1. “But Jesus… Bent.” OCTOBER 18, 2005

2. “Throughout the Gospels, Jesus engages in unpredictable, unexpected behavior. When circumstances would suggest Jesus should go this way, he goes that way. When others court controversy, Jesus creatively disengages. The scribes and Pharisees attempt to pull Jesus into a political/religious debate: should we obey our Roman occupiers or the Law of Moses? In response, Jesus bends down to write in the sand—refusing to answer their question. Jesus displays a creative carelessness about the most pressing sociopolitical issue of the day. Intentional indifference. This invites us to be mindful about where we invest our energy and attention. The priorities of society may not be the priorities of the Kingdom.” Source: Leader

4. GOSPEL

5. GOSPEL (EUANGELION): A public proclamation of the appearance of a Caesar, his ascension to the throne, or his military victories against foreign peoples.

6. SAVIOR

7. CHURCH

8. CHURCH (EKKLESIA): An assembly of citizens convened in a public place for the purpose of deliberating on political matters of local import.

9. TEMPLE

10. List of Titles Used by Caesars  Kurios kai Soter (“Lord and Savior”)  Augustus Soter Eleutherius (“Revered, Savior, Liberator”)  Divi Filius… (“Son of [the] god…”/“Son of the divine…”)  Kurios panton (“Lord of all”)  Omni terrarium domino deoque (“the Lord and God of the entire earth”)  Pontifex Maximus (“High Priest”)  Pater Patriae (“Father of the State”)  Dominus et deus (“Lord and God”)

11. “The most divine Caesar… we should consider equal to the Beginning of all things…; for when everything was falling [into disorder] and tending toward dissolution, he restored it once more and gave the world a new aura… All the cities unanimously adopt the birthday of the divine Caesar as the new beginning of the year… Whereas Providence… has brought our life to the climax of perfection in giving to us Augustus, whom it filled with strength for the welfare of men, and who being sent to us and our descendants as Savior, has put an end to war and has set all things in order; and [whereas,] having become [god] manifest (phaneis), Caesar has fulfilled all the hopes of earlier times… and whereas, finally, the birthday of the god [Augustus] has been for the whole world the beginning of good news (euangelion) concerning him.” Source: Richard A. Horsley, Jesus and Empire

12. List of Titles Used by Caesars  Kurios kai Soter (“Lord and Savior”)  Augustus Soter Eleutherius (“Revered, Savior, Liberator”)  Diui Filius… (“Son of [the] god…”/“Son of the divine…”)  Kurios panton (“Lord of all”)  Omni terrarium domino deoque (“the Lord and God of the entire earth”)  Pontifex Maximus (“High Priest”)  Pater Patriae (“Father of the State”)  Dominus et deus (“Lord and God”)

13. Source: "Emperor Tiberius Denarius - Tribute Penny" by DrusMAX – Photograph Previously published: Web. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor_Tiberius_Denarius_- _Tribute_Penny.jpg#/media/File:Emperor_Tiberius_Denarius_-_Tribute_Penny.jpg

14. Source: "Half Shekel" by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Half_Shekel.jpg#/media/File:Half_Shekel.jpg

16. Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. -Luke 20:20-26

17. Source: "Emperor Tiberius Denarius - Tribute Penny" by DrusMAX – Photograph Previously published: Web. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor_Tiberius_Denarius_- _Tribute_Penny.jpg#/media/File:Emperor_Tiberius_Denarius_-_Tribute_Penny.jpg

19. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” -John 8:2-11

20. “If a Sanhedrin carried out [even] one execution in seven years, it is characterized as a murderous Sanhedrin. [However,] Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon say that if they had been in the Sanhedrin, no person would have ever been executed.” -Babylonian Talmud, Makkoth (7a)