Place in the New Testatment
From landlessness to crucifixion; from landedness to resurrection
When I introduced ‘theology of place’ a few weeks ago, I relied heavily on Walter Brueggemann’s words. I’d like to return to his work briefly as an introduction to thinking about how the New Testament informs our theology of place.
“The covenant of Yahweh and Israel…is characteristically about land, about promise of land not yet given, about retention of land now possessed, and about land-loss because of covenant-breaking. Israel never had a desire for a relation with Yahweh in a vacuum, but only in land. In the New Testament the crisis of exile/crucifixion is ultimately dealt with in the same categories.”
— Walter Brueggemann, The Land1
Brueggeman argues the rollercoaster relationship (promise, possession, retention, covenant-breaking/loss) Israel had with land2 in the Old Testament is reflected in the story of Jesus that leads to the cross. In the story of Jesus, we see him poor, powerless, and even homeless as he wanders Judea in his ministry. He is crucified, and Brueggeman likens his suffering to landlessness, but this ultimately leads to glory and power in the resurrection, which Brueggeman likens to landedness.
Keeping in mind Brueggeman’s introduction of Jesus as representative of Israel’s covenantal story, let’s look at some other passages in the New Testament:
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
-- Galatians 4:4-7, NASB
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
-- Hebrews 11:13-16, NASB
These scriptures promise we will be heirs of “a better country… a heavenly one.” Often this is interpreted as metaphorical. We are heirs of the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom that is but is not yet; we exist in a space of promise and possession. I challenge us to think about how we can understand the promises literally, in view of the physical, embodied relationship Israel has with their land. What does the heavenly land look like? What city has been prepared for those who died in faith?
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
-- Matthew 5:3-10, NASB
Throughout the New Testament, we see an inversion of privilege – the landless will become the landed; those in power will lose that power and the land that comes with it. Instead, the gentle inherit the earth. How is this like Israel’s relationship with land in the Old Testament?
The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith. Walter Brueggemann. 1977.
It has come to my attention that the title/subject of this post on Israel’s relationship with land was misleading, given current events. Please note, the content is strictly dealing with biblical Israel’s historical relationship with the land as represented in the Bible’s Old Testament. While this history can be part of conversations about current events, I did not intend to contribute to those conversations. I laid out the topic outline more than two years ago; the post’s concurrence with current events is coincidental.