Jesus lived and taught in an era when might made right. The Roman Empire assimilated other cultures via a combination of military brutality and an odd sort of religious tolerance—you could have your gods, but only if they were as subject to Caesar’s reign as you were. The Jewish people under this rule responded with either peaceful submission or violent rebellion. But Jesus flipped both scripts. In the face of violent rebellion, Jesus offered a sermon that said “blessed are those” who were the least powerful people in His society. Instead of peaceful submission, he “turned the other cheek” and
...more
