Jesus: The First Anarchist :: essays research papers

Jesus: The First Anarchist "In God We Trust," reads the American dollar, mouths the American government. The bosses put their hands on bibles and take office, they put their hands on bibles and swear to be truthful and honest and follow the teachings of the people's God. But are they following God's will? Have they ever been? JESUS: AN ANARCHIST? Throughout history Jesus Christ has been regarded as a revolutionary, but an anarchist? Yes, the answer. As time has passed and covered the once passionate spirit in commonality, however, Jesus' true meaning has been lost in Sundays and collection baskets. Jesus' true meaning is that of the anarchist. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God," said Jesus to his disciples in one of many stories in which he shunned wealth and society's view of 'success'. We see in the story of the poor widow's contribution Jesus' message of devaluing money, and placing the true importance on the spirit in which it is given. We see Jesus sit down and observe how the people give money to the treasury, and his commentary on the donations shocks his disciples. "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood," says Jesus, teaching us an important lesson, one he stressed throughout his ministry. Jesus taught that the poor would be raised up, that the powerful, the bosses as modern day anarchists say, will be layed low. Jesus talks of the kingdom of God, we today talk of Anarchy. The gospel of Luke, chapter 12, presents to us a wonderful group of stories in which Jesus' underlying Anarchism is revealed. Luke 12:15, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possesions." And what is capitalism but a system by which the greedy and scrupulous are made stronger, the dependant and the honest pushed aside? Luke 12:18-21, "There was a rich man... and he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the Jesus: The First Anarchist :: essays research papers Jesus: The First Anarchist "In God We Trust," reads the American dollar, mouths the American government. The bosses put their hands on bibles and take office, they put their hands on bibles and swear to be truthful and honest and follow the teachings of the people's God. But are they following God's will? Have they ever been? JESUS: AN ANARCHIST? Throughout history Jesus Christ has been regarded as a revolutionary, but an anarchist? Yes, the answer. As time has passed and covered the once passionate spirit in commonality, however, Jesus' true meaning has been lost in Sundays and collection baskets. Jesus' true meaning is that of the anarchist. "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God," said Jesus to his disciples in one of many stories in which he shunned wealth and society's view of 'success'. We see in the story of the poor widow's contribution Jesus' message of devaluing money, and placing the true importance on the spirit in which it is given. We see Jesus sit down and observe how the people give money to the treasury, and his commentary on the donations shocks his disciples. "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood," says Jesus, teaching us an important lesson, one he stressed throughout his ministry. Jesus taught that the poor would be raised up, that the powerful, the bosses as modern day anarchists say, will be layed low. Jesus talks of the kingdom of God, we today talk of Anarchy. The gospel of Luke, chapter 12, presents to us a wonderful group of stories in which Jesus' underlying Anarchism is revealed. Luke 12:15, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possesions." And what is capitalism but a system by which the greedy and scrupulous are made stronger, the dependant and the honest pushed aside? Luke 12:18-21, "There was a rich man... and he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the