Muslim Jesus 3

Last updated on: February 9, 2006 at 5:55 am by Scot McKnight

Muslim Jesus 3 2006-02-09T05:55:32-06:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A few more sayings about Jesus in the Muslim tradition reveal once again how Jesus was appropriated for specific concerns as Islam developed. A politically quietist attitude on Jesus’ part can be seen in this saying: “Just as kings left wisdom to you [Jesus’ disciples], so you should leave the world to them” (#8).

That is, kings hand the wisdom business over to the followers of Jesus while the followers of Jesus are to let the kings run the world. This division of labor is noticeable.
In #10 I see a significant distortion of the thrust of the Jesus tradition, and it comes from the hand of Malik ibn Mighwal (c. 775-6 AD): “Jesus said, ‘O disciples, seek the love of God by your hatred of sinners; seek to be near Him by [doing] that which distances you from them; and seek His favor by being angry with them.’ ”
The love of enemies tradition, the love your neighbor as yourself, the Golden Rule, and Jesus’ table fellowship reveals, to me (what do you think?), that this saying takes Jesus into new territory.
#14: Here’s an interesting typical piece of Muslim understanding of Jesus: Jesus passed by ruins and said, “Ruin of ruins!” or else he said, “O ruin that has been ruined, where are your people?” Something from the ruins answered him, “Spirit of God [typical label for Jesus] they perished, so exert yourself [is this the jihad term in its more primal sense?] for God,” or else the voice said, “The decree of God was in earnest, so you must seek Him in earnest.” And then #15 has: Jesus said, “Strive [jihad again?] for the sake of God and not for the sake of your bellies.”
Again, some things consistent with Jesus and some things not consistent with the Christian gospel. In #15 Matthew 6:25-34 has been Islamicized.
Once again the same title for Jesus: Jesus was asked, “Spirit and Word of God, who is the most seditious of men?” He answered, “The scholar who is in error.”
This text, #17, comes from a period when scholar status was rising and the challenge was to remain faithful.
The Jesus of Muslim gospel is ascetic, lives for the future, is scholarly, and sits athwart Islamic cultural developments with a keen eye for sin and hypocrisy. “Do not,” the Muslim Jesus says (#16), “make your living from [teaching] the Book of God. If you refrain from doing so, God will seat you [I add: in heaven] upon pulpits a single stone of which is better than the world and all that is therein.”

Books

Previous Post

February 9, 2006

Gracious Christianity 7

Next Post

February 9, 2006 Jesus and Homosexuality 7

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What famous prayer did Jesus teach his followers?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Hail Mary The Prayer of Jabez The Jesus Prayer The Lord's Prayer