The podcast explores various questions about Jesus, including whether he would use miracles to make his life easier, if some of his words are too harsh, and if Jesus could have sinned. They also discuss Jesus as a carpenter and his connection to creativity, as well as the mystery of his divine and human nature. The hosts delve into Jesus's frustration with people not understanding his message and his deep longing for them to embrace the divine message.
Jesus valued the organic process of creating things that align with the goodness of the world God created.
Jesus's frustration is rooted in his deep sorrow for the people's rejection of the new world he is offering and their twisted understanding of God's work.
Deep dives
Jesus as a Carpenter and His Enjoyment of It
Jesus is traditionally conceived as a carpenter, known as a tectone, which covers a range of building skills. It is likely that Jesus would have enjoyed his work as a carpenter, relishing the joy of creativity. However, it is doubtful that Jesus would have used miracles to cut short his work, as part of God's creation is allowing things to develop naturally. Jesus values the organic process of creating things that align with the goodness of the world God created.
Jesus's Frustration with the Misunderstanding of His Message
In the Gospels, we sometimes see Jesus using strong or seemingly harsh words when confronted with people's lack of faith and misunderstanding. This frustration arises from the fact that people in that generation had twisted their understanding of God's work and their own agendas. Jesus desires to lead them towards being the light of the world, but they resist his message. It is important to recognize that Jesus's frustration is rooted in his deep sorrow for the people's rejection of the new world he is offering.
The Mystery of Jesus's Capability to Sin
The question of whether Jesus could have sinned is complex. In Augustine's framework, Jesus, as a fully human being, had the potential to sin but never did. Jesus faced real temptations, such as doubt and misconceptions about his role as the Messiah, yet he remained faithful. Doubt itself is not a sin, but giving in to doubt and turning away from God would be. The divinity and humanity of Jesus coexist in a mysterious way, and it is through Jesus that we gain a deeper understanding of both human and divine nature.
Would Jesus have used miracles to make life easier for himself? Are some of Jesus' word too harsh? Could Jesus have sinned? Tom answers questions about Jesus by listeners.