In Matthew 10 and Luke 9 Jesus sent 12 disciples out to preach and heal in the villages of Israel. In Luke 10 Jesus did the same with 70 disciples which is probably a reference to the 70 elders of Israel during Moses' time.
Their orders were to go to Israelite cities, preach that the kindom of God had come, heal the sick and raise the dead. I have already mentioned that people in Israel believed that the kingdom was political in nature. Did his disciples believe they were announcing to Israel that the political kingdom of God was about to be established by the hands of Jesus? No doubt they and their audiences believed this to be true.
When the people of the villages heard the disciples proclaim the kingdom was approaching they heard followers of Jesus say that the end times foretold by the prophets was about to take place. It was a radically new day when Israel would be on top of the world again... just like it was when King David and King Solomon reigned, but even better.
Jesus' instructions to his disciples wandered off into persecution and family break up due to receiving the gospel. This may have confused the disciples at the time because they were expecting a physical kingdom to overtake the world. Perhaps they believed there would be bloody battles to be fought in order to establish the new kingdom.
Nothing in the Gospels so far suggest that Jesus was expecting the end / political kingdom to come. It seems that Jesus knew it was a spiritual kingdom even though nobody else understood this.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Historical Jesus and the Law of Moses
John the Baptist was more outspoken against political powers than Jesus, and it cost him his head. Jesus took a different approach for his ministry. He didn't concern himself with the Roman hierarchy. Instead he focused on those who were the protectors of the Jewish Law and the scriptures.
Jesus called them hypocrites that did not understand what was important in the scripture. Their focus was on keeping the Sabbath, avoiding things unclean and tithing. Jesus never wanted to destroy or replace the Law, rather he focused on different areas of the Law that had been neglected. The most important part of the Law for Jesus was not keeping the Sabbath, avoiding the unclean and tithing; the important matters of the Law for Jesus were mercy, faithfulness and justice.
The keepers of the Law in Jesus' time focused (in great detail) on what kinds of obedient actions would please or placate God. To them the Law was about God. Jesus sought to keep the same Law as the Religious keepers, but Jesus saw the Law through a different set of glasses. The center of the Law for Jesus was not actions for God alone, but actions that helped people - community, family, the weak and the poor. Helping people in and outside of one's community was the real key to pleasing God and keeping the Law.
The real Jesus did not concern himself much with Roman politics, rather he was deeply interested in the Law and the right way of interpreting it.
Jesus called them hypocrites that did not understand what was important in the scripture. Their focus was on keeping the Sabbath, avoiding things unclean and tithing. Jesus never wanted to destroy or replace the Law, rather he focused on different areas of the Law that had been neglected. The most important part of the Law for Jesus was not keeping the Sabbath, avoiding the unclean and tithing; the important matters of the Law for Jesus were mercy, faithfulness and justice.
The keepers of the Law in Jesus' time focused (in great detail) on what kinds of obedient actions would please or placate God. To them the Law was about God. Jesus sought to keep the same Law as the Religious keepers, but Jesus saw the Law through a different set of glasses. The center of the Law for Jesus was not actions for God alone, but actions that helped people - community, family, the weak and the poor. Helping people in and outside of one's community was the real key to pleasing God and keeping the Law.
The real Jesus did not concern himself much with Roman politics, rather he was deeply interested in the Law and the right way of interpreting it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rejection in One's Own Country
When Jesus came to his home town he could not do many miracles because so many people were so offended by him. It is a common experience for people to be rejected at their home town. When Kristina Agulera visited her high school prom the kids shunned her. When I was in Laguna Beach I asked a young local vendor about the kids on tv from her city. I asked her how the kids in her school felt about the tv stars and she said, "Everybody hates them." To be honest, I expected that answer. Generally, people do not like seeing equals getting further ahead in life than themselves. Its a matter of fairness.
Gore Vidal said, "Whenever a frien succeeds a little something in me dies."
Gore Vidal said, "Whenever a frien succeeds a little something in me dies."
Worry
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19).
Involvement in politics easily gets us entangled into the worries of this life, and desires for other things, and seeking after wealth. Although none of these things are bad in and of themselves, they do easily steal their way up to top priority in our lives. And once they are high priority, the word of God is choked out of life.
Having said that, I don't think Jesus meant this teachin to be set in the context of politics. I believe Jesus focused far more on wealth and the lack of it. And this passage along with the rest of his teachings focus far more on personal worry for the future and money.
