Real Revolution
Francis Schaeffer is quoted as saying ‘One of the greatest injustices we do
to our young people is to ask them to be conservative. Christianity is not
conservative, but revolutionary. To be conservative today is to miss the whole
point, for conservatism means standing in the flow of the status quo.’
There are plenty of voices saying that Jesus was a revolutionary, not a
conservative, but let's look at what He threatened or did not threaten.
He never threatened the genuine authority of the church. When he healed the
leper, he said ‘Go and show yourself to the priest.’’
He never missed church attendance, he worshipped ‘as was his custom’ and claimed
He was Lord of the Sabbath. Luke 4:16, ‘He came to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up, and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he regularly
did.’
He never defied parental authority. In that historical event at the age of
twelve, Jesus reminded his parents that God was his Father but then he went home
with his parents and was subject to them, Luke 2:41-51. He lived with them and
worked with them until he was about thirty years of age. At his death, he made
provision for his Mother’s care.
He also never questioned the validity of monogamous marriage, as demonstrated by
his discussion with the woman at the well, John, chapter 4.
He never taunted the invading Romans but healed them and treated them with
dignity. Matthew 8:5-7, "As Jesus entered Capernaum a centurion came up to
ask his help. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed and racked
with pain,’ and Jesus said, I will come and cure him."
Above all he never questioned the truth of the Old Testament, only those who
misused or misquoted it. He quoted it frequently and said he was who he was
because Scripture declared it to be so. He lived by it and he died by it. ‘In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God,’ and
‘all things were made by him,’ John, chapter 1.
He committed himself wholly to the Father so yes; Jesus was a revolutionary. His
is a real revolution and He invites us all to join by following him.
It is revolutionary for the Mighty God to become a child born to us, as the Old
Testament says, Isaiah 9:6,7, said, ‘For a child has been born to us, a son
is given to us; he will bear the symbol of dominion on his shoulder, and his
title will be: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty Hero, Eternal Father, Prince of
Peace.’
Not only was he born to us, he became the worst for us and wore the penalty of
sin as Isaiah 53:5 said, ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed
for our iniquities; the chastisement he bore restored us to health and by his
wounds we are healed.’
I wonder: could we join the revolution? Please?
Elizabeth Price