BIBLE STUDY

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Bible Study (Mt. 19:19-26)

Dr. I. John Mohan Razu

The dilemma that confronts the Christian Dalits in

their relationship is captured in the following anecdotic:

„when the missionaries came to the country the Dalits

who served as Evangelists accompanied them to the

villages and introduced them to the pastors who

belonged to the dominant caste categories. What

followed was the pastors gained closed proximity with

the missionaries the evangelists remained where they

were. The anecdote clearly points to the central

position that the evangelists who invariably belonged to

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the Dalit community walked tirelessly, established

Churches and congregations preached the good news, but

the dominant caste categories availed the privileges such

as higher theological education, overseas exposures,

occupying leadership positions nationally and

internationally. What happened throughout the process

was the Dominant caste Christians gave Dalits the Bible

and availed the resources, both the intellectual and

material from the missionaries.

This Anecdote clearly posits to the central position

that the Bible occupies in the process which exposits

manipulation and exploitation. The anecdote vividly

reflects the paradox of the divide between the caste

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Christians and the Dalits sharing the same Bible and the

same faith. It captures something of the reality of the

Bible in India: It plays an important role in the lives of

many, particularly the poor and the marginalized. The

Bible is a symbol of the presence of God, which is life

affirming for the Dalits and a resource in our struggle

for survival, liberation and life. Therefore, the Bible

matters to Dalits. These are the „others‟ who are the

subjects of my reflection. They are the ones who are

illiterate, but who listen to, retell and remake the

Bible.

The other reader who is the subject of my analysis and

interpretation is the socially engaged pastor. The

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socially engaged pastors are those who have been

trained in the use of the tools and resources of biblical

scholarship and who read the Bible „critically‟. So when I

use the term „critical‟, I do so in the very specific

sense that it has within the Bible study. Ordinary

readers do not have resources to read texts critically,

but I am more concerned with those who are socially

engaged pastors who have chosen to collaborate with

poor Dalits in the struggle for survival, liberation and

life.

Socially engaged pastors are actively engage with

marginalized communities and therefore drawn into local

Bible reading practices when it is found that they have

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Bible reading resources. The relation believe socially

engaged pastors and ordinary Dalits „readers‟ of the

bible lies at the heart of liberation hermeneutics.

Therefore, the Biblical texts in various forms all emerge

from the interface between socially committed pastors

and ordinary Christians from poor and marginalized

communities. My particular interest at this time is the

keeners shown by the Dalit pastors who have responded

to go beyond conversation and to collaborate with the

poor Dalits and marginalized readers of the Bible.

Hence, the choice is clear. For example:

1. the choice of interlocutors of the texts.

2. the perception of God.

3. the social conflicts.

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4. the choice of Biblical tools and

5. the relationship between the text and praxis.

On the whole, the emphasis is the interlocutors of the

text-context because it is this emphasis that shapes

each of the others, why? We have understood from our

context that our critical discernment arises by raising

relevant questions from our context-specific. We have

also learnt that in order to be faithful to the Gospel

and our people, our reflection emanates from the

realities of our own situation and interpret the word of

God in relation to these realities. Therefore, the poor

and the marginalized as our primary interlocutors when

we read the people. When I offer two readings of the

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same text, one from the dominant and one from the

Dalit context, the reader would quickly realize how the

context dominates one‟s attention and thought-process.

Therefore, we are all involved in a Dalit context that

permeates all our analysis and reflections. The Dalit

context raises serious questions for socially engaged

pastors in India, as it does for socially engaged teachers.

So when we read the Bible on the margins – and calls

for a reorientation in the Biblical texts towards the

socially excluded communities. In this process Bible

becomes the centre of our struggle where

interpretation is a form of combat where the effects of

our readings are felt and found in flesh and blood.

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The Difference it makes with Whom and by Whom we

Read

Let us take reading of the story of the rich young man

in Matthew‟s Gospel (Mt.19:16-26). Basically we adopt

a process while interpreting that exposits clarity and

meaning which is yet to unfold when we read this

portion but this story leads and guides us to the moral

teaching of Jesus. The question that the rich young

man brings to Jesus is a question about morality,

„about the full meaning of life‟ (7). The young man‟s

name is not disclosed but we can perceive that every

person who approaches Jesus questions him about

morality.

