Chap. 15: A Society for Justice
Jesus Creed-ers love justice. What is kingdom justice?
JUSTICE: WHAT IS IT? Kingdom justice concerns restoring humans to both God and others. For Israel, justice was to make things right. In our culture that means lawful and in accordance with the courts. The standard for justice for Jesus is the Jesus Creed.
JESUS FROM INAUGURATION TO JUDGMENT DAY. Jesus' first two speeches were all about his fulfillment of the prophecies about bringing sight to the blind, etc. At the end of his ministry, he separated sheep from goats by what people had done to help the hungry, thirsty, etc. "What distinguishes a follower of Jesus is a Jesus Creed-inspired love that lives out the value of justice for the hungry, thirsty, estranged, unclothed, sick, and imprisoned."
NEXT DOOR TO THE DEATH HOUSE. A powerful story of restoration between victims and perpetrators.
Chap. 16: A Society of Restoration
Miracles are not by Jesus as a method to prove his divinity. They are done to restore people to health and a productive life.
MOSES, JOB, AND JESUS. Before Jesus, sickness was either viewed as punishment for sin or as a test from God. Jesus turned that all upside down.
CLASIFICATIONITIS. In Jesus time there were many categories that people were classified into.
THE WALL COME DOWN. Jesus knocks those classification walls down. Two examples.
- Women Join the Table (Mark 5:24-34). The miracle of Jesus healing the women was classified as a zavah, a women who bleed past her normal menstrual cycle. Modern Walls Between Men and Women. The story of a Jewish woman who was excluded from the men in a modern synagogue.
- Lepers Come to the Table. (Luke 5:12-16.) Leprosy was as much a social status as a medical condition. By healing the leper, Jesus restored them to normal society.
JESUS, A CONTAGION OF PURITY. God welcomes all the table. " … anyone today who is committed to the Jesus Creed will be committed to a ministry of restoring humans to God and to others."
Quotes from Mcknight, Scot (2009-10-01). Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (p. 148). Paraclete Press. Kindle Edition.