INRI - This is the King of the Jews!

“And a superscription also was written over him in the letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”
Luke 23 : 38-43

The inscription on top of Jesus’ cross has evoked many interpretations and mysteries over the years. It is said that the inscription, which is considered normal for people who were sentenced to death by crucifixion at that time, was written by Pontius Pilate. It stands for ‘Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum’, which means “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews”. The inscription is meant to show the conviction of Jesus, the reason why he is crucified there. And the reason is clear: because He declared himself the king of the Jews.

And why is that act so wrong? After all, Jesus did meet with the real king of the Jews just hours before crucifixion – King Herod. He is in fact the real king of the Jews, isn’t he? Then why declaring himself as a King is such a sinful act that deserves crucifixion? That’s the whole point. Jesus was innocent. But in times where many innocent people are punished to death, why did this ‘felt’ so wrong for so many people? Remember, this is not the US – there is no human rights organization in Rome. These people are used to orgies, bathing themselves in blood because it is believed to make people look younger, they have slaves, whom they can slaughter or even torture without any conviction. So, another innocent person hangs on the cross – what’s the big deal?

Reading through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we have to realize that it is the teachings of Jesus that is emphasized. Very little is discussed or written about the ‘personal’ Jesus – how He lived, what He eats, what He does every day. If His travels are recorded, it is mainly because He performs a miracle or teaches there – so it is about teaching again. The debate about Jesus having a wife, a family, and even a bloodline, has gotten so intense and widespread, simply because we don’t even know if Jesus, or most of the disciples, have married or have their own families. The gospels then, are definitely not a biography. They do not describe the life of Jesus. Instead, they describe the teachings, thoughts, and groundbreaking ideas of Jesus Christ.

So when Jesus was crucified, it is not only His body which was crucified – it is more about His ideas. His ideas, that people should love God more than anything, and love each other as they love themselves. That Sabbath is made for men and not men for Sabbath. That God so loved the world, that He gives his only begotten Son to save it. The very ideas that sharply criticize and shakes the establishment at that time – the Pharisees, Jewish Religious Leaders – to the ground. Jesus always had an answer – to every testing questions, inquiries, traps, and riddles prompted by these people designed to embarrass Him. How would He respond to the ultimate trap – death by crucifixion?

This is why Jesus’ innocent death has touched many people deeply at that time. Because Jesus was always there for the people – the ordinary, weak, poor people who have been the subjects of the Jewish and Roman establishment. So when His ideas were crucified, it spells death also to the poor being happy, the weak being strong, the sinners being saved. The so-called ‘King’, is now hanging helplessly on a cross, bowing down to the power of the establishment, whereas the reluctant Roman Empire stood by and watch. The inscription, acting as a cynical referral to Jesus’ claim as a King, stood there arrogantly, even in three different languages, as if so that everyone in the whole world can read and understand what is written there. The establishment can feel secure now, their power is safe. Or is it?

The discussion between two convicts who were crucified together with Jesus reflects the minds of the ordinary people who follow Jesus. One, the skeptic, posed a bold question, asking Jesus to demonstrate His power as a real King and free Himself from the cross. The other one, the believer, understood that it was not Jesus as a person, but it is Jesus’ teachings, ideas, that matter. Therefore he said, Jesus was innocent, and yet He died for ordinary people. So he is the King! What He said is true! He understands this as he asks Jesus to remember him, when He comes to His Kingdom – which is of course, not of this world. And Jesus applauded him, saying that paradise is reserved for him: because he understood His teachings, His ideas. He understands Jesus’ visions. He understands the meaning of the cross.

Today, a cross has a very different meaning. A cross has been taken as a symbol of Christianity, now the world’s largest religion by number. Instead of symbolizing violent death and shame for evildoers, a cross has received a transformation, acting now as a symbol of peace and salvation. A red cross has even become an international symbol for act of mercy, which even in the most violent wars, an attack towards people bearing this mark will receive international condemnation. If Caiaphas and the establishment at that time are still alive today, they would be furious and ashamed of themselves. Their orchestrated mockery of the ‘King of Jews’, in a form of crucifixion, which is supposed to kill Jesus and his ideas once and for all, has turned against them. Jesus’ teachings did not died off like many others. It flourished, creating a new establishment, a world of much better human rights standards. A new religion, which is based on His very ideas: that the poor is helped, the weak is nurtured, and the sinners are forgiven. It has become, in the end, Jesus’ triumphant reply to their final and ultimate trap.

