Jesus The Conservative

The original meaning of the word 'conservative' has been lost. What it once was, to 'conserve' the good, is often overlooked. A definition of conservative is 'someone averse to change and who holds to traditional values and attitudes'. At the same time, of course, Jesus was also intensely radical. But the way in which he sought to conserve that which was good was also startling. 

Jesus arrived in a very complex culture. He grew up in it, learning about it, soaking it in. So when his ministry began, some (both his contemporaries and modern-day readers) expected him to overthrow things. And in many cases (And of course ultimately, at the cross) he did. But he also sought to conserve the good. The Good of the Law. The Good of the underlying rules and rhythms of society, of reality. In Matthew 5:18, Jesus makes a bold claim; "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished". Yikes. Jesus was a conservative teacher in a conservative culture.

Jesus, the Conservative. Its an unpopular pairing of words, and it instantly brings to mind the frustrations of American politics, and the unfortunate blend of Evangelicalism and Republicanism. The problem there, arguably, is that what the followers of Jesus are trying to conserve is more a blend of poor bible-reading and 1950's culture. The Old Testament Law, the Law of Moses given by God, is concerned with every aspect of peoples lives. Because God is concerned with every aspect of our lives. Because he made and loves us. We are created in his image. And the Good in us, the God-image in us, tainted by sin, is worth saving. The value of people is such that they are worth saving for Gods Glory.

The original Jesus, we are often told, has also been lost. I've reviewed some books about this sort of thing, the debates about the meaning and historicity of Jesus, and I don't have space to deal with it here. But my aim, in this 'Jesus Series' is to show in the run-up to Christmas something of the magnificent variety and marvellous majesty that is Jesus. The original Jesus is not lost, he is alive, and wants to meet you. And the reason today that I briefly looked at what Jesus might have to tell us about some things, is because that goodness, that consistency, that interest in the underlying things, tells us something of the coming Kingdom of God.