What do the following characteristics remind you of…
- Tolerating all religious beliefs, philosophical teachings, and government systems made ultimately compatible, or a reflection of, a larger system…
- An obvious disparity between rich and poor....
- A government that requires heavy taxation of its people…
- Women being considered second-class citizens…
- A culture very interested in the supernatural…
- A culture thriving on syncretism – seeking to have all people maintain their own traditions and philosophies, and yet seeing them all under a general governing perspective…
It is this world that Jesus was born into... and it was perfect timing....
But when the fullness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman (Gal 4:4 KJV)
There is much to be learned from the 1st century world that Jesus was born into... it would seem that for all of our technological achievements and sophistication in this current century... the more things have changed the more they have stayed the same.
Perhaps that is part of the reason this simple story of a babe in a stable feeding trough (manger) wrapped in rags (swaddling clothes) still inspires awe over 2000 years later... I love that!
2 comments:
Thanks for the perspective!
Rob,
I was going to guess early 1st century or sometime a few centuries earlier such as in Persia.
The similarites are interesting. We aren't much different than when Paul talked to the men of Athens.
Brian Humek
P.S. I sent you an email at the church address. Also, by reading your other posts,especially the one on your getting old, I see we probably lived in Park Forest around the same time. I'm sorry your getting old. I stopped that stuff a few years ago.
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