Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Jesus the Liberal

How could he not be?

1. He performed rather than preached some of his key 'messages' (e.g. the Temple-cleansing, the Cross). How many sermons today are designed to be evocative, symbolic, etc.?

2. His main preaching vehicle was parables, which are almost by definition metaphors containing a surplus of meaning and thus flies in the face of much 'systematic theology' and point-by-point preaching. Today we tend to state the parable and tell the congregation exactly what it means! (duh)

3. He pissed off the religious right!

4. He seemed to be deliberately vague and often answered a question with a question, seeking to elicit a response

5. He welcomed children, insisting that their faith was of a superior nature to that of the grown-ups'

6. Add to this?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

He LOVED and hung out with the 'untouchables/despised" when nobody would, not even the pious of all.