I do not hear ‘Jesus’ saying he likes everything about his adversaries. He has in mind good deeds, rather than fond feelings. I do not see ‘Jesus’ overlooking evil with a smile or folding his hands in passive resignation. Moral farsightedness, not cowardice, under gird his alternative to violent retaliation. I do not think ‘Jesus’ contradicts his insistence that justice is the measuring rod of human behavior. Victims of oppression, senseless injury, or exploitation have no cause to doubt his alignment or advocacy. Whip in hand, he drives away from the temple in Jerusalem those who have turned the house of prayer into a den of robbers.
I do see ‘Jesus’ charting a radical approach to a very healthy center – Be so centered on championing mercy, peace, and justice for others that you do not feel an insulting slap . . . that you are not deterred by the theft of your own property . . . that you overlook being forced to go an extra mile . . . that you do not keep a ledger of what you give . . . that you can risk being impoverished. He leaves no room for a spirit of retaliation or for seeking revenge. He instead insists on a much stronger self-image. He expects the tactic of restraint to take the victory out of violence. He stands against injustice without blurring the distinction between exploitation and the exploiter. He appeals to conscience in the midst of power politics. He is convinced an evil deed does not fully express who an offender is. He refuses to walk down the path of destructive self-promotion -- religious or secular.
Could the ‘Jesus’ I saw/see be the friend ‘the scrapheap Job’ expects, the friend who can remain meaningfully near as Job confesses he has forsaken “fear of the Almighty”? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so. Is his integrity suspect as is Job’s integrity? This ‘Jesus’ – I think not. Does he live for others out of the sheer goodness of heart? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so. Does he remain consistent with his values and vision to life’s end when his is an ignoble end? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so.
Could the ‘Jesus’ I saw/see fit as easily into our time as into his own? This ‘Jesus’ – I think not. Would he recoil from the diversities – e.g., ethnicities, gender, ages, religious traditions, academic interests, professional experiences, preferences in the arts, favorite authors, refreshing hobbies, defining moments, . . . -- among us today? This ‘Jesus’ -- I think not. Would he take an unassuming place among those who conspire to keep alive the vision of living humanely and with a resolute social conscience? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so.
I do see ‘Jesus’ charting a radical approach to a very healthy center – Be so centered on championing mercy, peace, and justice for others that you do not feel an insulting slap . . . that you are not deterred by the theft of your own property . . . that you overlook being forced to go an extra mile . . . that you do not keep a ledger of what you give . . . that you can risk being impoverished. He leaves no room for a spirit of retaliation or for seeking revenge. He instead insists on a much stronger self-image. He expects the tactic of restraint to take the victory out of violence. He stands against injustice without blurring the distinction between exploitation and the exploiter. He appeals to conscience in the midst of power politics. He is convinced an evil deed does not fully express who an offender is. He refuses to walk down the path of destructive self-promotion -- religious or secular.
Could the ‘Jesus’ I saw/see be the friend ‘the scrapheap Job’ expects, the friend who can remain meaningfully near as Job confesses he has forsaken “fear of the Almighty”? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so. Is his integrity suspect as is Job’s integrity? This ‘Jesus’ – I think not. Does he live for others out of the sheer goodness of heart? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so. Does he remain consistent with his values and vision to life’s end when his is an ignoble end? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so.
Could the ‘Jesus’ I saw/see fit as easily into our time as into his own? This ‘Jesus’ – I think not. Would he recoil from the diversities – e.g., ethnicities, gender, ages, religious traditions, academic interests, professional experiences, preferences in the arts, favorite authors, refreshing hobbies, defining moments, . . . -- among us today? This ‘Jesus’ -- I think not. Would he take an unassuming place among those who conspire to keep alive the vision of living humanely and with a resolute social conscience? This ‘Jesus’ – I think so.
