He has not one word of approval for what the religious hierarchy does or stands for, in fact accuses them of the worst transgressions imaginable, including of killing all prophets before him. Only long deceased religious leaders and dead prophets are exalted by him. Of the living he has this to say: “among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he,” a statement that Jesus’ followers (those who “have ears to hear”) might rightly interpret as egalitarian in its far-reaching consequences. In the context of his teaching on repentance it also shows the way for potential equality to become actual, which, paradoxically, for those who in society “are first” would involve their moving back – or else being moved – to “be last” (while “the last” would become “first”). What a way to introduce an equality principle!
All of this is grounded upon the foundational to Jesus’ ministry message contained in the Sermon of the Mount, with its exaltation of the downtrodden. They are called “the salt of the earth,” while the meek among them “shall inherit the earth.” Many blessings and rewards will be showered on them in the hereafter, and they seemingly will be reserved only for them. But that is not all that is to this message: those who are meek, or rather cannot but be meek in order to survive, while subsisting in this world are – as Walter Wink beautifully has shown – in fact instructed in tactics, perhaps a full-blown strategy for the discerning, of using existing cultural norms to shame their oppressors into mending their ways. Even the most famous one in this category, “whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also,” can be interpreted that way. But one is not supposed to hate his oppressor: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Thusly understood and enjoined perfection, “as your heavenly Father is perfect,” is the other side of man’s radical equality in the sight of God.
But those societal as well as soteriological considerations are not all that he has to say in terms of equality advancement. The family also comes within Jesus’ purview in a way that is far from even resembling a traditional endorsement of it. The young man who wished to do his filial duty and bury his father was told, “Let the dead bury their dead,” hardly supportive of the patriarchal family’s ways. Also, when “Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” …Jesus answered… “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” This statement possibly goes even further, effectively replacing family with an earthly brother-(and sister-)hood of equals, provided they do the will of the heavenly Father.
It all culminates in the following: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”
Whether this is a normative or just a descriptive statement makes little difference. Jesus shows that he knows perfectly well what consequences his message is bringing – but does not hesitate to introduce it anyway, as is done here in the framework of the family. He is “Girardian” before Girard has ever introduced his mimetic theory that warns of dangers of undifferentiation or radical equality. Regardless, the traditional patriarchal family, a bulwark against dangers of rivalry, conflict and, eventually, violence, apparently has to give way to such a one where nothing but God himself is sacred.
The Gospels are a treasure trove of spiritual inspiration. It is true that each new generation finds new themes, or sees other ones in a different light. For Christian gays and lesbians such is now the case with Luke 17:34-35: “…on that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding together [“grind” is said to refer to sexual intercourse in at least four places in the Hebrew Bible]; one will be taken and the other will be left,” spoken by Jesus in the context of rapture. It is interpreted as signifying that sexually active gays and lesbians are not automatically consigned to eternal damnation on that basis alone, and further as bringing equality of human sexual expression.
Though equality of all humans may be derived from Imago Dei, Jesus’ message of equality, and not only in the sight of God, was addressed largely to Israel and specifically to the first communities of his Jewish disciples and followers. Paul went further, extending the message of equality beyond ethnic boundaries, making it universal in scope. What was yet implicit in Jesus became explicit in Paul, in his pronouncements concerning the standing before God of all the believers: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” and “… [in] a renewal… there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Paul’s push to make Christianity a universal religion made the message of equality subversive also of societal hierarchies beyond Israel. Consequently, it was treated as public menace by the Roman Empire.
