As I make my way though the stories of Jesus's life, I am struck by the wide variety in
the stories. So far, I am all the way though Matthew, Mark, and Luke (as well as part of the way through John) and I am surprised at the wide variation in the Jesus narrative. Take the Birth of Jesus for instance. This event is covered only in two Gospels (Matthew and Luke), but that is about all these gospels have in common. For example, "where were Joseph and Mary from? Luke says Nazaeth and they went to Bethlehem to register for a Roman census and Jesus happened to be born while they were there, but Matthew has them living in a house in Bethlehem. And Jesus is two years old when the wise men visit him at their house. "* These kinds of little inconsistencies are consistent in the bible, from the conception to the resurrection. And while the resurrection happens in all four Gospels, the accounts of the events that follow vary wildly. All of these, that is, except for one important point. In all four narratives, it is the women who are first entrusted with the good news of Christ's resurrection. As the story goes, Mary Magdalene , Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb to anoint the body of Christ. What they found, shocked and terrified them. Instead of the darkness of death, they were met with an empty tomb and an angel explaining to them that the man they loved and followed was risen. These women were instructed to share this good news with the disciples in the first sharing of the good news. And what makes this story even more miraculous to me is the marginalized status women had in the time of Jesus. And yet, it is with these women that God entrusted this sacred mission. I am joyful that I worship a God who can use all kinds of people for his wonderful purposes. The God I worship is a God of the powerless of the oppressed. He loves all, and cares not for your status or your position in society; he calls to all regardless. And as you can imagine, the 12 disciples who had been there to witness all of Jesus's miracles and teachings , did not believe these women sent by God to share the good news. There are several takeaways that I find important and contemporary. The first is that this seems to me to be one of just many examples of scripture that support women's role in the priesthood. I grew up with a openly gay female priest, and I would listen to her impassioned sermons every Sunday growing up. She was a remarkable woman of true faith, and an inspiration on how to walk with Christ. God has used women for extremely important tasks throughout scripture, and it is a shame to me that there are denominations of Christianity that still deny this position to women who would like it. When reading these teachings, I am also reminded of the recent tension in our society. How different groups of people are reaching out and attempting to share how they feel in this great country. These people are trying to show us what it is like to be oppressed in this nation, and what it is like to be forgotten; a feeling I am sure that the Mary's knew well. I am able to imagine the frustration these women felt while trying to share a story they know as truth, and having it fall on deaf ears. To me, these verses challenge me to listen. To hear Gods truth from all places. From the pulpits, on the streets, in the classrooms, and even on the sidelines of football fields. It is my job to listen for God's own people crying out against injustice in this world, and recognize that I serve a god who uses all of creation to achieve his kingdom on earth. It was Gods will that these people pass along his good news, and may we all be so willing to answer the call. *http://www.cnjonlinehosting.com/historyandspirituality/2007/12/22/two-different-stories-of-jesus-birth/
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![]() There are many different way people in the world view Jesus. I would first argue that Jesus is perhaps the most famous person to ever live. The bible is the best selling book of all time, and it is impossible to overstate just how much the teachings of Jesus and Christian culture impact our western society. Christian culture seeps into every issue in our political world, our athletics, our national holidays, our pop culture figures, and (perhaps most importantly) the minds of most people in this world. Even for those who do not practice a faith, it is hard to go through ones day without hearing some reference to Jesus. There are Christian churches in most towns in America I believe you would be hard pressed to find a person who does not know someone in their lives who considers themselves a follower of Jesus. The reason I bring this up because it is important for us to try and separate who Jesus was as a person, teacher, and God's Christ from the popular societal viewpoints that so often define Jesus inside and outside the church. Some of these views, such as the warm cuddly Jesus who gives out hugs and rainbows, are scripturally inaccurate but feel good to think about in times of trail and difficulty in our own lives. Others view Jesus through their own political ideologies. I know I fall victim to this occasionally. It has always been a mystery why it is so mind-blowing to people when I tell them that I lean left because I am a Christian. I have have always felt that it is my Christian values that lead me to support social justice, peace, and unconditional love for all of God's creation. With that said, I recognize that others believe that Jesus better represents the values of the right, and it is sad to me that it seems that our culture has accepted Jesus as a figure specific to conservative America. However, the viewpoint that I have gained greater respect for in my readings in the last two weeks is Jesus the radical. The Jesus I see in scripture unapologetically changes not only an entire religion, but the entire world forever. The examples are endless, and reading the old testament has given me a whole new appreciation for the politics and history Jesus fought against every day when spreading the wisdom of God. Jesus changed fundamental teachings such as an eye for an eye. He changed the entire necessity for sacrifices to the lord and undermined an entire political and religious system in the process. He broke bread with outsiders and was unashamed of those who were sick or in sin. He led groups of many people (the bible says thousands would sometimes follow him to hear him preach) all with different agendas and goals. And in the end, he was executed as a political rebel and a danger to Rome. When I read the Old Testament, Jesus appears to me in a whole new light. This is a radical, God among us with instructions on how to treat each other that must have seemed insane at the time, and have lasted until the moment you are reading this and beyond. And whats crazy is that sometimes, these teachings seem crazy to me even now. But perhaps the life Jesus lived is yet another profound example of what human beings can do with the help of God. For when he is with you, what can stand against you? |
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