Jesus and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Matthew 24 is not one of the happiest or heartwarming passages of the New Testament. Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem which would come to pass in the year 70 AD. It is a horrific tale of death, starvation, and pain. It is a warning to what will come to Jerusalem as a result of the rejection of the peaceful and redemptive message of Jesus.
When we read of Jesus’ telling of the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, it is hard to see the emotions. This is one of the problems with just reading a text. It could almost sound vindictive, and it often has been interpreted that way. However, giving the character of Jesus, I believe his words were ones of sorrow rather than revenge. The destruction of Jerusalem was not inevitable. The foolish revolution of the Jewish people did not have to occur. Jesus longed for them to follow his story of redemption and way of peace, but they would have none of it. I can see Jesus with tears in his eyes telling them what the ultimate consequences of violence and war are.

WWJD Bracelets, Bumper Stickers, and Justice

In the 1990s, there was a big fad to wear the What Would Jesus Do? braclets. On one hand, it was probably started with very sincere intentions-to make people constantly aware of keeping the ideas and message of Jesus in their daily conduct and lives. However, it soon turned into a way to show your Christianity to the world-to stand for your faith, or maybe to show just how committed or religious you were. The Pharisees of Jesus day had some similar customs. They would take the most extreme and radical interpretations of the law of Moses and wear broad “phylacteries” which were essential little boxes on the chest that would contain the Hebrew scriptures. They also went beyond the law of Moses and wore “outside tassels” to show that they were not only complying with the law, but going above and beyond in that pursuit. Jesus almost mocks them for this outward display of religious piety in Matthew 23. Jesus was not interested in them dressing religiously, but actually living out the justice of God.

Just as Jesus was not impressed with the religious “dress” and outward piety of the Pharisees, it is hard to imagine that he is too impressed with us sharing the “I love Jesus” link on Facebook or putting a fish on the back of our car. He is certainly not impressed with a cross hanging around our neck. What if Christians instead were known for their simplicity in their housing, dress, transportation? That what set Christians apart was not a bumper sticker but an extreme generosity, desire for justice, and an identification with the poor and oppressed. Ultimately, our Christianity may be more on display but what car we drive or house we live in than with what t-shirt or bumper sticker we have. Oh the irony of putting a cross or symbol of Jesus on our extravagance.

The Heavy Burden: Tithes, Preachers, and Greed

In Matthew 23, when Jesus tells the Pharisees that they were putting heavy burdens on the people without lifting a finger to help, he was talking about the religious laws and regulations, and those laws often had to do with finances, tithing, etc. Jesus talks about how the Pharisees were meticulous in their tithing, but had forgotten the greater themes of justice. This is of great relevance to us today as well.

TV preachers and mega churches preach tithing to the local or maybe “virtual” church. Here is the problem-this is not taught by Jesus. Now, Jesus and Paul talk constantly about wealth, generosity, and giving-especially to the needy. If your local congregation is participating in this, it can be a great venue in which to give. However, the whole idea of the “tithe” is as one author put it “good news for the rich and bad news for the poor.” Now 10% is a great place to start, and hopefully we can move far beyond that, but the current set up leaves churches with multi million dollar facilities while people are starving and homeless outside their doors is not the path of Jesus. The giving of money should always lead to more societal justice, not widen the injustice. The Pharisees of Jesus day would have worried about the next extravagant building project, while Jesus was identifying with the poor and outcast.

The Heavy Burdens of the Pharisees and Greedy

In Matthew 23, when Jesus criticizes the Pharisees he says that they “tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” In this context, he was primarily talking about the religious and moral burden that the Pharisees were putting on the people, but throughout the Gospels Jesus also talks about the financial and structural burden that the Pharisees were responsible for. They wanted so much religiously and financially from the people, while demanding so little from themselves.

How in our modern society are we being like the Pharisees who put “heavy burdens” on people without being willing to “lift a finger” to help? We tell people if they would just work harder….if they would just have come here legally…if they just would have had fewer children…if they would have just saved more for retirement…if they had just found employment with insurance…if they were just more educated. Ultimately, if they had just been in born in our position of privilege. In Jesus day, like today, the wealthy and powerful are great at lecturing the powerless, but often do little in the way of actual help.

