Talking through images...

Seonhwe Kim
Instructor: Dr. Ringe, Sharon H
BI 171B - Introduction To The New Testament: Gospels

Jesus: A Korean Immigrant Perspective

A. What I learned from class
For this semester, one thing that I learned the most important from the class that the Gospels demonstrate the integrity and diversity. The Gospels share the theme, which are Jesus’ ministries and teachings. In the core of theme, the authors of the Gospels describe what Kingdom of God is and who Jesus is. Although there is no original written source about Jesus, each author of the Gospels faithfully testifies Jesus. However, their testimonies are based on their unique contexts. Each Gospel writer reflects the context where the writer’s community is located in history, society and economic environments. The authors of the Gospels figure out what the problems of their communities are. Also, they attempt to solve their problems as a part of community. Therefore, the audiences of the Gospels are Churches or Christians in a particular situation.
B. Reflection on different view
    In the Global Bible Commentary, the five different authors from different contexts give me their perspectives on Jesus to help to develop my images of Jesus.
African, Asian, and Latin American shares colonized experience. When I read their article, I feel that I am reading the Synoptic Gospels. Since the unique context of each community, the point of each Gospel is different. However, the Synoptic Gospels simultaneously proclaim Jesus and the Kingdom of God. In the same way, each author from three continents proclaims Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Although three authors share many similarities on Christology, each author has unique description on Jesus, because the context each author is unique.
Orthodox theologian answers for call of theological issue on Jesus. When I read an Orthodox perspective on Jesus at first, I thought the author of the article did not care context. However, when I read again, the author’s context needs theological reflection on Jesus.  I learned that the Gospel of John has rich theological resources. However, it does not mean that the Gospel of John is not contextual text, because the author’s context and community of the Gospel of John needs theological reflection on Jesus. In the same way, if my context would be in the middle of theological controversy, my Christology paper would be filled with theological reflection.
An American perspective on Jesus is a warning for me. When I read this article at first, I thought the author wanted to change the images of Jesus. However, when I read again the article, it is warning for me. Through the article, I thought about why the Western world had the privileged images of Jesus. I think the Western Christology was shaped by the Western context. However, the images of Jesus in the Western are favored images for the Western world in order to justify their unjust deeds. This is a warning not only for me, but also for everyone who is articulating who Jesus is. Although today’s my reality is being oppressed, my reality can be changed in very soon.
C. Jesus: A Korean Immigrant Perspective
Actually, I do not have enough experience as a Korean immigrants because I has been in the United State as a foreign student for three years.  However, as a son of  Korean immigrant, when I observe my family and its community in Newport News in VA, I often feel my family as strangers living in a double marginalized context even though they have the U.S. citizenship. Perhaps, this environment is created by the Korean community dominated by the American culture.
Although the United States is the country, built by many immigrants, the American community, in my opinion, does not admit the Korean immigrants as a significant part of them. The Korean people in Korea don’t allow citizenship of the Korean immigrants. They consider the Korean immigrants as foreigners. Therefore, my reality is somewhere between American society and the Korean society, which makes me feel double marginalized by both communities.
From the study about the gospels, I learned about a context in which Jesus was active is similar to the context I have experienced. It’s multicultural and multilingual. In Jesus’ time, Galileans might feel marginalized in between the Jewish culture and the Roman culture. Many Galileans must be challenged living in a community with several languages and dialects. Some speak Aramaic, some Greek, and others Latin. As if my life in the US within multilingual with English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Italians, etc.
Both contexts share similar structure of conflicts as well. Superficially, the ordinary Galileans have conflicts with the privileged classes, such as Romans, Herodians, and priestly groups. Internally, however, the lives of the oppressed make Galileans in conflicts in Jesus’ days.  
Likewise, the Korean immigrants have conflicts with other majorities in the American society, such as Caucasian, African-American, or Hispanic community. Internally, there are huge economic and social gaps among the Korean immigrants. Regionalism is the other serious issue among the Korean immigrants, which is long-time issue between people from south-eastern and south-western region of South Korea.  
As a Korean immigrant, I understand Jesus as the comforter, liberator, and reconciler. First, Jesus is a Comforter for those who are marginalized. As Jesus encountered the marginalized people, like tax collectors (Matthew 10:3), prostitutes (Matthew 21:31), sinners (Matthew 11:19), and a Samaritan woman (John 4:7-9) in the Gospels. The story about the Comforter Jesus is culminated in Luke’s episode on Zacchaeus (Luke 19). Jesus wants to stay, to eat, and to declare salvation with him.
Jesus, Comforter, even chooses to be marginalized for the marginalized people. It refers to incarnation of God in Jesus (John 1). Paul’s Christ hymn praises the mighty act of God in Jesus in his humiliation (Philippians 2:5-8). By being humiliated, I believe, Jesus comforts those who are in troubles.  For today’s Korean immigrants this image of Jesus is powerfully appealing.
Secondly, I see Jesus as a Liberator. He sets the oppressed free. It is about justice of God. In his gospel, Luke makes sure that Jesus proclaims the Reign of God through the reading of Isaiah 61 at a synagogue (Luke 4:14-21). Through the proclamation, Jesus he wants all human being to be from pains and suffering as well as ill-treatment and hardship. The Gospel of Mark also testifies Jesus, who gives a message of judgment against oppressors. He denounces Scribes and Pharisees. These are good examples.
I believe that Jesus Liberator brings the Korean immigrant to joy of salvation. Jesus is the One who bring an end of some Korean immigrants, working ill-conditioned working environments of from racially discriminated circumstances. Jesus helps the Korean immigrants to overcome the spiritual force of oppression, under which they might be struggled.
Finally, Jesus is a Reconciler. All gospel writers don’t use the word ‘reconciliation.’ They tell us about the reconciling stories of the life and ministries of Jesus. God sent Jesus to be a reconciler between God and us in order to save all those who believe in him. Incarnation can be understood as a divine marginalization. God is marginalized to reconcile humans to God.
Especially in Luke, Jesus’ divine marginalization demonstrates his reconciling mercy through the act of forgiveness. A concluding statement at Luke’s Sermon on the Plain is striking. “Be merciful, just as your Father merciful”(Luke 8:36 NRSV). Jesus wants his followers to be merciful enough to forgive one another, even to those who hate. The episodes on forgiveness at the crucifixion at Calvary are powerful. Jesus forgives a criminal (Luke 23:39-43 NRSV) and even the Roman soldiers who crucified him, by saying, “Lord, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing”(Luke 23:34 NIV).
In closing, I believe that God loves so much the Korean immigrants, so that any Korean immigrant believe in Jesus as their personal Savior may not perish but have eternal life (cf. John 3:16). The blessing of Emmanuel, God-with-us is with the Korean immigrants. The same Jesus who encourages people in their own context continues to be with the Korean immigrants as a Comforter, Liberator, and Reconciler. As a Comforter, Jesus wipes out tears of many Korean immigrants who are wrestling for their life security. As a Liberator, Jesus helps the Korean immigrants to discover a way out, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).” As a Reconciler, Jesus helps the Korean immigrants have everything in common, live together (Acts 2:42), bear one another’s burden to fulfill the work of the Lord (Galatians 6:2). From this powerful image of Jesus I always feel excited about the vision of God’s Kingdom in which I am.