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The "Rebel" Jesus

Vic C.

Member
Man, I'm getting old! LOL I needed to take a nap this afternoon and was awaken by music playing in my dreams. Don't remember what the dream was about, but I do remember the last verse and chorus of Jackson Browne's song "For Everyman" was playing in the background. I searched for the lyrics to copy and paste here, since they are profound words, but got sidetracked by an article.

Was Jesus really a rebel? Hmm, many during His time thought so.

Here's the article and lyrics for "Rebel Jesus". You'll get the picture. :wink:

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Rebel Jesus

a nice break from holiday commercialism...

As we who are often so very aware on so many deep levels of what is going on around around us (and therefore quite sensitive to it all) blithely make our way through the holiday season, it is comforting to come upon a way station of safe familiar warmth sometimes.

And that is just what happened the other night when I was driving to work. Listening to World Cafe on my car stereo, I heard a song that really caught my attention. So calming, and with lyrics that made sense to me. "The Rebel Jesus" was the name of the song. Originally written by Jackson Browne, and sung on the radio that night by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

An article by John Nichols in "The Nation", about this song, is written about far more eloquently than I could write about it just now.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1127-21.htm

And here are the lyrics. But really, I highly recommend listening to this song, for any of you who are interested. The Chieftains, Jackson Browne, and the McGarrigle sisters versions are all available. Without further ado, a brief part of the article, and the lyrics by Jackson Browne.
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"Originally recorded by Browne for the brilliant 1991 Chieftains holiday collaboration, The Bells of Dublin, "The Rebel Jesus" has taken on a life of its own. Along the way, it has become the most welcome antidote to the deadening dose of commercialism that Americans imbibe each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So let us begin the season with Browne's wise words:

"All the streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants windows are all bright
With the faces of the children
And the families hurrying to their homes
As the sky darkens and freezes
They'll be gathering around the hearths and tales
Giving thanks for all God's graces
And the birth of the rebel Jesus

Well they call him by the Prince of peace
And they call him by the Savior
And they pray to Him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
As they fill His churches with their pride and gold
And their faith in Him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in
From a temple to a robber's den
In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But please forgive me if I seem
To take the tone of judgment
For I've no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus."

http://curezone.com/blogs/m.asp?f=268&i=53
 
Our Youth and Jesus

http://rethinkingyouth.blogspot.com/200 ... jesus.html

Every couple of years, I take the opportunity during Advent to share with my youth a song by Jackson Browne entitled "The Rebel Jesus." The song was originally recorded for Browne's 1991 holiday album with The Chieftains entitled The Bells of Dublin. In many ways, it offers an antidote to the sickly-sweet protrait of Jesus that we often foist onto our children as they are growing up and counteracts the way commerical culture uses Jesus this time of year as a shill for holiday shopping excess. I want my students to understand that Jesus was more than just "a nice guy" and more than an excuse to justify and feed our out-of-control consumer culture.

At a time in their lives when they are questioning everything, particularly authority, a portrait of Jesus as a rebel and radical taps into those emotion centers of the teenage brain that are working full-throttle. Jesus hung out with all the wrong people, had all the wrong politics, threatened the status quo, and wasn't afraid to love wastefully. That's the sort of Jesus I want my youth to follow. Here are the lyrics to this haunting tune. You can listen to it for free here.

http://www.rhapsody.com/-search?query=t ... hapKeyword
 
I have been reading this Book titled "The other Jesus". I don't recall the authors name as I found this book in a used book store and was written in the 40's...I have the book at work...So I can't look right now.
It turns out to be a pretty good book and it speaks about the ''Rebel Jesus''

When I get back to work I will scan a few Paragraphs and post them.
I Have always taught that Jesus was NOT a Pacifist and this book explains it so much better than I ever could. Amazing what you find in a $2.00 book :)

At first when I bought it, I thought it was a cult type book, but turns out to be just the opposite.....What a blessing.
 
what's there to discuss? Jesus was a rebel, that is no new or controvesial idea
 
Proximity said:
what's there to discuss? Jesus was a rebel, that is no new or controvesial idea
Hey, if JG wants to discuss this, let him discuss it. I was just posting some lyrics that reflected how I feel about this 'holiday' we call Christmas. 8-)
 
I love this passage from Matthew 10

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

How's that for a Christmas holiday message?
 
Hey Mutz
Here is one for you.....To read the complete story in context Read 2 Kings chapter 19


Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpsesâ€â€all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

The Angel of the Lord in none other than ''Jesus''......
 
So was Jesus a rebel?
Was he a pacifist?

bumphl3.jpg
 
I suppose that would depend on what you believe a pacifist to be.

I for one, believe that the term is misused and misunderstood.
 
jgredline said:
Alone
What would you consider a pacifist?

I believe pacifism goes beyond the idea of non-violence.

Pacifism is not the mere absense of violence or involvement. Pacifism requires the involvement of the person - just with the understanding that they will not use physical violence. Pacifism requires self-sacrifice, and a willing to die to self.

Pacifism is not being a door-mat for all to use and abuse, but rather it is standing up for those that cannot stand up for themselves.

True pacifism is risky - it is 'getting in the way' of violence.

If you like I can develope this further - however, I currenty do not have much time to the computer.
 
aLoneVoice said:
Pacifism is not being a door-mat for all to use and abuse, but rather it is standing up for those that cannot stand up for themselves.
.

Alone....I really love this statement you made.... :smt023
 
Everytime I look into the Holy Book I wanna tremble
When I read about the part where a carpenter cleared the temple....(
From "Put Your Hand In The Hand")

Not the work of a pacifist.

Jesus rebelled against corruption. He still does. He hates for wolves in sheeps clothing to hurt His children, to lead them astray, to steal from them, to lie to them or to teach them false doctrines. Jesus rebels against anything that rebels against the Word of God.

Why does it continue?

The answer is in the parable of the wheat and the tares. He lets the tares continue to grow until the wheat is ready to harvest. In so doing, the tares seem to believe that they grow unnoticed.
 
Gabby - I would contend that clearing of the temple is the work of a pacifist - using the cords as a whip, it doesn't say anywhere that he used them to hit the people. Rather, it was used merely to drive them and more importantly is would have been used to drive out the animals.
 
aLoneVoice said:
.... it doesn't say anywhere that he used them to hit the people. Rather, it was used merely to drive them and more importantly is would have been used to drive out the animals.

In what way did I imply that He 'hit' the people? You need to hear the song, I suppose. I have a feeling that it is older than you are.

The following passages support the belief that Jesus was bold, and aggressive, with a zeal for the things of God.

In other words, I do not believe that Jesus was, or is passive.


FOR THOSE WHO PREFER SCRIPTURE VERBATIM:


Mat 21:12 ¶ And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Mar 11:15 ¶ And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
Mar 11:16 And would not suffer that any man should carry [any] vessel through the temple.
Mar 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mar 11:18 And the scribes and chief priests heard [it], and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Jhn 2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:


Jhn 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;


Jhn 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.


Jhn 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
 
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