Jesus is unusual, strange, and unsettling—a stranger, an enigma, and a mystery to both contemporary secular and religious sensibilities. We create sanitized cultural imaginations to reshape him into a King who favors the rich and elite, a friend of empire, a promoter of just wars, and one who has nothing to say about consumerism or unrestrained capitalism.
But the wild messiah, the historical Jesus, pushes back. We seek to silence his voice, bypass his teachings, and overlook his strangeness, camouflaging him so he doesn't stand out. Yet, standing in broad daylight, his prophetic presence is evident in the earliest narrations of his life.
This wild messiah flips tables, favors the poor, and stands opposed to those who hoard and accumulate wealth. He is a King who would rather die for his enemies than slay them, he is one who proclaimed and enacted a kingdom that stands against the machinations of violence. This strange king, now resurrected, calls to both secular and religious minds, saying, "Follow me."
To follow Jesus is to embrace the wildness, the strangeness, and the enigma of the kingdom. It is to march to the beat of a different drum—a kingdom drum that moves towards the broken, challenges those who hoard wealth, welcomes the weak, flips the tables, and lives as though the kingdom is near.
Following the wild messiah means feeding the hungry, offering not just bread but hope and dignity. It means healing the sick, providing not only physical relief but also compassion and presence. To follow the enigmatic king is to clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and care for the least of these. It is to forgive those who wrong us, to seek peace instead of conflict, and to love our enemies. It is to break down barriers of division and build bridges of understanding.
Following the revolutionary servant means standing with the marginalized and oppressed, speaking truth to power, and seeking justice for the downtrodden. It is to live simply, sharing our resources, and being stewards of the earth. It means valuing people over profits, and relationships over wealth.
To follow Jesus is to live with radical love and unyielding hope, embodying the kingdom of God in our daily lives. It is to find joy in serving others, strength in community, and purpose in the pursuit of a world that reflects God's love and justice.
In a culture drenched in violence and greed, the followers of Jesus are strange and wild, a prophetic community which, in allegiance to the wild messiah, embodies the visions and values of the kingdom of God.
-Swales, 2024