Making Children of Hell

In Matthew 23, when calling out the religious leaders, Jesus almost seems to mock them by saying that they “travel over land and sea” to make a convert that becomes “twice as much a child of hell” as they are. They are making people more pious and religious, but actually they are making them worst. They would have been better off non-believers than adopting the twisted religious system of the Pharisees. Their religious conversion instead of being their greatest moment of deliverance was actually the greatest failure.

Have you ever known anyone who become more unbearable and even hateful after becoming more pious or religious? If so, it is easy to understand Jesus’ remark to the religious leaders of them “creating children of hell.” We need to look at our priorities in society. Do we really want to create a more religious society? Sure, our nation use to be more religious-while we were also enslaving Africans and wiping out the Native Americans. With all the faults of our modern secular society, are we perhaps getting a little closer to the ideals of Jesus than our more theocratic past? Maybe our goal shouldn’t be to make people more religious, but to help people turn into lovers-lovers of God and others. To fall in love with the radical, beautiful message of Jesus.

Equality and the Message of Jesus

In Matthew 24, Jesus is going after the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who have themselves up as a type of ruling class amongst the people. For them, it may not have seemed problematic at all to set up a hierarchical system. In fact, they would probably use the Hebrew scriptures to justify such an arrangement. However, the Pharisees, just like most groups with great levels of power, began using that power not to help out the people but to elevate themselves.

Jesus does not just call out the Pharisees as hypocritical leaders, he undermines the whole hierarchical structure of “ultimate leaders” and “followers.” He tells his followers to not call anyone “father.” In the Christian faith, there is ultimate equality. Now, most Christians would intellectually assent to this, but in an age of celebrity preachers, TV evangelists, and controlling leaders do we actually believe it? More than almost religious faith, Jesus undermines the hierarchy and pride of the powerful and calls his people to a radical equality with one’s fellow man.

The “Law” No One Can Enforce

In Matthew 22, when the religious leaders come to Jesus and try to trip him up by asking him what they think is a shrewd question that will stump Jesus, Jesus once again turns the table on their simplistic thinking. They ask him what he believes is the most important commandment. Without hesitating, he tells them that the first is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and secondly to love your neighbor as yourself. It is hard to know what the religious leaders were expecting. Perhaps, they were looking for something such as, thou shalt not commit adultery, do not make graven images, or do not bear false witness. However, Jesus gives them an ethic rather than a law or rule.

When Jesus states that the most important commandment is to love God and love your neighbor, it is taking the level of commitment and devotion to the next level. It is fairly easy to avoid stealing, bearing false witness, and refusing to make graven images. It is more difficult to turn your heart to true love for God and one’s neighbor. The religious leaders of Jesus day wanted him to give them the most important “rule.” Jesus wanted to lay down a new ethical system that would completely uproot the law code while also calling for a deeper and more profound level of values and commitment.

Taxes, Zealots, and Followers of Herod

In Matthew 22, the story is told of Jesus being asked a very tricky question regarding paying taxes to the Romans. It was a sabotage situation where two groups, both the ultra religious Pharisees and the followers of Herod, who were trying to trip Jesus up. On one side were those who wanted Jesus to call for direct rebellion against the Roman system of taxation and the idolatry which it encompassed. On the other hand, there were those on the side of the Romans who wanted Jesus to put the Jewish zealots in line. They presented Jesus with an A or B equation, is it right/lawful to pay taxes to Rome or not? However, Jesus answers with C.

Jesus would not easily fall into the camp of the zealots who were seeking rebellion against the Romans and of course would avoid paying taxes. However, he also refused to side with the followers of Herod who wanted complete allegiance to Rome. When seeking an A or B option when it came to Roman taxes and allegiance, Jesus chose C. He did not join with the zealots and their rebellion, which Jesus knew would eventually lead to violence and massive heartache for the Jewish people. He told them to render under Caesar that which was Caesars. However, he subverted the allegiance to Rome by making sure that the people knew that they should render to God what was Gods. The allegiance of people should never be to Rome or any other nation or empire. Jesus advocated a type of “peaceful subversion” of Roman values.

