Jesus' Vision of a New World-Order and His Stand against Society and Religion of His Day

After accepting that we cannot expect Jesus to have given us a blueprint of the new society of God’s dream, the author understands that it is legitimate to arrive at valid conclusions about his vision of a new society. There is ample evidence in the NT to show that Jesus was proclaiming a God for whom humans were more important than systems and structures, laws and regulations, temple and Sabbath. The God of Jesus wills that humans unfold themselves and become what they are called to become. In this article an attempt is made to show that Jesus’ vision of a world order is not based on any ideology or pious fantasy but on his intimate, unique and personal relation with his Father as well as his revelation about what humans are and what humans can become. This is expressed by the symbol, Kingdom, of God. In the first part of this article we shall see the context in which Jesus proclaimed his vision of the society. In the second part, how Jesus’ relationship with his Father made him challenge the society and religion of his time which stood against all that he believed in and lived for. In the third part, what the main features of Jesus’ vision are of a world where God’s reign is lived out rather than sacralized and the consequences of his vision for those who are committed to him and his values