Sunday, September 28, 2014

Jesus vs. Bacchus

As with the other Olympian gods, Jesus proves to be a poor servant and model for Bacchus. Not that Jesus was all about deprivation! On the contrary, he partied with people regarded as marginal by the religious establishment. He even graciously turned water into wine to sustain the festivity of a wedding reception.

It was Satan, however, who tempted Jesus to prove he was the Son of God by turning stones into bread. Jesus would have proved he was a good Son of Bacchus if he had done so. Instead, Jesus replied that our vitality as humans does not come primarily from consuming things but by discerning and affirming the truth from God.

Jesus didn’t present himself as our best means for obtaining fancy clothes, fast cars, and big houses. To be in his presence was itself the goal of life. He didn’t gain audiences by offering free pizzas, trips to theme parks, media spectacles, or powerful emotional experiences. He did it by witnessing to the truth, freedom, love, and vitality that are ours from Abba, through him, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Copyright © 2014 by Steven Farsaci. All rights reserved.