Jesus and Advocating for the Outsider

In Matthew 21, Jesus famously turns over the tables of the money-changers. When we think of the story, we often think of the greed of the money-changers and the complete disrespect they had for a house of worship. However, one aspect of the story often gets overlooked-the money-changers were largely Jews who were exploiting outsiders who were coming to worship. The incident where Jesus overturned the tables was actually in an area called the “Court of the Gentiles.” The money-changers were doing what many modern banks do-exploiting a change in currency to make themselves wealthy. Jesus had enough of their exploitation and their treatment of outsiders.

In the account of Jesus and the money changers, Jesus squarely puts himself on the side of the Gentiles and outsiders who were being exploited by Jewish nationals. The call of Jesus and his Kingdom is not merely to treat the outsider, foreigner,  and immigrant (regardless of legal status) as equals, but to actually advocate for them and stand beside them in the position of vulnerability they are often in. Being pro-immigrant is not just a political or social position, it is at the heart of the Kingdom of God.

A Time for Direct Activism

Jesus did not normally leads marches, protests, or direct “activism,” his ministry usually focused the teachings of the Kingdom of God and healing the sick and possessed. However, there is the one occasion when Jesus clears the temple that he went from teaching to direct, even destructive, action.

It is an erroneous conclusion from the story of Jesus clearing the temple that violence is justified. It does not cancel out Jesus’ teaching on non-violence, loving enemies, and turning the other cheek. However, it does show that sometimes direct activism, civil disobedience, and protest are necessary. Sometimes it is not just enough to write or talk about greed, injustice, or intolerance. Sometimes it is necessary to actually stand against the forces of injustice in a non-violent but bold manner. We should all be looking for these opportunities where we are living.

The Danger in Expelling the Moneychangers

The story of Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple has been told so often, perhaps we forget how dramatic it really was. Jesus had been welcomed into Jerusalem with the people hoping he would save them from the Romans, and instead he creates havoc outside their house of worship. You can almost see the religious leaders fuming, “Jesus you have the wrong target. We are not the enemy. Why are you not directing your anger at the real enemy, the Romans?”

What Jesus did in the temple was beyond offensive to his Jewish audience. How dare he get angry about how their religion was functioning when there was a Roman Empire he should be focused on? They wanted him to focus his angry on the other, but Jesus wanted to literally clean house in the temple. You can hear the people saying that he is not really a Jew. He doesn’t really love his country. He knew that his actions would anger important people in power in Israel, but he did it anyways. Greed in the name of God could not be ignored, even if failing to ignore it meant dying.

Jesus’ Rage in the Temple

When Jesus goes into the temple in Matthew 21, he finds the moneychangers taking advantage of the people coming in to worship. It is the one time that it is recorded of Jesus getting angry to the point of actual destruction. It was not when he saw the sins of the Romans, prostitutes, or drunks. It was when he saw the poor being taken advantage of in a house of worship. This is something that the western church needs to look at it with special focus.

Jesus did not drive out the moneychangers merely because it was inappropriate to do their business in the temple. What drove Jesus to anger was the poor being taken advantage of in a house of worship. Of all the sin, evil, and pain that Jesus saw in his time on earth, this is what drove him to take out the whip. He had seen the horrific oppression of the Romans, but the oppression in a house of worship drove him to anger. In an American church where fancy buildings, excessive salaries, and extravagance is not shameful, but celebrated, perhaps we have lost our way. If Jesus were here today, maybe his greatest anger wouldn’t be at the immoral outside of the church, it would be at a church that worships excess in a world of poverty.

