Political Spirituality j0. Why Follow Jesus?

DRUNKEN 'ESUS

AND THE KINGDOM PEOPLE 9 It might seem that Jesus was a relentless fanatic, moving from crowd to crowd and giving his friends a hard time. But he was aware of the need for space and often iried-to get away on little retreats, to be alone in the hills where he could talk with God and take stock of events. lt was lust inevitable that people kept following him, eager to devour what he had to offer. Nor was Jesus a wet blanket. He frequently went to dinner partics with his friends, eating and drinking with prostitutes and other disreputable people, accepting them as his equals. dom This was also part of the Kingdom. Over and over as a joyful thing, a treasure for which it was worth Jesus described the Kingletting go of other things. He saw how often families get in the way, and once snubbed his own when they asked people near the front of the circle to tell Jesus to come back home for his tea. He said 'My mother and brothers ask for me?' Jesus' attitude towards women was different mission was dependent on the financial support from most people's. His whole of a few wealthy widows like Susannah and he often chose the company of prostitutes; so you can imagine the stories that went around about him. Though in his lifetime we hear mostly about the men surrounding.l csus there were also women followcrs. When he was killed it was the women who took care of the Body and were the first to spread the good news of the rcsurrcction. They were initially disbelieved by the men.

CONFRONTING THE POWERS

lsrael remained at the heart of.Jesus'mission, and as time went on he became convinced that he was God's chos.n anointed one, the Way through into the Kingdom. For about a couple of years he had been preaching al.d healing.in the ;;;;;;;;, gathering targe ciowds ind anno-ying the local rulers. Undoubtedly the hornun, w6uld haie nia an eye on him; for, though he appeared to be. against ui;i;;;;, anyone with large crowds and a different messa.ge was-threatening. But ;ii.; thit iim., lerrr deciiecl to tackle "the big one", and head.for J.erusalem. ln his actions he ionfirmed the worst fears of the Jewish elites and the Romans, and

Rathcr than simply slip in and start preaching aird healing in the marl<et placc, Jesus rnade a formal entry through the main gates in the style of the lrumble l<irrg riding on a donkcy. His disciples organiscci the crowcl to pay tribute to this 'Son ol'David who comes in the name of the Lord'. Perhaps his kingship was

different, but it was certainly a bid for a kingship of sorts, a political act which could hardly be ignored by the powcrs that be. His final public ;rct, which rnade up the mincls o1'thc Jcwish elitcs to have rid of him and let the Romans lrave their own way, was to clear thc Ternplc f'orccourt of the merchants and money-changers. Because of thc sacrifices required by larv in the Temple, and that all animals had to be paid for in Tenrple money, there rvas a double racket, and poor pcoplc were being rippecl off. Jesus, absolutcly furior,rs at what was going on in the namc of his Father in his own place, no doubt with his disciples'help drove out all the merchants. Cod's rr-rle of justice came before anything e lse.

THE COMING DESTRUCTION When he was in Jerusalem, Jesus began talking at grcatcr lc-'ngth about the corr.ring destruction. He was so passionatc about the fatc that arvailcd the city that he cricd for "her", lamenting the killing and levclling at 1he hancls of a forcign army (whicir did happen only a generation later when the Romans crushcd arr uprising). lrr thc expectation of a sudden coming of disaster, punislrment 1.r onr God, .| csus thouglrt the same as his contemporaries. Fle also hoped that thc Ncw i\ge of God, which hacl begun with his healing and announcement r:f the Go<-rd Ncws, rvould soon come irr full force, from God, even bcfore his generation had died. These things rverc out of our hands, he said, but the important thing was not to say'relax, it doesrr't rnattcr any more'or'eat, drink and be merry', but to be expectant, reading the signs of the time.

ln the last few days and weeks Jesus led the life of a wanted man, avoiding public places. The temple authorities and R<-rmans wouid be out to get him now that he had made such a dangerous stir in the capital itself. Before, when hc could build on the trust of people, he had told the disciples not to carry purses or swords. Now he said, if you haven't a sword buy one because you don't know whom you can trust, what with temple agents everywhere.

The disciples must have been very perplexed and disillusioned. Only now they began to realise how different Jesus was from the expected Messiah. What was he doing cowering in the shadows like a Wanted Criminai? Peter had probably been disillusioned since Jesus turned down the offer <lf his own army in the hills above the Sea of Galilee. There, a secret army of 5,000 men had met in the wilderness'like sheep without a shepherd', i.e. leaderless. Encouraged by Jesus'act of breaking and sharing the food, they wanted to seize him and make him king. Jesus l.orced the disciples to leave and later fled himself. ln thc event it was Judas, the treasurer, who betrayed Jesus andshowed the Temple guards and Roman soldiers where they could find him. But perhaps any one of them could have done it.