Jesus teaches his followers how to resist a financial oppressor using nudity as a comical way to fight back. If your creditor takes your jacket as collateral, give them your underwear too. This comedy would have brought deep belly laughs from people who where forced to give their coats as a deposit on a loan. Jesus was witty, provocative and called for revolution that leads with dignity, willing to suffer, willing to love even an enemy. “How can people who are engaged in repressive acts repent unless they are made uncomfortable with their actions,” Walter Wink. In his book, Jesus and non-violence, Walter illustrates how Jesus was sponsoring clowning as a way to fight oppression instead of violence. He also points out that Jesus wants those engaged in violence and oppression to be liberated from the tyranny that they operate from. Jesus was for the liberation and freedom of all parties involved in the human drama and invites us into what he calls, “The Kingdom of God.” I have never herd a preacher talk about how getting publically naked is apart of Jesus’s teachings. Most western evangelicals place moral formation as the path to redemption. However, I see Jesus and his teachings as provocative, dicey, risky and not good family values. Jesus teaches how to be subversive without being violent, how to live life a new way, a way that is bold. We now can add nudity as a tool under our belt as one way to fight injustice. Jesus asks us to use our imagination, humor, and to act boldly in the face of evildoers. Jesus invited to, “live as innocent as doves and as shrewd as a snake.” I believe the, “Get Naked,” principal here embodies this admonishment. I always have wondered what it means to live out the shrewd teaching and be innocent, Jesus show us one way in his, “Get Naked,” teaching. We are not called to just copy Jesus, but to operate with in the same Spirit, use the same principals, embody this comical way of bringing the kingdom of God to earth. May we discover fresh and creative ways to live this teaching out and bring about justice through our actions.

In the life and message of Jesus, he forbids the sword as a means to advance the kingdom of God, even in the face of a roman violent occupation of his homeland. Violent resistance and war is directly opposed to being a follower of Jesus. As a prophet Jesus spoke truth to power, and as a teacher demonstrated a new way to oppose evil, oppression and violence. Jesus illustrated to his followers how to move towards conflict with out mirroring it. To follow Jesus bravely moved towards conflict on behalf of the oppressed to embody the blessing of being poor in spirit and in tune with a gracious creator. The way of enemy love is heroic, but requires people to lay down their life to find it. Jesus did not teach his listeners to be morally pure, but to get dirty living a new life that breaks the rules, serves the greatest good, and stands against unjust social order. Modeling the real teachings of Jesus is down right scary. Gandhi said that violence was preferable over cowardice. Gandhi understood the teachings of Jesus to be difficult, for the oppressed and not for the compliant or the pacifist. What Jesus and Gandhi model is courageous and takes more guts than any armed conflict. They are asking us to trust that we don’t have to mirror violence to over come it. Violence begets more violence and to face violence with out violence requires the kind of bravery that Martin Luther Jr. embodied and died for. Luther like Jesus understood martyrdom was likely. However, if you consider these three non-violent revolutionaries, I believe its clear to see that their methods and spirit crafted social change that has been lasting, sustainable, progressive and worth modeling.

Armed revolt would have been a very dominant theme during the period Jesus lived and taught. He taught a new way to fight oppression without mirroring the violence that enslaved Rome and the Jewish people. He taught a way beyond submission, passivity or violence, he taught his followers how to resist those who violently subjugated them within a divine rhythm of Gods Spirit. His teachings where meant to absorb systematic evil and transform the situation into a world that flows with justice and grace. Only in Gods kingdom can we discover perfect justice and merciful grace. Following Jesus is what we are called to, not to admire his teaching or life, but to embody his teachings. We are violent to the core in our modern world and rather bath in the blood of our enemies than forgive them. If we are interested in the kingdom of God that Jesus invited us into, we must return to his teachings. Lets start over friends, like children, let us learn from the author of our faith and less from his way ward followers. We have been mislead and ill informed and we are called into a beautiful life of faith the requires a radical new understanding how to be here and now.

1. It’s not what we do not do that defines us as Jesus followers. It is what we embody makes us followers of Jesus.
2. Jesus did not model moral absence from violence, but a new way to get dirty, a new way to push forward.
3. Would Jesus support your politics? Consider that our understanding of Jesus may have led us far from his teachings and spirit. Try to embody his politics more and less of your churches, nations, and social politics.