One of the fastest growing religious demographics in the United States is that of the “dones” and “nones” – those who aren’t affiliated with any kind of religious organization (anymore). This reality reminds me that God is often disbelievable and misunderstandable (as revealed in poll stats, the Bible and world history).
It’s ironic to me that Jesus was disbelievable and misunderstandable to the twelve men who spent every day with him. Not only did Jesus heal the sick and exorcize demons in their presence, he gave them the power to do so as well. And still, they did not get what God was doing, prompting Jesus to exasperatedly sigh, “Do you still not understand?”
For those of us who are Christians, maybe we say we believe in God a little too easily. Maybe we proclaim our faith in Christ a little too confidently.
Maybe we look down on the nones and dones, mystified as to how they don’t “get it” in regard to God when in it’s highly possible that if Jesus were in our midst, he might grill us like he did The Twelve: “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”
In this particular gospel story that Mark retells to us, word had spread that Jesus had fed four-thousand people with bread and fish. The Pharisees came to question Jesus about it. They had missed the event, so they asked for another sign from heaven.
This elicited a deep sigh from Jesus towards them and their generation of Israelites. God was making himself visible and present to his people through Jesus of Nazareth in practical and healing ways, and it was still disbelievable and misunderstandable.
Why? Because that generation (like most) were looking for signs of God as evidenced in power – the kind of political power that manifests itself in violence (safety), coercion (security), empire-economics (prosperity), and class privilege (stability).
They believed that when necessary God condones violence as a means to his will being done and his kingdom coming to earth. Jesus warned his disciples to “watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” Beware their appetite for power and their willingness to use violence – it’s like a cancerous yeast.
God made it clear through Jesus that he did not want his people to use violence to coerce, to punish, or to terrorize. This was a key way that the kingdom of God was both good news to people around the world as well as a source of fear to the few who had a greedy grasp on consolidated power.
Jesus had fed bread to five thousand people, and then later to four thousand people. In Rome, it was an obvious political strategy to use “bread and circus” to win the support of the populace. To the cynic, Jesus was using bread and exorcism to build a political base.
Yes, Christ (King of Israel) Jesus had a political agenda. It included using bread and power to actually renew the hopes and lives of people, to empower them to care for their neighbors, and reject abuse as a form of governing.
This was completely disbelieveable and misunderstood by those with an appetite for power. For this Jesus was crucified for sedition and blasphemy – he was a threat to Rome and Jerusalem. He was a political threat because he was a king who wouldn’t use bread to manipulate people.
Jesus went out of his way to avoid using violence to bring about the kingdom of God on earth. His gospel-command to his disciples are: love one another – and your enemies, be a non-violent (non-nuclear) peacemaker, be merciful, forgive those who hate you, don’t lie.
This is ridiculously difficult. It could get you killed too. Ironically, it is partly what makes God disbelievable and misunderstandable – but it is also the gospel.
Don’t misunderestimate the subversive political power of getting to know your neighbors who don’t look like you, of naming and confessing your bigotry, and of refusing to hate your enemies, in Jesus name.
This is the sign from heaven many are still looking for. May it be you.