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Let me draw your attention to some features of this

reading because this is a reading that matters-it has

effects. We need to follow the contours of the text

very closely. Let us also read this text through a range

of intertexts, both biblical and ecclesiastical. When we

look at the rich young man‟s socio-economic status he

is „a devout Israelite, raised in the shadow of the law‟,

and thus asks Jesus „teacher, what good must I do to

have eternal life‟ (Mt.19:16), he is probably not

ignorant of the answer contained in the law, but rather

is prompted by „the attractiveness of the person of

Jesus‟ to ask a new question about the moral good

(8). The initial part of the response of Jesus, „There

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is only one who is good, reminds the rich young man

that only God can answer because „goodness‟ „total

moral good‟ has its source in God through Jesus, the

Christ, and indeed that God is the good (9). The

second part of the response, if you wish to enter into

life, keep the commandments, makes a second

connection, the time between eternal life and total and

unconditional obedience to God‟s commandments: God‟s

commandments show „the path of life and the lead to

it‟ (12).

Incidentally, the young man was not satisfied with

Jesus‟ response continues his probing by asking which

commandments must be kept. Jesus again reminds him

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of the commandments of the Decalogue regarding one‟s

neighbour (13). The comparison of Mathew‟s text with

parallel passages in Mark and Luke, the emphasis here is

not on each and everyone of the commandments but

the centrality of the Decalogue (13). They are the

commandments to do with the love of neighbour, with

the „dignity of the human person‟. The commandments

of which Jesus reminds the young man are meant to

safeguard the good, the morality, the image, the worth

of God by protecting the goodness of person. They are

to looked as ethical virtue (pre-eminent) so that

human life, the individual and corporate good, moral

good and truthfulness could be pursued and

approximated.

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Yet, all these does not satisfy the rich young man and

throws an other question to Jesus: “I have kept all

these; what do I still lack?‟ (Mt.19:20). Although he

fumbled on different counts (v 16) he still knows he is

still lacking something (v.16). The young man yearns to

move from good (goodness) to greater good (goodness),

which could take him beyond legalistic interpretation of

the commandments. Having understood his yearning, the

good teacher invites him to enter upon the path of

perfection: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your

possession and give the money to the poor, and you

will have treasure in heaven‟; and then come, follow

me” (Mt.19-21).

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Like previous accounts Jesus‟ answer should be read and

interpreted by situating the context where the whole

moral message is grounded in the Gospel i.e., sermon on

the Mount, the Beatitudes (Mt.5:3-12), Beatitude of

the poor, the „poor in spirit‟, as Matthew makes clear

(Mt.5:3), the humble (16). There the text should be

read:

… The invitation, „go, sell your possessions and

give the money to the poor‟, and the promise

„you will have treasure in heaven‟, are meant

for everyone, because they bring out the full

meaning of the commandment of love for

neighbour, just as the invitation which follows,

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„come, follow me‟, is the new, specific form of

the commandment of love of God‟ (18). Both

the commandments and Jesus‟ invitation to

the rich young man stand at the service of a

single and individible charity, which

spontaneously tends towards the perfection

whose measure is God alone…

This is how the text should be look at. It has its own

contours because of the intertexts. For example,

The way and at the same time the content of

this perfection consist in the following of

Jesus once one has given up one‟s own wealth

and very self. This is precisely the conclusion

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of Jesus‟ conversation with, the young man,

„come follow me‟ (Mt.19:2)

Therefore, this is the only mention of wealth in the

entire reading. In the text (Mt.19:23-26) Jesus says

to his disciples, „I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for

a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell

you again it is easier for a camel to pass through the

eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the

kingdom of heaven‟ (Mt. 19:23-24). However, how

should this text be looked at:

The conclusion of Jesus‟ conversation with the

rich young man is very poignant: „when the

young man heard this, he went away

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sorrowful, for he had many possessions‟

(Matt.19:22). Not only the rich man but the

disciples themselves are taken aback by Jesus‟

call to discipleship, the demands of which

transcend human aspirations and abilities.

„When the disciples heard this, they were

greatly astounded and said, „Then who can be

saved?‟ (Mt.19:25). But the Master refers

them to God‟s power. „With man this is

impossible, but with God all things are

possible‟ (Mt.19:26) (22).

As readers from the Dalit milieu should read looking at

text that resonates love, grace, God‟s power, freedom,

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truth and morality. The text clearly raises questions of

wealth and poverty, the rich and the poor. We have

got to see, talk of love, grace, God‟s power, freedom,

truth and morality without speaking of these leads to

hollowness and absent.

