Jesus as a role model for society

By Fr. David Warren, S.F.M.
January/February 2009

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"Founders of Religion as Role Models to Society" was the theme of a symposium sponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Toronto on November 27, 2008. In the absence of Fr. Damian MacPherson, director of the Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Affairs for the Archdiocese of Toronto, Scarboro missionary Fr. Dave Warren was asked to speak for Christianity. His partners in the symposium were a Jewish rabbi and a Muslim imam. The rabbi spoke about Moses, the imam spoke about Muhammad, and Fr. Warren spoke about Jesus of Nazareth.

What characterizes the life of Jesus of Nazareth is a radical reversal of the values of the world. Jesus articulated his values in a series of phrases which Christians know as the Beatitudes.

What characterizes the life of Jesus is a radical reversal of the values of the world. Jesus articulated these values in The Beatitudes.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The world today–as did the world of Jesus–considers the rich to be blessed. But Jesus declares that the poor are blessed; not because the poor are morally superior to the rich–often they are not–but because the poor need God more than the rich do. Not only are the poor more vulnerable than the rich but they are also socially inferior. Jesus sided with the poor and with other people on the edge of polite society. He died a poor man, naked on a cross.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Once again Jesus reverses the values of the world and declares blessed "those who mourn." He means those who are not happy with the world the way it is and who long for a better world. In his day, Jesus was far from happy with the world the way it was. He longed for the new and better world which would come with what He called "the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

The world would tend to say that the earth shall inherit the meek. The world considers aggressive people to be successful. Jesus is not recommending that we allow people to walk all over us–Jesus was certainly no pushover–but He is recommending nonviolence. Jesus rejected violence as the way to change the world. Rather than inflict violence, He suffered violence.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

We all long for a more just world. Righteousness in the Hebrew Scriptures does indeed mean justice. But it means much more than that. In the Hebrew Scriptures righteousness means the whole plan of God to save His people, a plan which includes, of course, the establishment of a just world. When Jesus declares to be blessed "those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," He means, blessed are those who enlist themselves in the service of God's design. The world is more inclined to enlist God in the service of our own designs and objectives. However, Jesus' prayer was, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

The world is more inclined to advise against being merciful: If you're merciful, people will take advantage of you. Jesus is the Merciful One. As He was dying on the cross, He prayed for his persecutors, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

We tend to equate purity of heart with the virtue of chastity. But the pure in heart are not only the chaste; the pure in heart are also the single-minded. Jesus would not make a good investment advisor. The world says, "Blessed are those who diversify their portfolios." Jesus says, "Blessed are those who seek only the kingdom of heaven." Throughout His life, Jesus pursued single-mindedly the saving will of His Father.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God."

The world says, "Happy are those who accept the half-basket and get on with it." But Jesus declares, "Happy are those who don't accept the world the way they find it and try to make it a better place." Peacemakers are those who work to reconcile conflicts, but peace means more than the absence of conflict. Peace (in Hebrew, shalom) means the fullness of life. In describing His mission, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Jesus healed the sick, He fed the hungry, He reached out to the poor. In these and other ways, Jesus enriched the lives of those around Him.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Once again, Jesus reverses the values of the world. The world says, "Happy are you when people speak well of you." In the eyes of Jesus, however, approval signifies compromise with the world's values and agendas. Approval means not success but failure. Remaining true to His values, Jesus experienced opposition and eventually crucifixion.

The values by which Jesus lived and died don't seem to make any sense in the real world. But they are not based on the real world. The values of Jesus are based on what Jesus calls "the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven, or reign of God, is the in-breaking of God into the world in unsuspected places and among undeserving people. The kingdom of God is the new world which God is even now creating. Jesus is a role model to society, but not to society as we know it. Jesus is a role model to society as God dreams it to be.

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