I believe that if I lived during Jesus’ time, I, at the very least, could have been his listener. During his time, he actively sought to brutally expose the sheer hypocrisy, corruption, deception and greed that defined the priestly establishment. Even Jesus’ harshest critics grudgingly concede that at least he was a great moral teacher.
What many people don’t realise is that although Jesus was greatly despised by the priestly powers, he was largely popular with the masses. That is why Caiaphas and his lieutenants could only have captured Jesus during the night as doing it during the day was a sure ticket to fomenting riots which would have been ruthlessly crushed by the Roman occupiers.
In fact, I suspect that, contrary to popular opinion, the common Jew didn’t approve Jesus crucifixion but as it always happens, whenever the powerful give assent to their intention, the commoner has to toe the line.
Today, if Jesus came back to earth as humble as during his first coming, his very first enemies would be the so called ‘Christians’. I cannot start imagining the kind of religious commotion that he’d raise as he battles the so called pastors, especially those who peddle the prosperity gospel. In fact, Jesus wouldn’t go for long before he is executed again----and no, his number one enemies would not be the keg imbibers in downtown Nairobi or the K-street girls; rather, his number one enemies would be those at the very centre of Christianity: bishops, pastors, priests etc.
What is more confounding is the fact that unlike during Jesus’ time when the common Jew was largely religious, the average Christian today is as filthy as his/her preacher. That Christian ‘holy’ girl that you see daily is probably dry-fried more times in a month that a part-time k-street prostitute. Those ‘Kesha’ meetings probably use more condoms in one night than those used in SJ in the same duration. It’s far much harder for a common dude to sleep with a non religious girl than for a married woman to sleep with her pastor.
But why?
Simply because millions upon millions of ‘believers’ have succumbed to a very fraudulent version of Christianity that’s hallmarked with ‘me and only me’ attitude, nauseating materialism, acceptance of sin and hypocrisy.
Today, the average Christian thinks that he needs to be at the very centre of everything; Jesus should only act like a puppet willing to give in to the material demands of the ‘worshipper’.
The average Christian doesn’t love Jesus. On the contrary, Jesus is to be only used to propagate the material desirers of the Christian.
The Christian worship God but with conditions: ‘God if I tithe, if I plant seed, I know you will bless me with that ‘Range rover’ . Concepts such as self sacrifice, fasting, repentance, loving God unconditionally and forgiveness are very strange doctrines in the modern church.
Because Christians have sold themselves to greed, I believe that God has handed them to false preachers so that they can be deceived and accept deception as the truth.
I believe that today, if Jesus walked to some churches in Kenya, he’d not even use a whip; he’d be even more violent and perhaps physical. Perhaps he’d require to fire tear gas to kick out false believers. That would initiate the process of his second crucifixion.
The modern Christian cannot stomach the original Jesus and his teachings. It is for this reason that he has to surround himself with false preachers who will tell him whatever he wants to hear( ‘ oh, its ok to own 10 cars when some kids are starving’, oh, you must own everything own-able to show people how blessed you are’)
The rot in the modern church makes the ancient Pharisees look like angels.
Can you imagine what Jesus would say to a preacher who lives in shameful opulence while his followers- who finance him- wallow in abject poverty?
But I must concede that these preachers are talented in twisting bible verses so as to justify their filthiness. The other day, I read about a US pastor who is asking his congregation to buy for him a $65 million personal jet.
And the American suckers will buy that jet.