Jesus Talks with a Rabbi: Ut Unum Sint
by Mark Drogin
Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth responds to Rabbi Jacob Neusner's classic work, A Rabbi Talks with Jesus. This current exchange between an American rabbi and a German pope continues an ancient conversation going back to the age of the Apostles themselves. Fifty years before Rabbi Neusner's book, Jesus himself spoke most tenderly in a vision to the Chief Rabbi of Rome.
Pope Benedict's response to Rabbi Neusner continues the great progress made during John Paul II's pontificate in following the mandate of Vatican II for dialogue with Judaism (cf. Nostra Aetate). After the unbelievable horrors of World War II, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, especially Wojtyla and Ratzinger, recognized the urgency of reconvening the dialogue that was interrupted late in the First Century. This dialogue was initiated by Jesus of Nazareth and continued by the Apostles–especially Peter, Paul, Matthew and John.
In 1974, Pope Paul VI wisely placed this dialogue within the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The Eucharist is the source of Christian unity; therefore the work of promoting Christian unity, in seeking to heal the division from the root, looks at the origin of the Eucharist and the institution of the apostolic Church. The institution of the Eucharist and the Church can be fully revealed only in the context of Jesus' dialogue with Judaism. After nearly two thousand years of falling away from our Jewish roots,1 Rabbi Israel Zolli–the world's leading rabbinical scholar and former Chief Rabbi of Rome–is uniquely qualified to lead us back to the Jewish roots of the institution of the apostolic Church.
In October of 1944, during the Yom Kippur service (the most sacred moment in Judaism), Jesus spoke to Rabbi Israel Zolli, the Chief Rabbi of Rome, inviting him to enter the Church.2 In February 1945, four months after Jesus spoke to Zolli in the synagogue and just before the end of World War II, the Jewish people were crushed and infuriated by Rabbi Zolli's baptism and entry into the Christian body, and his taking of the name "Eugenio," in honor of Pope Pius XII. As recently as October of 1944, Zolli was the Chief Rabbi of Rome and therefore practically the "pope" of the Jews, given the size, importance, and longevity of Rome's Jewish community, evidenced first in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's Letter to the Romans.
In 1948 the English version of Zolli's The Nazarene appeared (translated by the biblical scholar Cyril Vollert, S.J), and no one proved more qualified to bring the New Testament to life in the post-World-War-II age. The Nazarene pivoted on two important points: (1) the identity of Jesus as the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, and (2) the necessity of the foot-washing as recorded in John 13. Zolli prepares his readers for the foot-washing exegesis with an explanation of exousia, divine power. The institution of the Church involves handing on this divine power to the Apostles. From the meaning of exousia, we see the institution of the Church and the priesthood in the words: "as the Father sends me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21). In effect, Jesus said: "As the Father sends me with full divine authority, so I send you with the fullness of this same divine authority."
Jesus preached with exousia (divine authority) and his mission is to transmit this same divine authority to the Apostles. "Here clearly appears that nature of the apostolic ministry of speaking and acting not in one's own name, but from divine authority,"3 Cardinal Ratzinger said in the opening address to the October 1990 synod on the nature of the priesthood.
In The Nazarene, Zolli shows how the foot-washing (a seemingly obscure detail) was necessary to transmit this divine power to the Apostles, that is: for the ordination of Apostles. In his discussion of what Jesus did at the Last Supper, Zolli also provides specific details illustrating how Jesus, "without being concerned whether he is understood by them or not," (p. 194) revealed his divinity.
Zolli's work contributes to several areas. Historically and theologically, he shows the Jewish nature of the apostolic Church; ecumenically, his vision can draw Christians together in their common roots in the New Testament Church. The contemporary relevance of Zolli's work is highlighted by the declarations of the Second Vatican Council on the origin of the Church. In speaking of the origin of the Church, the first document of Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, notes, "[Christ] achieved his task principally by the paschal mystery ...for it was from the side of Christ...that there came forth 'the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church'"(§5). Lumen Gentium then adds, "The mystery of the holy Church is already brought to light in the way it was founded. For the Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Gospel...promised over the ages in the Scriptures" (§5). This "promise of the Gospel" in Scripture is found primarily in Second Isaiah 40:9, 41:27, 52:7, 61:1.
