I still consider myself a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. He is much more than the savior from sin. In fact, I believe that he was only that to first century Jews who needed to understand that they were already acceptable sons and daughters of God. This whole narrative about Jesus is tainted by the Orthodox understanding of sin and salvation. It was further turned into an unnecessary source of shame and self-deprivation by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and the other reformers. It along with Puritanism has been the source much trauma and error. However, I believe it is mostly from misunderstanding his real message of love and freedom.
You can say, but he taught about hell and mentioned that it
was where worms would never die. Well, in my view, that is part of the
misinterpretation of his message. If one believes that he was really a
historical figure, and that he really taught prior to the destruction of the
temple and Jerusalem, and I do, then he was actually quoting Isaiah 66 in a
passage that I think foreshadows the destruction of the temple. He was
informing them, by them, I mean first century Jews that the temple and city
would be destroyed by Messianic fever and fervor.
You can also say that he taught about Gehenna and suggested
it was eternal. To that I reply that he was using hyperbole against a first
century Pharisaic teaching that Gehinnom was a fiery punishment where souls
went for a year to pay a penalty for their sinful ways. He actually used a lot
of hyperbole in his teaching. He suggested that they gouge out their eyes and
cut off their hands. He also said that lust was really adultery. I don’t think
it was to make the mosaic law tougher. It was hyperbole to show that concern
and love for others was a better road to follow.
This brings me to the first narrative that Jesus taught that
was profitable for everyone and would be great to follow and would make this
planet a better place to live and would help us all become more humane. Notice
the idea of humane comes from the word human and is linked directly to
humanity. The idea was to love the other and not persecute them. This love
should extend past the norm of the day to one’s enemy.
He was likewise a proponent of what today we call social
justice. He taught that the highest ideal for humanity was to feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless and visit the sick and those in
prison. He taught that if one really wanted to follow him, they would do those
works as a natural way of living. It would be these works that would separate a
true follower from one that was false.
In a more spiritual vane, he taught that the realm of God
was already among humanity. Its source was the indwelling Logos or the divine
spark. God was creative mind and was the parent of all humanity. The Logos was
actually incarnate in humanity. He taught that he was indeed the incarnation of
the divine Logos, but he did not stop there. He went on to teach that we all
are the divine Logos incarnate.
When it was said that he was the Christ, the Messiah, it was
actually saying that he was the divine Logos in flesh and blood. He was, if you
allow- the anointing of the Logos. Again, he did not stop there. He went on to
teach that we too are the anointing of the Logos as well. While he was willing
to be a mediator between humanity and creative consciousness, he also taught
that we too could be a mediator for ourselves.
Orthodoxy got it twisted but so did Gnosticism and the other
expressions of Christianity in the first three centuries. There was much about
Gnosticism that was correct, but where it went awry of his teaching was in not
understanding that Jesus was one of the most egalitarian teachers and mystics
of all time. The gospel that the realm of God was available to all and
currently among humanity was unique to him. And, that is the reason that I
choose to follow his teaching as best as I am able.
