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The Trouble with Jesus
by Constance Hastings
The Ashes of Our Living
Feb 15, 2021
Funny how all religions have these strange dramas. Some wail and beat chests, some interrupt the day kneeling in a certain direction, others smear their faces with burnt leaves, all making a spectacle of themselves in flaunting how good and holy they are supposed to be. But take an inside peak into their palaces of piety, and you don’t have to be some kind of deity to know it’s all a sham. Give it up please, or at least stay home and out of sight.
Funny but that’s what Jesus said, too. He definitely was not in favor of ostentatious displays and public relation ploys to show how righteous one was. He even recommended praying in a closet alone, away and out of sight. What’s more, he got a little crazy about it saying don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. (Try doing that for a little mental workout.) And if you decide to donate to a good cause, keep it between you and God. (Maybe the IRS should know but that’s on your conscience, not mine.)
You mention the shams of religion. God knows there’s a multitude out there who has benefited from it. Celebrities and politicians get a lot of mileage there. Preachers have become rock stars and are experts at whipping up a congregation to Amens and hands raised. You’d think you were at a music festival or a Superbowl. And let’s face it, it’s often a good show. That’s what we live for, right?
So why was Jesus so adamant about keeping the disciplines of faith under cover? “Give your gifts in secret…pray to your Father secretly…fast, comb your hair, wash your face.” If God is the only one who knows about it, then only you and God know what it’s for.
So, what is it for? Reducing your tax liability, getting on the good side of God, losing weight? How come people are supposed to do this, and what do the ashes prove anyway?
Not to deny these things won’t happen, but it’s really about You, you alone and you collectively. It’s a time of deliberation about what is really important, where your dependencies lie, what you think you have to have that needs to be relinquished to God. It’s more than sacrificing chocolate until the Easter basket has a big brown bunny in it. Ultimately, it’s the right to oneself giving way to sacrifice. That sacrifice could lead to reward, not the good life we all desire, but good life for what should be.
Need a suggestion? How’s your lifestyle these days? If you live in this present time in the United States of America, even if you live on the streets, you’ve got it pretty good compared to third world countries when it comes to a measure of wealth and basic health. While the coronavirus vaccine isn’t being distributed fast enough for us, other parts of the world may not see it for many months, even into the next year or two. The point is our lifestyles, health, needs take precedent over the rest of the world, and too bad for them.
How’s that? Take those chocolate bunny’s ears you’re ready to bite off. Look into where much of our chocolate comes from. Follow the money. Modern day slavery utilizes very young children, some stolen or sold into servitude, to harvest cocoa beans. Yep. What is a treat for our children is born of tragedy for others.
But we treat people in this country not much differently. Consider the fracas over a $15.00 minimum wage. You can work forty hours a week for that much and make $600 (before taxes, of course.) Watch your coins and you’ll get through. It’s called a living
wage though. Yet the resistance comes not from those who are living on the margins. It’s from businesses that profit and claim they can’t afford to pay wages at that level. People, like all of us, want to keep our expenses low. But again follow it through. By keeping wages low, those who have more wealth still benefit and thus oppress those who are caught in the system. Granted, if all wages were at that level, products and services would cost more, but the benefit of changing a system would raise the standard of living for all.
Since we’re at it, let’s get into the controversy of the century: mask wearing. Masks drastically inhibit the spread of the pandemic. What’s the problem? Not so much the masks as telling people what they have to do. In short, the right to one’s choice of lifestyle collides with health risks and pandemic mortality.
So where’s that leave us with God? Honestly, do you really think God cares if you give up some kind of food for six and a half weeks? None of it would make a big difference in relationship with your neighbor, let alone God. What does get to God is how we live our lives and expect the world to revolve around us. To examine these issues, to make or advocate for change in our lives and community that upholds justice and love of neighbor is what God desires. The old ways become ashes, what is given up and sacrificed for the purposes of heaven.
And you can believe it that God does take notice of how you give, pray and fast. For when we make choices that are like treasure stored in heaven, we are blessed because our world is changed.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
The Trouble with Jesus is he doesn’t want to fight as much as he wants to lead in Love.
What do you want me to do for you?
One’s answer reveals the beggar in one’s soul.
Jesus, if you don’t mind, we’d like to talk with you about what you just said and ask a favor.
Sure guys, what’s on your minds.?
About your plans, when it all comes about, if the two of us could be seated next to you, one of your right and the other on your left?
(long pause…)
You have no idea what you’re asking....
True Story: A husband told his wife he was going the next day to possibly buy a Corvette. (Disclaimer: this did not happen in my house…) She read to him these words of Jesus:
“Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
“Now, how do you think you’ll get to heaven if you buy a Corvette?” she challenged him.
After a short pause, he smiled, and said, “Fast!”
The Trouble with Jesus: He doesn’t speak from a legalistic mindset. He speaks with the loving mind of God.
In some ways, Jesus, your radical messages are just what we need. You just said that welcoming children is just like welcoming you. Nice image there. But this time, it’s like you’re pushing radicalization, sending your followers off the deep end. Cutting off one’s hands or feet, gouging out the eye so you’re good enough to get access to your Dad’s Kingdom? Calling people to self-mutilation isn’t going to garner many likes on your page with this kind of talk.
Jesus, oh Son of Man, you gotta lay off this. If you want to get your message out there and have everybody behind you, you have to play to what they want. All this talk about dying and staying in last place is going to destroy you. But no, you just keep repeating it over and over again. Take some good advice even those sorry followers of yours seem to realize. The only thing that needs to raise from the dead is your rhetoric.
Don’t you dare criticize him for what he said. Honestly, you’re no different than he when it comes down to it. You claim you believe in God, but when push comes to shove, rubber meets the road, and truth be known, like Peter, you’d rather God follow you than follow Jesus.
Stories of people bringing the sick to Jesus are not out of the ordinary. Even now, heaven probably shakes constantly with petitions for people to be healed. Give them some credit here. While prayers may come with sobs for God to reverse what could be the worst possible outcome, the proverbial faith of a mustard seed is the foundation of their cries. The heart knows or at least wants to believe that God can heal. The fear is, will God make this miracle or not? Still, we ask.
The Trouble with Jesus: His words stab in every living soul. Like open heart surgery, he exposed them and us.
