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Thedignityof the lowestasagoal

�Jesus lived inasociety indeepcrisis.Everyoneexpectedadecisiveevent,evenGod’s intervention,thatwouldreversethe situation.TheEssenes of Qumran, the various groupsof Pharisees, the radical «haberim», the resistancemove-mentsagainstRome,theapocalyptic seers,allproposedvariousalternatives.Jesus,onhispart,wasdeveloping inhismind a completely original project: he called it «theKingdomofGod», andhe conceived it as the emergence of hiscompassion in theworld.

God is goodness without limits, incredible compassion towards those who suffer. The important thing is to accept,bring into and propagate compassion in society. It is not necessary to look for a new order of things that ismore just ac-cording to the understanding each group has of its own vision and interests. It is necessary to introduce a new dynamicandanewdirection into life.Compassionmust direct and impel everything towards amore honorable life for the lowestin society.

Thismessagewasa challenge for all.According to Jesus thenationhas to learn to liveby lookingat life fromadif-ferent angle. It has to free itself fromtraditionalwisdomwhich for centuries hasmolded the traditionsof Israel, thereligionof theTemple,and the spirituality of different groups.The values deeply internalized in the social consciencehave to be critically assessed.They have very concrete labels: «the election of Israel», «the destruction of the pagans»,«control over enemytowns»,«the curseof sinners».

Jesus now calls the people to accept the kingdomofGodwhichwants a better andhappier life for all, beginningwiththe lowest of all.Theymust learn to livewith adifferent set of values: compassion for thosewho suffer, protection of theweakest,unconditionalacceptanceof all, struggle for thedignityof everyhumanbeing.

The people of Galilee were well aware of what a kingdombuilt on violence and oppression was like. They livedformany years suffering from the cruelty of Roman rule, and the exploitation of the ruling classes. It had alwaysbeen that way. It didn’tmatter whether it was the Empire of Augustus or of Tiberius, the kingdomof Herod or thegovernment of his sonAntipas.The result was always the same: luxurious buildings in the cities,misery in the vil-lages;wealth andostentation among theurban elites,anddebt, loss of lands andhunger for thepeasants; enrichmentof the large landowners, increaseof themalnourished,beggars,vagrants,prostitutes,slavesescapedfromtheirmas-ters, andbandits.Theycouldexpectnothing fromTiberiusor fromAntipas.

Wehave toplace theworkof Jesus in this context.His aimwasnot toorganizeamoreperfect religion.Hedidnotset himself to develop amoreprecise theology aboutGodor amoredignified liturgy in theTemple.Thepassionhefosteredallhis lifewasdifferent.Hewanted tosee theprojectofGodrealizedas soonaspossible:ahappierandmoredignified life for all.And for that he had to introduce into society a newattitude towards the lowest, themost needyand vulnerable.Whatwould theworld be like if God andnot Tiberiuswere in fact reigning over the nations?Whatwouldhappen if everythingwouldbeasGodwanted it?

For the conventional religion of Israel it was all very clear:Godwould intervene in order to destroy the enemiesof Israel andannihilate the impiouswhodonotobserve theTorah.Jesus surprises themall.Hedoesnot take thesideof the chosen people against the paganpeople: the kingdomof Godwill not involve the destruction of the gentiles.Hedoesnot take the side of the just either against the impious: the kingdomof Godwill not involve a victory of the

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holy in order to punish the evil for their sins. Jesus is on the side of thosewho suffer and against evil and injusticewhichpreventeveryoneenjoyingamore justanddignified life.

The compassion of God demands that justice be done to the poorest and themost oppressed.TheKingdomofGodis for them.Jesuscanseewithhisowneyes thosepeoplewhoareoppressed in thevillages,withoutbeingable toprotect themselves against thebig landowners; he knowswell thehunger thosemalnourishedwomenandchildrensuffer;hehas seen thosepeasantsmourn,angryandhelpless,at the lossof their landsandat seeing the taxcollectorswalk awaywithmost of their harvest.They are theoneswhoneed tohearbefore anyone elsehismessage:«Blessedare youwho possess nothing becauseGod is your king. Blessed are youwho hunger now for youwill be filled. Blessed areyouwhomournnowforyouwill laugh».

HowcouldJesus say that? Isn’t it a joke? Is itnotcynicism?Jesus says itwith total conviction.This saying is centralto hismessage: thosewho are of no use to anyone,Godhas a stake in; thosewho are «surplus» in the empires built up bymen have a place of privilege in his heart; those who have no one to protect them, have God as Father. If the kingdom ofGod iswelcomed,everythingwill change for the lowest.Thiswas the faithof Jesus,hispassionandhis struggle.

But Jesus is realistic.All thisdoesnotmean the endof hunger andmisery justnow,but adignity for all victimsofabuse andoutrage that cannot be touched.Thewholeworld has to know that they are the favored children of God.Thisbestowson themanabsolutelyunquestionabledignity.Neveranywherewillwe setup life thewayGodwants itif wedonot free thesemenandwomen fromtheirmisery andoppression.Neverwill any religionbeblessedbyGodif itdoesnotestablish justice forall.This iswhat itmeans towelcomethekingdomofGod:tohavereligions,nations,andpolitics caring for thedignityof theweakest sectionsof society.

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Readmore in: Jesus.AnHistoricalApproximationandFollowing in theFootstepsof JesusbyJoséAntonioPagola.PublishedbyConviviumPress.

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