Messiah of Peace

The pervasive call to repentance of the Lucan Jesus, as outlined yesterday, has economic and political consequences. I did not appreciate these consequences because I was so focused on establishing the identity of most excellent Theophilus as the High Priest. The Lucan Jesus rejects the false peace gained through war and violence as exemplified by Roman imperial might, Maccabean zealoty, Hasmonean dynasty and Herodian kingdom. Peace and justice is established not by violence but by the transforming understanding of the real meaning of peace. This transforming understanding is provided by the Lucan Messiah of Peace.

Although Luke states that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, he qualifies this by presenting the Lucan Jesus’ humble royalty. At the birth of Jesus, the chorus of angels are singing peace and when Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey the chorus is singing “Blessed is the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” This was a different kind of victory procession. A humble king riding on a donkey with an army carrying psalms is not a threat to Pax Romana.

“And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes.’”

They did not understand the ministry of peace nor did they understand that “God bestows salvation on the people in the form of peace.”

A work in progress.

Copyrighted 2009

Religion

Christianity

Gospel of Luke