Chapter 6

There are those who say “Jesus didn’t really claim to be God, did He?”

There’s always some kind of question behind that question.

Almost always it’s a matter of Jesus either not meeting or going beyond someone’s expectations. Muslims see Jesus as a prophet, not (repeat NOT) a messiah, and certainly not God; to them, only God is God, and for anyone else to make that claim is simply blasphemy, unless the claim is true. Muslims believe that Jesus is not Allah, so he mustn’t be making these claims. Christians must be lying.

Meanwhile, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons, because otherwise I’ll be typing this all night), meanwhile, would say that for Jesus to make this claim would imply that it was not true of everyone. Part of COJCOLDS theology is the concept of everyone ultimately being promoted to God-status and being given command of their own world. If Jesus claims to be God, he’s kind of puncturing this – if it’s what happens to everyone, why make an issue of it? Christians must be mistaken.

It even gets said by people without too much of an axe to grind, theoretically. Jesus is a pretty awesome guy by ANYONE’S standards, and therefore everyone kind of wants to claim him as their own; and atheists are no exception. But the snag for them is that they don’t believe in God at all – so if Jesus is claiming to be Him, then he’s as crazy as the religious people, right? Christians must be deluded.

Well, if you read here in Luke chapter 6 we have the first of Jesus’ claims to deity. In fairness, it’s a rather indirect one. But the point is that these indirect claims are coming all the time, throughout the Gospels.

This time Jesus simply declares Himself – Twice! – to be the Lord of the Sabbath.

No prizes for guessing that one. That’s an indirect claim, but there is nothing ambiguous about it. He’s claiming equality with God.

Now, the Pharisees are pretty upset. That’s understandable. They’ve spent years working on, refining and defining the concepts of working on the Sabbath (among many other things). They’re the authorities on this topic.

Then a thirty-year-old Rabbi comes along and blithely tells them ‘You’ve got it wrong, I’m the one in charge and I say differently’.

Such an audacious claim, and it’s easily understood that they would be upset.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus (usually very shy about doing miracles just to prove a point) is willing to do one here – needless to say, his audience will require some convincing.

The trouble for them is that they continue being unconvinced (and, dare I say it, stubborn) when Jesus gives them all the evidence they could possibly want.

How foolish; yet could I honestly say I wouldn’t do the same?