Friday, April 06, 2007

The Sins of Jesus

Did Jesus sin? A tenet of traditional Christianity is that He was the perfect sacrifice to atone for all because he was without sin. Is this true?

Jesus was Jewish. Occasionally I will mention this and the other in the discussion will say, "Really? I always thought he was a Christian." Uh, no. He grew up steeped in the law of the Torah and Rabbinical law. Yet, over and over Jesus violated Torah and Rabbinical Code. In the culture in which He lived, He was a criminal; in the faith of the society in which he preached, He was a sinner.

A few examples:

1. The first knowing act of Jesus recorded is his running off from his parents. Sure it is made all noble since he was at the temple and explained to his mother, AFTER HE HAD BEEN MISSING FOR THREE DAYS AT AGE TWELVE, that He was at His Father's (Father God) house. If that had been you or me, having dashed off at twelve to go build a house for Habitat for Humanity or some other noble cause for three days, we would have been wildly spanked and grounded for months. Did Jesus "Honor his mother" with that action? no. Jesus repeatedly gave appearance of breaking the commandment to honor one's parents. He even told his followers that He came to turn sons against fathers and that they would have to "hate" their parents to follow Him. (Matthew 10:34-37)2. Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine---the quantity is amazing! He made 150 gallons, which is 4,800 glasses of wine! He provided this additional alcohol to guests which the New International Version of the Bible says were already drunk. This would be a violation of Jewish law (Habakkuk 2:15, "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also..."), and giving more alcohol---lots more---to intoxicated folks is a crime today.3. Jesus flagrantly and repeatedly violated the Jewish interpretation of "Remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it Holy." He did this by picking grain (Matthew 12:1-8) and healing people on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-13)---acts which were expressly forbidden. In dealing with the Rabbis who admonished him on this he further failed to show them the respect that such leaders were to be given in that culture.

I could go on; you get my point. So what gives? Prophecy and tradition called for a perfect and sinless lamb to be slain as a sacrifice to all, yet Jesus was not sinless according to the Torah or the laws of the Rabbis.

First, a key teaching of Jesus is that there is a higher law that trumps the laws of man. Interestly, the higher law He espoused trumped prior God given law---or at least man's interpretation of that law. Second, Jesus teaches that motive matters more than the act itself. He touched and embraced lepers, the dead, Samaritans and all kinds of sinners, clearly violating Torah, yet in healing those people and showing them a better way to live, His higher purpose rose above God's previously stated law. Jesus was a rebel. Jesus was a criminal. He cursed things that did not belong to him (like the fig tree and the herd of pigs), and they died. By our standards and laws He was NOT perfect.

There are higher laws; motives matter more than laws; following one's noble destiny is our highest purpose even if it violates societal norms. These are hard teachings and not the typical Good Friday thoughts. For me, this makes me trust Him more and appreciate His sacrifice more. I can not identify with a perfect person who calls me to be likewise perfect. That is more than I can honestly embrace. However, living as a rebel against religious dogma, and seeking higher purpose over all things---I can strive for that. So today, Good Friday, I raise my glass of wine, dip my bread and celebrate the death of my favorite "sinner" and "criminal," Jesus.

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