Front PagePolitics and Jesus
Submitted by BLG2319 on Tue, 03/15/2005 - 12:36.
I have always been told the two are not suppose to mix. I wonder if Jesus would have seen it that way.
N.T. Wright, a bilblical historian, says that Jesus was the leader of a politcal movement. He also says that first century culture did not divide political and religious issues into different categories. Jesus, according to Wright, was announcing a new way for people to be Israel. One in which the spirit of their faith would be observed in their hearts, not in an Earthly physical temple. The unjust rule of the Romans and the cold legalistic way Judaism was applied to everyday life probably held equal weight in his mind.
My point is, Jesus talks a lot about the injustice of poverty and the illegitimacy of the temple system. Was Jesus's message about "social justice" as it is called now? If social justice became the goal of the world would it be what Jesus asked us to pray for when he said "Thy kingdom come"? In other words, was Jesus trying to bring the love of God to Earth or was he talking about the Kingdom of God in heaven?
If Jesus was talking about bringing the rule of heaven to Earth, then would sin be something different than we have always pictured it as? Would sinning against God be more about not helping the poor and refusing to show compassion rather than not giving the bird to your fellow freeway drivers? Is God more interested in how we respond to the unwed mother than how the unwed mother disobeyed his rules?
I believe how you answer determines what God you serve.
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The Kingdom is at hand
Submitted by bill on Tue, 03/15/2005 - 15:35.
Brian,
I've often thought that when Jesus referred to the Kingdom at hand he might be saying: “the kingdom is right in front of you and you can make it happen by doing these things and by having these attitudes”. The beatitudes seem to describe such a blessed place. In fact, from your suggested perspective, the whole of Matthew 5 might be a howto for making heaven on earth.
bill
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Justice vs Love?
Submitted by rene on Tue, 03/15/2005 - 23:04.
Is God more interested in how we respond to the unwed mother than how the unwed mother disobeyed his rules?
Does one necessarily rule out the other?
The heart of God is love. A father gives his children both room and structure to grow. True loves says if you live in such a manner (contrary to the rules He laid down)you will bring harm on yourself and others. God is just and He is also compassionate, His sacrifice and earnest pleas throughout scripture testify to that, I really can’t see how one aspect could exist without the other.
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Does one necessarily rule out the other?
Submitted by BLG2319 on Wed, 03/16/2005 - 09:34.
I would say no, but the judgement made of the unwed mother is often times out of proportion, while the way we treat the mother is not seen as important. If it is, it is usually to say we were too forgiving. The lesson becomes how we should shun the mother because she misbehaved as opposed to how the people of God responded to a person in need. I think the lesson should be the latter rather than the former or at least more balanced.
I think that made sense.
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Both And
Submitted by Larry on Wed, 03/16/2005 - 21:34.
My take on this is similar to Rene's. The reign of God in my life should BOTH change me into a person more sensitive to the plight of the widows, orphans and imprisoned AND change me into a person who loves to follow Jesus's new standard of not just avoiding adultry, but also avoiding lust.
Like Brian, I think many "conservative" churches have stressed the reward of heaven to the exclusion of focusing on how God's reign can redeem this life. And many "liberal" churches have become so focused on today's social and political issues that they seem to have lost the Gospel.
I think Ephesians 4:11 describes a more healthy church family. Some are more gifted in caring for widows, while others are more gifted in acting like a prophet. Together we should be balanced; but alone (or if too many have the same talent) we are one-dimensional.
My next quesion is how did we get so one-dimensional, and even more importantly, how can we change into a more balanced, healthy relationship?
Larry
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New World Order
Brian
Good questions. I like how it opens the perspective up beyond religious wrangling over doctrinal differences. Yes, I do see doctrinal aspects of Jesus' teaching, but not really "Religion".
Yes, I see the kingdom as Jesus taught it being more about living than about a future state. Less about religion and more about every day life. In the case studies of the common man in the gospels, I see a distinct absence of religious instruction to those who have been healed, forgiven sins, etc -- Jesus more or less pronounces the cure and says "Go." No instructions to ask the Sanhedrin or the elders what to do, just do it -- go and live your life.
One might wonder, what is the big difference in a kingdom life and a future state? This may cause some uproar, but I read the development of the church with the instructive epistles of Paul to be more directed toward "religion" than living. What I mean is, the focus becomes more on "doing" rather than "being." We see the development even more so on into the following centuries and creeds that really got ironed out in Councils.
Is there more a sense of "God with us" if we steer clear of delineating all the rules of the church and its adherents?
reido