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SW - Session 8 - Homework
SW - Session 8 - Homework
How to Transform
Society1
Session 8
Homework
Introduction
A society cannot be reformed unless it is first informed of what is wrong
with it, what is right and how to get it put right. Some societies permit
action for reform. ey are called ‘open’ societies. ey grant freedom to
the citizens to oppose the evils of the rulers. ese societies have inbuilt
self-correcting mechanisms. But this is a relatively recent phenomenon in
world history. Many societies even today are ‘closed’. Insiders can hardly
speak against the evils in their society, without great danger to their safety
and lives. Openly attacking social evils in these societies is virtually
impossible; even preaching takes enormous courage.2 Yet, change is still
possible, as Jesus showed when he began his ministry in occupied
Palestine, which was controlled by one of the greatest and most oppressive
powers in world history, ever – the Roman Empire.
As Jesus continued and molded the reform movement that was started by
John, it seems he understood his mission in terms of gathering Israel into
the eschatological people of God. As we saw in Luke, he sought to make
Israel a reconciled community that implemented Jubilee and lived
according to Shalom principles. e Gospels thus portray how he turned
to all of Israel, to the rich… and poor…, to the educated… and
uneducated…, to the rural population of Galilee… and the urban residents
of Jerusalem…, to the healthy… and the sick…, to the just… and to
sinners, to the Sadducees… and the Zealots…, to the Pharisees … and the
outcasts. Joachim Jeremias, a German theologian makes the point: “e
sole meaning of the entire activity of Jesus is the gathering of God’s
eschatological people.”
However, the way in which Jesus knew he had been sent to answer Israel’s
profound identity crisis, reached infinitively deeper than all the other
answers that ventured at that time. In contrast to many others, he was not
just out to blame Rome for all evil on earth (as the Zealot’s, many
Pharisees and most of the people believed). Nor was he interested in
proclaiming ritual purity as the answer to the world’s woes (as the Essenes
and some Pharisees did). He definitively wasn’t interested in maintaining
the status quo (as the Herodians, Sadducees and the Jerusalem temple
aristocracy promoted). He also wasn’t about to establish an earthly Jewish
kingdom that, in turn, would perpetuate the same spirit of discrimination,
exploitation and oppression towards other ethnic groups, that was
foreseeable to happen, given the Jews’ ethno-centric outlook.
In contrast to most other visions that circulated during that time, Jesus
proclaimed that God’s in-breaking kingdom foremost required the true
repentance of the people, whether rich or poor, since this was
presupposition for entering into the kingdom of God. He inaugurated a
new era when he said that his concern was to “seek and save” people and to
work for their moral and spiritual redemption, which would then lead to
It was clear to Jesus that salvation from sin is necessary for social reform
because the Kingdom of God is built on righteousness and justice, whereas
the kingdom of Satan is often built on ideology and injustice. Jesus knew
that sin breeds poverty. Social evils are the consequences of the rule of
Satan. Satan has authority over us because when we choose to sin, we
choose to obey him. erefore salvation from sin is the heart of holistic
reform. e individual bears the image of God. erefore, s/he is the
central object of God’s love and salvation. Socio-political freedom is
worth something only if the people are free from the power of sin in their
individual lives. e renewal of society begins with the renewal of
individuals who pass from death to life, from unrighteousness to
righteousness, from self-centeredness to community-centeredness and
who then join others in like-minded communities. Only repentance from
sin and obedience of faith renews trust, the basis of Shalom.7 e call to
repentance, the possibility of forgiveness of sins and the invitation to an
alternative community, thus became foundational to all of Jesus’ activities,
as we shall see in the next sessions. At the same time, Jesus didn’t stop
there, for he knew that the renewal of individuals was just a first step in his
action plan.
• Expose the Lies of the Systems & Reach the Ruling Elite
• Reach the Common People & Outline an Alternative Vision for Society
• Create an Alternative Social Structure that would Practice the Truths of
the New Kingdom
• Establish a Powerful Disciple-based Movement & Confront the Powers
that Be
reflection questions
application journal:
of their minds, the oppressed often turn into the new oppressors. Due to their
internalized oppression, they have no other models of governance once they come to
power, and so perpetuate the same damned cycle of dehumanization and oppression.
5 Vishal Mangalwadi, Truth and Social Reform, 40
6 Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds to Early Christianity, 457-458
7 Vishal Mangalwadi, Truth and Social Reform, 78-79