Many scholars have acknowledged the significance of Zolli's work. For example, Fr. John Hardon, S.J. and Scripture scholar Fr. William Most, S.T.D. both reviewed The Nazarene for the journal, Hear! 0 Israel! "Zolli could not be clearer," Fr. Hardon exclaimed, "about what Jesus did at the Last Supper."4 Fr. Most concurred: "Zolli offers a new idea on the washing of the feet at the Last Supper." Most recognized how Zolli understood that Christ's washing of the Apostles' feet raised them to the dignity of divine messengers, a necessary preparation for ordaining them priests, for instituting the Eucharist and the Church and, of course, Holy Orders.
In examining "the office of the Apostles," Zolli's study of the foot-washing reveals details of the "one aspect that cannot be transmitted." Theologians through the centuries have proposed theses on this topic, noting that the Evangelist would not have given such prominence to the foot-washing episode if it did not communicate fundamental truths about the founding of the Church. That is why even fifty years after Vollert's English translation of The Nazarene, Msgr. Michael Wrenn hosted a New York conference on "The Synoptic Problem." Among the prominent theologians in attendance was Dr. William R. Farmer, one of the top three New Testament scholars in the United States. During the conference, I introduced Dr. Farmer to Zolli's work. Recognizing the relevance of Zolli's work to his own lifelong interest in the relation between Isaiah and the Gospels, Farmer proposed a "Zolli research project:' and invited me to the University of Dallas to meet his colleagues. This paper is a fruit of Dr. Farmer's proposal and comprises an extended reflection on Zolli's book, The Nazarene.
Apostle: One sent
Jesus established the apostolic Church with these words, "As the Father sends me, so I send you" (in 20:21). On the night before his death, Jesus gave his Body and Blood to the disciples, exhorting them, "Do this in memory of me." Three nights later he said, "Sholem Alechem. As the Father sends me, so I send you." Then he commanded them to receive the Holy Spirit and gave them power to forgive sins, fully aware that only God can forgive sins.
The one Church instituted by Jesus is apostolic. For three years Jesus prepared the disciples for the eternal sacrifice on Calvary. On the eve of his sacrifice, Jesus completed the preparatory phase of the disciples' instruction by washing their feet and explaining the meaning of "Apostle." Typically, Peter objected and Jesus patiently explained that the foot-washing was necessary for them to receive adopted divine sonship. Jesus thus instructs Peter, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me" (in 13:8). To those who did accept him, he gave power to become sons of God (cf. Jn 1:12 and Rom 8:16-17). Moreover, during the foot-washing, Jesus instructed the Apostles: "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later" (Jn 13:7). What did Jesus do that was necessary for the Apostles to inherit divine sonship?
The foot-washing as a necessary preparation for apostleship
As mentioned, the foot-washing is not equivalent to the institution of the Church, but it is the necessary preparation for the institution of the one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church. The words, "As the Father sends me, so I send you," perfectly express the institution of the Church. Zolli shows us how Isaiah 6 prefigures both the foot-washing and the sending of Apostles with divine authority. Isaiah described his vision of heaven with the Lord seated on a throne and the Seraphim crying: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! All the earth is filled with His Glory!" (Is 6:3). Then Isaiah said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips" (Is 6:5). One of the Seraphim touched Isaiah's mouth with an ember from the altar and said, "See! Your wickedness is removed, your sin is purged" (Is 6:7).
Immediately, the Lord called: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" (Is 6:8). "Here I am! Send me!" Isaiah replied. And the Lord said: "Go" (Is 6:8-9). From this verb, "send," we have the noun "the one who is sent," or, simply, "apostle." Of course, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is the apostle, the one sent by the Father. "Amen, Amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One Who sent me" (in 13:20). Three nights later, the institution of the Church becomes explicit when Jesus sends the Apostles with the same authority with which the Father has sent him. In the words of Cardinal Ratzinger: "According to the Gospels, Christ himself handed on the essential structure of his mission to the Apostles, to whom he grants his power and whom he associates with his power. This association with the Lord, by which a man receives the power to do what he cannot do alone is called a sacrament."5
Isaiah is the Proto-Apostle and the ProtoEvangelist, prefiguring Jesus, the true apostle and evangelist sent by the Father. Isaiah 6 and his commission to prophecy illustrate the nature of this divine mission: to be sent to preach with divine authority. Isaiah must be purified from all his iniquity, and then he is sent by God to preach. Zolli's insights reveal the necessity of the foot-washing and the fuller meaning of Jesus' response to Peter: "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.... Whoever has bathed...is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all" (Jn 13:8, 10).
