Preliminary communication

JESUS AND THE PUBLIC

Božidar Mrakovčić ; Theology of Rijeka, Dislocated Studies of Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Rijeka, Croatia

Abstract

The public is presented in the Gospels as a negative reality which does not accept Jesus. Jesus does not avoid this public, on the contrary, he speaks and acts publicly. Jesus’ public ministry is affirms that his revelation and salvation are not meant for a narrow circle of people, but for the whole world. It si not only the ministry of Jesus that was public, but also his death. He was crucified in open air, in front of the walls of Jerusalem, on Golgotha, and a three languages inscription was nailed on the cross, so that everyone could have read why he died. On the other side, the publicity of Jesus’ ministry and death, testifies that Jesus does not want to heal only the inner man, but wants a rehabilitation of all dimensions of life, including the public. A Christian should be prepared that because of his faith he will face the repulsion of the public, ruled by the human, not divine logic. But, if he wants to be useful to the same public, he must remain faithful to Christian values, at the price of discrimination and prosecution. Only if he is dissimilar to this public, he can fulfil his mission to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt 5,13s). It was after the rejection of the public of his time which declared him useless and harmful, that Jesus became the “corner stone” (Mk 12,10). The blood of martyrs, the seed of new Christians – this is the recipe for the healing of the public today. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? (Matt 5,13).

Keywords

Jesus; public; privacy; disciples; messianic secret

Hrčak ID:

71306

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/71306

Publication date:

21.1.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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