The Most Radical Revolution

The Authority of Jesus (part 2 of 3)

Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ -John 18:36

Today, many people on the left and the right consider themselves radicals. The word seems to mean taking the views of left or right to a new extreme. These radicals offer a daily dose of their rhetoric, going so far that radical left and right share common beliefs, as horseshoe theory argues. No matter how far they go, however, they aren’t radical enough for followers of Jesus.

Jesus offered his version of radical long before the Neo-cons or the Democratic Socialists. During his lifetime, people certainly experienced his authority.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits, and they come out!’ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. -Luke 4:36-37

Yet as the end of his life approached, Jesus had the opportunity to confront the oppressive world power that had caused so much pain to his people. His radical path was quite unexpected.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’…Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him. -John 18:33-38

Shortly after this meeting, contrary to what Pilate had said, Jesus was beaten and crucified. And yet, as we saw in the last post, Jesus proved to be influential over the ensuing years, decades, centuries, and even millennia. This staying power alone gives Jesus kingdom an authority far beyond today’s radical movements.

It is this very interaction with Pilate that offers us a deeper understanding of Jesus and his kingdom. A closer reading of the Bible shows that he used his authority to proclaim a far more radical kingdom than we imagine.

Like many revolutionaries in our day, Jesus’ kingdom invites in everyone who is pushed to the margins of society.

Looking at his disciples, he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. ‘Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. -Luke 6:20-23a

But his kingdom is more radical still. Karl Marx believed that history is driven by conflict. His “kingdom” will come about, then, through directing the conflict in the right direction; the lower classes need to rise up and overthrow the capitalist system. Jesus also acknowledged conflict and violence. But rather than normalizing and taking control over who conflicts with whom, Jesus absorbed conflict into himself to make possible his kingdom of inclusion and peace.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. -Ephesians 2:13-18

Since Jesus absorbed into himself the violence of human history, his kingdom appears as an invitation to accept his death as a gift so that we may be forgiven and healed. This is an invitation every human being is free to choose.

Since citizenship in Jesus’ kingdom comes through forgiveness and healing, his community is radically free to pursue something far beyond self-promotion.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! -Philippians 2:5-8

We, as citizens, are free to serve others in humility through obedience to God - even if this leads to our own death. As we do this, our lives are sustained, not by our own struggle for power and resources, but through God’s fatherly provision:

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. -Matthew 6:31-33

We can live in a radically new way:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -Philippians 2:1-4

Jesus’ path, relying on God’s forgiveness and dependent upon God for provision, is too weak and slow. It doesn’t seem radical enough. The opposite is actually true. Jesus’ kingdom is much more radical. It is also the most beautiful.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

-John 3:16-21

Dare to join the beauty. Be a Jesus-radical. Make good happen.