#47149
andrew
Member

Yes, I do suppose that the single mediator who formulates Jesus’ desires at every turn is the one he calls Abba (and the creed calls Father almighty maker of heaven and earth).

And, yes, it is certainly worth pointing out that Jesus is never indifferent to the crowds—even if he is impervious to what Andrew Marr calls their “mimetic resonance”. Working within the triangle of mimetic desire: if the Father is always his model, then the Son’s object of desire is always his neighbors. That focus is never altered. I’m reminded of Matthew 14. Jesus receives the news of John the Baptist’s gruesome death, and he sets out on a boat to find a place to be alone. Yet a persistent crowd tracks him down and calls for his attention no sooner than he comes ashore. He has compassion on them and their suffering—as opposed to demanding that they reorient themselves around his suffering at losing a dear cousin in such a horrible fashion. He heals their sick and feeds a multitude before he affords himself the opportunity to pray in solitude.