Yeshua's Primary Question - Part 3

In the Western canonical scriptures, stories and parables have been the better known vehicle for this second form of questioning. These stories have not had the "Alice in Wonderland" flavoring of their Zen cousins, but have still been quite effective in throwing the listener off balance and inaugurating an inner journey. Many examples of this type of questioning exist; for instance, two that have been helpful for me are: What neighborhood is this? (from Luke 10) and Do I have a right to this anger? (from Jonah 4).

Yet amongst the many examples in the Gospels, do Yeshua's teachings offer a primary koan, a tap root, apophatic question that substantiates his teachings, life, and message? This chief question, as with all koans, must not generate a cerebral-oriented, quick draw answer. Rather this question must be a thread that can be pulled endlessly; a thread whose unraveling actually unravels me, the questioner.

Yeshua's primary question, his central koan for me is "What love is this?" (John 3:16). In his recent comments about the future of Christianity, Rollie Stanich of the Integral Institute writes,

"What does Christianity bring to the table, to the great banquet of the world's religions? In a word: Love. The message is incorruptible and unmistakable... The heart of Christianity - its central moment - is the (Way of Embodied Love)."

Understanding this embodiment of love is challenging and controversial. To get a sense of this koan's profound depth of actualizing the Way of Embodied Love, some teasing out of its meaning is warranted.