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Sons of God: Caesar, Peacemakers, Enemylovers, Stormcalmer


jkgayle

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When reading Jesus's own calming words to his disciples - θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε.- I go in my mind back to the self revelations of G-d to Moses in Exodus.

 

But when reading his disciples' statement about him - ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ.- I find myself wondering if there's a deconstruction of what power and authority look like.

 

Caesar Augustus (Octavian) had the citizens and barbarians of Rome refer to him singularly as divi filius.

 

But Matthew's Jesus had the poor people listening to him in his sermon on the mount refer to themselves as Blessed, Peacemakers, to be called Children of God.

And he had these same ones Love and Pray For their Enemies since that's a characteristic of them, of Children of God.

 

And so his disciples who'd heard all that (and us readers who'd read all that) would agree when he calms their souls by calming that storm that he's a true divi filius in a truly divine kingdom.

Edited by jkgayle
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I think you could take nearly everything Jesus said and did (maybe absolutely everything) as a redefinition of authority and power. His whole ministry is spent reshaping the notion of messiah. 

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I think you could take nearly everything Jesus said and did (maybe absolutely everything) as a redefinition of authority and power.

 

Yes. And in our reading today Matthew has the disciples reflecting on Jesus and redefining: "You are the True Son of God. That's who you are!"

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