The image that is attached popped up on my feed this morning, a reminder of the primary task that Jesus took on – liberation. God’s initial work – and it was good work (but not perfect) – was creating things. God created the universe and nature and all that is; then God took a chance and put us in charge. That turned out to be a pretty bad decision. In fact, the bulk of the Bible then focuses on God trying to make things right; from attempting to wipe humanity out to coming down and trying to teach about love, God seems to be trying to liberate creation from bad decisions being made by human beings. It also may be that God realized that nature – creation itself – is problematic; after all, it is natural for lions to eat lambs. They don’t lie down with them.
The idea that Jesus came to liberate the oppressed isn’t some made-up lefty idea; it actually is beautifully voiced in the song we are told that Mary sang in Luke 1, “God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” Mary says yes to God – she had free will and could have said no – and proclaims the truth that God is coming to liberate those who have been abused. Jesus was a liberator of the oppressed, not a mascot for the powerful. In Satan’s temptation of Jesus, Jesus is offered all kinds of power and authority; He is even taunted and dared to do something miraculous. Even in His life, Jesus was seen as a liberator, not a lapdog. This doesn’t fit with the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
For 2000 years, humanity has been trying to turn Jesus into some kind of warrior for the powerful. Men have used Him to subjugate women – rich people have used Him to keep people enslaved and poor – emperors and kings have used Him to keep control of their realms – politicians keep trying to convince voters just how religious they are so they can get elected. And the message that came out of the mouth of Jesus over and over was the exact opposite – blessed are the poor; woe to you who are rich. Blessed are those who are hungry; woe to you who are full. Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you. There was never any doubt in Jesus’ mind who He was here to save. The powerful have always known this, so they have manipulated His words to their own benefit. They have turned Jesus into a meaningless trophy who doesn’t mind their behavior. A cross around your neck or a Bible in your hand doesn’t mean you are faithful. Unfortunately for the powerful, Jesus did – and does – mind if we misuse Him.
If these words bother you, you might be an oppressor. If the words of Jesus threaten our life choices, we probably should reconsider how we live. That doesn’t mean we cannot strive for success – it means we can’t do it on the backs of others. We can do well, but if aren’t also doing good, we are missing the core message of Scripture. When we say yes to God, we say yes to giving of our wealth, our time, our prayers, and our good works. God is always about liberation, and like it or not, liberation means making up for inequities. We may not have caused them, but as people of faith, we should be trying to fix them. Because it isn’t just about my walk with God. It’s about making the world a better place for all of us.
Prayer – Holy God, save us from the temptation to excuse our own ideas and behaviors that are not in line with Your message of equality. Give us the courage to make things right. Amen.