The point is not that Jesus was a good guy who accepted everybody, and thus we should do the same (though that would be good). Rather, his teachings and behaviour reflect an alternative social vision. Jesus was not talking about how to be good and how to behave within the framework of a domination system. He was a critic of the domination system itself.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that Jesus' teachings challenge oppressive systems rather than simply promoting goodness within them.
Marcus Borg highlights that Jesus should not be viewed merely as a model of good behavior, but rather as a radical critic of societal structures that oppress individuals. His teachings advocate for an alternative vision of society that transcends the existing domination systems, urging followers to rethink their roles rather than passively adhere to conventional norms.
In practice
In a sermon discussing social justice, you could use this quote to illustrate the need for systemic change.
So, is there an afterlife, and if so, what will it be like? I don't have a clue. But I am confident that the one who has buoyed us up in life will also buoy us up through death. We die into God. What more that means, I do not know. But that is all I need to know.
One of God's central qualities is compassion, a word that in Hebrew is related to the word for "womb." Not only is compassion a female image suggesting source of life and nourishment but it also has a feeling dimension: God as compassionate Spirit feels for us as a mother feels for the children of her womb. Spirit feels the suffering of the world and participates in it. . . .
When tradition is thought to state the way things really are, it becomes the director and judge of our lives; we are, in effect, imprisoned by it. On the other hand, tradition can be understood as a pointer to that which is beyond tradition: the sacred. Then it functions not as a prison but as a lens.
He tells so many lies that he convinces himself after a while that he's telling the truth. He just doesn't recognize truth or falsehood.
From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned.
We live in the best of all possible worlds
Immigration, a lexicon. You're a 'migrant' when you're very poor; 'immigrant' when you're not so poor; and 'expat' when you're rich.
Consciousness-one level is understanding where we are in space. Consciousness two is where we understand our position in society: who's top dog, who's underdog and who's in the middle. And type-three consciousness is simulating the future. And type-three consciousness, only humans have this ability to see far into the future.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.