Skip to content

Ordinary Times

A place of politics, culture, and discourse

Primary Menu
  • Log-in
  • Welcome!
    • Masthead
    • Inquiries
    • Guest Posting Policy
    • About Feature Images
  • Community
    • Commentareum
    • State of the Discussion (beta)
    • Commenting Policy
    • The 500kth Ordinary Comment
    • The 750kth Ordinary Comment
  • Follow Us
    • On Facebook
    • On Twitter
    • Entries RSS
    • Comments RSS
  • Friends
    • Arc Digital
    • Outside the Beltway
    • Splice Today
    • Elections Daily
    • Liberal Currents
    • The Bulwark
    • Conservative Pathways
    • Misfits Politics
    • American Creation
  • Blog Archives
    • Blinded Trials
    • Mindless Diversions
    • Bookclubs!
    • Not a Potted Plant
    • Dutch Courage
    • Journeys in Alterity
    • The 49th
    • Jubilee
    • Safe Depository
  • Home
  • 2011
  • April
  • 20
  • The Most Subversive Idea in the Bible?

The Most Subversive Idea in the Bible?

Alex Knapp April 20, 2011

Richard Beck nominates Isaiah 53:12 as containing the most subversive idea in the Bible.

I mean, can any church or Christian ever be smug, safe, contented, moralistic or self-satisfied in light of Isaiah 53.12? Just when the dust settles Isaiah 53.12 comes along, taps you on the shoulder and says, “By the way, God is over there. Yes, with those people.”

I enjoy the thinking behind this, but it’s not the most subversive idea in the Bible. Not by a longshot. The most subversive idea in the Bible is that God doesn’t care about rituals. Let’s take a look at Matthew 6:5-8, shall we?

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

I submit to you that this flies in the face of the prior tens of thousands of years of human existence. Our first inkling that humans were religious tens of thosands of years ago is the practice of ceremonial burial. From then on, the practice of religion was characterized as a communal, public activity. Public sacrifices. Public prayers. Public feast days. Public activities.

Jesus is basically saying here: No, that’s not it at all. Hypocrites pray in public so people think they’re righteous. People do good things in public so people will think they are good. Don’t brag about your good deeds. Don’t brag about your love of God. Just do good deeds. Just love God.

[Continue reading at A Practical Heretic]

[Note: Comment count will not appear on the main page.]

Continue Reading

Previous: School reform, Benton Harbor, and the Tea Party
Next: The Czar of Benton Harbor

Related Stories

On Ad Hominems Part 1: The Messy World

gabriel conroy August 7, 2016 76

The Pain of Tradition

Mike Dwyer November 25, 2015 13
johndaquan

The Montauk Catamaran Company Chronicles 10/23/15: Well begun is half done…?

David Ryan October 23, 2015 5

Recent Comments

  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25If Trump even suspects that, he'll fire the lot of them.
  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25IIRC, Trump has seen the Bastille Day parade, and his infatuation with a US version began soon after…
  • Saul Degraw in reply to Michael Cain on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25Less France, more North Korea
  • Saul Degraw in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25I wonder if this was malicious compliance from the brass
  • Michael Cain in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25I'm assuming that Trump anticipated Bastille Day, with many tanks, mobile missiles, and lots of diff…
  • North in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25Seems to have turned out very well so that's a bright spot.
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25911 was an ISISL thing. ISISL is to Islam what the KKK are to Christianity. It is a good idea to try…
  • Dark Matter in reply to David TC on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25But you’re up there dismissing doing anything about Saudi Arabia, because it’s apparently fine for t…
  • LeeEsq in reply to David TC on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25There are some issues where we really should insist on consistency. There are 57 self proclaimed Mus…
  • LeeEsq in reply to David TC on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25You just think that Jews should be happy to be good little dhimmis under Islam.

More Comments

  • LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to David TC on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird on Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman Assassinated at her Home
  • David TC in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • David TC in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • David TC in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Kim Sands Chabot on Em’s Top Five True Crime Podcast Recommendations
  • Jaybird on Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman Assassinated at her Home
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Israel Strikes Iran, Kills IRGC Commander
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25

Devcat Reports

Devcat image

We've had off-and-on issues with malware. As of right now we cannot afford a security upgrade but we're doing the best we can.

April 2011
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Mar   May »

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

You may have missed

themen

Why Some Men Leave Home

Clare Briggs June 14, 2025
frosttitle

Saturday Morning Gaming: Frosthaven Demo Worries

Jaybird June 14, 2025
2025-06-13 TDoRS C5155 (06.08.13)

Days of Real Sport

Clare Briggs June 13, 2025 4
Isreal strikes Iran

Israel Bombs Iran

David Thornton June 13, 2025 7

Recent Comments

  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25

Recent Comments

  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Michael Cain in reply to Saul Degraw on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Saul Degraw in reply to Michael Cain on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Saul Degraw in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Michael Cain in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25

Ordinary Twitter

Tweets by Ordinarians

Recent Comments

  • David TC in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Kim Sands Chabot on Em’s Top Five True Crime Podcast Recommendations
  • Jaybird on Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman Assassinated at her Home
  • Jaybird in reply to Dark Matter on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Israel Strikes Iran, Kills IRGC Commander
  • Dark Matter in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • LeeEsq in reply to Jaybird on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Derek S in reply to North on Israel Bombs Iran
  • Dark Matter in reply to North on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Dark Matter in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
  • Jaybird in reply to LeeEsq on Open Mic for the Week of 6/9/25
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.