Baby Jesus III

What's the big deal about yesterday's post?
What does the baby Jesus have to do with things
like art and food and marriage and telling the
truth and political cynicism? It's just an
event that took place about two thousand years
ago. It's ancient history. Just like the photo
above. Right?


Well, if that's so, if the baby Jesus is just
an episode from ancient history, then you have
to ask yourself, Why all the present hostility
toward Jesus? What is different about Jesus
from any other figure in ancient history? What
makes Jesus different than say, Buddha? Mention
Buddha and nobody gets all worked up, except
in some places like Burma/Myanmar where
monks are killed by their government. But they
are killed by their government not because they
believe in Buddha, but because they oppose
political tyranny. And that observation
provides a clue for all the huff about baby
Jesus.


If christianity is doing it's job, it informs
the conscience.


The monks in Burma are acting on conscience. I
haven't a clue about what's shaping up in Burma,
I just see some stories on the WWW. And I think
it's good to know that, at least for the time
being, in this country you can march in a
protest without being shot down, literally.


And the baby Jesus was not just a friendly
teacher and preacher. He didn't just speak
about things, in his time. He did things that
offended people, all the time. If you think
about it, that's one of the aspects of the
gospel accounts that make them timeless. Jesus
stood up to resist corruption and oppression in
his day and that causes a resonance in the
hearts of people to this day. That's why he
will never go away. His message resonates.
That's why some would like to silence the word.
You see, it's not just the empty words that
bother people, it's the action that those words
inspire.


There is a passage that comes to mind:


Mt 15:1 Then there came to Jesus from Jerusalem
Pharisees and scribes, saying,


2 Why do your disciples go against the teaching
of the fathers? for they take food with unwashed
hands.


3 And in answer he said to them, Why do you,
yourselves, go against the word of G-d on
account of the teaching which has been handed
down to you?


4 For G-d said, Give honour to your father and
mother: and, He who says evil of father or
mother will be put to death.

5 But you say, If a man says to his father or
his mother, That by which you might have had
profit from me is given to G-d;


6 There is no need for him to give honour to his
father. And you have made the word of G-d
without effect because of your teaching.


7 You false ones, well did Isaiah say of you,


8 These people give me honour with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.


9 But their worship is to no purpose, while they
give as their teaching the rules of men.


10 And he got the people together and said to
them, Give ear, and let my words be clear to
you:


11 Not that which goes into the mouth makes a
man unclean, but that which comes out of the
mouth.


12 Then the disciples came and said to him, Did
you see that the Pharisees were troubled when
these words came to their ears?


Verse nine stands out. 'Worship is to no
purpose' when words and actions are in conflict.
Jesus was not happy that the religious
authorities were teaching people to act in a way
that was in disobedience to the ten
commandments. He is saying that you can't say
you worship G-d and then not obey his clear
instructions. If you take it a little further,
you see that all of the activities of life, are
guided by an element of worship. That would
include art, cooking, marriage, telling the
truth, and politics.


When we see the baby in the manger, we will
resonate with an impulse to worship or with an
impulse to reject, depending on the position
that you see yourself in. If you see yourself
in need of a saviour, you will worship. If you
see yourself having no such need, you will
likely despise the suggestion. Something takes
place internally in worship. And that something
carries over into ALL the activities of life.


Look upon the baby Jesus and you see yourself.
I'm thinking that some people don't like what
they see, so they brake the mirror.


Time's up today. The Jesus Bus has to go a bit
further down this trail tomorrow, Lord willing.


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===== Remarks ================================
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Just so there's no misunderstanding about
the crack pipe comment yesterday - I don't
smoke crack. But as I look around I'm
convinced that alot of people do. It's the
only way to explain some of what's going
on around me today -- they're smokin' crack.