Many Jews and Muslims have a deep respect for Jesus as a prophet and rabbi. Most Christians believe Him to be God in human form. So, it seems safe to say that a lot of people pay attention to what Jesus had to say about things. The question I pose here is not an idle wondering, it is a serious concern. Why? Because too many Christians seem to be opposed to wokeness – true wokeness, not some weird aberration of the meaning. Like so many words that have been turned into weapons and insults, being woke does not have to be a negative or scary thing. I consider myself to be woke; that is, I am aware of injustice in the world and believe that we have the power, with God’s blessing, to do something about it.
Who hates the idea of being woke? People in power – people with advantage and control – people who have something to lose if injustice is fixed. Jesus didn’t oppress women and children, He freed them. Who did Jesus criticize and rebuke? Men with power. Men who tried to enforce archaic rules that gave them more and others less. The woman dragged before Him for being caught in the act of adultery was not innocent, but Jesus saw the inherent inequality in the crowd’s actions. Jesus didn’t forbid divorce because He wanted men to be in control; in fact, men could discard their wives for younger models too easily, and their children would suffer as well. Banning divorce gave women and children more stability.
Who didn’t Jesus rebuke? LGBTQ people – women – children – foreigners (okay, the “Feeding children to the dogs” episode is sketchy). Jesus was murdered by the empire precisely because He was working toward justice and challenging inequality. He wanted people to behave themselves and follow the commandments, but He also changed commandments that He thought were unjust. If being woke means we see injustice and want to change it, then Jesus was woke. Not in foolish ways that too many people define it as, but in real, necessary ways that saved lives. It that is what it means to be woke, then Jesus was woke, and we need to wake up too. Justice is waiting.
Prayer – Wake us up, God of the oppressed, so that we can change our lives and the lives of others. Amen.
Today’s art is “Jesus Wept”, but I couldn’t find an artist’s name.