Remus, Harold. Jesus as healer. New York: Cambridge Univ Pr, 1997. Understanding Jesus today

Wasserberg, Günter

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 24Issue 2 Essays on Liturgy and Worship Article 1111-1-1998Jesus as healerGünter WasserbergFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationWasserberg, Günter (1998) "Jesus as healer," Consensus: Vol. 24 : Iss. 2 , Article 11.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol24/iss2/11Understanding Jesus Today: Jesus as HealerHarold RemusNew York et al.: Cambridge University Press, 1997149 pages, $16.95 PaperbackThis book is part of a thus far seven volume series UnderstandingJesusToday edited by Howard Clark Kee. The goal of this series is to bringtogether “in accessible form the conclusions of an international team ofdistinguished scholars regarding various important aspects of Jesus’teaching.” In other words: This series is aimed at clergy and theologicallyinterested lay people.Remus’ book deals with one of the crucial aspects of Jesus’ ministry,namely, healing as an intrinsic part of the gospel message. Protestants tendto focus on an understanding of the Word of God as preached and neglectthe fact that for Jesus the coming of the Reign of God inseparably includedsharing meals especially with those who were socially and religiouslymarginalized, and healing of the sick. Those who are in despair do not onlyneed good, consoling words; rather, they are longing for the truth of God’sgracious presence in the experience of healing. The gospel is God’s healingand saving presence through Christ in word and deed. Therefore Remus’book is indispensable for those who try to answer the question “who Jesuswas”— and thus what Christianity has to contribute to the quest for meaningin modem day society.The book is divided into eight main chapters. Chapter 1,titled simply“Prologue,” is in fact much more than that. It is a well-written introductioninto the subject, which lays the foundation for exploration of the topic.Remus’ simple yet superlative writing style engages the reader in anexistential yet casual way. He aims to bridge the gap, for the reader, betweenthe ancient past and the present time— and he accomplishes this goal withremarkable success. Remus’ book is informative and yet entertaining. It isfun to read.The author makes it clear that the question of healing is not only anancient question; it is our quest for healing and salvation as well. AlthoughRemus sets out to present his findings in a readable way, he nonethelessdemonstrates that he is a scholarly specialist in this area, which he has shownin his well-researched monographs and articles, e.g., on miracles (see booklist on page 131). The first chapter is filled with information about how illnessand healing were viewed in ancient times by Jews and non-Jews in theMediterranean world. His overview puts Jesus’ healing power into theperspective of how ancient readers and eyewitnesses would haveexperienced it. What sets Jesus apart from other healers of his time is118 Consensustwofold. First “most other teachers of the time were not known also asteachers, as Jesus was. But also, none ended their days powerless, hangingon a cross” (11). Thus what makes Jesus unique is that he is a “woundedhealer” (a term Remus picks up from Henri Nouwen who used it to designatethe modern Christian minister [38]).Remus does not engage in the difficult and highly disputable questionsabout the earliest traceable stages of the words and deeds of the “historicalJesus”, rather, he takes on a canonical approach to pursue his analysis ofJesus as healer. He treats “Mark as the first New Testament gospel, and theauthors of Matthew and Luke as working from Mark, though not necessarilyour version of Mark” (Preface, ix). Thus he starts with an analysis of theGospel of Mark (Ch. 2), which lays the foundation for his analysis of the othertwo synoptic Gospels (Ch. 3: Matthew; Ch. 4: Luke). From there he moveson to take a look at the Gospel of John (Ch. 5), some of the Christianapocryphal writings (Ch. 6), and then deals shortly with Paul, the Acts of theApostles, and the non-canonical Acts of Thomas (Ch. 7). What Remus saysin a summary about the Gospel of Mark (Ch. 2) applies also to the other NewTestament and non-canonical portraits of Jesus: “The Gospel of Mark’sportrait of Jesus as healer — powerful yet powerless, healing yet himselfwounded — is a sobering reminder of human vulnerability to the thousandnatural shocks that flesh is still heir to” (39).Last but not least, Remus takes on the historical question, “Did Jesusreally heal?” (Ch. 8), a question that undoubtedly has to be dealt with in abook which programmatically sets out to answer “who Jesus was” (backcover page). Again, this is not a simple matter of yes or no, not a matterabout which one can simply chant, “for the Bible tells me so”. Rather, thisis a theological question that has to be developed in dialogue with culturalstudies in anthropology and medicine. Healing involves a trustingrelationship of the healer to the person to be healed, as the New Testamentdocuments about Jesus demonstrate. Healing is a matter of body and soul,of the whole person. Healing— as well as illness— concerns the body as awhole, the individual body as well as the social body of a society. Remusnotes: “One of the fundamental elements in the gospel’s portraits of Jesus,most likely based on the historical Jesus, is his concern not only aboutindividual illnesses but social illnesses as well” (115).The quest for healing of body and soul in life and beyond death is notclosed. It is still an inevitable part of our wounded existence. Remus states:“Readers of the gospels are also well aware, however, that Jesus did not healall the sick people in the world. His healings are presented in the gospels notas panacea — the end of all pain and suffering — but as signs — glimpses— of the reign of God that Jesus proclaims” (117). We can find hope andconsolation in the fact that Jesus is a wounded healer.Book Reviews 119Remus’ book on “Jesus as Healer” is a great “little” book. It is asinformative as it is well written. Remus’ ability to explain complex issueswithout reducing the content is a gift to the reader. The appendices,“Questions for further thought and discussion”, and “Suggestions for furtherreading” make this book well suited for personal and group studies. Thisbook is highly recommended.Gunter WasserbergChristian-Albrechts-Gniversitat KielGermanyReclaiming the Bible for the ChurchCarl E. Braaten and Robert W. Jenson, EditorsGrand Rapids, Ml: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995137 pages, $13.00 SoftcoverAn impressive array of theologians contributed to this book, which grewout of a conference with the same name held in Northfield, Minnesota in thesummer of 1994. Beginning with Brevard Childs’ opening essay which statesthe theme (“On Reclaiming the Bible for Christian Theology”) seventheologians representing various ecclesiastical traditions respond orcomment in somewhat related manner.1 was happily impressed with the essay from the Canadian contributor,Alister E. McGrath of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and Regent College, Vancouver.Writing on “Reclaiming our Roots and Vision”, McGrath places strongemphasis on the role of the community of faith in the interpretation ofScripture, which included welcome comments about public reading ofScripture and good lectionary usage. McGrath perhaps went out of his wayto criticize Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong. 1 am always a bitconcerned when another’s position is attacked without any opportunity forresponse. Nonetheless, in a way, this essay best captured for me areasonable understanding of what is always a “chicken and egg” issue —what comes first, the church (the community of faith) or its Scriptures? Thushe suggests the reason for the church to reclaim the Scriptures is its need tosecure its own identity. As he concludes: “For Christians, the Bible is ourbook. It tells our story. It judges us, encourages us, and builds us up. Whyshould we allow others to hijack it?” (88).It was interesting that as 1 was reading this book for this review, theChristian Centuryxssue (June 17-24, 1998) arrived in the mail with its noticethat Gerd Liidemann, New Testament professor at the University of

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