The radical social and cultural theory of Jesus

When Jesus was asked by a religious man, who lived in a society deeply divided along racial and religious lines, “who is my neighbour?”, he answered by telling a story about a common occurrence that had an uncommon ending. In his story a man from Jerusalem is mugged by robbers on a much- travelled road and left severely injured. Among those who saw him there, but did not offer help, were people of his own religion and race, but the traveller who does help him comes from a cultural and religious background that was despised by both the injured man and those who had refused to help.

Talk about “putting the cat among the canaries.” Jesus in one short story had put his finger on the issue that challenged everything that this religious man and his fellow worshippers claimed to believe. They worshipped a God they saw as the Universal Creator and the source of all beauty, power, mercy and love but in an attitude of unbelievable pride and arrogance, they devalued, rejected, even hated those who were of a different race and religion. Jesus was not telling them that their theology was wrong or that the God they worshipped was irrelevant, and out-dated. But he was telling them that they worshipped a God they refused to represent in the society in which they lived.

There are of course many gods that people choose to worship, chosen because they suit the values and the philosophies of the worshippers. Jesus is saying to this religious man that the God he claimed to worship saw all people as worthy of love and respect and freely and generously offered love and forgiveness to all, regardless of race and religion. He is not God of the Jews only, or the God of the Samaritans. He is not an invented deity that justifies and gives credence to a set of beliefs that belong exclusively to one cultural group. He is not an excuse for oppressing or devaluing people whose cultures and appearance differ from theirs and he is not a God who only blesses and cares for those who abide by a specific set of religious laws and rituals.

What was radical about Jesus story is that it demonstrated that while God is worthy of our worship and our reverence, the worship he desires is when those who love him, imitate him. He is a God of love and justice and expects those who worship him to be people who live loving and just lives. He forgives sin and expects those who worship him to forgive others. He accepts us unconditionally and expects us to accept others in the same way and he has unlimited compassion for the broken, wounded and the poor; and when we demonstrate the same, to him it is an authentic act of worship.

The other radical aspect of Jesus story is that to worship God by allowing him to transform us into loving and just people, is in human terms, costly. The man who helped the injured traveller, interrupted his journey and crossed the road to care for him. This Samaritan not only crossed a road, but he also crossed ancient boundaries of race and culture. He had to face his hatred of Jews and his fear of robbers and cross the road. Crossing the road cost him the oil and wine he carried with him, cost him the time it took to tend to his wounds, cost him the physical energy needed to load him on his donkey, and walk him slowly to the next town. It cost him the money needed to pay for his care at the Inn. ‘Crossing the road’ is always costly, but if it is an act of worship to the God who sees us all as equal, lovable and redeemable the cost is irrelevant.

As you can imagine, even though I have known this story all my life, since revisiting it this week I have been asking myself what roads are still waiting for me to cross. Are their still attitudes that limit my willingness to be moved by compassion rather than to be immobilised by fear, discrimination or selfishness? Have I become so comfortable on my side of the road that I rarely cross it at all anymore? I would like to think that it will always be on the other side of the road that I will find the  God I love and serve and become a partner with him in demonstrating his love and compassion.

God Bless.

Graeme.