{"id":1190,"date":"2013-09-24T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/09\/4-ways-jesus-was-like-a-millennial.html"},"modified":"2013-09-24T08:45:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-24T08:45:00","slug":"4-ways-jesus-was-like-a-millennial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/09\/4-ways-jesus-was-like-a-millennial.html","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways Jesus Was Like a Millennial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
1) Jesus Avoided Labels\u00a0<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
In fact, a large part of his ministry was breaking down preconceived titles, trying to bring about a world where there would be no differentiation between Jew or Gentile. He promoted the idea that loving God trumped racial, ethnic, social, religious, and political identities.<\/span><\/div>\n
This doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re simply \u201call the same underneath.\u201d Jesus recognized that people had distinct differences, on both a personal and communal level. He embraced unique cultures and traditions and utilized them to reveal his glory, recognizing and valuing diverse identities while simultaneously building a Christ-centered community, where customs and traditions were integrated into an all-inclusive relationship.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
2) Jesus Avoided Theological Certainty<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Within the New Testament, the people Jesus seemingly condemns the strongest \u2014 and most frequently \u2014 are the ones who have the greatest amount of theological certainty \u2014 the Pharisees.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The spiritual leaders, the most prestigious religious institutions of the their day, the ones who were the most confident, the most sure and vocal about theology, were flat our wrong \u2014 and Jesus called them out on it. This should be a warning to us all.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
Much of Jesus\u2019 teaching was confusing, complex, and often created more questions than answers, and that\u2019s OK. Even His own disciples were constantly misinterpreting his words, and they were continually asking Jesus for clarification and understanding. Knowledge and wisdom were not the disciples\u2019 strong suit, but they followed Jesus despite their fears, doubts, defeats and failures \u2014 and so should we.<\/span><\/div>\n