Kedoya, 22.11.2010

Percaya: Antara 'Trust' dan 'Belief'

“Apa saja yang kamu minta dan doakan, percayalah bahwa kamu telah menerimanya, maka hal itu akan diberikan kepadamu”
Markus 11:24

Percaya adalah kata sifat. Kepercayaan adalah kata benda. Percaya dalam bahasa Indonesia bisa memiliki dua padanan kata dalam bahasa Inggris, yakni ‘belief’ dan ‘trust’. Kedua kata ini hampir serupa, tetapi memiliki konotasi yang sedikit berbeda. Kata ‘trust’ lebih banyak memiliki konotasi teknis, ‘Trust’ misalnya adalah kata yang berarti sebuah bank atau korporasi. Dalam bisnis, kata ‘trust’ lebih banyak digunakan untuk menjelaskan kepercayaan yang timbul dalam sebuah relasi bisnis. Misalnya, ‘Earning the customer’s trust’, yang artinya mencapai atau mendapatkan kepercayaan pelanggan, atau ‘A name to be trusted’, yang artinya nama (produk) yang bisa dipercaya.

Kata ‘trust’ atau ‘vertrauen’ dalam bahasa Jerman, melukiskan suatu sifat percaya, tetapi yang bersifat imbal-balik. Kepercayaan pelanggan, misalnya, dapat diperoleh jika produsen tidak mengecewakan pelanggan, bukan? Begitu pula hubungan saling percaya antar relasi bisnis, yang bisa diperoleh dengan imbal balik. Kalau yang satu menipu atau tidak jujur, tidak akan terjadi ‘trust’ antara keduanya. Jadi, ‘trust’ hanya bisa diperoleh melalui hubungan imbal balik.

Kata ‘belief’, memiliki konotasi yang berbeda. Kata ini lebih sering digunakan untuk melukiskan hubungan antara manusia dengan Tuhan. Kata ini, ‘glaube’ dalam bahasa Jerman, memiliki konotasi yang lebih pribadi, lebih personal. Agama dalam bahasa Jerman disebut ‘Glaube’ saja, sementara dalam bahasa Inggris percaya Tuhan lebih sering disebut sebagai ‘belief in God’. Dalam hubungan antar manusia, kata ini juga bersifat lebih personal. Misalnya, beda antara ‘I believe you’ dan ‘I trust you’ memiliki konotasi yang amat berbeda. ‘I belief you’ artinya saya percaya apa yang kamu katakana atau lakukan. Sementara ‘I trust you’ memiliki imbal balik: bahwa saya percaya kamu akan melakukan sesuatu. ‘Trust’ bisa hilang jika yang bersangkutan tidak melakukan yang dijanjikan, sementara ‘belief’ lebih kepada percaya bahwa yang dikatakan atau dilakukan adalah benar.

Dalam bahasa Indonesia, karena hanya ada satu kata ‘percaya’, orang seringkali tidak bisa membedakan antara ‘belief’ dengan ‘trust’. Apalagi kalau menyangkut hubungan manusia dengan Tuhan, maka kita sering mencampur-adukkan bahwa selain kita percaya, kita juga ‘menuntut’ Tuhan melakukan sesuatu.. Seolah-olah Tuhan adalah partner bisnis kita, yang bisa kita percayai jika apa yang kita minta benar-benar terjadi. Padahal, Tuhan sudah mengirimkan AnakNya yang tunggal untuk menyelamatkan kita. RencanaNya lebih besar dari rencana kita. Apakah kita masih perlu bukti?

Lalu bagaimana dengan ayat yang menantang ini? Apa saja yang kita minta dan doakan, katanya, akan diberikan kepada kita, kalau kita percaya. Padahal, apakah ini mungkin? Mungkinkah kita berdoa pada Tuhan, meminta mobil BMW atau Mercedes, memohon supaya kita bisa menikah dengan Happy Salma, apakah itu akan terjadi? Tentu tidak – kecuali Anda adalah putra Raja Ubud, maka paling tidak yang terakhir bisa tercapai. Lalu apa maksudnya ayat ini, mengapa Tuhan Yesus begitu lantang mengucapkannya?

Percaya disini buat ‘trust’, tetapi lebih pada ‘belief’, seperti pada terjemahan bahasa Inggrisnya. Artinya, percaya yang berkonotasi lebih kepada percaya tanpa mengharapkan imbal balik. Percaya tanpa mengetahui, apakah pihak yang lainnya akan membalas. Percaya tanpa surat kontrak (‘trust’ dalam bisnis seringkali dikawal oleh selembar surat kontrak). Percaya, seperti kita percaya bahwa curhat sahabat kita adalah benar dan tidak bohong. Percaya, seperti kita percaya air mata ibu kita, atau air mata istri kita, adalah sungguhan dan bukan bohong. Inilah sikap yang menyertai sebagian besar mukjijat yang dilakukan oleh Tuhan Yesus: baik tentara romawi yang anaknya kemudian hidup kembali, atau wanita yang mengalami pendarahan. Percaya padahal belum kenal Tuhan Yesus, apalagi memegang surah kontrak. Percaya, padahal nampaknya sudah tidak ada harapan. Percaya, yang tidak hanya dalam pikiran, juga melainkan dalam sebuah sikap penyerahan diri. Bahwa partner kita, tidak akan mengecewakan kita. Bahwa Ia, setia!

Amin.