1 Corinthians 1: 22-24

²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, ²³but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

People often say to me that they are looking for two things to satisfy their criteria for the story of Jesus to be authentic: evidence and rational explanation. Demonstrate in the material world how this story changes things and then explain to me how it’s done then I will believe! In the early church these two objections to the story of Jesus were also put forward.

Those from Hebrew culture in the 1^st century rejected Jesus because He would not raise them to the dominant position in the class structure of their day. They wanted to be the dominant socio-political and economic force. They objected to Rome being in charge and having to pay taxes to pagans. The message of Jesus telling us that we should love our enemy and that the power of liberation and change is the power of self-sacrifice and non-violence was rejected. This was far too slow a process never mind being ridiculous. They wanted change ‘imposed from above’. They saw no sign of liberation in a process that was not immediate and involved inclusive solutions with a great deal of sacrifice from themselves. God was on their side alone and He must act only for them. The sign they look for is a swift process of their domination and confirmation of their power status. The story of the cross does not fit their self-perception; their liberator does not get crucified. 

Now in Greek culture a great man could get himself killed for his ideas and his ideas continue to change people and culture. The politics of the Greco Roman Empire can get messy they understand that. What they really object to is the resurrection part of the story of Jesus. Have a look at Acts 17: 16-34.  The philosophy of Jesus they get; values and attitude formation are their business they could believe that bit. The belief that the power to put these values into practice comes from a man being raised from the dead is ridiculous to them it does not fit their world view. It is too radical, too far for them to go.

Both Hebrew and Greek culture ultimately reject the story of Jesus. Both cultures believe that death is more powerful than resurrection life. Death is the end for both. Neither culture is redeemable because death wins in the end. However, individual Greeks and Hebrew people do get the truth and power of the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This creates a possibility of a new culture of inclusion, equity, justice and peace that both ‘Jews and Greeks’ can belong to. This is the power and wisdom of God.  New life and culture built from below; from individuals getting together and living out a new life together in an inclusive Jesus centred community of life: this is the original church before the corruption of Christendom and the State centred church takeover of the story of Jesus. Which church do we belong to; the Jesus centred life giving church of the Kingdom of God or the state centred church of the current ruling empire? It’s simply a question of life or death.