Galilee in the First Century; Our World in the Twenty-First Century

Monday, December 7, 2015 

            Early Christianity and the Judaism out of which it grew were heavily influenced by the Greco-Roman world.  While they oftentimes resisted those around them, that resistance itself modified the two religions.  Over the course of a few hundred years, the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans conquered the Holy Land and sometimes much of the Mediterranean world.  This made the practice of Judaism and Christianity difficult.  Most of the life and work of Jesus occurred in the very troubled spot of Galilee.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection, since much of Judaism (the background of most of the disciples at that time) was centered in Jerusalem, as Michael Card points out in his book by that name, oftentimes this led to a “crisis of identity” in the followers of Jesus.  Several questions may have posed themselves to those who ultimately came to be called “Christians:” Were they Christians or were they Jews?  What place did Judea and particularly Jerusalem have in their lives right now?  These questions were also part of the later churches with whom Paul had dialogues with through his letters and visits.  In essence, they struggled with who they really were.  As time went on, their identities needed to be redefined, which is true for us in our own growth as Christians as well.

            Michael Card in his book Matthew: The Gospel of Identity encourages us to also contemplate “who we really are in Christ.”  Is our definition of ourselves and one another in keeping with how God sees us?  If we don’t know or are confused about it, we are in good company, as we have seen.  The audience of Matthew’s gospel didn’t know either.  In fact, I contend that they did not know who Jesus really was either: God did what?  Sent a baby to conquer the Romans (in some of their minds)?  Sometimes it helps to not just use our minds, but also our imaginations and ability to dream in contemplating these questions.  I am very touched by Neal Donald Walsch’s comment that “most people believe in God, they just don’t believe in a God who believes in them.”  Indeed, God believes in us, even so that a tiny baby was sent to tell us that.

            By better understanding who Jesus is, we can understand who we are better as well as by understanding who we are, we can better comprehend who Jesus not only was, but also who he is.

            We need to listen to what God says about not only ourselves, but also about other people.  May we not just believe in God, but also believe in “a God who believes in” us.  God believes in you and me and in the person sitting next to us.  May we “think on these things” as we contemplate the God who showed how much we are loved by sending a little baby who grew into a man who was the essence of love and belief in the Creator’s people.  God believes in me.  God believes in you.  God believes in our neighbor.  Welcome the Christ child in us all.