A Mending Shift

a bird sings, not because if has an answer to give, but because it has a song to sing … this is my song

Attic Blog: Jesus Was a Heretic

passion

The moment in our history finally came when God decided to step into humanity in a physical, human way. The fancy word for God doing this is incarnation. God, in their truth and love, took on flesh and name Jesus … and shortly after God did, God became a heretic.

A heretic (according to Encarta) is a holder or adherent of an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious teaching, or somebody whose opinions, beliefs, or theories are considered by others to be extremely unconventional or unorthodox.

Jesus was clearly a heretic, given this definition. In fact, from an earthly vantage point, this was the precise reason he was mocked, slaughtered and killed. His teachings and practices fell well outside of the established and orthodox religious teachings and practices of the Jewish culture of his time. Others, namely those in power of the religious establishment, considered his teachings and practices to be extremely unconventional and unorthodox. So much so that early into his public ministry they began to try to find ways in which they could convict and kill him. Mark barely gets into chapter 3 of his gospel before “…the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Jesus was just getting started and they began talking about killing him!! KILLING him!! That’s bad. Clearly heretical.

Here is why Jesus was a heretic, at least according to his surrounding religious culture. (Note: I am not going to site chapter and verse. To do so would rob you the opportunity to read the gospels [Mark is a good starting place] for self-discovery).

  • Jesus broke the Sabbath and other religious rules (in fact, he even declared himself the Lord of the Sabbath).
  • Jesus declared he was the Messiah and then, to make matters worse, God himself (not a smart thing to say in the presence of devout Jews).
  • Jesus publicly forgave sins (something only Yahweh could do, not a carpenter ).
  • Jesus associated and ate with unclean people and sinners (he might have even eaten non-kosher food…maybe even meat sacrificed to idols!).
  • Jesus was labeled a glutton and drunk (you have to eat and drink a lot to get labeled that).
  • Jesus attacked the religious establishment, and those leading it, both verbally and physically (keep in mind he only physically attacked the temple).
  • Jesus talked to Gentiles (who are the equivalent to non-Christians for us today) and accepted their worship (not good).
  • Jesus said the Temple, the heart of the establishment, would be destroyed (do’h).
  • Jesus healed and cast demons out of people indiscriminately (they even said his powers were from Satan).

Now every single one of these things that he did (and I am sure there are more than what I listed or were even recorded in the Bible) were horrendously appalling and heretical to those who claimed God’s name; to those who benefited from the religious system; to those who clearly knew what the Law said and were scholars of his word. This fact is why they killed him: he was clearly outside of God’s ways and was threatening everything sacred and true—so they believed.

Sadly, I don’t think religion has changed much over the past 2,000 years. We call Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, and Rob Bell heretics (and others, depending on the tradition/denomination)? Yet they have nothing on Jesus! Jesus would be much too radical and unconventional for Christendom’s taste. (What would a homeless carpenter from Snelling with a rag-tag group of followers know anyway?…and under whose authority would he do these things?…and how could he dare say he forgives sins?… and then he has the gall to attack those who claim his name and bless those who don’t?….and…and…and…).

I honestly wonder: If Jesus were to step into our world of Christianity today in the same way he stepped into first-century Israel, would our religious establishment call him Lord or Heretic? Would they praise or kill him? Would they follow or fight him? Sadly—and I mean it…my heart groans—I think, for some (perhaps most if we were really honest), the later would be the case.

What would I do with the same incarnate Jesus? What would I call him? How would I treat him? What would you do?

Tags: , , , , , , , ,


This entry was posted by on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 4:27 pm and is filed under Bible, Christianity, faith, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, theology, truth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About The Author

Jeromy Johnson
I live in Folsom, CA, with my wife, Jennifer, and three kids. I am surrounded by and cared for deeply by some great friends. Their love for me is truly a moonlit reflection of Papa's love, and for that, I am deeply blessed and grateful.

Comments

  • http://mark-main.livejournal.com Mark

    I think you are absolutely correct. I really think if Jesus himself were to start walking our streets the majority of those that call themselves Christian would declare him the Antichrist.

  • http://unorthodoxology.blogspot.com David Henson

    I think you are right that most folks would fight tooth and nail against a reincarnation of Jesus. Probably because he would be a female migrant farmworker who hobo'd around while preaching liberation of the poor and the oppressed from the gatekeepers of money, power and religion.

    I read an interesting book recently that had some different spins on your bullet points, though. It made an interesting point that it is rare (if ever) that Jesus forgives sins. He says it passively, “You're sins are forgiven,” in the language of a priest conferring divine forgiveness rather than a deity actively forgiving sins. In this light, not only is Jesus acting as a conduit of God's forgiveness and love, but he is also removing the priestly act of forgiveness out of the corrupted temple that required usurious payments on the poor to be forgiven.

    Indeed, I think our religious leaders would have a BIG problem with this!!!

  • derek

    David– again, very true.

    Although I doubt that, If Jesus came today, he would even be recognized by the religious establishment, let alone be labeled such a threat that they would try to have him killed. I think he'd simply be ignored by the majority, trivialized by the hierarchy and the small, marginalized minority that would hear and believe simply don't have a voice or an amplifier loud enough (TV, Radio, Newspapers) to get the word out.

    Also, globally speaking, I doubt he'd show up in the states. and that alone is enough to make sure no one here will ever hear about him here. He'd be a poor, migrant farmworker in Colombia, or born into a herdsman tribe in Uganda. As little as we hear about the poor and homeless from within our country, we never hear about them from third world countries.

«     »