I Have A Theory

I Have A Theory

          I am not asking that you agree, but you may want to consider my ideas. I imagine that you will say, “I have never thought about it that way before.” Or, “I’ve thought along this line, but everyone else thought differently, and the majority rules.” Most likely you will declare, “This is sacrilegious!!” To which I would have to answer, “Nothing is farther from my intention. I respect and admire everything Jesus has done for the world. My problem is the way that Jesus is portrayed.”

          In books, movies, in church sermons, they give the impression of a morose, grim, serious, solemn man; with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I am sure that Jesus took His mission seriously. I am also sure He knew the Father is a God of love and laughter, not worry and fear. I can picture Jesus joking with His friends. Perhaps playing ring-around-the-rosy with the children. His face lit up in smiles and love in His heart. He would be fun to be around. A pleasure to know. That is why people flocked to His sermons and left feeling a new kind of joy. A happiness that stayed with them. Jesus radiated God’s love. 

          I have a big problem with the meeting Jesus had with Satan in the wilderness. What did He see there? Who was He talking to? I firmly believe He was arguing with himself. He was young, healthy and human. Did He want to take on all this responsibility? Was He up to the task? Maybe He should be king? Kings make a difference in the world. Or maybe a hero? Or just forget the whole thing? If He had walked away from His mission; there would have been no punishment from the Father. Jesus put the “Thoughts” of fear, doubt and failure (Satan) behind Him. He was now confident, dedicated, ready, willing, able and happy to devote His life to teaching.

          His mother, Mary, had taught Jesus all of the Jewish religious laws. He was very aware that many man-made rules had crept in. He kept God’s laws, but He had no patience for the imposed rules of men. He overturned the money changer’s tables in the temple. You can interpret this two ways. (1) He was thinking of His sacrificial death on the cross, which is the way the church tells the story. Or (2) my theory is: He heard the cries of fear from the captive doves, sheep and lambs. Knowing that God does not demand blood sacrifice, He freed them. You answer for your own misdeeds. The blood of an innocent animal won’t save you from your conscience. I can’t believe our Father sent our brother to earth to die on the cross for our sins.

          Which brings us to where we will probably part company. My theory is opposed to the normal human view of a beaten man suffering severe pain. Jesus had healed every imaginable sin, sickness, disease, blindness, deafness and deformity known to man. How? By Knowing, without a shadow of doubt, that they are all man- made error of thought. That these things are not among the Good that God created. It is belief that humans have imposed on themselves by believing there is a power opposing God called evil or Satan. God is the only Power! One God sharing His Power with no person, place or thing! Sin is self-inflected nonsense!

          The quote in the Bible, “By his stripes we are healed,” also has two meanings. (1) He had stripes on his skin from the whipping with the cat-of-nine-tails that He endured for our sake according to church teaching. Something we couldn’t do, but Jesus knew something that we don’t understand. (2) My theory, which I prefer, is the second meaning in the dictionary. “The stripe of a man; the life he lived, the type, kind, sort of man he was.” By His stripe, He showed us what God’s children can accomplish. He was the prototype of the Christ: God’s son: the spiritual man God created in His own image and likeness.

          My theory is this: Jesus was only 33 years old, active and a healthy male, with an unusual knowledge of our Father when He was nailed to the cross. Why did Jesus have this knowledge? Because He searched for it. “Seek and you will find.” He was becoming so spiritual His body was changing. He had to have a lot of people see Him die. Otherwise, they wouldn’t believe He had actually died and arose from death.

          Jesus didn’t fear the cross, suffering or death. He went willingly; to prove what He knew. “God is a God of the living, not the dead.” The grim-reaper, sin and Satan are the same bogey-man; imagination. Jesus’ life ended quickly, when He gave up the ghost. Not in pain as a human; in victory as the Christ!

          We assume that because we would suffer that Jesus also suffered. If this good man was destined to suffer, than how can we expect to live a healthy, happy, pain free life? His suffering came from knowing His message fell on deaf ears.

          I base my theory on the message He left. You can find more.

The kingdom of heaven is within you

Know you not that you are gods?

The works that I do, you can do and better

The Father loves you unconditionally

          910 words                Loretta Ellen Edwards