How "beautiful" are the feet
Jesus emphasizes, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later" (in 13:7). At the Last Supper, Jesus is well aware of the disciples' inability to comprehend his divinity and the divine authority he imparts to them, but he must prepare them for what is to come, so he says: "From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, Amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One Who sent me" (in 13:19-20). Do any of us grasp the fullness of divine authority in this mission? Do we grasp the fullness of meaning in our creedal profession, "the Church is apostolic"?
St. Paul indicates (Rom 10:12-15) the necessity of the foot-washing in preparation for the divine mission of Gospel proclamation:
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.... But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent [i.e., made apostles]? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Gospel!" (Is 52:7).
By employing a series of rhetorical questions, Paul depicts "preaching" as a formal mission: no man can preach the Gospel unless he is sent, and those sent to preach the Gospel with apostolic authority were formally ordained by Jesus to imitate his authority of loving service.
The foot-washing was a necessary prerequisite to initiate the transmission of this apostolic authority. Cardinal Ratzinger accordingly emphasizes this passage from St. Paul in the context of sacrament. "In all the sacraments, the gift of God and man's reception of this gift stand opposite each other. The same structure applies as well with respect to the Word of God: faith arises not from reading, but from hearing; the preaching of the Word through one who has been sent to preach belongs to the structure of the act of faith."6
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Gospel" (Is 52:7). The word used here (in Hebrew, Greek or Latin) does not mean "good-looking" or "attractive." It does not have the same meaning as the words in Is 53:2: "There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him." The word used in Is 52:7 and Rom 10:15 means "pure" or "proper" in the sense of "fully prepared, entirely appropriate." "Beautiful," at Is 52:7 and Rom 10:15, is closer to the sense of "clean" used in three other places: (1) the Seraphim to Isaiah (Is 6:7); (2) Jesus to the disciples after he washed their feet (Jn 13:10); and (3) the "Voice" in Peter's vision (Acts 10:14-16).
Jesus showed us that he is the Suffering Servant described by Isaiah. He raised the Suffering Servant to a higher level, by revealing the fuller and deeper meaning of Isaiah's prophecy. At the Last Supper, Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34; Jn 15:12-17). It is here we also learn, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends... [and] I no longer call you slaves...I have called you friends" (Jn 15:13, 15). So, on the next day, the Christ lays his life down for his friends.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi!
In this way, the Passover Lamb prefigures the Suffering Servant, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Cor 5:7), Paul says, referring to Ex 12:1-13. The Apostles also see the final fulfillment of Isaiah 53. The Suffering Servant fulfills the Passover and the Exodus (and all of Israel's feasts, prophecies and desires) when Christ pours himself out on Calvary in the eternal sacrifice for our sins. In the Baptist's words, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Jn 1:29), the Evangelist recognizing a vague reference to Exodus and the Passover Lamb, while pointing us directly to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
John's Gospel reveals that Jesus is the Living Word of God (Jn 1:1), the divine Logos who has become flesh. The Word communicates himself through his flesh for all time: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (Jn 6:54, 57), and at the end of John's Gospel, Jesus instructs Peter: "Feed my sheep." Feed them, Peter, feed them the Word of God, feed them the Word made flesh, the Living Word of God.
Jesus is the Word of God sent from the Father. The Suffering Servant–all of Second Isaiah–is framed by references to the Word of the Lord: Is 40:8 and 55:11. The "Voice" crying out "prepare the way of the Lord," is told to proclaim, "all flesh is grass...but the Word of the Lord will stand forever" (Is 40:6-8). Significantly, all four Gospels explicitly identify John the Baptist as this voice at the beginning of Second Isaiah. With this explicit testimony identifying John the Baptist as the voice, each Gospel points explicitly to Second Isaiah and the Suffering Servant. The conclusion of Second Isaiah summarizes the role of the Suffering Servant and the Gospel of John:
As the rain and snow come down from the heavens and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful...so shall my Word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. (Is 55:8-11)
Jesus, John testifies, is the Word who goes forth from the mouth of God, and who will not return to the Father until he has "achieved the end for which he was sent." Jesus, the first apostle, accordingly sends other apostles with the Word to "water the earth, making it fertile and fruitful." Isaiah prefigured the apostolic mission of Jesus, the Word sent by the Father that will not return to the Father until it achieves the end for which he was sent. Jesus sends the Twelve Apostles to continue this mission of proclaiming the Good News, and John's Gospel repeatedly emphasizes the Word going forth and returning.
