How would you responded to brutal oppression?
When the Word of God took on flesh — the flesh of a middle-class Jewish family far from the cultural elite in Jerusalem — when Jesus was born and grew up, Israel had already suffered the oscillations of at least 300 years of oppression and occupation.
Four distinct responses to the brutal Roman oppression developed.
Which would God’s Messiah choose?
As with all historical analysis, this will be a simplification of the realities of 1st century Jewish life. Simplifications are necessarily distortions. Don’t come at me.
(This post is a continuation of the mini-series called, The Politics of Jesus; or, Who would Jesus side with in the coming civil war? Be sure to subscribe in the sidebar or here so you don’t miss the next two installments)
Option #1: Collaborate (i.e. the Sadducees)
The military and priestly ruling class, centered in Jerusalem, decided to collaborate with Roman rule. These were typically the ones called the Sadducees and the family of the high priest.
They hoped that Israel could exist and persist. And they hoped their status would too. And they figured the more they aligned with Roman Rule that their lot in life would increase accordingly.
The tax collectors where the far reaching tentacles of this collaboration with Roman. But tax collectors were just the face. Many in Jerusalem benefited economically from and through Roman taxation.
Option #2: Purify (i.e. the Pharisees)
This was the option of the Pharisees. They understood all of Israel as God’s royal priesthood (reformers before the Reformation “discovered” the priesthood of all believers).
Because they thought all of Israel was a royal priesthood, then God’s blessing (of independence from Roman oppression) would only come if all of Israel lived by the purity restrictions place of the priests. If all of Israel would become “devout” once again, then God would rid Israel of the Gentile invaders.
While often seen as the villains in the Gospels, the Pharisees were the moderates between Roman collaboration (Sadducees) and active Roman resistance (the Zealots of option #3).
Option #3: Revolutionaries (i.e. the Zealots)
Instead of active collaboration (Sadducees) and spiritual reform (Pharisees), the Zealots actively resisted Roman oppression.
The Zealots were “militant nationalists” (Martin Hengel’s phrase) who espoused a revolutionary ideology of holy war.
They believed not in spiritual purity. But wanted literal purity of the land, and they were willing to fight for it. They hoped to recruit the ordinary people in the villages and country side to join them in jumpstarting an all out rebellion against Roman rule.
They believed that once all of Israel joined the fight against Rome, then God would miraculously intervene on the side of the Israel — saving the day against incredible odds.
But the Zealots weren’t just militant nationalist.
They also fought for the common people (option #4). They found against the economic exploitation. And they fought against the foreign occupation. They fought against the collaborators in Jerusalem.
In fact, the Zealots did eventually get their way, starting a revolution in Jerusalem. But God didn’t intervene. Instead Roman soldiers captured and utterly destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD (CE if you prefer).
Option #4: Resignation (i.e. the common people)
Beyond the wealthy collaborators, the spiritually devout, and the zealous revolutionaries, were the ordinary people of everyday life.
The common people bore brunt of the excessive taxation.
They bore the brunt of Roman anger for guerrilla attacks led by the Zealots.
And they bore the burden of the religious demands “offered” by the Pharisees.
The common people were beat down and resigned to their fate.
How Did The Messiah Response?
Well, that is the topic for the next post.
But it is enough to say again that Jesus came from the common people, ministered to the common people, and was followed and celebrated by the common people.
Outside observers, and even some of the twelve disciples, were watching and wondering how Jesus would fit into (or how would he resist) the other three options.
Where Do We Fit?
While nothing maps perfected (and it shouldn’t), but how do you think the current USA context fits into the options listed? How are Christians in the USA responding to Rome/Babylon (as the book of Revelation calls it)?
In the comments, please respond with:
Who are the collaborators with Rome/Babylon?
Who are those seeking purity?
Who are the ideological militants (nationalist or otherwise)?
Who are the resigned?
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Much of these posts comes from Martin Hengel’s excellent Victory over Violence & Was Jesus a Revolutionist?