Planet Jesus

“Go into all the world and report the good news!” These were a few of the last words spoken by Jesus to his disciples. This commission takes courage and vulnerability, but it is through weakness that hope is spread to a world in despair. In this episode, Rob will continue what he began in Episode 14 and show how Jesus reflected on the story of Israel and modified it to reshape the imagination of his hearers to see a God who was universal, not bound to one race of people.

In this episode, we will consider what it means to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God. What is the culture of that kingdom. How that meaning and our actions are informed by the character of the king(Jesus). And, how that meaning has been ignored or twisted. This episode is the first of a two-part program. It’s focus is on the Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern views of God (or the gods) and humanity and its purpose.

I refer to a couple books in this podcast:

John Walton “Ancient Near Eastern thought and the Old Testament“

Maimonides “The Guide of the Perplexed, Vol. 2“

The rise of secularism has made many Christians defensive. We know we are required to love, so we wrap our ‘concerns’ for unbelieving children, spouses, friends in awkward, uncomfortable conversations that end up breaking relationships.  In this episode, we will look at the podcast of atheist Matt Dillahunty on his 50th birthday. We will consider research on religion and morality, look at some of the core biblical passages that are used to justify separation from others, and consider Jesus’ actions as a way forward toward reconciliation. 

Matt Dillahunty: 50th Birthday Podcast

Dimitris Xygalatas: Are Religious People More Moral

In Episode 12, we will consider happiness and its importance in our lives. We will ask the question, “was Jesus happy?” And we will consider what implications that may have on the way we live and orient our lives.

The writer of the Gospel of Matthew records that Joseph the son of Jacob a dreamer of dreams, protected his step son (Jesus) by taking him to Egypt. What do you think the first century Jewish Christians thought about this familiar theme from their rich history? What was Matthew’s theological point?

Some of the thoughts for this post were inspired by the thoughts of James Dunn and John Shelby Spong. Here are the books that capture some of the concepts.

The Oral Gospel Tradition

by Amazon.com

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802867820/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kdcHCbWY0F146

Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy: A Journey into a New Christianity Through the Doorway of Matthew’s Gospel

by Amazon.com

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062362313/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_wEWICb6FCC9S0

For over a month the lie of one man, Jussie Smollett, disrupted the city of Chicago and perplexed a nation. His actions underscore the importance of telling the truth and avoiding the chaos that lying can cause. We will consider the thoughts of Sam Harris from his 2013 book titled Lying. We will sprinkle in some Moses and finish up with Jesus’ example as a faithful witness and cosmic truth-teller.

Sam is pretty hard on us Christians, but his book is worth the read. Here is a link to it on Amazon:

In this episode, we look at how recent events in Washington D.C. underscore the growing hostility between the various ideological and racial tribes in the U.S. and across the world. It will take an example from one of Israel’s kings to illustrate a way to leverage the positive aspects of a tribe, while also becoming one nation. It will conclude with how that illustration is ultimately perfected in the example of Jesus.

Andrew Sullivan’s Article was a primary inspiration for this podcast – the link is included here:

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/andrew-sullivan-the-abyss-of-hate-versus-hate.html

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

Cain and Abel 1946 by Keith Vaughan 1912-1977

“What always strikes me in the story of Cain and Abel is how often the word “brother” is used. Cain killed his “brother.” God says it was “the blood of your brother.” The killing was done to another human being, a child of God like you, breaking that sacred bond of common humanity.”

“The God of the Bible is the God of liberation rather than oppression; a God of justice rather than injustice; a God of freedom and humanity rather than enslavement and subservience; a God of love, righteousness and community rather than hatred, self-interest and exploitation.”

Quotes by Allan Boesak

Jordan B Peterson’s talk on Cain and Abel

https://youtu.be/44f3mxcsI50

Rob Bell’s talk on The God’s are Not Angry

https://youtu.be/39m0oty9BPU

In this episode, some excellent scholarship on economics is reviewed. It reveals a fundamental weakness in humanity that makes us susceptible to manipulation. That scholarship is compared with some picturesque images from the Book of Revelation that communicate the same truth, that is, the tendency for people to be deceived by the powerful. And finally, a path forward beyond government regulation is considered, a path that includes a heart change.