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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October 2017
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