September 16, 2002  

JESUS THE REVOLUTIONARY

Jesus' brief touch-down on earth created ripples that strongly affect the world 2000 years later. Theologians, historians, philosophers, poets and just plain common folk, have been describing him in a variety of ways since his brief stay with us. Some of the most common portrayals are:
* Jesus the Son of God – Emphasizing his miracle- working, divine power.
* Jesus the Savior – Focusing on his sacrificial death on the cross.
* Jesus the Example – Asking in daily decisions "What Would Jesus Do?"
* Jesus the Teacher – Respecting the great wisdom of his proverbs and parables.
* Jesus the Friend – Being comforted by his approachability through prayer.
* Jesus the Judge – Living with the realization that he is always watching.

Though all of these are aspects of his ministry, none of them fully describe who Jesus is. We must look at him from all these perspectives to appreciate him and his salvation. An exclusive emphasis on one over the others can lead to heresy or misguided action in his name.

"Jesus the Revolutionary" is a title given to him by some modern historians, in an attempt to show his relevance to current and political social struggles. This has a great deal of appeal, because it gets across the reality that in Jesus something earth-shaking happened, something that changed the course of history. The various human institutions—government, society, religion, family—cannot encounter Jesus without being radically changed.

But what's puzzling about this is that Jesus didn't act like a revolutionary. He never wavered from his identification with the poor and his criticism of those whose greed kept them poor. Yet, far from starting a class revolt, he said in response to Judas' feigned concern, "You always have the poor with you" (Mark 14:7).

Jesus affirmed women as equals, but we have no record that he confronted the patriarchal system that kept them second-class citizens. He showed extreme sensitivity to children, encouraging them to come freely to him, but he apparently didn't advocate laws against child labor or abuse.

It's clear that Jesus' sensitivity to human needs was directly counter to the oppressive Roman government imposed on his country. Yet, he responded to a question about paying taxes with words that have become famous: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21). If a tax-revolt was not part of his "revolution," then certainly armed rebellion was not on his agenda.

Possibly the most revolutionary act identified with Jesus was his angry "cleansing of the Temple," as he drove out the money-changers by physically attacking them (Mark 11:15-17). But there are many other indications that Jesus loved and respected the Temple, faithfully participating in time-honored celebrations and rituals. It was one particular abuse Jesus was reacting against.

But it is on the subject of the Temple that we may discover in what sense Jesus was a revolutionary. The ideals he taught were clearly dramatic, even radical. But his strategy for revolution was certainly different from those we observe from a study of human history.

At his trial, Jesus was accused of threatening to destroy the Temple, clearly a terrorist act. The false witnesses were very clever in how they worded this: "We have heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands'" (Mark 14:58). He had indeed said this, but his intended meaning, explained by the Gospel-writer John, was that "he was speaking of the temple of his body" (John 2:19). Thinking only of traditional revolutionaries, they could not see his deeper meaning.

The religious leadership of Israel, like the government imposed from Rome, was a human institution. Jesus did not propose to tear down one human institution just to replace it with another. He offered a greater revolution—the Kingdom of God on earth. And it would not come with chariots and swords, but through his "body" which would be torn down and miraculously restored three days later in his Resurrection. He would become the First Citizen of the new revolutionary order—the Kingdom of God on earth!

This was his solution to all the other injustices he encountered as well—the dignity of women, the respect for children's rights, the overthrow of repressive governments, the emancipation of slaves, the elimination of poverty. He did not offer a typical revolution, which might lead to a 10% or 20% improvement toward the ideal. He offered, without compromise, the Kingdom of God, where government is just, people are fair and moral, love is the dominant atmosphere, and everyone reaches their full potential of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Jesus offered all this in himself. When he said "The Kingdom of God has come near," (Luke 21:31) he meant, "I have come near." That's why people were healed, relationships were renewed, and hope was restored—because he was there.

True believers in him are transformed persons. They still walk in this world, but they are living in God's Kingdom. This is because Jesus lives in them, through his Holy Spirit. And when transformed persons get together, they become a transformed community, because "where two or three are together in my name, I am in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Such gatherings are a piece of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Christians are revolutionaries in the same way as Jesus was. They don't carry swords, or win battles by intimidation. They don't tear down temples or overthrow governments. They are the revolution! In them, the Kingdom of God has drawn near, and through them the power of the Kingdom is released to address the needs of people and change the forces that create these needs.

If all the believers in the world understood and lived up to this reality, nothing could stop the Revolution!

–Pastor George VanAlstine