In the language of divine revelation, Jesus is the Word. Jesus sends the Twelve out to proclaim the Word and to feed the Word to the lost sheep of Israel scattered among both Jews and Gentiles. The Word dwells in the Twelve who pour themselves out in communion with the Suffering Servant. Each of the Twelve thus not only drink, but they also consecrate the Cup of Blessing that Jesus drank.
The People of God restored: Lumen Gentium
We are called to always go deeper into the Word, to constantly mature in our relationship with Jesus. We are called to holiness, to a more intimate and thorough union with Jesus. "As the Father sends me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21). Jesus recapitulates the life of Israel, filling up what is lacking and perfecting what is imperfect. Israel is restored in the Church. Jesus ordained the Twelve and sent them with divine authority as the restored Israel.
Jesus gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins, to consecrate Jesus' Body and Blood present in the one, acceptable, living, eternal, holy sacrifice, and the authority with which to ordain other apostles. The institution of the Church includes all of these divine powers. Cardinal Ratzinger mentions these three divine powers explicitly in his address to the 1990 synod:
By themselves, of their own strength, they can do none of those things that apostles must do. How could they of their own accord say, "I forgive you your sins"? How could they say, "This is my body"? How could they perform the imposition of hands and say, "Receive the Holy Spirit"?
Commissioned by Christ and with the authority of his Holy Spirit, the Apostles dispense the sacraments. We participate sacramentally in Israel restored. Through baptism we have a share in divine life (cf. 2 Pt 1:4).
The Word became flesh and dwells among us today no less than two thousand years ago. The mystery of salvation continues to unfold today, as Isaiah foretold and Paul quotes in Romans: "Only a remnant will be saved," and "even now a remnant is being saved" (Is 10:22-23 and Rom 9:27, 11:5).
"He shall be called a Nazarene"
Let us close with one important point about the title Zolli chose for his work on Jesus, the Nazarene. It is Matthew who introduces this unusual name for Jesus, attributing the fulfillment of prophecy to it. History testifies that the name, Nazarene, was applied to both Jesus and his Apostles; it was used in singular and plural forms to identify Jesus and his followers. If we follow Jesus, we are also Nazarenes; and, according to Matthew, this "fulfills what was spoken by the prophets" (Mt 2:23).
Again, keep in mind the words of our Holy Father when he explained how the language of sacred Scripture "is certainly not linear, and it is often dramatic, but when you watch it unfold in light of Jesus Christ, you can see it moving in a single overall direction; you can see that the Old and New Testaments belong together."7' "He shall be called a Nazarene" was "spoken by the prophets," Matthew tells us; yet, it is universally agreed that no prophecy says: "He shall be called a Nazarene." At the same time, a strong tradition holds that Matthew is probably referring to Isaiah 11. Further, Matthew's use of the plural, "prophets," indicates reference to more than one prophecy.
For nearly two thousand years, Matthew's full meaning has been a mystery. However, we can agree that, where John begins with "the Word," Matthew begins by identifying Jesus as "the Messiah." Matthew's seven ordered citations in the beginning of the Gospel are all understood to be "Messianic" prophecies. Isaiah 11:1 (and on) is a Messianic prophecy, and Matthew's primary reference for 2:23. Other typological hints can be seen at Is 49:6 and Jer 31:6 (which, I propose, are secondary for Matthew, Isaiah 11 being the primary referent for Mt 2:23).
The notion of primary and secondary references becomes more significant when we identify the use of "Nazarene" in its singular and plural senses. "The Nazarene," used in the singular with a definite article, refers exclusively to Jesus. "Nazarenes" in the plural refers to the followers of Jesus. Isaiah 11:1 uses the singular form of "Netzer" in a Messianic prophecy. Isaiah 49:6 and Jer 31:6 use plural forms of "Netzer" in a context referring to followers (or sheep) of the Messiah. A thorough study of the context of each citation confirms the significance of the singular-plural distinction in messianic prophecy.
Zolli emphasizes the uniqueness of the name "Nazarene," in its use both for an individual and for the followers of the individual. The followers of Jesus were not called "Messiahs," "Kings of Israel," "Sons of David" or any other Messianic title. They were called "Nazarenes," and this unique title, Zolli notes, applied to both the Messiah and his followers. In my comments on Zolli's work, I have added that Jesus is rightly the "Apostle." Thus "Apostle" may be applied to both Jesus and those whom he sends out to continue his life. But "apostle" has a different sense than "Nazarene"; "apostle" is used exclusively to designate an individual sent by God, through a formal, liturgical ordination, with divine authority. The formal ordination is not required to be a Nazarene.
