At first glance upon reading the Gospels it might seem that Jesus is the ultimate and consummate liberal, at least as we understand that quite political term these days. Perhaps I should rather say, “as that term is misunderstood” these days. Also, at first glance, one could also conclude that Jesus is the ultimate conservative, again, as that term seems to be (mis)understood these days. And finally, Jesus certainly had to be the ultimate independent.
Jesus said that he came not to change one iota of they Law but to fulfill it. In that he was a true conservative. Jesus himself followed the Law, kept the Holy Days, fasted as the Law demanded. The Law had its purpose else God would not have given us the Law in the first place. However, it was never meant to be an end in itself. It was given to help us be better people and not to prevent us from doing what the dictates of the heart demanded. Sometimes the Law would have to cede to love. The Sabbath had its purpose but sometimes the laws of the Sabbath had to be set aside to take care of the needs of those in need. In saying that and in fact in doing just that, Jesus was a true liberal.
Perhaps one might thus conclude from all this that Jesus was the ultimate and consummate independent in that he was beholden to neither liberal of conservative, neither right nor left and certainly not to the Law. Of course, it does take a lot of courage, even gall, to attempt to define someone else’s political, sociological and theological stances. We know what they say about those who make assumptions about anyone or anything.
Nevertheless, when we do read scripture and read about Jesus’ actions and listen to his words, and when we are tempted to try to categorize those words and actions into a present-day political perspective, we can come away somewhat confused. We want to get a handle on Jesus but Jesus always seems to elude us; yet that does not deter us from making the attempt and from forming a conclusion which we will gladly share with anyone and everyone, especially those who disagree with us and to whom we want to prove that Jesus is on our side.
The safest course, it would seem, if one has the courage to actually define Jesus, is to assert that Jesus was an independent, that he marched to the tune of his own drumming; and that he did. But he did it in the context of his Jewish faith. He was neither a loose cannon nor a radical polarizer. He simply challenged everyone he encountered, from those in highest authority to those on the outskirts of society, to examine the reasons why they did what they did and why they avoided doing what they so refused to do. He demanded complete honesty. Asserting “It’s the Law,” was, for Jesus, disingenuous if not dishonest as well.
What he got in return was often a lot of self-defense and sass. Instead of people taking him seriously they refused to take themselves seriously. Instead of questioning their own motives, they questioned his. But he never let them off the hook. In the end those who refused to listen, to take him seriously, to change, silenced him on the cross. Yet, the words they heard were never silenced. They had to live with them. And his loving actions, the Law notwithstanding, were seared into their memories.
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