Jesus‟ conversation with the rich man continues in

India. Many from different context specific look at this

passage Mt.19:16-26) as a story about individual sin.

According to them, in this story the sin was putting

wealth and possession before following Jesus. The

challenge to the wealthy man (then) and to the

participants (now) was to make sure that wealth was

not idol, that possessions did not come between them

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as Jesus. At the same time, the groups from poor and

marginalized communities, there was some discussion of

„structural sin‟. Many from Dalit contexts argue then

the problems is not only one of individual sin but also

one of structural and systemic sin. Hence, „structural

sin‟ is a key concept at our Dalit struggles against caste

system.

Whenever we talk about contextual Bible study in India,

Bible study is a process that takes place within the

framework of liberation hermeneutics. The following are

important:

1. Commitment to begin the reading process from the

experienced reality of the Dalits, including their

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language, categories, concepts, needs, questions,

interests and resources.

2. Commitment to read the Bible as Dalits in

relational to the Dalit community, where pain-

pathos, hopes-aspirations are acknowledged and

borne together.

3. Commitment to read the Bible critically, using

whatever critical resources are available.

4. Commitment to social transformation through the

Bible reading process.

Taking the above commitments seriously as readers and

facilitators let us ponder over the following question:

1. General questions:

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a. What do you think this story meant in the time

of Jesus?

b. What do you think this story means for us

today?

The following questions may help you to answer these

two general questions.

2. The Wealthy Man:

a. What do you know about him?

b. What was his profession?

c. Why did he speak to Jesus?

3. The Commandments:

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a. Why did Jesus speak about the commandments?

b. What was the need for Jesus to use those

particular commandments?

c. What were the commonalities in the

commandments Jesus used?

d. Do you think by following these commandments

that would lead you to gain eternal life?

e. For Jesus which was more important, the means

or the ends or both the means and ends?

4. The Challenge:

a. Why did Jesus tell him to sell his possession and

give to the poor?

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b. What was the link between following the

instruction (to sell away) and him?

c. Why did the young man leave and never turned

up to Jesus?

d. What did Jesus mean by (treasure in heaven)?

5. The Poor:

a. Who do you think Jesus meant by „the poor‟ in

this story?

b. Why do you think they were poor?

6. Today:

a. Does this story have any relevance for us today?

b. How did they become wealthy?

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c. What do you think of them when you see?

d. Why see the poor, what do you think they are

poor?

e. What do think Jesus‟ challenge means to us?

Certainly, the text points to us that there is

something missing. For me, the missing link could

perhaps be „the relationship‟ between „human person

and God‟ (vertical) and „Human to Human‟

(horizontal). These relationships have been marred due

to „acquistiveness‟, „greed‟, and „avarice‟. „Mammon‟

has been replaced. „Materialism‟ has become the order

of the day. The command was to sell all he possessed

to give to the poor because he owned much prosperity.

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This leads to the concerns such as social and structural

such as social structures which produced graded

inequality on the basis of caste where the dominant

castes gets richer and those at bottom become poorer.

In this case, the rich young man was part of sinful

structures. Therefore, the challenge of Jesus to the

man (v.21) to sell all he possessed and give to the

poor made sense. He could not come back because the

pre-condition that Jesus made was he had repented of

made restitution for his participation in social and

structural sin. Thus, those who are part of Jesus‟

movement should not participate in a sinful system. We

will have to make a choice.

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The commandments in v.19 takes a new meaning in the

light of this reading. The rich young man thought that

he had kept the commandments, but he was thinking

only at the individual level. While he might not have

involved in any of the malpractices and corrupt dealing,

but a party to and part of a system that perpetuated

oppression and exploitation. Look at the case of Dalits

and their existence which is sub-human and

tantamounts to all sorts of humiliation and oppression.

The discriminatory caste system and the brahmanical

social order clearly reflects the current state of affairs

of the Indian society.

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The challenge of Mk.10:17:22 clearly exposits that

those who are like him must repent and make

restituction before s/he reconcided to God. Therefore,

the pre-conditions for re-conciliation is repentence an

restitution. This clearly reminds us that we should be

mindful of the mammon i.e., wealth that personifies in

the form of materialism and also be constantly critical

of our social location which is soaked in sinful structures

and systems.

These two texts are not value-free or neutral; but

interpretative are social. Hence, these two texts inter-

penetrates and woven well. The true interlocutors are

the ordinary Dalits who live in poverty and squalid

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conditions. Reading and re-reading with these certainly

makes a difference.