Been thinking about Jesus lately. He was a Jew wasn’t he? Pity that the Jews don’t like him much anymore. Some of us think that he was one of the finest gifts that Judaism gave to us. He must have been quite a guy. Really dropped some pearls of wisdom along the way. Seemed to be quite helpful to people in need also…
Came to a nasty end though. I guess he did step on a few toes. Criticizing those religious leaders and all. Funny how his prophetic role got him into trouble. Maybe it was he kind of went over the top with all those sort of hidden, secretive claims to divinity. That really gave the ruling classes, both Jews and Romans the perfect excuse to do him in.
Nasty ending though, that crucifixion. Horrible way to die – and he was so young. If only they would have just not killed him, he may have only been known as one of those wandering wisdom teachers in the region who also did some healings. It’s terrible what happens when a good young person dies tragically. Puts people into a frenzy. Incredible stories abound. Paul, smitten on the road to Damascus did a real job on him, elevating him up to the heavens.
And those Romans. Nasty lot weren’t they? If power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, what shall we say of them? They also got carried away with this divinity thing, claiming that their emperors were divine. That got them into conflict with Jesus and later with his followers.
Now getting back to the Jews again. They did have a great tradition of prophets whom they revered, even when they told them harsh things. What shall we say of Jesus – did he get a little too blunt at times? Yah, that really seemed to tick off some of the ruling classes – but that was hardly a reason to have him bumped off. It was not a cool thing for the Jews to do – kill their own prophets.
Yep, I guess we will have to admit it. The thing that really got Jesus in trouble were those intimations of divinity – or at least his calling God his father and all that kind of stuff, claiming to have been sent by You and being in such continual close contact – really now!
One thing I can’t quite figure out. Search the records as one may we can’t find him advocating any violent resistance to the ruling classes. The Jews after all were under occupation in their own homeland (which they, under Your guidance, had stolen from the earlier inhabitants). Any way, living under occupation, Jesus never got caught up in advocating armed revolt. Even at his trial, he was not tried for advocating armed rebellion, but apparently they got him on that divinity charge.
So strong was this peaceful focus that even his followers for quite a while refused to retaliate in violence as the Roman state began to persecute them. Why would this be? Is that divinity again, showing peaceful response even in the face of harsh repression?
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