29. Pedagogy, Initiation

Jesus is certainly no ordinary teacher. He uses both fables and the Socratic method. He employs an initiation process geared to experimenting what God is like. Experimenting? Yes... not just knowing with the head, but living, as opposed to mere knowledge. Quote John I7.6. Nothing is more important for us, nothing more urgent.

To be honest, Jesus' success in the short term is quite limited: the Cross, the tomb, at the foot of the Cross a few women, then dispersion: Peter goes back to his fishing; the disciples of Emmaus return to their homes. Let's dare to say that it is total; the authorities have paralysed his movements; the crowds were slow in following Him, the apostles were without understanding.

But in spite of the seemingly continuous improvising, there are some signs of pre-meditation, of deliberate action, as though failure was foreseen and arranged. Jesus reproaches the disciples for their tardiness: "Spirits slow to believe...do you not then understand?" (Luke 24.25.) But occasionally it is intended. "I speak to them in parables so that they will not understand." (Luke 8.I0). He doesn't even try to explain. It would be pointless, as the time has not yet come. Impossible to explain so long as it is impossible to understand. "What I wish to do..." (John I3.7.) It is only later on that they will be able to understand. Later on when it will be too late, and they will recall His words!

There is an element in Jesus' method of teaching so original, that it inspires fear, especially in His liberty with regard to failure. For me, this is the most sublime spiritual experience, that of God's vulnerability. And if I am a Christian, it is for this reason. In the debate with Islam, this is our strongpoint: our God is so powerful, He is even able to be weak!

Along comes a rich young man. He is in search of eternal life, "true life" as Rimbaud would say, but this young man is well brought up and respects the Law! He has everything one could wish for: good manners, style, education, talent. We might say: this is the kind of "vocation" one would like to come across more often! Jesus looked at him and loved him. The Gospel does not often indulge in this kind of emotional statement. However, things don't turn out as expected. The young man goes sadly away. Jesus has not been successful, nor has He even tried to convince him nor to explain things.

Any priest would have seen this as failure and would have felt blameworthy. Jesus was not a very good vocations' director; He esteemed liberty too much!

Jesus very teaching is Easter-oriented. It integrates failure, rather than fight against it, for it is a Resurrection pedagogy. The Master accepts His own death and takes a back seat in face of success!

The disciple will do even greater things than his Master! (Quote John I4.I2.)

In fact, there is question here of an initiation pedagogy... initiation in the sense of a personal relationship with the teacher and of a lived experience. Jesus does not arrive with formulae, theories or demonstrations. He neither "proves" God nor does He describe Him. He is not a teacher in the accepted sense, nor is He a professor of theology, but rather a provocator.

If, by initiation we mean what is reserved to an elite or to a limited group, here whatever is transmitted is to be shared with everybody.

It is a pedagogy which accepts failure with perseverance, sharing the questionings and even the doubt!

Let's take the case of a particular student: Peter belongs to the senior group; he is not particularly brilliant, but hardworking and sociable. He is eager to answer, and attempts what he deems to be the right answer. What he says is correct, but even though it is correct and well expressed, this student when confronted with the reality, manifests a behaviour which does not tally with his previous statements. It becomes evident then, that his understanding of the subject was superficial, limiting itself to a mere formula, the content and deep significance of which, had not been grasped by him. "No Lord, that will never happen to You!" "Get behind me Satan!" We saw this already: Peter recognises Jesus as the Messiah, but his a priori representation falsifies his understanding. Twenty out of twenty in theory, zero in practice.

Jesus is patient. A prime quality for a teacher. He is likewise faithful. He does not abandon Peter, but assigns to him responsibilities. I would add here that Jesus does not regard himself as indispensable. When we consider the difficulty the future V.I.P.s had in resigning, we might be surprised that Jesus remained only three years, and that He was not taken more seriously. "It is good for you that I go." He leaves the place to successors (plural)! "The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you everything."

Jesus complicates the task of those who are looking for guarantees.: He leaves it to them to calculate what is best. He has not studied at the feet of some great Rabbi. He is pupil neither of a Master nor of a School. A pity perhaps, but neither does He belong to the caste of the High Priests. His home is elsewhere. He is foreign to every category. What institution could categorise an original of this quality!

The one who acts without authorisation, without acknowledged authority, to lay claim to what he says and to what he does, runs the risk of seeing his action rejected. Outside the normal structures, it will be poorly received, regarded as displaced, a "utopia", unlawful, non-conformist. The one who acts outside the common norm, causes eyebrows to be raised and upsets healthy routine. Can such a one be trusted? There is no way of knowing. One trusts or one does not; ultimately it is a question of faith, a question of the source of all authority: the authority of authorities is not accessible!

What author allows you to publish under his name? Who covers you, who gives you the imprimatur, who is your guarantor? Is there an author inside you, an author with a large "A"? Another, at the centre of your being who inspires what you do and what you say? How can we be sons and daughters of God without speaking the Word? A Word which comes from elsewhere, always unexpected and often badly received?

"By what authority do you do these things?" A question asked of Jesus.

"Did John the Baptist come from God?" reply of the interested one.

Silence of the objectors.

"One" does not wish to reply? "One" doesn't know.? "One" would like an official label?

"In that case, replies Jesus, neither will I reply" (Mark II. 27-33)