Thank You Lord for the Good Thing's You have Done
Two thousand years ago in Palestine, in a nothing back-water at the edge of Rome’s vast empire, a man lived and died. He was one of thousands of martyrs who had been put to death during the Roman occupation. In that regard, there was nothing unique about his death, the method of execution, crucifixion, or the fact that he had many loyal followers. He wasn’t the first Jew to be called the Messiah by his people. Nor would he be the last. He was killed as a potential threat to the sovereignty of the empire of Rome and as a heretic by his people. He championed the poor, the widow, orphan and the stranger and told people to love their enemies—he was a friend to whores, lepers and tax collectors—even to the rich and powerful.
He treated women as equals in a patriarchal culture where they could be, and were, turned out into the streets by their husbands, leaving them with no means of fending for themselves. He said, “Among my students, there’s no Jew nor Gentile, no black, no white, no rich or poor, no male or female.” And then he said the most remarkable thing, “This is what God, who is your Father, is really like”!
Why didn’t Jesus just fade away like every other victim of political persecution? History is overflowing with martyrs who were put to death in the name of a good cause.
Even if you don’t believe in a physical resurrection, Jesus stands alone in history. He was a marginal figure from a small religious cult, at the fringes of one of history’s many ruling empires. He should have stayed dead, but he didn't. Instead, his words and life have become the center piece of virtually all of human history. In two thousand years no skeptic has really been able to explain it.
If you’re like me, and have had your fill of religion, the bigotry and ignorance that it promotes, the way in which it divides, instead of unites, let me tell you about a man that I met—his name is Jesus. Thank you Lord for the good things that you have done!
Mark Magula
He treated women as equals in a patriarchal culture where they could be, and were, turned out into the streets by their husbands, leaving them with no means of fending for themselves. He said, “Among my students, there’s no Jew nor Gentile, no black, no white, no rich or poor, no male or female.” And then he said the most remarkable thing, “This is what God, who is your Father, is really like”!
Why didn’t Jesus just fade away like every other victim of political persecution? History is overflowing with martyrs who were put to death in the name of a good cause.
Even if you don’t believe in a physical resurrection, Jesus stands alone in history. He was a marginal figure from a small religious cult, at the fringes of one of history’s many ruling empires. He should have stayed dead, but he didn't. Instead, his words and life have become the center piece of virtually all of human history. In two thousand years no skeptic has really been able to explain it.
If you’re like me, and have had your fill of religion, the bigotry and ignorance that it promotes, the way in which it divides, instead of unites, let me tell you about a man that I met—his name is Jesus. Thank you Lord for the good things that you have done!
Mark Magula