The Misunderstood Jesus: A Comedic Reflection
Dear readers, peace and good! Or should I say, “Peace and a good chuckle?” Grab your popcorn as we dive deep into the life of Jesus of Nazareth—an epic tale marked by divine aspirations but decidedly human misunderstandings. Honestly, if Jesus was a stand-up comic, he could’ve called his first special ‘From Messiahs to Missed Opportunities.’
The Passion for Power (Not Quite)
Now, let’s set the scene: Jesus and his merry band of apostles waltzing into Jerusalem like they’re the headliners at a rock concert, only to find themselves about as welcome as a fart in an elevator. And here comes Zebedee, bless his cotton socks, asking for a presidential gig, probably with a side of fries. “Hey, Jesus, can I be your Vice? Because why not aim for the top while looking the least qualified?” Talk about a masterclass in misread intentions! Maybe they thought his mission was more ‘The Apprentice’ than ‘Savior’!
Failure? Or Just Misguided Expectations?
Many might scratch their heads and say, “Did Jesus fail?!” If by ‘fail’ you mean not turning water into wine for a Roman gala—then sure! But let’s get real—failure is only a state of mind. Folks were ready to crowdfund a kingship for him when he was doling out loaves and fishes, but when it came time for a real mission, they turned on him faster than a politician under scrutiny. It’s like going to a restaurant and ordering the chef’s special, but when it arrives, insisting you wanted a Happy Meal instead!
It’s Not About Position, It’s About Perspective
Jesus’ message was like that friend who keeps trying to convince you to read a life-changing self-help book while you’re just there for the snacks. Despite washing feet and suggesting folks turn the other cheek (which in these times feels like an open invitation to slap someone with a smile!), His mission was about service—not a power trip! Imagine how different history might have been if his apostles had mastered the art of volunteerism instead of vying for titles. “To be a leader,” Jesus said, “you must serve.” And the disciples were like, “Understood! Now let’s discuss our campaign slogan!”
Connected Yet Unique
But let’s cut them some slack; none of us are perfect. Jesus faced trials too—temptations and heartbreak. He dealt with bad seasons, just like all of us during a tough Monday at work or a family Christmas dinner! So, the distinction? He maintained his connection to God…talk about heavens’ Wi-Fi! And here’s the kicker—He asks us to approach Him during those challenging times. “Hey, life sucks? Come chat!” It’s the cosmic therapy session we never knew we needed!
Victory: A Different Perspective
And what of the so-called waste of Jesus’ life? The prophet Isaiah saw it differently—a life not stained by the glory of the world, but one marked by love and community. In the end, Jesus turned out to be a champion of the underdogs, teaching us that the last laugh belongs not to emperors or rulers, but to love itself. Really, who knew? The last enemy isn’t death; it’s a lack of understanding and love that we allow to die!
The Eucharistic Comedy Hour
As we sit together for the Eucharist, let’s remember Jesus’ ultimate act of self-giving. It’s this delectable, heavenly buffet that invites us to be part of a broader community, like a spiritual potluck where everyone’s invited, and no one gets left behind! The invitation is crystal clear: let’s roll up our sleeves and serve, one easy dish at a time!
A Final Request
Is it too much to ask that we really listen to Jesus? I mean, His story is right there, laid out in the Gospels! Much like that ‘unique’ gift you receive every holiday that screams love but leaves you scratching your head in confusion. The story is vintage, filled with timeless knowledge and grace—let’s not ignore it like last year’s gym membership! So let’s get this charity work rolling and make Jesus proud, shall we? Or at least, let’s not let Him face failure…again!
Your reflection-loving brother in comedic faith,
Alejandro Carrjokes
Dear brothers, peace and good.
