Judging Jesus
The Jewish leaders who conducted the first trial of Jesus were frightened men. They thought their way of worship, their leadership, their livelihood and national security were all threatened by Jesus because he made himself equal to God and said that there was a kingdom of God.
These men worshiped the same God that Jesus worshiped. The situation became uncomfortable for them when their mental picture of God was not big enough to accept the picture Jesus was presenting. This discomfort frightened the priests so much that they tried to extinguish the source. The source was Jesus who had declared himself to be: the truth about God, the way to God, and the light from God. Kill him they did, but the light from God had come into the world and all their self-induced darkness could not put out that light
The faith these frightened priests possessed was the faith that true worshippers of God throughout time and place possess:
There is only one God.
We should worship him and nothing else.
God requires us to do justice, love mercy and behave humbly.
God is supreme.
God’s attitude towards humanity is loving and caring.
We understand God in human terms because he is person. But when we try to limit him to be similar to humans we loose him. The name of Jesus, ‘God With Us’ how can that be when God exists is spirit? Jesus was crucified, how can that be when God is supreme above all human power? The answer is that God the Supreme, God the Great, became human and suffered as people suffer, for us and for our sakes. We cannot fit it into our mental concepts, but why do we imagine that human minds can encompass the whole nature of God?
This relationship is initiated by the divine and we cannot behave as though it was our good idea. It would appear that every time our understanding of God’s nature causes us to return to pure faith, without the distortions of self-love a struggle erupts. Jesus expected this; he referred to it as defeating the devil and overcoming the world.
Before we defeat the devil and overcome (the evil of) the world we each have to deal with our fear. We are afraid of how expanding our mental concept of God would affect our relationships and behavior. We are afraid that if we examine our religious behavior and cut away the parts that are motivated by self-love we may have to make sacrifices. Like the Jewish leaders we are afraid. We need a hand stretched toward us, a leader to guide us, a friend to encourage us.
We need God-With-Us.
The Gospel of John chapter 18, verses 2 – 27
Is there a god beside me? Isaiah chapter 44 verse 8
The Man at thy right hand: Psalm 80 verse 17
My Lord says to My Lord: Psalm 110 verse 1
These men worshiped the same God that Jesus worshiped. The situation became uncomfortable for them when their mental picture of God was not big enough to accept the picture Jesus was presenting. This discomfort frightened the priests so much that they tried to extinguish the source. The source was Jesus who had declared himself to be: the truth about God, the way to God, and the light from God. Kill him they did, but the light from God had come into the world and all their self-induced darkness could not put out that light
The faith these frightened priests possessed was the faith that true worshippers of God throughout time and place possess:
There is only one God.
We should worship him and nothing else.
God requires us to do justice, love mercy and behave humbly.
God is supreme.
God’s attitude towards humanity is loving and caring.
We understand God in human terms because he is person. But when we try to limit him to be similar to humans we loose him. The name of Jesus, ‘God With Us’ how can that be when God exists is spirit? Jesus was crucified, how can that be when God is supreme above all human power? The answer is that God the Supreme, God the Great, became human and suffered as people suffer, for us and for our sakes. We cannot fit it into our mental concepts, but why do we imagine that human minds can encompass the whole nature of God?
This relationship is initiated by the divine and we cannot behave as though it was our good idea. It would appear that every time our understanding of God’s nature causes us to return to pure faith, without the distortions of self-love a struggle erupts. Jesus expected this; he referred to it as defeating the devil and overcoming the world.
Before we defeat the devil and overcome (the evil of) the world we each have to deal with our fear. We are afraid of how expanding our mental concept of God would affect our relationships and behavior. We are afraid that if we examine our religious behavior and cut away the parts that are motivated by self-love we may have to make sacrifices. Like the Jewish leaders we are afraid. We need a hand stretched toward us, a leader to guide us, a friend to encourage us.
We need God-With-Us.
The Gospel of John chapter 18, verses 2 – 27
Is there a god beside me? Isaiah chapter 44 verse 8
The Man at thy right hand: Psalm 80 verse 17
My Lord says to My Lord: Psalm 110 verse 1
posted by Jessie Coates at 4:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home