Throughout his life and most especially in his last days, Jesus challenged the violent and their lies. When the violent told their lie that God ordained them to subjugate others, Jesus challenged them by inviting the subjugated into the Community of God. When the violent lied about God willing the suffering they inflicted, Jesus willed a loving heart to alleviate the suffering they caused. When the violent told the lie that sacrificing others in bloody rituals, in temples or battlefields, was salvific, Jesus acted as a power to heal their violence.
In time, the violent had enough of Jesus and his challenges. They brought him to their ultimate violent liar, Pilate. History records Pilate’s “venality, his violence, … his abusive behavior, his frequent executions of untried prisoners, and his endless savage ferocity.” Collectively the violent subjugated Jesus, inflicted the suffering of the cross upon him, and sacrificed him in a bloody ritual – and ever since they have been telling lies about what they did. They have been telling lies to cover up their oppression, torture, and murder of Jesus. The violent tell lies to cover up their sociopathy. They tell the lies to convince themselves of their innocence. They tell the lie that Jesus’ subjugation, suffering, and death are God’s will, that it was done for us, and that all that deadliness saves us. Lie, lie, and lie. The lies are told to insure we do not live his same challenging life. They tell the lies to get us to accept instead our same subjugation, suffering and death at their hands. Oppressors have been lying so long and so horrifically about the godliness, justification, and sanctity of their violence, we can be tempted to accept it as normal. We can be conditioned into championing these militarists as strong; worshiping these militarists as heroes. We live the lie that our oppressors, enslavers, and killers are our saviors. Enough of the lies. The truth is the system can be transformed and we are the ones to do it.
Are we appalled today or affirming of Social Justice Warriors (a mislabeling) because they challenge the system? Are we appalled today or affirming of the Black Lives Matter Movement because they challenge police brutality? Then we would have been equally appalled or affirming of Dr. King for challenging U.S. racism and militarism. Then we would have been equally appalled or affirming of Jesus for the radical challenge he brought to the system constructed more than 2,000 years ago by the violent and their lies. The incessant lies of the violent attempt to reduce the radical nature of all challengers; make us passive. The political assassination that is the demise of radical challengers is forgotten. The lies told by the violent who murder them becomes our narrative. We will, grotesquely so, be trained to remember the glory of their death for which the violent will always claim they are innocent. Pilate “took water and washed his hands … saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”
Prayer: Spirit, give us the courage to peacefully challenge the violent and their lies.
Question: What part of the system have I or will I challenge?
April 9, 2017 Matthew 26:14 – 27:66 Palm Sunday of the Passion