Church
The Pope’s book

A REAL
story
In his new volume, Benedict XVI focuses on the “Infancy Gospels,” examining their sources and exegesis, and showing us the reasonableness of the evangelical story, while encouraging our openness to an “exceptional fact.” He accompanies us in discovering the true face of Jesus, showing what it means to use reason in front of the Mystery.

by José Miguel García

“I have set out here, in dialogue with exegetes past and present, to interpret what Matthew and Luke say about Jesus’ infancy at the beginning of their Gospels.” Thus, in his foreward, Benedict XVI explains the method he chose for writing The Infancy Narratives, the third and shortest volume of his great work, Jesus of Nazareth. The Pope studies the stories of the infancy found in Chapters 2-4 of these canonical Gospels, as well as the genealogy and the Mystery of the person of Jesus set out in the first chapter, beginning with a reference to Pilate’s question, “Where are you from?” (Jn 19:9). This book is guided by the great concern that Benedict XVI shows in the premise of his first volume to reveal the true Jesus and to support Christians in their faith in Him: “My hope is that this short book, despite its limitations, will be able to help many people on their path toward and alongside Jesus,” (Foreword). Thus Benedict XVI writes for all of us, not just for the specialists in exegesis. His great concern is to bring the person of Jesus closer to the people of today, which should be the goal of all works of exegesis. As Fr. Marie-Joseph Le Guillou states, “Exegesis serves the Church, if it sets us before the Presence of Christ.” The scholar can provide this great service only if he or she truly loves the protagonist of these evangelical stories and lives a concrete and real relationship with Him. Without a doubt, the Pope is such a scholar: he lets himself be struck by the exceptionality of Jesus as witnessed in the Gospels and be fascinated by the imposing beauty of His Presence. In addition, he is capable of communicating his knowledge and discoveries in a brilliant and pleasant way, greatly facilitating the work of the reader. Benedict courageously faces the great questions raised by these first chapters of Matthew and Luke, which scholars have termed the “Infancy Gospels.”

More than the Midrash. Over the years, there has been a growing opinion among exegetes that these stories do not narrate real history. In publications of exegetical inquiry and in popular works and articles, one frequently finds the infancy narratives defined in terms of the “Haggadic Midrash,” thus claiming that these evangelical passages are simply a narrative interpretation of quotes or stories of the Old Testament that apply to Jesus, and therefore are legends invented to transmit a theological interpretation of Jesus. In these books and articles, it is not rare to read comments or explanations that cast doubt on the historicity of the virgin conception of Jesus, His birth in Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi from the east, and the slaughter of the innocents, or that simply take for granted that these are legends or mythical stories, with no attempt whatsoever to provide any proof or demonstration of this point of view. Very often, the Pope defends the historical value of these stories of the infancy of Jesus, as we see in these two quotes: “What Matthew and Luke set out to do, each in his own way, was not to tell ‘stories’ but to write history, real history that had actually happened, admittedly interpreted and understood in the context of the word of God. Hence the aim was not to produce an exhaustive account, but a record of what seemed important for the nascent faith community in the light of the word. The infancy narratives are interpreted history, condensed and written down in accordance with the interpretation” (Ch. 1). “The two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel devoted to the infancy narratives are not a meditation presented under the guise of stories, but the converse: Matthew is recounting real history, theologically thought through and interpreted, and thus he helps us to understand the mystery of Jesus more deeply” (Ch. 4).
Benedict XVI reaches this conclusion after examining the narration of events from a historical point of view and with the help of exegetical research, while keeping in mind the plausibility of the story. His way of reasoning is not only free from the prejudices of a certain kind of exegesis, but also uses a reason that is open, not reduced by stunted rationalism. In response to the question about the origin of these infancy stories, he indicates as sources the family traditions that were used by the evangelists to write them and states that the principal source for the Gospel of Luke was the mother of Jesus herself. He comments, “Naturally, modern ‘critical’ exegesis will tend to dismiss such connections as naïve. But why should there not have been a tradition of this kind, preserved in the most intimate circle and theologically elaborated at the same time? Why should Luke have invented the statement about Mary keeping the words and events in her heart, if there were no concrete grounds for saying so? Why should he have spoken of her ‘pondering’ over the words (Lk 2:19; cf. 1:29) if nothing was known of this?” (Ch. 1).
Certainly, given that Benedict XVI writes this book as a theologian and not as a magisterial authority, not all the interpretations offered will be accepted by other scholars. Some will be evaluated positively, and others will be rejected as inadequate or incomplete. However, it is undeniable that with the publication of this book, the author has done a great service for the community of believers by introducing them to knowledge of Jesus and showing them the reasonableness of faith and the certain foundations upon which it is based. His attention to the historical value of these stories and the weakness of certain positions considered definitive will prove useful for the academic world as well.
The episodes of the “Infancy Gospels” reveal the mystery of the person of Jesus, His divine nature. Without a doubt, one of the most explicit is the episode that closes the first two chapters of Luke, when Jesus is lost and then found in the Temple. Benedict XVI concludes his book by commenting on it briefly.
   The evangelist points out how perplexed Jesus’ parents were by His behavior, and the mysterious answer He gave His mother when she asked with pain, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Beginning with this scene, the Pope indicates the most suitable method for reading this passage and the rest of the Gospel that transmits the words and actions of Jesus: “Again and again, Jesus’ words exceed our rational powers. Again and again, they surpass our capacity to understand. The temptation to reduce them, to bend them to our own criteria, is understandable. Yet good exegesis requires of us the humility to leave intact this loftiness that so often overtaxes us, not to reduce Jesus’ sayings by asking to what extent we can take Him at His word. He takes us completely at our word. Believing means submitting to this loftiness and slowly growing into it.” (Epilogue).
Embracing the exceptionality of Jesus just as it is testified to in the Holy Scriptures and contemplating it with persistence enables us to make the journey of faith.