Week 9 Post

This weeks readings consisted of an appraisal by Chris Marshall called "A Prophet Of God's Justice: reclaiming The Political Jesus." Marshall claims, "that Jesus was an overtly political figure, that he had an identifiable political platform, and that the political values, commitments, and priorities we see displayed in his teaching and praxis ought to play a determinative role in shaping and directing all subsequent Christian engagement in the political process." I agree with Marshall's initial claim; although, it is evident that his proposal contradicts the conventional view of Jesus as someone who had no interest in political activity or standing.

What he goes on to say is quite interesting. Marshall discusses how the usual view of Jesus, "a savior," is how we see Jesus throughout society. Through the readings in the gospels, we can see Jesus' theology and his ethics, but Marshall asks if we can see any politics in his teachings. And because we are so used to seeing Jesus in a theological or ethical light, and not necessarily in a political light, is this non-political Jesus credible? He asks, "is a non-political Jesus historically or theologically credible? and is it possible to isolate Jesus from the social and political problems of his time?" In order to decide so, we can look at what did not escape his opponents, the political ramifications of what he taught and practiced. His message, his lifestyle, his disregard for certain traditions, his claim to divine authority, his high-handed actions in Temple precincts, and his consorting with sinners, according to Marshall, "were perceived by his enemies as a challenge to the very cornerstones of Jewish society and ultimately to the Roman provincial peace." This right here is Jesus' political action. Because it goes against the normative political definition, people believe that he had no political action at all. But that is not the case, and Marshall does a good job describing how Jesus was indeed politically active.

This essay really grabbed my attention because of its message. Marshall discusses Jesus' life and tries to justify whether or not he was a political or a non-political figure. By doing so, he discovers that, "the only way, then, to do justice to the individual words and deeds of Jesus is always to view them within the context of the larger gospel narrative of his life and mission." Simply said, we need to view Jesus' actions in a larger context rather than looking at them alone. Rather that look at what he is doing at a certain moment, look at that moment and compare it to Jesus' life mission, and see how they connect and disconnect.