Sometimes I have a yearning for absolute proof that
Jesus walked on water and did every miracle mentioned in the Gospels including
rising from the dead. But I have no
confidence that should such evidence be forthcoming that it would make Jesus
any less a controversial figure. For
what makes Jesus controversial is what he represents. The more you could prove he was who he said he
was, the more the tempest would rage. It remains the
message that wrangles. For
starters, he affirms the virtue of humility.
I can think of powerful people who would fire him on the spot from any
leadership role based on that preference alone.
His stance that legalisms arise from a motivation of self-righteousness
would inflame many confident in their rectitude. His refusal to embrace worldly
power and position would confirm many in their belief that he is unfit for the
world of realpolitik and the dirty things that must be done to succeed. To
forgive your enemies and pray for them rather than destroying them sounds like
something from an alien planet. His
belief that hypocrisy is not a given to be lived down to seems to be affirmed
only by hypocrites. Insisting that love
should have something to do with public life and that everyone should be
considered a neighbor would offend those with a high level of status consciousness. Jesus would be controversial today for the
same reason he was controversial two thousand years ago. Considering his locale, he had the misfortune
of taking holiness seriously.
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