The Significance of Jesus Coming in on a Donkey

In Matthew 21, Jesus comes riding in on a donkey during the beginning of Passover. The week before he was to be crucified. There have been different ideas of what coming in on the donkey meant. Some have rightfully pointed out that this was a sign of humility. While this is true, as William Barclay points out, the donkey was not necessarily a “despised” animal. Even kings would ride on donkeys. However, they would do so when they were coming in peace. When they were coming for war, they would ride in on a horse.

When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a horse, he was making a statement to the Roman and Hebrew worlds that he was coming in peace. Many of the people overlooked the statement, just as many do today.
Jesus was declaring that his Kingdom would not be built by military might and warfare. He also wanted his followers to know that violence and warfare were incompatible with his kingdom. Perhaps this is why the early Christians in the Roman Empire refused to serve in the military. They were following the Prince of Peace seated on a donkey, not a Lord of War seated on a horse.

The Problem with People Shouting Hosanna

In Matthew 21, the story is told of Jesus coming into the city and the people shouting Hosanna. It is often seen as a joyous occasion, and many churches go as far as celebrating the event. However, there is actually a little darker side to the story. When the people were crying Hosanna it was not to celebrate the Kingdom of God or the spiritual change Jesus wanted to bring, it was a cry which meant “save us now.” They were seeing Jesus as a type of revolutionary figure who would save them from Roman oppression. It is very telling because though the crowds welcomed him, another crowd just one week later would be calling for his execution. It is obviously impossible to know if it was any of the same people, but it is important to realize that Jesus did not fulfill the expectations of the crowd, and this probably made many of them angry.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds shouted Hosanna, “save us now”, but Jesus was not interested in being their violent revolutionary in the face of Roman rule. He wanted to show them the way of sacrifice, peace, and turning the other cheek. He was not interested in being their political king. He wanted to reveal a new kingdom where the last would be first. A kingdom where the way to completion is not through violence or warfare but of laying down one’s life. Jesus did not fulfill their expectations of Hosanna. He was not interested being a Jewish nationalist. He was looking forward to a kingdom where all humanity would be invited in, even the despised Romans.

The Two Blind Men the Crowds Rebuked

In Matthew 20, there is an interesting story of two blind men who call out for Jesus to heal them. The crowd was actually angry at them because they were a distraction from the teachings of Jesus. It is pretty crazy concept. The crowds were listening to the words of the Prince of Peace, the face of love, and they were angry because two blind men were asking to be healed.

Instead of rebuking the blind men like the crowds, Jesus has compassion on them and heals them. He was not concerned that they interrupted his preaching and teaching. Though his ideas and teachings were of great importance, he did not let them get in the way of his loving actual human beings in front of him. He put the personal and tangible ahead of the theoretical. He wanted to put actual love for humanity ahead of the philosophy and ideology he was teaching. What a lesson for us today. We can go out to change the world, but unless we are showing true love to those around us-it is pointless.

The Forgotten Evil: The Lure for More Power

In Matthew 20, there is an almost humorous account of the mother of James and John coming to Jesus and asking him to give her sons the top places of authority in his new kingdom. You can almost see Jesus rolling his eyes at the request. What kind of request was the mother giving? Of course, when the other disciples heard it, they were outraged at the request. Who did James and John think they were?

Jesus used this as a teaching example to tell his disciples about the dangers of seeking greater power in order to lord over other people. He tells them that the greatest must become the least. I love the way William Barclay describes what Jesus was saying, “Therein is greatness. The world may assess a man’s greatness by the number of people whom he controls and who are at his beck and call; or by his intellectual standing and his academic eminence; or by the number of committees of which he is a member; or by the size of his bank balance and the material possessions which he has amassed; but in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant. His assessment is quite simply–how many people has he helped?”

Jesus not only warned his followers about the love and accumulation of excessive wealth, he also warned them about the lust for power, the desire to reign over other people. Though many will give noble reasons for their drive for power, it often has a very malevolent aspect to it. Unfortunately, so many of our CEOs, politicians, military leaders, etc are driven by this lust for power. In reality, most of us are. The message of Jesus is in complete opposition to this societal thinking. He told his followers that the greatest have to become the least. This is even more applicable to the church. Whenever our desire for political, cultural, or social power overpowers our desire to be of service to those around us, especially the most needy, we have lost our way.

