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Jesus: Activist for Social Justice

© Arthur C. Ruger

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (attributed to Jesus in Matthew 5:38-41, Revised Standard Version)

What was Jesus teaching when He made statements like the above to common people. Those who listened to him most were those most suffering under a yoke of domination at the hands of a literalist and fundamentalist leadership - a leadership that sustained itself by claiming that the Letter of the Law took precedent of any so-called "Spirit of the law?"

Those in power remained in power precisely with an intimidating pretense that strongly implied that the combination of priestliness and scriptural knowledge meant a superior connection to the original intent of God the Law-Giver. Moving way beyond the Old Testament prescription for priesthood-directed ceremonial functions, that leadership pretended to speak for a God who in reality was not speaking these leaders; a God who the common people believed only spoke directly through prophets - historical figures from their past whose words were found in scripture.

Whether or not liberal Christians accept the idea of God speaking to humans through living prophets today, we need no historical camera to see how - in the absence of God's prophets in the tradition of Isaiah, Jeremiah and the others - we are left with to deal with the same kind of pretending theological con-men with whom Jesus had to deal.

Last December, ZNet published an article by Walter Wink entitled Christian Nonviolence in which Wink addresses those who find themselves stymied between the pick-and-choose citing of Biblical versus by fundamentalist leaders and what might seem like the unrealistic idealism encountered in the words of Jesus.

"Many who have committed their lives to working for change and justice in the world simply dismiss Jesus' teachings about nonviolence as impractical idealism. And with good reason. "Turn the other cheek" suggests the passive, Christian doormat quality that has made so many Christians cowardly and complicit in the face of injustice. "Resist not evil" seems to break the back of all opposition to evil and counsel submission. "Going the second mile" has become a platitude meaning nothing more than "extend yourself." Rather than fostering structural change, such attitudes encourage collaboration with the oppressor."