8 minute read
Lent reflection
The words from the cross
Major John Waters continues his series for Lent, reflecting on ‘the word of triumph’
‘I T is finished’ (John 19:30). In Greek the saying we considered last week, ‘I am thirsty’, is a single word of just four letters, and this week’s saying is also brief. In English we need three words but in Greek it is just one word – tetelestai – one triumphant acclamation: ‘It is finished.’
It is possible, but not certain, that John gives us the word that is simply described by the other evangelists as a ‘loud cry’. If we are right in thinking that the cry of despair – ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34) – reveals Jesus as accepting and suffering the ultimate consequence of sin, then this shout shows that he also emerges from that despairing abyss. But what was finished? The verse does not give any detail. The same Greek word is used previously in John 19:28: ‘Later, knowing that everything had now been finished…’ In this case the English translation of the Greek tetelestai is ‘everything had now been finished’, but again the verse provides no detail of what Jesus had in mind.
We are, however, provided with a clue by the phrase that follows these words in verse 28: ‘…and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” He was then offered wine vinegar. We may then suppose that what has been finished is the fulfilment of the series of Old Testament references, in this case Psalm 69:21: ‘They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.’ But it can just as correctly be linked with what precedes verse 28. The verse begins with the word ‘later’ – literally ‘after this’ – which in Greek suggests an indeterminate length of time and may refer specifically to the Crucifixion, described in verses 23 to 27, or to much more.
Of course, this fulfilment of Scripture is more profound than the mere ticking of Old Testament texts and, however it is translated, we may deduce that in the life of Jesus the purpose of the Scriptures had been accomplished. There was nothing left undone, nothing still to be done. All that the Father had desired and expected had been offered to the world; both the revelation of love and the deed of love were complete. In Jesus’ life the good news of redemption had been personified, so that the great cry of ‘It is finished’ is not the weary outburst of defeat but a declaration of victory – an anticipation of the Resurrection.
The powers of death have done their worst, But Christ their legions hath dispersed: Let shouts of holy joy outburst, Alleluia!
(SASB 233)
Still on the cross and not yet dead, Jesus is confident in the justness of his cause and in the mercy of the Father. We cannot be sure which saying is the precise wording of the
’’
‘loud cry’, or even whether that was another word altogether, but we can be assured that on the lips of Jesus ‘It is finished’ expresses the confidence that will also be considered next week in the final saying, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46).
But, before we conclude this week, it might be profitable to look at another occurrence of the word ‘finished’ that is used in a similar context. As the apostle Paul contemplates his probable execution, which he likens to an offering, he writes his testimony: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:7). What he meant by this is probably expressed in the charge he gives to his young friend in the preceding verses – to work tirelessly, courageously and with due care in proclaiming the gospel – which is summed up in the final phrase: ‘Discharge all the duties of your ministry’ (v5).
Although there may be different ways of accomplishing that charge it remains the vocation of the disciple. And, as in Jesus, the medium and the message
become one, so that we are called to be like him, to live and be the good news, and to finish and fulfil the duties of our ministry.
MAJOR WATERS LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN BIDDULPH MOOR
Impacting communities
How well do you know the Salvation Army world? This month we give an overview of the Hong Kong and Macau Command
THE Hong Kong and Macau Command includes Hong Kong, Macau (Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China) and mainland China. The command is part of The Salvation Army’s South Pacific and East Asia Zone.
HISTORY The Army’s first service in China was to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees in Peking (now Beijing) in 1916 after an unstable political environment had forced millions of people to move there for food and shelter. The Army expanded across mainland China over the following decades, establishing hospitals and orphanages in places like Beijing, Shijiazhuang and Tianjin.
The Army reached Hong Kong in 1930 where the government asked it to work with girls and women. This was directed from the North China Territory (Peking) until 1935, when the South China Command was established in Canton to promote wide evangelistic and welfare operations. In 1939 Hong Kong became the Army’s administrative centre.
In the early 1940s, during the SinoJapanese war, The Salvation Army set up food kitchens to feed thousands of hungry refugees daily. When the Second World War ended in 1945 schools and orphanages were opened to meet the needs of children.
Political unrest in China resulted in the Army’s services being suspended in 1951. However, the social environment in Hong Kong throughout the 1950s became stable and the Army established schools and provided social services to cope with the increasing welfare demands of the community. As services expanded to include emergency relief, recycling and family
10 Salvationist 13 April 2019 Self-Denial Appeal Walkathon, Hong Kong
Lam Butt Chung Memorial School, Hong Kong
stores, corps were also opened in various districts.
The Salvation Army re-established its presence in China in 1988 when a major earthquake struck the Gengma County of Yunnan. Emergency relief and rehabilitation work was carried out in Qiao’ai village.
A pioneer officer was appointed to the Special Administrative Region of Macau in 1999 and Salvation Army work officially began there in March 2000 with the establishment of the Iao Hon Corps and Community Service Centre.
In 2001 a Salvation Army officer was appointed to the North/North Eastern Project Office, Beijing, and by 2007 the Army had established a permanent base in the north district.
Learning to cook at Joy Family Integrated Service Centre, Macau Learning to cook at Joy Family Integrated Service Centre, Macau Learning to cook at Joy Family Integrated Service Centre, Macau
the Joy Family Integrated Service Centre in 2014 and the Macau Learning Centre in 2017.
As part of the Whole World Mobilising campaign in 2017 the command shared God’s love in action through 160 community activities, including home visits, Bible study camps, seminars, carnivals, community prayer activities and concerts. Many new people were contacted and introduced to the ministry of The Salvation Army.
The Army’s regional offices in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of mainland China received official government recognition and registration in September 2017. This gave them legal approval to conduct activities such as disaster relief and recovery, community development, social services, educational programmes and – at the invitation of Provincial Christian Councils – permission to partner local congregations in religious activities.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS Several international Salvation Army projects are active and making an impact in communities.
Left Behind education project This project aims to promote mental health for rural children in China who are left behind when their parents leave home to work in other locations. Children are given a counselling-based art and drawing book containing art exercises, emotional education and storytelling. This content invites children to express their distress and the hardships they face, through art, and with a trusted adult. The project has brought benefit to almost 3,500 children and 91 teachers.
Assistance to people with disabilities In May 2008 an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan Province, causing huge damage to Mianzhu City and leaving more than 1,800 people with permanent disabilities. The Salvation Army partnered the Mianzhu Federation for the Disabled to provide suitable auxiliary facilities for the 180 disabled families in Mianzhu City, helping them to overcome their difficulties and start a new life.
The project provided training in relevant skills and knowledge, psychological counselling with faith-based facilitation and caring for volunteers. This enabled people living with disabilities to care for themselves more effectively, and participate more confidently in daily life and community activities. They were encouraged to express and release emotions such as sadness, sorrow and anxiety brought about by the earthquake. The project also resulted in a greater awareness of those with disabilities and concern for them.
Agricultural training and microcredit groups These projects aim to help poor fruit growers through professional training programmes to improve their skills and reap a greater harvest. Two project villages had a 100 per cent attendance rate. The participants improved their skills and showed more enthusiasm in learning technical skills.
The Salvation Army has also launched poverty alleviation projects in many places in Luoyang City, and fruit farmers are some of the beneficiaries. These
THE COMMAND AT A GLANCE
2,496 senior soldiers 442 junior soldiers 20 adherent members 53 officers (34 active, 19 retired) 2,546 employees 16 corps 21 institutions 31 schools
projects are often focused on women, who are left behind when their husbands leave the farms to find work in cities. The Salvation Army hopes to extend the project further, lifting more farmers out of poverty and improving their lives.