Jesus, Workers in the Vineyard, and Social Welfare

Jesus’s parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20 is very relevant to the modern issue of social welfare. Though many of the social welfare programs were started based on Christian ethics and morals, the religious right has largely derided social welfare programs, with some even painting those on social where fail as leeches in the system.

In Jesus’ parable, those who only had worked a few hours earned as much as those who had worked the whole day. Obviously, those who worked the whole day were angry. They thought it was completely unjust that those who didn’t work near the hours got the same pay. We don’t know why these workers only came at the last-minute to work. The ones who worked all day probably assumed they were just being lazy. For some of them, this may really been the case. However, others may not have worked because there was a sickness in the family, they were injured, or they simply couldn’t find work earlier.

In Jesus’ teaching, the owner of the vineyard pays the workers who showed up at the end, whether it was from laziness, sickness, or inability to find work, the same as those who had worked all day. Jesus’ teachings focus on grace for all rather than a rigid “fairness”. This has great application to what the Christian response should be towards social welfare. Like any program, some of course will take advantage of the system. However, that should not be the greatest concern. The most important thing is that those who need help get it. Because of the one we follow, Christians should be the most supportive of a robust social welfare program.

Generosity and Grace over Fairness

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the story of the workers in the vineyard. He says that the Kingdom of God is like the owner of a vineyard who hires out men for the daily wage. However, the story goes that he not only gives the same daily wage to the people who are working the whole day, but also to those who only worked half a day and even those who worked just a few hours at the end. At the end of the day, the people who worked the whole day were angry because the people who only worked a few hours got the same pay.

Is easy to understand why they were angry. On one level it does not seem to be fair. However, on another level it was absolutely fair. The owner didn’t cheat the people who worked the whole day. He paid them exactly what they had agreed to. They were only angry because he was being generous with the others. If he decided to give generously to those who “didn’t deserve it” no one had the right to be angry.

Jesus wanted his followers to know that he valued grace far more than he did a superficial and shallow idea of “fairness.” He wanted his followers to break out of the idea that everyone gets exactly what they deserve. Jesus wanted to show us that we need to show grace and love even to those who we will feel do not deserve it. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, those only worked a few hours in the end were paid the same as those who worked all day. Grace, mercy, and generosity triumph over fairness. It is a truth that is at the heart of the Kingdom of God

Wealth, Oppression, and the Rich Young Ruler

In Matthew 19, the story is told of the rich young ruler. He came to Jesus wanting to know how to obtain eternal life. He assures Jesus that he has kept all the commandments since he was young. He obeyed his father and mother. He had not committed adultery. He obviously had never killed anyone. However, Jesus did not seem to be impressed with the superficial morality. He wanted to show the man something more.

The young ruler was very rich. Many of the rich in the ancient Near East, just like many of the rich in our modern-day world, gain their riches on the backs of the poor and the oppressed. Extreme wealth is rarely earned in a vacuum. It often entails a great level of exploitation. Jesus knew this as the rich young ruler approached him. Though the rich young ruler may not have blatantly broken the 10 Commandments, he most likely defied the justice of God and his fellow man in his pursuit of wealth at the expense of others.

Sometimes this passage is overspiritualized, and people will say that it was just a problem of the rich young ruler loving the money more than God. While that is certainly part of the story, it is also important to realize that extreme wealth itself is against the ideals of the Kingdom of God. Any society where a few can have obscene wealth while the majority are struggling to get by has not yet realized the message of Jesus. In the end, Jesus did not call the rich young man to simply “symbolically” dedicate his money to God. Rather, he told him to sell it all and give it to the poor. It is a challenging passage for all of us in the prosperous west to really accept.

The Rich Young Ruler in Modern Society

The story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 is a fascinating one. It shows the priorities and radical nature of the message of Jesus. It also shows us that Jesus was not enamored with wealth nor those who held it. How different it would be if the rich young ruler came to one of our churches today.

