“The soldiers… brought Jesus before Pilate.” “Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers” who “shouted out… Crucify him!” “The soldiers led Jesus away to be executed” on a cross. “When they came to the place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified him.” Jesus lived as a peacemaker, intentionally so. He was not ignorant…
The Old Testament reading describes rulers who judge between unchosen and chosen people. They are proud to receive “honor” from “chosen people” and to shame unchosen people. In the Gospel, the “Scribes and the Pharisees, brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to…
Rulers call out Jesus for being unjust, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” “So, to them, Jesus addressed this parable” of an unjust son who “squandered his inheritance.” Suffering the consequences, the Prodigal Son wisely returns home to a loving father. An older brother is angry about the father’s loving spirit. He…
Abram believes a deity has given him “land as a possession.” Paul believes his deity does not desire “minds occupied with earthly things,” rather, our “citizenship is in heaven.” After witnessing Jesus’ glowing Transfiguration, Peter desires possession of both, land on earth for shrines to heaven, “let us make three tents, one for you,…
The warrior Moses is a member of the religion of Militarism. Militarism lauds warriors and the warrior deity they invent, Yahweh. Yahweh, for his Chosen People, inflicts godly suffering on enemies, and kills them. For example, ordering the sufferings of the Plagues, and killing the enemy’s first born children in the 10th Plague. Militarists…
Jesus encourages looking at ourselves truthfully when tempted to be critical of others, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?” “You hypocrite!” “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your…
Jesus lives in a culture dominated by the religion of Militarism, practiced by both Rome and Israel. Militarism is known by its cult of worshiping War Lord supremacists, by its creed of inflicting suffering on enemies, and by its code of sanctified violence. Jesus transforms the world by telling the people, “To you who…
Jeremiah wants to conserve trust in the earthly War Lords who invented the heavenly War Lord, Yahweh, “Blessed is the one who trusts in Yahweh.” Jeremiah wants to dispel trust in the people, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.” Jesus blesses the people War Lords curse, “Blessed are you who are…
“Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Simon said in reply, ‘Teacher, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your words I will lower the…