A Fresh Perspective - December 29, 2006
The Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) is very different than the Jesus we hear about in many popular versions of Christianity.
Jesus extended an "open table" welcoming tax collectors and "sinners" into full fellowship. "Sinners" was a semi-technical term for those who did not adhere to the Jewish purity laws; and "tax collectors" were a particularly despised group of sinners known for their greed and collaboration with the Roman authorities.
Jesus never talked about correct belief as the basis for going to heaven. In fact, Jesus didn't talk much about heaven at all; he talked about doing the will of God now and praying that the kingdom of God will come on earth.
His only creed was, "Love God with the totality of your being and love your neighbor (your sisters and brothers in the human family) as yourself."
Jesus summoned people to die to their ego-centered self and called them to follow him in the way of humility, self-surrender, and compassion for all people, especially the excluded and rejected ones.
He constantly challenged conventional ways of thinking. He taught his disciples not to judge or condemn anyone and admonished them to practice unlimited forgiveness. He prohibited any kind of retaliation or vengeance upon their "enemies" and commanded that they love them and pray for them. He spoke of God as "Abba," an intimate term denoting the love between parent and child.
He defined his ministry as one of proclaiming good news to the poor, giving sight to the blind, setting prisoners free, and liberating the oppressed. He said things like, "Blessed are the poor" and "Woe to the rich."
In a deliberate move he entered into the temple in Jerusalem and "cleaned house" in a forceful prophetic act as a protest against the exclusion and materialism of temple worship that took advantage of the disadvantaged.
He taught that God's kingdom was not about power or position or possessions, but the relinquishment of such for a life of sharing and serving.
Jesus told stories like that of "the Good Samaritan" which taught that true religion was not about having the right belief, but doing the right thing.
It's no surprise why the religious authorities wanted Jesus dead; and it's no surprise why we have morphed the radical Jesus whose life and teachings could transform this world into the kind of personal Savior who is only interested in getting people to heaven.
Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (www.ibcfrankfort.com); he welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net. Look for "A Fresh Perspective" every Friday.