Jesus: historical, theological, and cultural significance

Jesus

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ's basic premise is to preach the exercise of love in a very practical manner. He also does this in Chapter: 43-48, where he speaks about his followers loving their enemy. While this is viewed as one of the most paradoxical passages in the Bible, it can also be regarded as one of Jesus' most important messages. He also gives a practical demonstration of this during the crucifixion. This essay will then consider the command to love one's enemies from the perspective of Jesus, his followers in the past, and how his followers interpret the passage today.

Jesus lived out his command to love one's enemies in the most practical fashion during his crucifixion. He forgave those who crucified him, the murderer on his right who asked for it, and Peter, who betrayed him. In interpreting the passage, one might also however consider the aspect of identity -- who is this enemy the follower of Christ is to love? For Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, His enemies were those who caused his betrayal and death. Among these were Judas, Peter, and the Roman soldiers. In more subtle terms, the crucified murderer at his side was an enemy in terms of morality. Jesus forgave all these persons who did him wrong. If the Sermon on the Mount is taken into account, Jesus suggests that his followers forgive those who are regarded as enemies; those who cause pain and betrayal.

During the centuries of Christianity's development, his followers appear to have forgotten the commandment of love, even towards one's enemies. Once again, an examination of exactly who the enemy is, is in order. The Crusaders for example saw the enemy as all of a different faith than Christianity. The Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch trials searched for enemies within the Christian religion itself. These very Christian people hardly worked to show their "enemies" any love. Indeed, they are more reminiscent of the Roman soldiers responsible for the crucifixion than of Jesus. Throughout the sermon on the mount, Jesus preached the requirements of truly loving others. Those responsible for murdering atrocities such as Crusades, the witch trials and the Inquisition do not seem, from today's perspective, to have any love in their hearts.

One must perhaps also recognize that these perpetrators of murder and terror felt that they were promoting a type of love. Those who burned witches and heretics for example tended to believe that they were saving the souls tortured in this way from the eternal fires of damnation. They may have seen this as a type of ancient "tough love." From today's perspective, and surely from the viewpoint of Jesus' original meaning, this was not the type of love that was meant.

Today, religion has taken a new and interesting form, as has the many sayings of Jesus. I believe that today's more tolerant attitudes have brought new possibilities for the fulfillment of Christ's commands. In this way, I also believe that the Bible has a particular message and guideline for Christians today. Humanity has come a long way, from the time of Christ, through terrible cruelty and inhuman actions, up to today, where global communication technology is fostering clearer understanding among cultures than ever before. In a world where terrorism and murder work side by side with outreach programs and help for the poor, I believe that Christ has a special message for his followers. Christians can now work together more effectively than ever to spread the message of love, even towards those who are perceived as enemies.