In my last story, I told you how I had to leave Jerusalem as the High Priest Caiphas was very angry and sent his temple guards to arrest me and my followers after we had disrupted the corrupt trading in the Temple. We drove out the traders and money changers.

Then demanded that the courtyard remain free of traders. After negotiations, they agreed to keep it a sacred place in The House of God. When you see and know of wrong doing you must take action and oppose evil. 

That would be a big financial loss for the priests who made money out of renting out space in the holy courtyard. The people of Jerusalem supported this and I became a household name. The Jewish authorities were very angry with me and branded me a subversive and ordered me to be arrested. My time had not yet come for that. I could do more good work and train my disciples how to make a new community of caring, justice, and love of neighbor.

We were then wanted by the authorities, marked as subversive dissenters and rebels as so many human rights defenders are today. Many are killed for their work protecting the creation and environment and helping exploited ingenious people and the poor. They are following in my footsteps by protecting the poor and vulnerable women and children and victims of abuse and rights violations. I want them to know that my spirit is with them they are true to my vision and mission.

When we see the injustice in the world we must oppose it, we should never remain silent lest our apathy becomes approval. This is what I taught my disciples when we were in exile near Tyre and Sidon. Then when I guessed the excitement and revolutionary fever had cooled in Jerusalem and the hunt for me and my band of followers had died down we moved back to Galilee.

There was great support for my mission. Previously I had held a gathering in the same area of Bethesda and thousands of people came. We had a great teaching session and I persuaded them all to throw away selfishness and share their food with each other, especially with those who had none. It was a foreshadowing of the New Community that I wanted to establish. This one where there would be repentance, conversion, a change of mind and heart. 

There would be social justice, love of neighbor, sharing of wealth, respect for all people, equality, peace, and happiness. This is the “Kingdom” I wanted. 

Many in Galilee were looking for a leader, a messiah even who would be king of Israel and fulfill the dreams and desires of the nationalistic patriots. They wanted to overturn the power of the rulers in Jerusalem and drive out the Romans. That meeting turned into a movement to appoint me as a king. A political king to reestablish the rule of law as King David did, they thought I was the Messiah, but I did not want that. I sent my disciples away on a boat and I went to the hills to pray and avoid being taken to Jerusalem and declared King of the Jews.

I will tell you more about what happened after that. 

Come again, Jesus