Amazon finally ding donged my door Saturday - bringing forth my boxful of books. I was at a Retreat with a whack of teens so I didn't get to peruse until Monday. Guns, Germs and Steel - The End of Faith - God and Empire - I am America and So Can You - The Road -plus a book about coffee - all grinned up at me as I tore open the box. I've had my face in God and Empire ever since.
The premise of the book is Jesus came to innagurate his Kingdom but civilization tends toward Empire. It always has. The book's subtitle is: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now. Crossan has always maintained that it was the treasonous claims of Christ that lead to his crucifixion not God's divine plan of substitutionary atonement. Feel free to switch over to Dictionary.com or Wikipedia at this point. I know I had to. In other words, Jesus didn't die because it was in the cosmic cards - aka "God's plan" but because of his claims of Lord and Savior of the World. Caesar alone could make these claims and anyone who opposed him would suffer unspeakable tortures, as Jesus eventually found out. One can debate the implications of this understanding of the death of Jesus versus the traditional view that he died to save us from our sins but for the purpose of this post, I wish to go in a different direction. Perhaps I'll return to the other at a later time. FYI - Crossan would say Jesus didn't die for our sins but because of Our -humanity's - Rome's - sin of Empire and injustice. Perhaps it was some of both.
One of the things Crossan's book has made me question is the present state of God's Church. Do we funtion more like Caesar or Jesus? My guess is it probably depends on the church. That being said, perhaps the first question that needs to be asked is, what's the difference?
Crossan would argue that the difference in Jesus' day was between a dictator opearating a system of control and a leader ushering in a new way of life. Rome exercised military, political, economical and worst of all - ideological control - over most of the world. Caesar Augustus, the greatest Caesar of them all, was said to have "brought peace to the world" - which he did of course, although his chosen method was force and intimidation.
Peace as the result of control lasts only as long as the control.
Jesus' method of attaining peace was quite different. "I'm not like you" he said to Pilate a few days before his death. "My Kingdom is not of this world." Jesus didn't come to build an Empire. If I did, "my people would fight for me." He came instead to usher in a Kingdom, one where God was King. The followers of this Kingdom would not be coersed into joining then controlled once they did. They'd be invited and then allowed to choose for themselves. Either way they'd be loved, as a Father loves his own child.
With that in mind, let's return to my question. Does today's Church function more like Caesar or Jesus? Empire or Kingdom? Control or Love?
I'd love to hear your thoughts. After 7, I'll offer up my own. Not that I'm coersing you into commenting. . .
John
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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4 comments:
maybe it's me being confined to the way i was raised, or maybe i'm just a 100% conservative, or maybe it's because i haven't read any atheist literature lately, but i can't back the idea of Jesus' purpose not being to die for our sins. i definitely agree that he was setting up a kingdom, and not a dictatorship, and i think that's a very interesting idea, but i don't think a kingdom could be up and running without the sacrifice for the sins of humanity. people are too lame to be entrusted with something as precious as God's kingdom without the humbling power of Jesus' sacrifice. there is no way a functional kingdom could have been set up without that sacrifice, because people are too sinful to be so selfless. in fact, without that sacrifice, the kingdom probably would have had to become a dictatorship. that might actually point towards your question about the church and how it's run...
if the focus is in the wrong place, then people's lives aren't constantly being changed and renewed, so nothing is moving forward, and no plans are being really accomplished. eventually, the corruption of their sinful nature starts creeping in, so they have to resort to thoughtless rules that seem more like a dictatorship. if the focus is instead constantly on the sacrifice, then people have the humility necessary to work together and establish God's kingdom, and ultimately, His community (man, there's that Christian buzz-word again).
what do you think?
on another note, get started on that colbert book already! i can already imagine you giggling your face off!
here is a classic bible answer: we must sacrifice our own empires if we are to be of the kingdom of God.
you probably think I stole that...but I actually made it up in my own head. I know...hard to believe. but seriously.
good questions and hard answers. i'll let this one sit a bit.
tyler b
I agree with Josiah...you need to read Colbert's book...I laughed out loud through the whole thing! And PS, the other thoughts are great too :)
Hey John,
Man, this idea of what it God's Kingdom actually means just keeps coming up for me! I just finished reading some stuff in "The Secret Message of Jesus" last night that is right in line with this stuff. The idea really is that part, if not all, of Jesus' mission was to restore God's Kingdom here on earth; a radical revolution that changes every aspect of life here and now. It's about restoration and reconciliation and it's dangerous to those who do not see it or choose to live in another direction, just as much so today as it was for the Romans who were so threatened they crucified Jesus! Jesus mission has always been the restoration of the Kingdom. His death on the cross has become such an integral part of that and yet as I wander more through the history of Roman crucifixion and really take a look at Jesus' life and ministry, I can't help but wonder if the purpose of Jesus' life was really death. I mean, sure there's prophetic language all through the old testament that talks about sacrifice and atonement but I can't help but wonder...
...and then I wonder what it means for to live in His example, as someone with the Kingdom in mind, living a life of restoration, reconciliation and hope.
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