Involvement in politics easily gets us entangled into the worries of this life, and desires for other things, and seeking after wealth. Although none of these things are bad in and of themselves, they do easily steal their way up to top priority in our lives. And once they are high priority, the word of God is choked out of life.
Having said that, I don't think Jesus meant this teachin to be set in the context of politics. I believe Jesus focused far more on wealth and the lack of it. And this passage along with the rest of his teachings focus far more on personal worry for the future and money.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Persecution
The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word (Mark 4:16-17).
Persectution arises when one group or person is threatened by another for any reason usually because of differences. In other words just being different creates anxiety in others. Its a pack mentality. Deep inside people want to get rid of that which does not conform. This is true more or less for every group.
Persecution is not only against Christians, it is equally against any group or individual that is different which includes Jews, Homosexuals, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, the handicapped, and anybody who is wet apart from the rest. All of these have faced persecutions. The smaller a group is the more that group will probably be persecuted.
If it seems like your own group faces more it is only because your group focuses on its own persecution more, neglecting / ignoring the persecution your own group has given to others.
When a persecuted group becomes powerful enough it persecutes others. So Protestant Christians have persecuted Jews, shared in the genocide of American Indians, attacked homosexuals, Catholics, Mormons, and more. But none of these groups are without their own guilt. Christians have been persectuted and are today in many countries especially where they are fewest in number.
Persecuting those who are different is a human phenomena that crosses all race, politics or belief systems. When Jesus mentioned that his people would face persectution that would turn people away from the faith, it was persecution of being different in a world that encouraged uniformity. Christianity was a small group of Jewish believers when it first started. It therefore met persecution from larger groups of Jewish people until Christianity became the new religion of the Roman empire. Then it fell into persecution from Rome and its allies.
Once Christianity became powerful enough it became persecutor of sub Christian groups attempting to present new or different teachings, and when Christianity became a state religion it focused itself against not only new Christian offshoots, but on established religions that were not powerful enough to defend themselves...such as the Jews.
This is all in history but downplayed in Christian ranks because groups protect their own histories as much as possible. After all history says something about who we are.
Having said this, let me emphasize...this is true for every group. The general rule is this: The less powerful groups or individuals are, the more they will be persecuted. The more powerful a group is, the more chances will be that the group will shun or persecute those who are different and less powerful. It is not only Christians who suffer persecution or dish it out. It is literally everywhere.
Persectution arises when one group or person is threatened by another for any reason usually because of differences. In other words just being different creates anxiety in others. Its a pack mentality. Deep inside people want to get rid of that which does not conform. This is true more or less for every group.
Persecution is not only against Christians, it is equally against any group or individual that is different which includes Jews, Homosexuals, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, the handicapped, and anybody who is wet apart from the rest. All of these have faced persecutions. The smaller a group is the more that group will probably be persecuted.
If it seems like your own group faces more it is only because your group focuses on its own persecution more, neglecting / ignoring the persecution your own group has given to others.
When a persecuted group becomes powerful enough it persecutes others. So Protestant Christians have persecuted Jews, shared in the genocide of American Indians, attacked homosexuals, Catholics, Mormons, and more. But none of these groups are without their own guilt. Christians have been persectuted and are today in many countries especially where they are fewest in number.
Persecuting those who are different is a human phenomena that crosses all race, politics or belief systems. When Jesus mentioned that his people would face persectution that would turn people away from the faith, it was persecution of being different in a world that encouraged uniformity. Christianity was a small group of Jewish believers when it first started. It therefore met persecution from larger groups of Jewish people until Christianity became the new religion of the Roman empire. Then it fell into persecution from Rome and its allies.
Once Christianity became powerful enough it became persecutor of sub Christian groups attempting to present new or different teachings, and when Christianity became a state religion it focused itself against not only new Christian offshoots, but on established religions that were not powerful enough to defend themselves...such as the Jews.
This is all in history but downplayed in Christian ranks because groups protect their own histories as much as possible. After all history says something about who we are.
Having said this, let me emphasize...this is true for every group. The general rule is this: The less powerful groups or individuals are, the more they will be persecuted. The more powerful a group is, the more chances will be that the group will shun or persecute those who are different and less powerful. It is not only Christians who suffer persecution or dish it out. It is literally everywhere.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)