Jesus the Revolutionist

Jesus Christ is one of the most controversial people who existed in all of this world till the present. While the Jewish people were expecting a powerful Messiah who would redeem them from the Roman reign, the Son of God entered the world quietly in a manger in Bethlehem. Not only was the nature of His birth and upbringing unconventional, but Jesus lived a revolutionary life that challenged the status quo and the stereotypes that existed in society. This short post will explore the various ways that Jesus was a revolutionist and encouraged His followers to live a radical life beyond the restrictions of society and religious dogma.

1. The Jesus Who Challenged the Status Quo

Throughout Jesus's life, we can see that He actively broke down the societal barriers that separate human beings. In Matthew 9: 10-12,

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? "

Through these verses, we see that Jesus defied societal expectations because a religious man did not sit or eat in the company of tax collectors. Most of the religious leaders were respectful members of their society and they did not entertain people who were stigmatized. The tax collectors were one such group of people and were detested by many since these were Jews who collected taxes to give to the Romans. Often, they were disliked because they pocketed more money than what was asked for themselves.

So, Jesus defied the expectations of society and brought people together from different walks of life who were considered "sinners". He continued to do this despite the remarks that He received from people and religious authorities.

2. The Jesus Who Challenged Racial Barriers

Jesus took on a different approach when it came to addressing people from a different race. This can be seen in the parable of the Good Samaritan which you can refer to in Luke 10:25-37. In these verses, an expert of the law challenges Jesus on what must be done to attain eternal life. To this Jesus responds that a person must firstly love God and secondly love his neighbor. When He is further challenges as to who is considered a neighbor, Jesus narrates the parable of the Good Samaritan man.

A parable which depicts a foreigner being kind to a Jewish man who is waylaid by robbers. In this unusual passage, rather than saying love your Jewish countrymen, He describes the neighbor as people beyond His own race. This was only one instance where Jesus challenges racial barriers through His revolutionary teachings.

3. The Jesus Who Challenged Barriers in Gender

Though, there were not many stories in the bible where Jesus interacted with women, the few stories showed that Jesus valued women and taught them. The first biblical passage that depicts this was the interaction between Jesus and a Samaritan women at the well which can be referred to in John 4: 5-30. Jesus encounters a woman alone at a well and requests a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. During the conversation, Jesus is well aware of the promiscuous lifestyle of the woman but he does not judge her and further reveals that He is the Messiah. The disciples return and find it strange that Jesus was talking alone with a woman which indicates that this was not a common occurrence especially since Jews did not associate themselves with Samaritan people. Jesus is not hindered by barriers in gender and chose to engage in conversation with a foreign woman. He was unafraid of judgment from His disciples no matter how strange it seemed to them.

In Luke 7:36-50, we see another incident where a woman visits Jesus at the house of a pharisee and bathes His feet in perfume and tears. The dinner host thinks to himself doubting Jesus because He allows a sinful woman to touch Him. Jesus is not ashamed or falters when the woman bathes His feet with expensive perfume. We can all imagine how scandalous it would have been that a woman was touching Jesus in an intimate manner. He wasn't thwarted by the way people judged but instead chose to accept this woman's kindness. So, Jesus was approached men and women as equals and broke down barriers in gender.

Through the course of this post, I hope that I was able to convey the enigma of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who lived a revolutionary life on earth. Jesus was someone who challenged those around Him continuously and altered their perspective on society, religion and eternal life. After His resurrection, He continues to inspire a life of boldness and radical living for His Kingdom come!

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