In stark contrast to the corrupted and institutionalized religion of Rome as it has manifested itself over the centuries, stands what we can rediscover and decipher of the Pure Spirit / Heart / Intention and Reality of Jesus.
Like all lenses gazing back into history, the lens to look into the life and words of Jesus are extraordinarily foggy at best. Not only have his teachings and words undergone the naturally atrophy that comes anytime an Enlightened one passes on teachings to their confused disciples, but they have further been viciously and intentionally mis-represented and mis-embodied by an empire who murdered, burnt, and abused to establish their narrative and dominance.
Scholars agree that Jesus was a historical figure, and far more evidence and sources exist for his life than many other accepted historical figures. However there is widespread and warranted suspicion that the writings and stories permitted to be passed down to us by Rome are incomplete at best, and may not be accurate and objective representations of the reality of his life.
Written some 30 to 70 years after the death of Jesus by unknown authors and edited / redacted in unknown ways over the periods that followed, the biblical gospels are the primary representations of the life and work of Jesus that have survived. The “Synoptic” gospels (Mathew, Mark, and Luke) are very similar to one another and were written first, likely from the same unknown source document(s). John was written later (likely AD 75 – 100), and differs materially in its presentation and implied theology.
The veracity of the claims of the institutional structures of Rome have been rightfully questioned since they 1) murdered Jesus 2) threatened and killed those who didn’t agree with their narratives, and 3) leveraged their institutional religion in unholy alliance with their political and military aims of dominance to subordinate and destroy opposition.
This is a very difficult topic for those of us raised in Christianity, yet there is incredible Liberation in understanding that the elements of institutional religion that don't seem to match up with the Spirit, Heart, and Intention of Jesus may in fact be the remnants of empire, and not pure and undefiled spirituality.
We can come to know the Heart, Spirit, and Intention of Jesus for our Selves, for the same Spirit is within us.
Jesus was a Jewish builder and teacher from Galilee. His teachings were originally ignored and ridiculed by many, and transmitted orally by a few. He is reported to have performed miracles, walked on water, healed the sick, cast out evil spirits, and raised the dead as demonstrations of the power, presence, and Kingdom | Authority of God.
Jesus was a radical subversive and heretic who rose up in a time with many parallels to our own to speak Truth to power, for he stood in the higher power and higher authority of the One who is the Source and Source and Sustainer of All.
Calling the religious leaders and false teachers of his days such pleasantries as “ravenous wolves”, “brood of vipers”, and “whitewashed tombs”, who looked beautiful on the outside but on the inside were full of the bones of the dead and all impurity, he slammed the false understanding and misguided structure of his religious context, and advocated for a turning back to the enteral Way of understanding and aligning oneself with the Will / Intention / Authority of God.
In contrast to the religious leaders, who he criticized for loving to be respected and admired, wearing robes, given important seats of honor, following exhaustively strict written rules, and being called by their honorific titles, he elevated the status of women, tax collectors, prostitutes, foreigners, and others rejected by Jewish society.
He befriends and shows compassion for the needy, the sinners, the outcasts, the vulnerable, the orphans, the widows, the hungry, the naked, the refugees, and the lost. He states that the greatest commandment is to Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and that the second greatest is to likewise Love your neighbor as your Self.
For Jesus, this Love even extended out to Loving one’s enemies, forgiving them, and praying for them.
His basic message was to turn away from Sin / Wrongdoing, and Seek First The Kingdom Of God.
He stressed the critical importance of moving past mere words to pragmatically embody the Will and Intention of God. He described the Will of God not as repeating empty religious words, performing empty religious actions, or complying with authority and tradition, but rather actually doing the work, actually doing what One would do: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, and otherwise meeting the pragmatic needs of the world, especially the most vulnerable and in need. At the same time he speaks of the kindness and generosity of our Father in Heaven, he speaks of the perils and consequences of transgressing against the Way.
Not surprisingly, the religious and political elite torture and murder him.
In the end of the story, his disciples remain relatively ignorant and confused until the end, failing to understand his work and teachings, with one betraying him, and the others deserting him when he is arrested and killed.
As the confused friends and family of family process the death, they experience Jesus reappearing to them in embodied form, instructing them to go forth and share with the world the good news of freedom and forgiveness that Jesus had shared with them.
Forward to 8.46 The Co-Opting Of Christianity
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