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"Jesus chose Losers. Not always a smart choice to further his cause. But to be loved by the Son of God, one must become counted among the child-like losers." Constance Hastings
The Trouble With Jesus...
Frequently when Jesus was teaching, those of ill-repute were in the crowd, tax collectors and “other notorious sinners.” Reputations are made by who your friends are. True, so why did Jesus seem to prefer, maybe even have a better time with the likes of these? He answers with parables about what gets lost.
The Trouble with Jesus is he advocates for more time by grace while not denying judgement.
The Trouble with Jesus is how he knew what was coming and still went straight into it. He'd call out Herod for the fox he was even as he sobbed over the rejection he'd meet.
All heroes have an antagonist, one who pushes hard against the best parts of who you are and what your purpose is. Fitting then, God’s beloved Son would meet the total antithesis of who he was before he even got out of that hot place, a kind of hell.
The Trouble with Jesus means our treasures are most dear to God when they are the ashes of our lives. Whatever upholds justice and love of neighbor is what God desires.
Any who have ever had a mountaintop experience will tell you, it’s nothing that can be planned, arranged, or scheduled. Spiritual encounters come out of the blue, filled with insights, revelations not previously perceived but somehow needed and relevant to a moment or period of life. And they never last. If anything, they serve as touchstones reminding of the source of that power, power greater than oneself in God who was, is and will always be.
The Trouble with Jesus is he was a hacktivist, someone who uses hacking to bring about political and social change.
Jesus, let’s ask the hard question. Are you a communist? All this talk about helping the poor (or however you describe economically deprived, marginalized people) along with negative criticism of the rich and powerful is getting a little heavy. I mean, what have you got against people getting ahead in this world and having a measure of wealth, enjoying life, amassing friends and followers? “Woe to you who are rich…what sorrows await you who laugh…” This country has its success due to capitalism. Free enterprise made us what we are today. We’ve got our faults, but Marxists we ain’t.
The Trouble with Jesus: To understand what Jesus was calling them to do, you can’t ignore the changing political, economic and social scene.
Lord, have mercy, but The Trouble with Jesus is his kind of Good News looks like DEI.
DEI: Divine Example Incarnate
Securing the border? Eliminating racial equity training and affirmative action? Roll back of programs and instituting tariffs that favor big money? Deportation without due process? Repeal of birthright citizenry?
Rev. Constance Hastings
Author of, soon to be released, The Trouble With Jesus
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Easy answers are not my goal, so you won’t get from me a saccharine-sweet line. We’ve all experienced too much to swallow them and be satisfied. I’ve lived long enough to know trials and challenges will sink your soul if that’s all you’ve got in your grasp. On the other hand, the hard questions can be the ones that take a person to new heights of perspective while providing foundations that are as old as excavated rocks. Tough, scary questions are the ones with most value in a fully examined life.
