Tag Archives: Gerd Theissen

New Life

24 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Theology

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One more quote from The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen.

[Jesus] goes around in dubious company; with drunkards, prostitutes, cheats.  That’s not forbidden.  We have respect for anyone who brings a sinner back on the right way.  We know that God’s mercy is extended to those who fail. We rejoice over the conversion of those who are wicked. But he eats with them without making sure that they have turned from their previous ways of life.  He makes no demands on them.  he hopes that they will come to repent of their own accord! I call that carelessness.  Perhaps he helps some people in that way, but what sort of effect will it have on many others?  Won’t they ask why they have to strive to do good? If Jesus is right, God is already happy with me as I am.”

(pg. 101-2)

We like Jesus, but gosh, we don’t like his methods.  We humans have a natural theology that runs our lives.  It’s an “if…then” theology.  If I behave, then I will be rewarded.  The focus of if…then is ourselves.  You see this in the quote above.  It screams out with the word “but” in the middle of the passage.

This passage could have been taken from nearly any time period since Jesus walked the earth.  We’ve all heard such statements haven’t we?

Yet, Jesus goes right on eating with drunkards, prostitutes, and cheats.  very unseemly company.  Maybe Jesus knows something that we don’t.  Maybe Jesus knows that if we go in to an interaction with someone else full of judgement, we’ll never get anywhere with that person.  And why should a person like that change when we approach them in judgement.  We’ve already determined they are guilty, so what’s the point – do we really believe that change is possible?

But Jesus approaches these people differently – with open arms and with a meal.  He welcomes them, invites them to eat with him, to hear him.  He invites them to a new life.

That’s far different than saying – you better change or else.

New life.  It’s a chance for a fresh start, a new beginning.  That’s what Jesus offers the drunkard, prostitute, and cheat.  It’s also what he offers each one of us.  How will we respond?

Jesus’ politics

23 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Theology

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Yesterday I introduced you to The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen.  Here’s another snippet from the book.  It’s actually from the author writing to a friend who is reviewing his book, chapter by chapter.

Jesus expected radically changed political circumstances but did not expect that they would be brought about through political change. His aim was “political,” but it was to come about without politics.  God would realize this aim. And that meant that people were not to achieve this aim by treating others violently. Nor, however, were they to be completely passive.

(pg. 92)

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time you know that this paragraph caught my attention like a crazy man.  This may be, in my opinion, one of the best summations I have ever read on Jesus being political.

This is the separation between being political and being partisan.  Jesus was here to unfold the Kingdom of God, to bring out a new reality – a reality that has a new governance too.  He wasn’t here to do this through violence.  He wasn’t here to exchange one empire for another. He isn’t involved in our world to shift power between two faulty and failing political partisan forces who only care about power.

Jesus has a different aim.  And we are a part of it.  We participate in Jesus’ aim when we live out his call for us – to be peacemakers, to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute, to offer mercy, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, the visit the sick and imprisoned, to care for the widow and the orphan.  That’s Jesus’ political platform in a nutshell.

Now is the time…

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Politics, Society, Theology

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For one of my seminary classes, we are reading The Shadow of the Galilean, by Gerd Theissen.  It’s a fictional account of a man, Andreas, who lived during the same time as Jesus in Galilee.  Andreas has many things happen to him and in the course of his adventures, he comes across a range of people who all have various opinions about Jesus and his teachings.  In one such conversation, Andreas is talking with a friend of his who is a Zealot – someone committed to getting Rome out of Israel.  Here’s what Andreas’ friend had to say:

Without the pressure of force nothing will change in this land.  See how the Romans are more and more intent on incorporating our country into their empire. At first they still allowed us to be governed by our own rulers. Then they replaced our princes wiht the Herodians, who owed all their power to the Romans. Finally, in Judea and Samaria, they took over the government themselves.  They respected our religious traditions for twenty years.  But now they’re having pagan coins minted. They’re bringing effigies of the emperor to Jerusalem.  Step by step they’re blurring everything that separates us from other peoples.  Soon no one will be able to say, ‘Rulers are oppressing their peoples everywhere but mustn’t be like that among you.’ Rather, they’ll be saying, ‘The Romans rule everywhere as benefactors of the peoples. And it will be just the same for you.’ Then oppression will no longer be called oppression nor exploitation exploitation.  So now is the time for violent resistance. Now is not the time of Nehemiah.  Now is not the time for Jesus of Nazareth.”

(pg. 88)

The very end of the section is what caught my attention. “Now is the time for violent resistance. Now is not the time for Jesus of Nazareth.”

Sounds almost like it could have been said yesterday.  Then again, it is something that could have been said for most of human history.

We have this penchant towards violence to get our way.  Going the way of peace is never opportune.  There is never a good time to start walking the peaceful way.  We will always find a reason to fight.  Yet, hasn’t that path led to more violence in response?  Is that’s insane, yet we keep trying the path of violence. It’s crazy.

So, Christians, when is it the time of Jesus of Nazareth and his call to be peacemakers?   When is it time for us to love our enemies?  When is it time to pray for those who persecute others?  When is the time?

Now.  It starts with you and me.  Each one of us taking a step out in faith.  Will it be easy?  Nope.  It may even be extremely costly.  But that’s the call.  If the world is going to change, then it needs to start somewhere and with someone.  Why not you and I?

Now is the time.