Radicalized
The last question the disciples asked Jesus before he left this earth was recorded in Acts 1:6; So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The disciples were still holding on to the popular view of the Messiah of the day in that he would reestablish the glory of Israel and overthrow the pagan Roman government then everything would be as it should be. It seemed that the disciples believed much like I hear American Christians talking today; that it is time for Jesus to come back and clean up this mess and sweep all the ungodly politicians out of office and restore discarded morality with an iron fist. Many American Christians are looking for a political messiah, even another Ronald Reagan, who could take us back to being a Christian nation again. I sort of like that solution because it doesn’t involve me getting my hands dirty.
Jesus proposed a different solution, “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” His solution was not to change the government but to invade that pagan culture with testimonies of Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus left. He left behind 120 followers in an upper room surrounded by a completely pagan culture would be bent on destroying this Jesus movement called the church.
That fledgling Jesus movement soon spread like wildfire and churches began popping up everywhere. How the church survived in such an anti-church and anti-Jesus culture is truly amazing. American followers of Jesus should take note and take heart!
These days we hear about “radicalized” Muslims. A person who is radicalized has stepped over some undefined line that makes their faith dangerous, they are even willing to kill or be killed. Radicalization is marked by hatred for the infidel. I think Jesus was telling his disciples they needed to be radicalized, not with hatred, but with love. The Holy Spirit was going to set them apart to penetrate a hostile culture with acts of service and acts of love. God’s way wasn’t going to be implemented by changing the person in the highest office, but God’s work would be done by changed people in offices everywhere.
The outstanding singer Steve Green once said that in the church he grew up in “Jesus meant something to everyone but he never meant everything to anyone” and that is why he did not follow Jesus until later in life. Can you actually go to church all these years and never meet a radicalized follower of Jesus? Is it possible to hang around church and never meet someone whose faith is dangerous? It is absolutely possible because our churches are filled with nice people who make Jesus a part of their life; he’s right up there with sports, career, vacations, trends, friends, hobbies, etc. Jesus isn’t the cornerstone of their life, he’s just another brick in the building. That kind of religion isn’t going to get the job done.
I wish America could change with a political messiah but the real change that must happen will occur in the pulpits and the pews when we take seriously the command of Jesus to tell everyone what God has done with radical love.