We know that our politicians have been corrupted by wealth. Few politicians can actually talk about issues of inequality, exploitation, and greed because the wealthy fund their campaigns. Unfortunately, this same dynamic also plays in the church. Few are actually willing to call out the dangers regarding the excess of wealth because they don’t want to offend the wealthy donors.

Unlike so many today, Jesus was not impressed with the rich young ruler’s wealth. He did not gravel before him asking for donations. He called out his excessive wealth and told them to give his money to the poor (or perhaps back to the poor whom he had originally exploited). Because Jesus was not beholden to wealth or those who have it, he could speak the truth about poverty, riches, inequality, and greed. How we need that prophetic voice today.

Jesus, Divorce, and Feminism

In Matthew 19, Jesus lays out one of the most controversial passages in the Gospels regarding divorce. The religious leaders come to ask Jesus if it is permitted to divorce one’s wife for any reason. They correctly state that Moses had given them the option for divorce. However, Jesus shows them a different path. He tells him the divorce is not the original ideal, and anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.

Of course, this passage has been abused by the church. It has justified keeping people in abusive, toxic, soul damaging relationships. It has caused the Catholic Church to even deny the Eucharist to those who are divorced. However, is important to look at this passage in it’s historical context. Remember that ancient Israel was not like the modern Western world. Women had very few rights. As one can see from the passage, only men were allowed to issue a divorce. A divorced woman was a scorned woman as well. Men held incredible power to not only lead to their wife’s shame but also to their poverty. The very question of whether a man could divorce his wife for any reason comes from a place of extreme chauvinism The teachings of Jesus on divorce were actually some of the most liberating for the female population at the time. It calls for their dignity and rights in a society where they were too often denied. If we do not see that in our modern context, we are missing the whole point.

In Jesus’ teaching on divorce to the ancient Hebrew world, he is undermining the whole system of rigid patriarchy where women were often helpless victims. Whenever Jesus’s words are used to support male power and privilege, we are reading his words out of context. The kingdom of God that Jesus preached of is a radical kingdom where there is actually equality between male and female, something that was unheard of in most of the ancient world.

The Call to Unending Forgiveness

In Matthew 17, Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Up to seven times? Jesus tells him that he should not only forgive his brother seven Times, but seventy times seven. Of course Jesus is not limiting forgiveness to literally 490 times, he’s trying to show that forgiveness should be unlimited.

It is a truth that seems great in theory but very difficult an actual practice. We can take a slight from someone one time, but when it becomes more than once, it is very hard to forgive. We want revenge. We want blood. This could apply from large-scale violent national enemies or simply co-workers of friends who can’t seem to stop running their mouths.

Jesus calls us to forgiveness, even when others have not actually changed or sought reconciliation. He has called us to the position of forgiveness for everyone- the backbiting neighbor, the divisive family member, the “heartless” conservative, the “godless” liberal, the nationalistic warhawk, and even the foreign terrorist. Our forgiveness cannot stop at seven times, it cannot even stop at 490 times, in the spirit of Jesus has to be unlimited.

Children, Individualism, and the Common Good

In Matthew 17, the disciples come to Jesus and ask an interesting question. They ask who is the greatest in the kingdom of God. From what we learn about the disciples and the rest of the Gospels, they were probably not just asking a hypothetical, intellectual question. This question was very much about themselves. Amongst them who was the greatest? The kingdom of God had turned into in individual competition of greatness and power.

Jesus turns the table on their question and tells them that the greatest in the kingdom of God is actually the little child. You can almost see the disciples rolling their eyes at this answer. They were not looking for an object lesson. They wanted to fill their own sense of pride and worth.Jesus was trying to show them that that is not how his kingdom works. The helpless and most humble are the greatest. Those who let go of their individual pride and pursuits are the ones who will truly understand the Kingdom of God and see him face to face.

When the disciples asked who was the greatest, they were hung up on their own individual pride and concerns. Jesus instead sets the young child as the example, showing the disciples that they need to lay down their pride and individualism and live a life of humility which seeks the common good over a false sense of self. In Western culture, where individualism has largely overshadowed any notion we have of the common good, this message is more important than ever.

