b'E L C I T R ANevertheless, Jesus experienced a uniquethose suffering from illness and deformity. relationship with the God of Israel, theJesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God intimate relationship between a father andusing a different vision of those who were a son. Jesus called the Most High Godtruly blessed: the poor in spirit, those who Abba, Father, and taught his followers tomourn, the meek, those who hunger and use his relationship with God as a modelthirst for righteousness, the merciful, the for their own (Matthew 6:913). Becausesingle-hearted, the peacemakers, and of this revelation, a new understanding ofthose persecuted for righteousness sake. the transcendent God emerged, and withIn Jesus, God entered into solidarity it a further constitution of divine being. Thewith all those who suffer and are lost in mission of the Son further revealed God inthis violent world, thereby opening up a personal way as Father not only to Jesusthe promise of new life. 1 but also to all who followed him. However, these disciples not only encountered the living God in a INCARNATION: THEqualitatively new and personal relationship as the one whom Jesus called Father; MISSION OF THE SON they also recognized and proclaimed that in their relationship with Jesus, they By Gloria L. Schaab encountered the living God in human flesh. This encounter came, moreover, through Jesus wholehearted embrace of human In the life, teaching, and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the understanding of the personalexperience in its fullness; Jesus revealed nature of God deepened, and the promise of personal relationship with God intensified.through his human nature the depth and Jesus of Nazareth was a devout Jew, schooled in the language, beliefs, and traditions of thebreadth of divine love and compassion. He Jewish culture and religion. He believed in one God, studied the Torah, recited the Shema,incarnated this divine love and compassion celebrated the Sabbath and the Passover, sang the Psalms, heeded the prophets, preachedas he companioned tax collectors and like a rabbi, and taught his disciples the Great Commandment of the Law: You shall lovesinners whom others rejected and put the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mighthuman needs before Sabbath laws. He (Deuteronomy 6:5) and You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). forgave those who had broken relationship with God and the community and healed 16 AspireVolume 2//Fall 2020 Subscribe today! smp.org/aspire ARTICLE 17'