What I am doing these days could be compared to a "guided tour of a sanctuary". It started with my most holy place, and after also having been to the holy place, I continue to the court. My court is my physical body and represents my world-conciousness.
The narrative of “The Cleansing of the Temple”(1) makes it clear that Jesus wants to see holiness even in the court where the cleansing took place.
His action is a clear message that God wants holiness in the whole of his house. In this context this will include the whole of me, and the whole body of all believers. Such a thought is only possible with a holistic understanding of man and will even sound “offensive” in dualistic thinking.
There where only few restrictions with regard to access to the Court. In principle anybody had access in one form or the other to the whole or parts of the Court – including women, gentiles and lepers. Without stretching the illustration too far, the same can be said about my “Court”. The fact that I am visible makes the body the point of contact with the world.
Having come to “the point of contact” with the world we are also drawing close to the difficult theme of “Practical holiness” which will be dealt with in the course of the institute. But for now, let us for some moments ponder upon the concept of a “holy body”.
What is your immediate thought?
The fact that God could manifest himself in “flesh” was an incomprehensible thought for the main-stream thinkers at the time of Jesus (2). The body was held in such disregard, counted inferior to the mind, and just a “shell” we operate by. It is the dualistic and not the triune view of man that challenges the holistic view.
I know many Christians who will have no problem about holiness in soul and spirit, but struggle with the thought that a body can be holy – is it possible to live with such dualism?
If I challenge the thought that holiness is possible for the body – am I not also challenging the dogma of the divinity of Jesus Christ?
'Manna' for today:
The body is part of the wholeness of holiness--------------------------------
(1) I believe this is a very significant story and a prophetic act - that has many layers of interpretation. Its importance is supported by the fact that it is recorded in all four gospels: Matt 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48 & John 2:13-16.
(2) “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” 1 John 4:2
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