It seems that Jesus really believed that judgment was imminent and that a cosmic Son Of Man would come in his own generation.  He would bring judgment and set up the Rule of God on earth where life would be lived under God as it was meant to be. 

Several times the record shows Jesus speaking of this Son of Man in the third person as if it was someone different from himself.  It was the later church that interpreted Jesus as being this Son of Man. 

Jesus taught that the first in society now would be the last in God’s coming kingdom and the last in present society would be first there.  Jesus behaviour reinforced this teaching in three ways.

He associated often with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners (those who had no concern to keep the Jewish law) (Mark 2: 15-16; Matt. 11: 19, 21 and Luke 15: 1).  He associated often in public with women (Mark 15: 40-45; Gospel of Thomas 114; Luke 8: 1-3; John 4, etc.).   And Jesus fondly spent time with children.

The acceptance of those classified as wicked illustrated that God’a kingdom would come to these people and not to the rich, eminenent, powerful and religious.  The acceptance of and working with women showed that God’s Rule was one of equality and not oppression.  Women in Palestine then were generally considered inferior.  The blessing of children revealed that God was for those who were humble and related to others by trusting and loving. 

Does it seem plausible to you that Jesus thought that wicked people would enter God’s Kingdom before those who were trying to be righteous?  I think it is because the scriptures infer that this wicked class were more repentant than many of the religious ones.  They also seemed hungry for that which would give them a sense of acceptance and brotherhood with others.  The pious were more interested in protecting their wealth and living in their form of “gated communities.”

They were more ready to accept the message of coming judgment upon their society preached by both John the Baptist and Jesus.  This judgment did not come as anticipated with the cosmic Son of Man but a temporal judgment of war with Rome C.E. 66-74 did destroy Palestine.

Who is willing to accept the possibility of America losing its number  one status im the world today, the wealthy elite and those occuppying the Halls of Government, or the poor of this land?  Don’t we have a class of leaders today who think we can profligately waste our resources and our armed services and do anything we please and come out smelling like a rose?  And aren’t they backed by much of the Christian Church?  Do we not compare in a scary fashion to the social situation in Jesus’s time?

The Son of Man did not come in Jesus’s own generation as he taught.  But death is imminent for all as individuals and as societies in every generation and after that comes the judgment.  We must be open and humble for the first shall be last and the last first.

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