindness) as taking precedence over all else.  These acts of kindness, such as visiting the sick, burying the dead and bringing peace between people who disagree, can never be repaid. Rabbi Elazar quotes the prophet Micah to define lovingkindness: “You have been told what is good and what God requires of you: ‘to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.’ What does this verse imply? To act justly, this is the law.  To love kindness, this is deeds of lovingkindness. To walk humbly with your God, this is to bury the dead and accompany the bride to her wedding canopy.”[1] Similarly, the Talmud lists examples of gemilut hesed, stating that the principal of the reward for these deeds—a richly fulfilling life— is earned in this world, and the interest is rewarded in the world to come.[2] Personally, I am striving to achieve a life of gemilut hesed, with the early rabbis—and Jesus and Muhammed—as my guides along the path.

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[1] Sukkah 49b   

[2] Shabbat 127a