Jesus of Nazareth had little luck and was even, like many of us, from a human point of view, not very successful. Jesus and his apostles went up to Jerusalem, where their imposing failure was going to be confirmed before the important people of their nation. And then the Zebedee, who, at first, seemed to be one of the smartest of the group, approached him to ask him to name them “president and vice president” of his future government. They had not learned, at all, what Jesus’ mission was. And much less about how it was going to be done. Then later, and after the terrible time of the Passion and Death of the Savior, when, now resurrected, he is preparing to ascend to the Father, there are those who ask him if it is then that he is going to liberate Israel from the Roman occupation. And the one who was asking had had an extraordinary being at his side for forty days and had wanted to teach them, from the glory of his resurrected body, his authentic mission, the one that the Father had entrusted to him and for which, in the act of supreme obedience, had died in the midst of enormous torment.
We could say, then, that Jesus failed with the apostles and he failed with his own people, that after admiring him and wanting to make him king because he gave them free bread, they then insulted him and killed him like the worst of criminals. It seems that no one understood him. And if we read the Gospels carefully, we know that he repeated his authentic message many times to the disciples, and to all those who wanted to hear him. He asked them several times – as on this occasion – to be servants and not to seek to be served. He warned them that He had nowhere to rest His head. It didn’t make the slightest sense to apply force – something that politicians know how to do very well – on the contrary, I advised them to turn the other cheek at the first slap and to give the cloak to whoever asked for the cloak. He washed their feet and asked them, in short, for love between them. But everyone continued to think in political terms, in a position of power and more power. Even those from Emmaus, when they refer to what happened in Jerusalem during those days of the Passion, speak of the authorities’ non-recognition of Jesus and not of his mission or his doctrine. They recognize his strength as a prophet, but not his dedication and love for everyone.
Jesus loved life. And he knew the joys of living. He was not a professional of asceticism, nor a hypochondriac. He was even accused of being too fond of eating and drinking. Jesus was also a born leader. It had an extraordinary pulling capacity. The Gospels highlight his “authority” in different places: he spoke and acted as one who has authority. He could have been a “successor.” Why, then, serve? Why such a maxim? Because Jesus faced life from other perspectives. He experienced it as a gift that he had received, not to waste it, not to retain it, not to score too terrestrial triumphs, but to share it and give it. His most important thing was something communal, a gift for the crowd. He made his bet with all lucidity. And it is from there, from that base experience of life as a completely free gift, from where he invited the disciples to be servants.
It is true that everything changed with the arrival of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus even had to appear to Paul of Tarsus and thus seek reinforcement for the group of the Twelve. So, did Jesus truly fail? No. In reality, his contemporaries failed because they did not know how to see who Jesus of Nazareth was and the happiness he brought them from God the Father.
In the second reading we are made aware of a specific aspect of the life of Jesus. It was not an easy and clear path. Jesus knew, as we all know, the difficulties, the bad times, the trials. It is one of the features of their solidarity with us. That is why he understands us from within, because he has lived our same life in all its aspects. The only thing that distinguishes him, makes him unique, is that he always maintained his communion with God, that he never broke it. But He knows our failures, our temptations, our bad moments or our bad seasons. Yes, He also had bad times. In the Gospels we only have a few notes related to the temptations of the desert and the trials and anguish of the final moments. But these samples are enough for us to recognize Jesus as one of our own, tested in everything exactly like us. And this is where we receive a second invitation: when we have a hard time, when we experience the wounds of living, we can approach Him with complete confidence, sure that He will understand us.
And we finish this review with the first reading. Was Jesus’ life wasted? When we look at her with the eyes with which the prophet Isaiah contemplated the Servant of Yahweh, we realize that he was not one of those victors who sweep everywhere, but we also recognize that his life was ultimately a victory, a clean victory. The last word does not belong to jobs, nor rejections, nor mortal anguish, nor violent death: it is not the evil powers of this world. The God of life has the last word. Here we also receive an invitation: to become aware that we belong to Him.
In the Eucharist, Jesus’ gesture of self-giving is present. Let us welcome it, so that we can live in an attitude of service. We will invoke him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world: let us do it full of confidence. We will hail his victory over death, the last enemy.
It is not wrong, then, to ask the Father that we know how to listen to Jesus and understand him. We have his complete history and mission in the Gospels. We cannot act deaf or forgetful. We know what He wants. Let’s not let him fail, please, now, again
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro Carvajo, C.M.F.
