Living in Times Like Jesus’

Given all the chaos that’s been recently unleashed on the world by the US government, this seems a fitting moment to reflect on Jesus’ geopolitical situation. I’ve written before on the impact of Herod Antipas deciding to take over the fishing industry on the Sea of Galilee—and what that did to fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Because of the disruption to their livelihood, they were primed to do something different: follow Jesus.

Many people in the US are having their lives disrupted and even destroyed by the decisions of our wannabe dictator. The war with Iran is only the latest in a long and painful list. I will not dwell on the details because that provides fuel for the fire. My prayers are with all who are impacted, including a client who grew up in Iran and people whose family members are being sent into harm’s way.

Instead, I want to notice the complexity of our interconnected lives. We tend to think of Jesus and his disciples as living in a very different time and place. But in a very real sense they were not.

For example, consider Joanna. One of Jesus’ female followers, she is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. She traveled around Galilee with Jesus, several other female followers, and the twelve male disciples. Jesus had cured her of a malady, and she supported his itinerant traveling group with her “resources.” She was committed to Jesus’ work.

And here’s the kicker: Her husband was Herod’s steward Chuza. Chuza worked for the dictator who had turned those fishermen’s lives upside down. When Herod moved his capital from Sepphoris to Tiberias to oversee his fish project, Joanna and Chuza were torn from their home (and probably family). She, like the fishermen, had her life turned upside down by this ruler—who was also her husband’s boss!

I invite you to think about this relational tangle. What might the fishermen have thought of her “joining the team”? Did they think her money was “dirty” because it came from Herod, or were they pleased that his money was funding their quiet revolution? And what did Joanna feel? Jesus healed her, but he also associated with a varied cast of characters, including a likely Zealot. Zealots were committed to overthrowing the government, which would have put her husband out of a job and dried up that funding.

It is in this messy mix of human relationships that I invite us to find common ground. Jesus was able, through his genuine love and care for each of them, to hold this group of very different people together. We may not have Jesus’ skillset or relational fortitude, but we can rely on his divine guidance.

Where in your life are you invited to seek common ground? How can you be funding a quiet revolution in the US today?