Disciples are alive with the Spirit of the Risen Christ. They are giving witness to a free and revolutionary way that disturbs the system and those who arrange for its undisturbed dominance. Those dominating the system during Jesus’ time included the Sanhedrin, rabbis who ruled ancient Israel. When Jesus’ peaceful revolution started disturbing those rulers, … Continue reading “Slaves, Prostitutes, Soldiers”
Category: Military-Deviance
Betrayal of Conscience
Betrayal is an old story. It is the story in Sunday’s Gospel in which a woman has betrayed a marriage. She is caught in the act of adultery, and, without her male partner, is forced into the street. Jesus does something unusual by how he relates with the woman. He humanizes her and frees her … Continue reading “Betrayal of Conscience”
A Pro-Life Christmas: Our Bodies
Advent’s liturgical readings leading up to Jesus’ birth focus less on Mary and more on John the Baptist. Today’s reading on John focuses on how he relates to his body. John subjects his body to austere desert living, withholding basic needs from his body. John’s life style, asceticism, which neither Jesus nor Mary live, values … Continue reading “A Pro-Life Christmas: Our Bodies”
For What Was I Born?
Rulers who opposed Jesus from the beginning have had him forcibly arrested. He stands before the ultimate ruler of the land, Pontius Pilate. Pilate assumes Jesus is some type of ruler, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus is not such a ruler, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom … Continue reading “For What Was I Born?”
Unholy Hosts
Jesus tells a parable about a banquet. It includes criticism of holy rulers who oppose him and the banquet. The holy rulers are being replaced with a people’s movement and their banquet is being replaced by a table of communion. The rulers banquet is referenced in today’s first reading from Isaiah. In it, Yahweh, the … Continue reading “Unholy Hosts”
Killing Fields or Fruitful Fields?
Jesus tells a parable about people in a vineyard who go on a killing spree. They “seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.” “They treated (others) in the same way.” Then, “when they saw the son, they said, “Come, let us kill him.” The men kill because … Continue reading “Killing Fields or Fruitful Fields?”
Good Guys With Guns Killed Jesus
Jesus has a marked ability to ask life-changing questions. He asks one such question of Peter in this Sunday’s Gospel. “Who do you say that I am?” It is both a prayerful question in that it contemplates Divinity and a realistic one in that it considers human practicalities. Peter answers Divinely, “You are the Christ, … Continue reading “Good Guys With Guns Killed Jesus”
Disturbing the Peace
Those disturbing the peace for the people of Jesus’ time were mostly the rulers. The rulers, both the local rulers and the occupying Roman rulers with whom they colluded, lived by military values. it meant the rulers waged war upon the people with capricious decisions, financial burdens, and punitive unto violent behaviors. Those restoring the … Continue reading “Disturbing the Peace”
Suffering and Violence: Reality and Fable
This Sunday’s long Gospel is about the suffering and violence inflicted upon Jesus. It describes his arrest, trial, torture, and murder. Scripture scholars usually sanctify the violence done to Jesus as in keeping with a ‘suffering servant’ character from Isaiah. Of Isaiah’s 1,292 verses, 30 are so titled. One sample ‘suffering servant’ verse is, “He … Continue reading “Suffering and Violence: Reality and Fable”
Rejected Testimony
Throughout his life Jesus gives testimony to a peaceful Way. His testimony was consistently rejected by the rulers of his time; so much so they put him to death. This Sunday’s Gospel shows that Jesus’ community accepted his testimony, in life and in life after life. Thus, as people received Jesus in life so they … Continue reading “Rejected Testimony”