This is important to understand as I continue in my series concerning overcoming prejudice. We have been shaped by our society with ideas and attitudes that often rest below our conscience thinking but influence our actions. However when we bend our knee and recognize Jesus as our King, the Spirit births us into a new creation, and citizen of the Kingdom, governed by the rules of our King. There is a transformation that takes place and we are seeded with everything we need for godliness and living as his representatives in this world.
When this happens there is a rewiring that happens and the root of these ideas and attitudes from our society are cut off as the new seeds are planted. But we have lived with them so long that we live by habit and it is these habits that we need to surrender and have our thinking renewed. This is where we may discover the prejudices we didn't even know we were living with.
Jesus demonstrated his heart, Father's heart and the principles of the Kingdom by the way he treated people. We have account after account of how Jesus took the "unseen" people of the society of his day and brought them into the "seen". Jesus challenged what had become acceptable and taught by the rules of the day. At the same time, he continued to honour these rulers.
Often times those who cry out against injustices and prejudices commit these same crimes against those they are protesting. The attitude of the Kingdom is clear as James wrote that we are to honour everyone. Authority may be wrong and we may have to protest to show it is wrong but we can still do it in a way that shows respect and honour.
I believe that many of us misread Jesus' encounters with the Pharisees and Sadducees. There certainly were times when Jesus called them out, giving them the label of "brood of vipers" and "white washed tombs" but Jesus did not show any prejudice with them. We see him going to their homes for supper. He met with them in secret. He have them opportunities to see the Kingdom of God demonstrated.
Jesus could have avoided them. He could have done the miracles when they weren't around so as to avoid provocation. But I don't believe Jesus was trying to provoke them. He wanted to include them, as much as they hated him. He wanted to give them opportunities to see and to understand. He didn't offer them insight and understanding because he hated them. He did it because he loved them and it broke his heart to see them missing the point.
At Simon's home Jesus took the time to help Simon understand the misalignment of his heart. In the synagogue, healing the man with the withered hand, Jesus wanted the Pharisees to understand the importance Father places on mercy over judgement and the need for compassion in relationships. Jesus took the time with Nicodemus. On many other occasions he patiently answered their many questions. He gave them miracles so they could see beyond his words. He became angry at the insincerity of their hearts.
If Jesus had been prejudice against these leaders and teachers he would have avoided them, remained silent, not visited them homes, not shared with them insights on the Kingdom. For certain the Pharisees did not belong to the "unseen" grouping of people. Their whole thing was to be seen but I point this out to you so that you can understand it is just as wrong to be prejudice against the authority as it is for them to be prejudice against one group of people. Hate does not destroy hate. We are told to overcome evil with good.
I am not saying that it is possible to bring equality to the world. That is not going to happen without Jesus. What I am advocating here is that it has to look different in the Body of Christ. The Church is the representation of the Kingdom in this world, governed by the principles of our King. We cannot be polluted by the wrong thinking and perspective of this world. We understand this as far as things like sexuality but we seem to fall short when it comes to the revelatory-knowledge of "Love and respect your neighbour as you love and respect yourself".
Jesus gave up his life to save us all. That is "all" not a chosen few. It is conditional on that whoever believes will be saved but everyone has the same opportunity to believe. Black and white, rich and poor, male and female, young and old, Jew and non-Jew. We can only function as one nation, united under our King, joined together by the Spirit, if love is our foundation. Jesus said, "Love each other in the same manner I have loved you", and then he went to the cross. He told us what love looked like and even told us that friends lay down their lives for each other.
That is what it looks like in the Kingdom. That is what it needs to look like in the Church.
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