Is JC my Homeboy?

I definitely agree with Brad’s post about the commercialization of Jesus and the over simplification of the scripture. Although I do not consider myself a God-fearing Christian, I was raised in the church and grew up memorizing scripture (in AWANA) and have some background about Jesus and Christianity.

Reading the Book of John for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure what to think at first. My church always used the NIV (New International Version), so much of the scripture I studied was in plain, contemporary English. I felt that reading the King James Version was a new perspective but still not the original meaning. Granted, reading the original text in its original language would probably be most efficient however, I’m not quite certain if we can avoid over simplifying the morals into, as Brad puts them, “bite-size chunks.” When I was little, I remember reading a child’s picture-book bible about Moses and Egypt and about Jesus and miracles. It reflects the times we live in today, where people want instant summaries without going to the direct source. Being raised in a Christian environment, I never really questioned what I was taught or pondered what Jesus really meant until I entered middle school. When I began questioning my own religion and what it meant to be Christian, I felt it unnecessary to be confined or restricted by the church to tell me what I could or couldn’t do. Therefore, because I also disagreed with some of the principles of Christianity, I decided that following the good deeds and living a moral/ethical life was something I wanted to do but also not be burdened by the institution of the Church. Rereading the part of John where Jesus goes into the temple and throws/breaks down the market place in the temple was interesting. I understand that the point of reading the Book of John is not to convert anyone to Christianity, but rather, to examine it as a Christian document in world literature. Further discussion of Jesus and connecting his life to our discussion about heroes is necessary.

Many of the miracles Jesus performed—turning water into wine, healing an impotent man to walk, turning feeding thousands of men with a few loaves of bread and fish, bringing a man back to life, giving a blind man his sight—are truly miracles. But does Jesus’ ability to perform miracles make him a hero? Yes, Jesus was an ideal man because he was perfect in every way. However, if that is the case, was it Jesus’ doing himself or was his perfection due to his father, God. In John 3: 27, John says, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (pg. 81). Many people claim Jesus to be their hero because he was able to turn away from temptation and stay straight on his path. In fact, Jesus knew he was going to die and that is why “he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13: 4-5, pg. 100). It is truly humbling to know that Jesus, even as he was facing death, wanted to wash his disciples’ feet. Jesus understood that he was to die so that others would live and be forgiven of their sin leads people to claim Jesus as their hero. In John 10: 27-28, Jesus is quoted as saying, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and the follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (pg. 95). Jesus, according to Christians, is the savior of the world. And according to Campbell’s definition, Jesus is a hero because of his self-sacrifice.

However, we still have to factor in the idea of rationality. I’ve talked much about rationality in most of my previous posts. Brad talked a lot about this in his post too, when he mentions the commercialization of Jesus. I think now, more than ever, people follow blindly into religion and what religious leaders have to say. Faith is very different than blind following, and many times, Christians today fail to differentiate between the two. Being raised in a Christian family and going to Sunday school every Sunday morning, I never really knew to question my faith. I think as I matured, I started to ask more questions. One think I feel more people need to do is truly question and explore their faith. Over the summer, I recall speaking with a good friend who is Catholic. He said that he had questioned his faith and visited Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, and even other Christian churches. Only after considering several other religions did he confirm his own faith. To me, that is very inspiring. When Jesus gave the blind man sight, the man says, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9: 25, pg. 93). In my perspective, people must consider all their options and experience things first hand. The blind man was truly impacted by Jesus because Jesus gave him sight. Likewise, Jesus could be considered a hero from some and not others because of his role in one’s spiritual life. One person might value one thing and someone might value another thing. Jesus Christ could be some people’s homeboy. For others, Jesus is NOT a homeboy, but rather a personal savior and a role model. For me, Jesus Christ is some to emulate because of his good deeds. Whether or not I believe in the Gospel and the Christian religious ideas is irrelevant.