The Christian festival of Easter, far more important than Christmas, heralds the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days following his crucifixion. The tomb was empty but He was manifesting himself in many places where his disciples were gathering for different purposes. The news of the Resurrection went viral as the disciples once destabilised by doubt, anxiety and fear began to encounter their master in their hiding places, in the beaches where they have gone back to their former livelihoods and even in their journeys away from the city of Jerusalem.
They began to rediscover their lost faith and plunged themselves boldly into proclaiming the truth of the Risen Lord in whom salvation is to be found. The Resurrection of the Lord was so crucial that preaching was seen bereft of meaning as was the faith without it. This was the message that went out from Israel’s capital of Jerusalem beyond the confines of Palestine to all the cosmopolitan enters like Athens and finally reaching the imperial city of Rome, the fortress of Caesar’s empire.
From thence, there was the rapid expansion of Christianity into the western countries and then to the new world of the Americas and the global South. Many in whose judgment, Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee was a mere marginal Jew, a carpenter’s son, has today however surprisingly triumphed, captivating the hearts and religious faith of billions of his followers across societies, cultures, races, nations and continents.
Innovative teachings
With the Resurrection of Christ, not only the historical facts about his earthly life, but also his innovative teachings about God, creation, the meaning and destiny of man and mankind, sin and the powers of evil in the world, the movement of history and its meaning have acquired authoritative validity. The faith of his first followers that was later preached, proclaimed, written down and redacted, has by now become an eternal legacy of the world and mankind. Christianity to all cultures, languages and ethnicities is today a veritable treasure of spirituality and religiosity. It even has implications for the so-called secular realities such as human rights, dignity of work, scientific research, economics, politics, peace, social justice, human fraternity and social relationships. There emerges a new world and a world-order born of the Resurrection. It is however no mere utopia but one that can be constructed, experienced and enjoyed even at present, one however which is not limited to the material well-being only, but bestowing more meaning and going beyond to the ethical, moral and spiritual which requires the exercise of freedom and the choice of options for treading on better and nobler ways of living.
The work of Jesus of Nazareth is announced in his first appearance in the home-synagogue where he claims to himself the task of having to proclaim an era of grace with healing for those who are sick and good news of liberation for the poor. Indeed the poor has a special place in his message and embodies a vast expanse of a story of God’s love, compassion and involvement with mankind. He associates with the lowly, the marginalised, the oppressed and the outcasts for which as a religious teacher he is being blamed. His life-drama is enacted in his sayings and parables, miracles and table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners, in his living out his life in availability and service and his laying it down in a freely accepted death.
He declares that he had come not for the just but bringing salvation to the sinners. The persons in leadership in Jewish society of his day most unacceptable to him were the self-righteous Pharisees whom he condemned to be hypocrites and blind guides. He was bold enough to refer to King Herod the ruler of Judea as a fox who is most cunning in his ways and out to trap him in every way possible. Nothing on earth could stop Jesus of Nazareth from going about doing good in his country to everyone no matter what ethnicity, race, language they belonged: there were the authentic Jews, then those of the educated class who were exposed to Greek culture, the so-called hellenized Jews and finally the pagan Romans who were worshippers of all kinds of gods and goddesses who happened to be the colonial power in his native land.
We hear him working miracles for gentiles including Roman soldiers and moving with Samaritans who were arch-enemies of the Jews of his day. He touches lepers and those infected with dropsy. He threatens the evil spirits possessing and tormenting their victims and succeeds in silencing them and thus bringing healing, solace and cure to the victims.
He welcomes women into his company and blesses the children and their mothers. On the way to his death, he consoles the weeping women asking them to weep not for him, but for themselves and their children for he had prophesied the impending fall of Jerusalem under brutal invasion of the Romans. A new social setting was emerging and with it a new Jewish community.
Social sin
This new social change would act like salt and leaven in a process of transformation affecting hearts and structures, and so liberating people both from mammon which is greed in all its forms and not only in matter of money but also from Satan which is none other than structured evil.
It is today identified as social sin, the sin that is institutionalised and structural, more powerful and devastating than the sum of all personal sins and iniquities of individuals who are in reins of power.
It will be utter folly today even for a professional atheist or secularist to deny the presence of evil in our world despite the world being taken to incredible heights of progress via science and technology, which by the way is capable of producing also lethal weapons of mass destruction that is a global threat to human life and global peace.
The race for military and nuclear supremacy is indeed a modern form of demonic possession that has victimised the world of science and technology capable of even cyber wars igniting havoc on the planet making our common home a wreckage of unimaginable proportions.
Thus nuclear war is human stupidity at its highest even as regional and international conflicts that disturb global peace and tranquility.
There is a brand new world born of the Resurrection in the restoration of life lost and the dawn of a new paradigm of life and civilisation based on co-existence. It comprises a culture of life and peace as well as a civilisation of love and fraternity.
The Sermon on the Mount attributed to Jesus Christ gives an inkling into this new paradigm, philosophy and spirituality of life. In it the socially poor of the marginalised, the downtrodden, those devoid of means of sustenance and the despised are called blessed.
The Gospel of Jesus is indeed taking a radical option for the poor. It is definitely against relentless forms of economic capitalism and political ideologies that dehumanise people.
Those who suffer because of injustice and those to whom living space is denied, particularly the masses of immigrants and refugees who are displaced have caught the particular attention of this Sermon on the Mount.
Those who are gifted with earthly riches are called to share with the poor. When it is established that the global wealth is in the hands of a powerful few and that there is still a third-world of the poor and the ever-widening distance between the rich and the power in the current global economic system where the petro-dollar is the mammon of iniquity and nuclear power the wrenched fist, it paints indeed a chilling scenario for the world’s over six billion and inhabitants.
The Psalmist in the Holy Bible challenges a world in disarray and turned chaotic when it says: “Why are the nations in tumult and people’s devising vain things” (Psalm 2:1).
In this new world, a wrongdoer is forgiven seventy times seven and all sons who have squandered their heritage in squalor and riotous living, on their return home repentant, are received warmly and feasted sumptuously as taught in the moving parable of the prodigal son. Those who are able to transcend ethnic, language, cultural and social differences, like the proverbial Good Samaritan in the parable who cared for the Jew beaten by robbers, prove themselves true neighbours in the spirit of fraternity even to their enemies.
Authority in human structures
Those sunk in the mire of sin and personal disorder could still live in the hope of being born again like the sinful woman who wept at the feet of the Lord. Women and children who even nowadays are marginalised in certain cultures as in the days of Jesus in Palestine, are given important places in the new social order that is being envisaged and inaugurated. Authority in human structures in whatever form of civil life is seen as a service with clear condemnation of the abuse of power, bribery, corruption and forms of dictatorial ways of acting.
Though history records many unchristian events in Christianity, like colonialism and forms of imperialism that sometimes included a very negative attitude to other religions and cultures, global Christianity today is treading different paths of dialogue, understanding, solidarity and collaboration with all those who are of goodwill. It even mediates in conflict situations facilitating peace-processes; makes itself the voice of the oppressed and the indigenous peoples and raises cries for human rights, justice and truth in conflict situations. This is where life is raised up and work for peace is in force.
Easter, therefore, in all its facets is a festival celebrating life and a heartening herald of peace. It launches Christianity today in a journey with others seeking a fuller life for all at the crossroads of the world. The Eternal Galilean keeps abreast of humanity inspiring and journeying with all people of good-will towards the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness brims over in minds and hearts.