Preparing for Session 2 - The Messiah: What does that mean?

In the 1st Century, the primary understanding of "Messiah" (which literally means "anointed one") was that the person would be a warrior king, defeating Israel's enemies and making Israel a sovereign nation again with peace. How was Jesus different than that?

Before Jesus was born, Caesar Augustus had ended a 20-year civil war within the Roman Republic by defeating Antony and Cleopatra. He had defeated Rome's enemies, making them a sovereign nation with relative peace within its borders. Because of that, he was given names such as "Savior of the World," "Divine," "Son of God," "Lord," etc. How was Jesus different than that?

What is the significance that BEFORE Jesus was even born, Jews were looking for a Messiah and Romans were calling Caesar names that would later be given to Jesus?

Session 1: Differences Between Then & Now

Too often, we make assumptions that things in the 1st Century are like they are today. For instance, many think there was a "middle class" then. THERE WASN'T! Most scholars think that only 1-2% of the population were elites with power and wealth. The other 98% were peasant class.

Some have argued through the years that Jesus was "middle class," because it was thought that he was a carpenter in the tiny town of Nazareth (ONLY Mark 6:3 says Jesus was a carpenter. Elsewhere he is called the carpenter's son). If we assume Jesus was a carpenter, consider this. If you live in a tiny town of all poor folk, who is going to buy your wares to make you middle class, keeping in mind that there was no trucking or train system for easy transportation of goods in Galilee in the 1st Century!

Keep in mind, also, that recent scholarship has shown that the Greek term that gets translated, "carpenter" literally means, "one who works with their hands" or "day laborer." SO, there is a strong possibility that Jesus was not a carpenter (or the son of a carpenter) at all. Rather, he was just a guy who took any job he could to make a living. So, it is likely that even Jesus was a peasant (even in Luke's birth narrative, the mandatory offering after Jesus' birth was two turtle doves or pigeons, the offering of the poor).

In the Session 1 video, Marcus Borg told us that 1st Century Israel was a "pre-industrial agrarian domination system." In other words, the industrial revolution would not happen for several more centuries, so the primary source of income was agriculture. However, 1/2 to 2/3 of the money made from agriculture wound up in the hands of the 1-2% of the population who were in power (a domination system). On top of that, 98% of the population had NO voice.

Borg told us that this type of society (which was the most common type until the last few hundred years as democracies and revolutions have been set up) had 4 primary features:

1. It was ruled by the few (1-2% of the population);
2. There was economic exploitation (1/2 to 2/3 of the money went to those in power);
3. It was claimed that the social structure was divinely legitimated - the world is as it is, because that's the way God set it up; and
4. It was chronically violent (any uprising by the people was squashed quickly and to the extreme).

So, my question is, knowing this background information, what other things do you see that are different between the 1st Century and today in the United States?

How does knowing these differences change they way you look at, study, and understand the New Testament?

ALSO, has any questions or "ah-ha" moments sprung to mind since our meeting on Sunday?

Questions to Consider Before This Study Begins. . .

What is your understanding of the phrase, "the kingdom of God / heaven?"

How did / does Jesus fit into that understanding?

Please respond to these questions by posting comments below!

fumcwf.org is Offering the Study FIRST LIGHT: Jesus & The Kingdom of God

Beginning Sunday, January 25, First United Methodist Church of Wichita Falls will start the study, first light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God. This study features John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg on location in Galilee and Jerusalem as they help us better understand Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Questions this study will seek to answer include:

• Why did Jesus happen when he happened?
• Why the confluence of the Baptism movement of John and the Kingdom movement of Jesus?
• Why the tiny villages around the Lake?
• Why the confrontations in Jerusalem?
• Why were the titles of Caesar Augustus -- Divine, Son of God, God from God, Lord, Redeemer, Liberator, and Savior of the World -- taken from a Roman emperor on the Palatine hill and given to a Jewish peasant on the Palestine plain? Was it low lampoon or high treason?
• What were the priorities of Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom?

If you desire to participate in this study, CLICK HERE or contact Rev. Troy Sims (tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231). Whether you participate in the study or not, we hope you will participate in this blog!