Canaanites, Dogs, and Nationalism

In Matthew 15, the story is told of a Canaanite woman who approaches Jesus to heal her daughter. On the surface it appears to be one of the most offensive passages of the Gospels, and it almost makes it seem like Jesus is a racist nationalist. He goes as far as comparing the Canaanites to dogs. Since this seems to contradict the whole message and life of Jesus, it is important to dig a little bit deeper and see the passage anew.

There have been different interpretations of what Jesus was trying to do. The famous scholar William Barclay sees Jesus talking to woman and a type of friendly just. He was treating her with names as the normal nationalistic Jews would, but in the end he rewards her for her faith and her daughter is healed. Other scholars see this as a type of object lesson Jesus was teaching to his disciples. He was trying to play into their stereotypes, but in the end turned the tables on their nationalism by pointing out the faith of the Canaanite woman.

Whether by calling the Canaanites a dog Jesus was using jest or setting up an ironic object lesson about the Jewish nationalism, what is clear from the text is that Jesus was trying to show the expansiveness of his kingdom. The despised Canaanite was rewarded for her faith, while the Jewish religious leaders were continually condemned. The strange passage in Matthew 15 does not confirm Jewish nationalism. It undermines it at its very source. It is just a small glimpse of the expansive kingdom of God where are racial and national boundaries are erased.

When Lips are Close and Hearts are Far (and Vice Versa)

In Matthew 15, Jesus tells the Pharisees and the religious leaders that they honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. Jesus cared little about their supposed religious ideas or what they said they professed, he cared about what was inside, what their true value and essence were.

How relevant this is to us today. Some are mourning the fact that the number of professing Christians in the nation is going down. However, in some aspects this would have been the least of the concerns of Jesus. He was very unconcerned about people that merely professed him with their lips but whose hearts were far from him. I would actually contend that nothing would sadden Jesus more than to have a largely “Christian” nation that ignores his teaching or even worse, twists his teachings to promote hate and violence.

As the blogger Kienen Mick points out, as the number of professing Christians in the U.S. has gone down, so has the number of people who support militarism, inequality, and unrestricted greed. In a strange way as institutional Christianity weakens, the number of people supporting the values of Jesus grows. Perhaps in the end, Jesus prefers people whose lips are far from him but whose hearts are close than those who follow the religion of Christianity but deny the peaceful, self-sacrificial, liberating message of Jesus. If the church could really adopt and live out the message, just imagine the impact.

Jesus, TV Preachers, Tithes, and Greed

In Matthew 15, Jesus calls out the religious leaders on their hypocrisy and greed. They had told the people to take the money that they were saving for their aging parents and give it to the synagogue. In reality, they were giving it to them. Jesus is incensed with this greed.

How dare the well-to-do religious leaders demand money from the poor. How dare they talk about giving the money to God when the money is going to be used largely to enrich themselves. Of course, this injustice was not just relegated to the ancient Hebrew world. We know far too well that this injustice and greed has invaded the church. I remember being just dumbstruck a couple years ago when a relief organization that I donated to released the exorbitant salary of its leader. How can the leader of an aid organization be living in excess?  Now, I do not believe that ministers should have to live in complete poverty. However, for religious leaders to have excess from the donations of the people, no matter what the size of their church or ministry, is immoral and the antithesis of the idea of the Kingdom of God.

Whether it is wealthy mega churches demanding the tithes of their people to build more extravagant buildings, TV preachers saying that you are planting a “seed” with your gift to their ministry, or stories of religious leaders with exorbitant salaries and mansions, we should listen to the words of Jesus to the Pharisees in the first century. All leaders should consider if they are following the path of the Pharisees who demanded payment from the poor or the path of Jesus who became poor so we could become rich, not making us poor so he could become rich. At stake is the whole message of the Kingdom of God.

