Comments on: iMonk 101: What Did Jesus’ Version of Community Look Like?

By: Sensus Divinitatis News

Sensus Divinitatis News — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:32:22 +0000

iMonk 101: What Did JesusÂ’ Version of Community Look Like?…

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By: RonP

RonP — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:28:43 +0000

From reading the Gospels, it seems that Jesus was creating a diverse collection of communities, each somewhat different from the others. There was the traveling community of His disciples and closest followers. Then there were those who recieved Him and His message but didn’t leave their lives and jobs and follow Him around all the time. There were particular villages and households where He was welcome and which He used as bases for His ministry. There were some towns where most the people believed in Him, and others where only a few believed. And there were individuals who heard His message while traveling abroad, believed, and then took that message back to their own hometown or country.
I list all of these examples because, if you think about it, each different circumstance would likely breed a different kind of community, from whole towns and synogogue congregations joined in their belief in Jesus to just two or three scattered here and there, trying to maintain fellowship in a hostile environment. The community the apostles founded in Jerusalem is just the one the Bible tells us about, but there were almost certainly numerous Christ-centered communities in other places at the same time — and Acts bears out that the message of Christ spread and traveled at a faster pace than the missionary journeys of the apostles.
All that to say that Jesus’ version of community probably looked like a lot of things. But I think they all bore His image, in that lives and the way people lived and treated each other were being transformed by His message and His Spirit. LIfe dominated by the love of God and one’s neighbor is Jesus’ version of community, both 2000 years ago and today.

By: Jonathan Hunnicutt

Jonathan Hunnicutt — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:37:51 +0000

I know I’m a little late to the discussion. I too an deeply bothered by the “non-political”

The facts are really simple: Jesus announced a Kingdom, which is an inherently political term. He was politically executed by the political authorities of his day, with a political title above his head.

If that’s not politics, I don’t know what is. I mean, did Jesus have to go to the Roman senate and proposed legislation to be considered political? Did Jesus have to advocate violence to be considered political?

And Jesus did not say “My kingdom is not OF this world” He said literally: “My kingdom is not FROM this world.” But the Kingdom is invading, hence “Thy Kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven.”

C’mon iMonk, you’re supposed to be a big fan of Mark. Didn’t Jesus draw out the political implications of the cross in Mark 10:42-45?

Seriously, if Jesus meant his movement to be non-political why use a term like Kingdom at all if it would cause so much confusion? Maybe Jesus was just stupid and Kingdom was just a poor word choice?

I’m not saying that Jesus was a proto-Che Guivera, nor that Jesus was a republican or a democrat, but to say that Jesus was non-political flies in the face of the most basic facts about him.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:10:15 +0000

I don’t see evidence of liturgy as we know it present in the earliest communities planted by Paul. His instructions in 1 Corinthians 14:26-39 does not follow the liturgical patterns that we see develop in later Christianity.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:00:54 +0000

I don’t see evidence that liturgy as we know it existed in the very earliest church planted by Paul.

By: Derek

Derek — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:52:19 +0000

Someone else mentioned about the connotation of “confrontive”. Confrontation does not have to always end up in conflict. Many folks see conflict and confrontation as meaning the same thing. One of the definitions (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confrontation) of confrontation is “a face to face meeting”, leaving no indication as to the tone or intent of the meeting. That’s up to the participants, it seems.

I agee that we should look for confrontation, the opportunities to meet face to face with others. Not for the sake of stirring up trouble, but of stirring up hearts toward His.

Further, the nature of the community being non-political vs. confrontive (in this discussion) is not contradictory. We can confront someone on some ill-conceived notions about Jesus being political (he wasn’t) in such a way as to promote unity in the body. As opposed to convincing another believer to go to DC and march in a rally with sandwich board signage.

By: Derek

Derek — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:40:18 +0000

My 9yo daughter is learning about maps in geography and, in particular, political maps. When we talked about the Kingdom (mustard tree), there is no boundary. No lines between countries or states or anything. The Kingdom has no limits.

By: What Did Jesus’ Version of Community Look Like from the InternetMonk « PastorMichaelWilcox’s Blog

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:09:52 +0000

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By: Jenny Bluett

Jenny Bluett — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:18:26 +0000

What of the expression of comunity in early Christian worship? The liturgy is greatly influenced by the Jewish tradition.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:52:31 +0000

I have a question about the “inclusive” statement.

While I don’t disagree that Jesus “included all of the excluded at every level” who came to Him, He did “require” that they come with a certain “desperation”, a totality, a humility. (the Rich Young Ruler for example)

Jesus was most definitely not an elitist.

I think his statement that His statement that, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” could be viewed as exclusive.

He was starting a new tribe. Made up of the broken, the soiled, the defiled, the failures. The desperately willing.

The arrogant, those looking to make a deal with God do not seem welcome in Jesus community until they meet the exclusive requirement of brokenness and desperation.

I think Jesus was inclusive. And exclusive. But never elitist.