Crucifying Jesus Over And Over Again,So He Doesn’t Get To Say a Word. “
Many years ago, Father Raymond Brown, then Professor Emeritus Of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary New York, N.Y. observed:
“If Jesus were to come back today, the Church would crucify him again because they would not want to hear what he would have to say. “
Father Ray Brown made this comment around (1979 ) when he published his ground-breaking text “ The Birth Of The Messiah “ ( 1977).
The Church has been called to “feed the hungry, clothe the naked, proclaim liberty to the captives. “‘ ( Luke 4: 18 )
Yet, right now, there is the temptation pronounced by several political pundits to say that everything regarding the economy is going quite well.
The stock market is up,; GNP is at 4 percent; dividends are high on mutual funds, etc.
So why isn’t this good news for everybody? Why isn’t this an economy that is working for all?
Currently, there are an estimated 12.7 percent of the US population who are living in poverty, earning $ 12,000 or less a year. What is the current poverty rate in the United States? — UC Davis …poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states.
Depending upon where you are living in the United States, the poverty figure may need to be adjusted to $ 20,00–30,000 per year.
Steve Earle noted in his song “Christmastime In Washington “
“To hear it on the radio,
You’d think that all is well;
But you and me and Cisco know
It’s going straight to Hell. “
Why aren’t Christian leaders , churches and denominations protesting out on the streets in mass regarding these retrograde economic conditions ?
For those who are the working poor, life is very hard.
Instead of a steady diet of Jesus crucified, and that suffering can be redemptive, what about a discussion concerning Jesus’ actual teachings? Years ago, I remember hearing of a Catholic priest who told a woman who was being beaten up by her husband,
“that you must suffer as our Lord suffered. “
Really?
Jesus said:
“ that if you have two cloaks, that you should give one to those who are in need. “ ( Luke 3:11 )
The Christian Gospel has focused upon Jesus Crucified, Died and Resurrected from the dead. This has traditionally been the heart of the good news.
Regarding poverty, it’s been all too easy for some church leaders to respond with “that the poor will always be with you. “ ( Mark 14:7 ), and not respond demonstratively with regard to growing income inequality. You could characterize this as “supply-side “theology.
The current reality and the future demand that the Christian church respond with greater substance regarding poverty and the suffering of poor people. “there, but for the grace of God go I “ need to be looked at seriously; and compassion and advocacy needs to be manifest if economic justice for all is to be realized.
May it be so.
