JESUS AND THE PUBLIC

Isusovo djelovanje obično nazivamo javnim. Članak se bavi odnosom Isusa i javnosti pred kojom on nastupa na temelju onoga što nam o tome sugeriraju evanđelja. Temi se pristupa sinkronijskom metodom s naglaskom na semantičku analizu. Najprije se analizira koliko mjesto, vrijeme i publika određuju njegovo djelovanje kao javno. U nastavku članka analizira se uzroke koji su doveli do konflikta između Isusa i tadašnje dominantne javnosti koju su sačinjavale vođe židovskog naroda i rimske vlasti. U ovom kontekstu raspravlja se i o interakciji između mnoštva, Isusa i njegovih protivnika te pokušava dati odgovor na pitanje zašto se dobiva dojam da Isus ima negativno mišljenje o tadašnjoj javnosti. U članku se nadalje govori o Isusovom povremenom povlačenju iz javnosti. Kao razlozi za to povlačenje navode se osobna molitva, izbjegavanje opasnosti i formacija učenika. Budući da je ovo zadnje najčešći razlog Isusovog povlačenja u sferu privatnosti u članku se tome pridaje posebna pozornost oslanjajući se pri tom ponajviše na Markovo evanđelje. Članak završava sa kratkim osvrtom na neke od Isusovih uputa učenicima s obzirom na njihovo ponašanje u javnosti. Sve navedene izreke pozivaju učenike da u biti nasljeduju Isusov odnos prema javnosti: otvorenost, zauzetost, neustrašivost, razboritost, dosljednost.The public is presented in the Gospels as a negative reality which does not accept Jesus. Jesus does not avoid this public, on the contrary, he speaks and acts publicly. Jesus’ public ministry is affirms that his revelation and salvation are not meant for a narrow circle of people, but for the whole world. It si not only the ministry of Jesus that was public, but also his death. He was crucified in open air, in front of the walls of Jerusalem, on Golgotha, and a three languages inscription was nailed on the cross, so that everyone could have read why he died. On the other side, the publicity of Jesus’ ministry and death, testifies that Jesus does not want to heal only the inner man, but wants a rehabilitation of all dimensions of life, including the public. A Christian should be prepared that because of his faith he will face the repulsion of the public, ruled by the human, not divine logic. But, if he wants to be useful to the same public, he must remain faithful to Christian values, at the price of discrimination and prosecution. Only if he is dissimilar to this public, he can fulfil his mission to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt 5,13s). It was after the rejection of the public of his time which declared him useless and harmful, that Jesus became the “corner stone” (Mk 12,10). The blood of martyrs, the seed of new Christians – this is the recipe for the healing of the public today. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? (Matt 5,13)