This likely explains why, even though it was necessary to wash the disciples' feet, a formal liturgical rite was not continued afterwards. The washing of the feet accomplished the ultimate purification possible before the sacraments of the Church were instituted. Only fully-cleansed Apostles, who had been purified as Isaiah was purified, could initiate the sacraments of the Church. In prophetic language: it was necessary for them to have "beautiful" feet. After Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive sins, the apostles could ordain other apostles after forgiving their sins and preparing them to receive the fullness of divine authority.
In God's omniscience, he established a Church that is both pure but always being purified. He calls each of us to share in Jesus' divine Life and to participate in the Holy Sacrifice on Calvary. Christians are now the Nazarenes in Is 49:6 and Jer 31:6 who "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body the Church" (Col 1:24). We can therefore rejoice with St. Paul, who understood this "mystery hidden for ages... it is Christ in you" (Col 1:26-27). While it is hard enough to "suffer with Christ," Paul asks even more from us: "I rejoice in my sufferings." This is the Cup that Jesus asked the Father to take from him, the Cup Jesus commands us to drink, the Cup of Jesus' blood poured out on Calvary for our sins.
"Gospel" of course means "good news." But the Good News of the Crucified one will always include suffering. While all of us short-sighted sinners want a conquering Messiah to destroy our rivals, Jesus conquered our truest enemies, sin and death. And Jesus gave us power to conquer sin and death, but only if we suffer and pour ourselves out with him on Calvary. In him, we have "received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, 'Abba, Father!' The Spirit itself bears witness...that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him" (Rom 8:15-17). At this point, most of us may want to delete the words, "if only we suffer with him"; but each of us must learn the same painful lesson Paul and all the Apostles learned. Isaiah's Suffering Servant prophesied the "beauty" of the feet that bring the Gospel, and if we follow in Christ's footsteps, we too can enjoy "beautiful" feet.
Ut Unum Sint
Now we see how a fuller understanding of the institution of the apostolic Church includes the necessity of the foot-washing. In his 1995 encyclical appealing for Christian unity, Ut Unum Sint, Pope John Paul II chose the title from the Johannine Last Supper discourse (Jn 17:21-23), and in this way Ut Unum Sint points us back to Second Isaiah: the "Nazarenes" must be gathered together in order to be a Light to the Nations, Lumen Gentium (Is 49:6). Israel Zolli's life and work point to this unity: the unity of the mission of Israel's Messiah and the People of God. And this offers a new basis for the ecumenical discovery of our common roots in the apostolic mission of Israel. In particular, through Rabbi Zolli's work, hundreds of thousands of Jews who profess that Jesus is Israel's Messiah may now have a deeper understanding of the Church and the Eucharist. ■
End notes
1 Cf. Fr. Paul Quay, S.J.: The Mystery Hidden for Ages in God (New York: Peter Lang, 1995).
2 Cf. Eugenio Zolli, Before the Dawn (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2008), 190.
3 Cardinal Ratzinger, L'Osservatore Romano, October 1990. This address was given originally in Latin; a good English translation can be found online: http://www. vocations.com/benedictxvi/natureofpriesthood.html
4 Hear! 0 Israel!, vol. 1 (1988), 31. Cardinal Ratzinger, L'Osservatore Romano, October 1990.
6 Ibid.
7 Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth (Doubleday, 2007), xviii-xix.
Mark Drogin studied theology at the University of Dallas. His parents and grandparents were socialistic Jews, but in 1974, Mark sought baptism and then he met Fr. Arthur Klyber, C.Ss.R. Mark helped Fr. Klyber found the apostolate Remnant of Israel in 1975 and worked closely with him for more than twenty years. Today, Mark continues Fr. Klyber's work as managing director of Remnant of Israel. This is his first article in HPR.
For more information about Eugenio Zolli see the following articles in the Catholic Culture Library:
- Chief Rabbi's Conversion, The
Arthur B. Klyber (This Rock, December 2002) - Fr. John Hardon, discussing the Nazarene by Israel Zolli
John A. Hardon (Hear, O Israel, November 1998) - Christian Rabbi, The
Wlodzimierz Redzioch (Inside The Vatican, June - July 2002) - The Concept of Divine Justice in Hebrew Thought
Israel Zolli (The Nazarene, February 4, 1948)
This item 9644 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
