Mark Osler, professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas Law School, recently wrote about the common American perception that Jesus was not all that dangerous and therefore his actions did not rise to the level of warranting the criminal punishment of death. He has hosted numerous re-creations of “Jesus’s trial, under the current law of the state which hosts the event.” To help attendees reconsider the radical nature of Jesus’ message, Osler mentions several claims:
I urge them to consider the effect of his teaching on our economy, given that he asks people to give away all that they have and live in poverty. I point out that he is a disaster for national security, if we consider his radical pacifism. I rail against his claim that he came to separate families, and I even point out that he has chosen illiterates as his followers, a choice which could doom our heritage. I tie all of these arguments to Scripture, as brought out in testimony.
So What?
Jesus was a radical. The message of Jesus as embodied by those who seek to follow his way today should likewise appear radical to the rulers of the American empire. Osler powerfully drives home this reality:
Jesus unsettled nearly everyone who came to him. They left amazed (the Disciples and others), disappointed (the Rich Young Ruler) and angry (the Pharisees). The Jesus we see, though, doesn’t seem to do any of those things. When I see people leave church, I rarely see anyone who is amazed or disappointed or angry. Usually, they just look content.
When was the last time you left church amazed, disappointed or angry because of your encounter with the person and/or way of Jesus?