Why I See Jesus as a Revolutionary Activist

Jesus holding his sheep

Many, if not most of us, were taught that Jesus Christ was a savior sent by God to free us from our sins. Sin, from what I have learned, is allowing our “hearts to harden” and we turn away from God. Harden hearts will move us away from God’s love, mercy, grace and purpose. Our egos (“me first, me only” philosophy) become the center of what we think, want and do.

This blog is not about the divinity of Jesus or if the Son of God came to die for our sins. As a Catholic it is my belief Jesus is our savior. That is my faith. I believe in it fervently. Nor is it a theological blog on the Bible. It is my personal view.

This blog is to offer a different view of how the words and actions that Jesus took were, not just a spiritual revolution, but a political and religious revolution against the institutions of that time.

Remember that Jesus took human form… the Word became man. In order to carry out God’s will he had to take part in all aspects of the human life. That included being part of a family, a faith community and, yes, even a part of the Roman Empire. To understand the political environment in that place and at that time.

When Jesus began his ministry, he spoke about the kingdom of God. Although many of the Jewish people waited for a warrior, ready to do battle and defeat the “enemy.” That’s not what happened.

That was not God’s purpose. (Don’t believe with 100% certainty that you know God’s mind. Actually, not even 10%.)

Jesus’s ministry had a few purposes, all with the idea of teaching the spiritual meaning of family. God’s family. Not one that excludes anyone but one which includes everyone.

This included all ethnic groups; those who were considered unclean due to illness and those who were ostracized for their digressions. Jesus was the Shepherd bringing home all the sheep’s of the Father’s kingdom.

How did Jesus do this?

1.     Religious Institutions:

Throughout his ministry Jesus:

• He healed the sick on the Sabbath.

• He condemned the high expectations that Pharisees placed on their people (Matthew 23:4).

• Jesus accused them of doing things that would bring attention to themselves (Matthew 23:5-7).

• -They neglected mercy, Justice and faithfulness (Mathew 23:23-24).

• He called the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for the were only concerned with external righteousness (Matthew 23:25-26).

2.     The Political Institution (Roman Empire)

Throughout his ministry Jesus:

• Talked/preached and drew large crowds. The Romans could see these large crowds as a threat to the rule of law.

• Jesus criticized Roman authorities (as he did the Jewish authorities).

• Jesus acknowledging, he was the son of God was “seen” as direct challenge to Roman rule.

• Jesus drove away the money changers from the temple. This may have been seen as a challenge to Roman rule.

• Jesus threatened the idea that political power and dominion was all powerful and could not be overcome.

These are just a few of examples from the New Testament of how protests…peaceful protests were expressed. For me these provide an explanation for and how The Way (of Christ) is also an expression for social justice.

Jesus came with humility and love

I think this is a good time to remind those who read this blog that the start of Jesus’s ministry - as an adult - was to start talking about the kingdom of God and to bring back the children of God into a heavenly (spiritual) family here on earth. He started by choosing the 12 apostles.

By teaching the power of love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, etc., Jesus gave his followers a superior way than that of “force and control.” This new way of thinking was a threat to the religious and political institutions of his time.

I believe we, (Catholics, Christians and non-Christians alike) are facing both religious and political forces that want to dominate and control us. They want to hinder our efforts to show mercy and compassion (food, safety, health, housing, etc.) from being shared and extended to those people who they, those who want to dominate, consider the “other.”

In the weeks/months to come we will continue to show how the Bible strongly supports social justice and the various areas and issues a person’s lives.

Millie Padilla