Let
me start with an autobiographical note which is a meaningful prelude
for meditating the book of Revelation. Once, when I reached home
after a youth camp organized by the scripture union, my grandfather,
who was my Sunday school head master, asked me about the camp,
especially about the bible study. I replied that it was from the book
of Revelation and he immediately said that he knew it was a group of
people belonging to some revival group and he insisted that I should
not believe all that they said. I was surprised that without knowing
the preacher, the content, and the intention of the group, my
grandfather made such a great statement? What I am trying to convey
is the ambiguity we face in having to deal with the book of
revelation. I would like to begin this sermon with this very issue of
getting across the message of the book of revelation clearly. I think
the passage which we read, clearly tells about the purpose and
meaning of the book of Revelation.
Pergamum
: An extended body of Christ
The
Biblical geography is very important for us to interpret again and
again. We cannot distance the biblical land narrations or geography
away from our realities. Because without the land there is no Gospel,
and many a time land acts as a womb of the Gospel. We have many
examples from the Bible in order to justify these claims. Think about
the story of the Samaritan, the parable of the sower, the parable of
feeding of the 5000 etc... All contain the spirit of the land, and if
we remove the description of the land from these narrations there is
no Gospel. Therefore, land should be understood as an extended body
of Christ, where the gospel takes place. In this sense Pergamum is
also considered as an extended body of Christ. A space in which God
wants to act and process his will. Christ’s body is a body of
resistance and change. The narratives of land in the biblical world
are also an embodiment of resistance and change.
Encounter
the throne(s) of the times
Pergamum
appears to have been the seat of the Roman administration in the
province of Asia although the governor usually resides in Ephesus, a
much larger and more comfortable city. That may be why here it is
called “where Satan’s throne is.” So the question here leads to
the throne of the times in Pergamum. It is an invitation to make a
political intervention. EMS Namboothiripadthe, most significant
figure in the communist movement in Kerala, once questioned the
involvement of church in state and politics. He viewed church as an
aspect of religion only and questioned its interference in the
politics and state affairs. But the Book of Revelation inspires its
readers to problematize the throne of our times. The provoking
statement of the RSS leader on the life of Mother Theresa has become
one of the biggest debates on social media now. Most of the comments
criticize the role of the RSS and its leader, but in one statement I
found a difference and that comment says that “Bhagwat
is right. Mother Teresa had the intention of conversion. She touched
people and embraced those who were believed to be rejected and cursed
by God to be transformed into human beings "Beloved by God".
That is quite a conversion where the nameless and faceless have a
name and a face”. The need of the time invites us to identify and
deliberate on the thrones of our times theologically. A
theological system is expected to satisfy two basic needs, as Paul
Tillich has meaningfully stated in his book Systematic
Theology. Those are primarily, the
statement of the truth of the Christian message and the
interpretation of this truth for every new generation. This idea
exposes the engagement of the theological system between the ‘text’
and ‘space’. Revelation with its text and space makes an
invitation to de-throne the thrones of our times.
Encounter
with the Sacred and Gospel of the times
Recently,
I heard a story, probably made up or even actually true, about the
decision of the Communist party from my own land. It was about
the case of one of the woman cadets who was tested and confirmed
positive to be pregnant. She revealed that the party secretary was
responsible for this. The party committee immediately formed an
enquiry commission which took a “unanimous decision” that she was
not pregnant, but the natural process would not hear the command of
the party, so she delivered a baby after nine months. Of course the
party committee again got together and discussed the matter, and they
again took a unanimous decision to excommunicate this lady
member because she violated the decision of the party which found she
was not pregnant. What can be done when the corrective systems
themselves become unjust? Pergamum, also was the city in Asia to
build a temple in honor of the emperor. The emperor's space is the
sacred space and his words are the Gospel. Therefore, one can assume
that Christians there had a difficult time. Antipas is the one who
had to pay for his faith with his life. Revelation invites us to
define the sacred and the Gospel to the land where the emperor itself
is identified as sacred and his words are forced to be the Gospel.
Joseph Campbell once said “sacred space is a space in which you
identify yourself again and again”. The message to Pergamum is
nothing but a corrective instructing them to identify the sacred and
the Gospel. This is a process of identifying ourselves, and our role
and responsibilities in God. The emperor failed in this and he
created an illusory image of his own as sacred and his own words as
Gospel. This is a dangerous shift which can happen in any one’s
life. The ignorance of identifying the sacred and the Gospel will
lead us to a dangerous point. The message of Pergamum is that it
wants us to encounter with the sacred and the Gospel which leads us
to the meaning of our life and existence. Many a times we question
the masters outside our life, but we never turn back to identify the
master within us. Pergamum is an invitation to make room for the
sacred and the Gospel which leads us to a new life with wisdom.
Identifying ourself in God is sacred and proclaiming that is the
Gospel. This will only become a reality through our unvarying
encounter with the thrones of our times.
Hidden
Manna and white stones: a new model of discipleship
What
is the reward for those who conquered the existing throne, sacred and
gospel? This particular narration presents the hidden manna, and
white stone engraved with the new name as rewards. Why is the manna
hidden and why are the white stones engraved with unknown name? we
can assume from this, there are other visible mannas and white stones
available, but the true disciple will be honored with the hidden
manna and the white stones with new name. This is a higher model of
discipleship with new life and identity. This is a walk towards an
uncertainty. There are visible mannas and known names engraved in the
white stones, but the true disciple who encounters with the thrones,
the sacred and the Gospel will identify their identity with the
hidden and unrevealed. The true discipleship is a walk towards this
unknown destination and this walk will end up with a new name and
identity, the complete transformation of an individual. But it
is interesting to note the presence of rewards. The hidden manna and
white stones become rewards when we leave or put down the visible
manna and white stones. They transform as rewards when we leave the
illusionary greatness present before our sight by the thrones of the
times. This point of choice is the task before disciples of God.
Because that is the point and moment where the creation of God
transformed as the disciple of God. Pergamum is an invitation to
prepare ourselves for a new identity and name in Christ. This a walk
of distress and agony on the light of uncertainty through
encountering the thrones of the time, seeking for the Gospel and
sacred. May the triune God help us all to be challenged with the
revelations of our times. Amen.
Arun Thomas A.
BD II
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