Jesus the Koan

The letter to the Hebrews observes that “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through the son…through whom he created the universe…and who sustains all things by his mighty word.” The implication is that we no longer have to piece together what God is saying to us, because the entire message is contained in the life of Jesus. As Cynthia Bourgeault notes, Jesus affirmatively answers the question, “Is it possible to live on this planet with a generosity, abundance, fearlessness, and beauty that mirror the Divine Being itself?”

Even though Jesus is the clearest word that God has spoken to us, God’s ways are still a puzzle to us. As Mary discovered from the moment of Jesus’ conception, her son is a koan that must be pondered in the heart. A koan is a paradox we meditate upon to help us see in a new way. Just so, Jesus’ life is filled with paradoxes. Why did the one “who sustains all things by his mighty word” come to us as a helpless infant? How was he able to love and forgive his enemies? How is it that his death led to new life? We won’t find the answers to these questions through reasoning with the mind. As Saint-Exupéry explained, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

God spoke to us through the son, but the only way to receive the message is to see as Jesus sees, with the heart, which frees us to live as he did, with generosity, abundance, fearlessness, and beauty.