The Seeds that Fell on the Wayside

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about the seeds that are thrown on the wayside and are not able to take root. The birds (which are a symbol of the devil) then easily snatch them up. They are taken away, never to become something of significance.

The birds don’t come and drop malignant agents in the ground, they just take the seeds so that they are not able to actually grow. Often we think about the devil tempting us with evil and wrongdoing, and certainly this is part of the equation. However, in this passage the devil just renders the seeds useless. If you can get the good to simply not take root, there is no need  for the devil to even tempt us with evil.

While there certainly is temptation to turn to lust, hatred, or greed. Often our deepest problem is simply being paralyzed, living in doubt and insecurity and accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom of God. We may not turn to overt evil, but if we are locked in our own fears, over-analysis, and distraction, we are like the seeds the birds easily picked up. We will have nothing to show for our lives.

The Kingdom of God as a Hidden Treasure

In Matthew 14, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a hidden treasure that a man found in the field. He then proceeds to sell everything he had to obtain the treasure. Why is the kingdom of God compared to a hidden treasure? Perhaps, it is because the kingdom has to be really searched for. The beauty and magnitude of the Kingdom of God are not necessarily initially apparent. The kingdom only becomes truly amazing to us as we dig deeper into it, as we struggle with it, and we search to find its depths.

This is one of the reasons that Jesus often spoke in parables rather then cut and dry ideology or law. A story can have many different interpretations and meanings. What exactly the kingdom of God entails can sometimes be confusing. Perhaps this is the reason why there are thousands of denominations. This should not discourage us, but cause dig even deeper into the beauty of the kingdom.

The fact that aspects of the Kingdom of God are initially hidden like a secret treasure can be frustrating, but is also what makes it beautiful. Jesus wanted the ideas of his kingdom to be continually unfolding, so that every time we looked at it we would see some truth in a new light. The kingdom is powerful and intriguing because it transcends easy answers and instead calls us into a more profound and deep relationship with our maker. The Kingdom of God changes everything, but it will only impact if we are continually seeking to find it.

Jesus and Healthcare

Some might say it is a real stretch to link the Bible to the healthcare policy for the nation. However, there is a lot in the Gospels the deals directly with the issue of health and the needs of people. After all, a large part of Jesus’ ministry was healing the sick.

The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus healing people of their sickness, their disease. He did not ask for donations to his ministry for this to happen. He certainly was not  trying to enrich himself in the process. He gave of himself so that others could be healed and made whole. There is a story where he talks about “power” going out of him as a women is healed.

Though in our modern day we don’t have Jesus in the flesh healing people at our churches, The followers of Jesus are still called to help heal the sickness and disease of others. This is often seen through charitable giving, free health screenings, or free clinics in poor countries. It should also mean support for policies that treat the sick in a just way, not ones which seek to exploit them in a greedy system. In the end, healthcare is actually a spiritual issue. What is important to us in the issue of healthcare reveals a lot about our spiritual and moral priorities. In the values of the Kingdom, the good and the health of the many should always be put ahead of the profits and privilege of the few..

The Feeding of the 5000

In Matthew 15, the story is written of Jesus feeding the 5000. This story has been told many times. However, one aspect of the story is not often looked at in great detail is the motivations and need of the people receiving the food. Did they all really deserve this “free food” from Jesus?

For example, why did the people not bring their own food? They could’ve all been as industrious as the young boy with his loaves and fishes and actually prepared the food for their family. The disciples tell Jesus to let them go into town and get their own food. Maybe some of them were hoping that Jesus would do a miracle and bring food to them. Maybe some were just looking for what Jesus could give them instead of actually looking to his message.

When Jesus feeds the masses, he is not overly concerned about all their ulterior motivations or whether they deserve what they are receiving. He was far more concerned about giving to those in need than people taking advantage of the situation. To follow the path of Jesus means to put compassion and grace above all else. Whether this deals with welfare, foreign aid, healthcare, etc., the real concern should always be about helping those in need rather than a “fear” that some might receive something without needing it. In the Kingdom of God, if we are to err, we should always err on the side of compassion.