The Way of Jesus - the rebel advocate

May 17, 2026 • Seventh Sunday of Easter
Scripture Lesson: John 15:12 (The Message)
Dwight Campbell, Guest Preacher

[You can view the full worship video recording at: https://youtu.be/EotCOzsWL8U]

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

– John Lewis, June 2018

I have something to admit. I do not have an Embedded Theology.

Embedded Theology is shaped by family, worship, church tradition, and personal experiences rather than formal study. I even had a Theology professor that quipped about not sitting in a given seat because it is where Mrs. Johnson sat and she was a long time member. When  I was a child I attended All Souls Episcopal Church in Harlem. Mom was fairly faithful and we attended regularly. My big day came when Mom said I could travel to Church on my own, so on Sunday morning I took the number 6 train, by myself, and went to Church. Unlike a lot of you I didn't attend Sunday school, actually I'm not even sure there was one, but I attended service and enjoyed it. It's important that I  say this because when it was time to celebrate Easter, I knew it was an important day. It was the  day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus but to me it was important because it was the culmination of a week of preparation of my chance to become an altar boy. My brother who is six years older was an altar boy and I looked up to him. What is the significance of this story you may ask. I was told that I was too young to be an altar boy which confused me because I couldn't understand what my age had to do with worshiping God. Consequently I left the church never getting an understanding of Easter and who Jesus was.

That's a nice story, you may ask,  but what  does it have to do with Easter and Jesus –well as a young lady once said to me – tranquil o Papa.

Believe it or not I only started to get a feel for Jesus during the Civil Rights movement. The Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King talked about his strength for non-violence came from the teachings of Jesus, but as

with anything in life knowledge comes from being taught and may I say exposure to information. My education started when I came back to church and this beloved community is the one I returned to after

48 years. I knew about God and Jesus, but I didn't KNOW Jesus until I listened to sermons and attended Bible study. I also attended classes at New York Theological Seminary which furthered my understanding of the “Way”. "The Jesus Way" refers to a lifestyle of radical discipleship modeled after Jesus, focusing on love, humility, service, forgiveness, and grace rather than self-interest or worldly power. From the reading of the Gospel of John for today.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you.
And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last,
so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

Bear fruit of love.

So how did this man who performed thirty one miracles including healing and feeding thousands – this prince of peace who became an enemy of Caiaphas, the High Priest of Jerusalem and subsequently was arrested convicted and turned over to Pilate for execution – not only execution, but Crucifixion which was used for the highest crimes against the state.

Who was this loving Jesus? Is there another side?

In his book, BINDING THE STRONG MAN, A Political Reading of the Gospel According to Mark Ched Myers states and I quote;

“Mark was written as a manifesto for radical Christian discipleship, and, I believe, remains one today. In contrast to other writings of its time, it is a story about and for the poor and the common folk. Its narrative strategy is clearly subversive of the social status quo of Roman Palestine. Mark’s Jesus – through symbolic action, word and deed – systematically challenges the dominant order, with its assumptions about power and piety, sacred space, and social class. This Jesus forges a model of new social possibilities, in which the socially disenfranchised are welcomed to table; and Jew and Gentile struggle to overcome the powerful ideologies of enmity between them.”

Jesus’ actions provoke political opposition because they challenge the social codes, sites, and groups which ordered life and meaning in Palestinian Judaism during the late second Temple period. According to Myers, when Jesus was baptized and he rises from Jordan’s waters to a vision of the heavens torn apart by a mysterious voice, he is then driven into the wilderness for a confrontation with

Satan and the angels. Is this his training on how to deal with the powers of the time. Those that represented evil, symbolically Satan.

Jesus confronted the oppression of people both overtly and discretely. Overtly he publicly corrected the false teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Publicly Jesus corrected the false teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees by teaching His disciples to be on constant guard against it. He corrected their misinterpretations by appealing to His own authority. He repeatedly said, “You have heard it was said…but I say to you…”

Jesus directly confronted false teachers in the church. On one occasion He came right out and said, “You’re wrong, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God.” Jesus was not afraid to tell people–in the most confrontational way–“You’re wrong.”

Jesus often exposed the true nature of the wickedness of false teachers by using animal names to metaphorically describe them. He called the Pharisees the “offspring of serpents,” Herod “a fox,” false teachers “wolves,” and unregenerate, (those that refused to reform), to Gentiles “dogs.”

This is one of my favorites. A few years ago in a sermon I said that there was Jesus and his Disciples compared to Yeshua and his Crew. Mark 11:15-18, from the Message. “They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately on entering the Temple Jesus started throwing out everyone who had set up shop there, buying and selling. He kicked

over the tables of the bankers and the stalls of the pigeon merchants.” Saying that You’ve turned it into a hangout for thieves.

What angered Yeshua was the exploitation of the poor and the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. I can hear Peter say, wow Yeshua that was gangster!

There was also a less direct confrontational way. This came trough his miracles. Some of his miracles challenged Religious law.

In Matthew 12:9–14 Jesus cured a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath, challenging the religious leaders' belief that healing was forbidden unless a life was in imminent danger.

Mark 2:1–12, Jesus forgave the man's sins, a move deemed blasphemy by the teachers of the law, who believed only God could forgive sins.

Cleansing the Leper, Matthew 8:1–4, by touching a leper, Jesus violated ceremonial laws of purification from Leviticus 13, which required separation to avoid ritual defilement.

Key Miracles Challenging Social Norms:

Exorcisms (Mark 1:32-34): Jesus often cast out demons, which challenged existing power structures and religious understanding of illness and demonic possession.

The Feeding of the 5,000 (Mark 6:30-44): A major public miracle that showcased power over nature and demonstrated authority, often in contradiction to local societal expectations.

Question, What was Jesus' greatest provocation?

This is a call and response.

I feel it was his entry into Jerusalem.

By choosing to ride on a donkey rather than a warhorse, Jesus emphasized a peaceful, humble entry.: As Jesus rode by, the massive crowds gathered for the Passover festival treated him like royalty. They spread their cloaks on the dusty road and waved palm branches to pave his way. By allowing the crowds to hail him as a king and the "Son of David," Jesus was making a public, undeniable claim to be the long-awaited Messiah.

Jesus’ actions provoke political opposition precisely because they systematically challenge the social codes, sites, and groups which ordered life and meaning in Palestinian Judaism during the late second Temple period. Jesus was looked down on because he was not a member of the Hebrew elite but what he did was, in the words on John Lewis, created “Good Trouble”.

Throughout American history we've had to fight the good fight. Harriet Tubman, Levi Coffin, and Frederick Douglass from the Underground Railroad. Modern day, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X,Thurgood Marshall, Ella Baker, Bayard Rustin, most known as the chief strategist and lead organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, Fannie Lou Hamer, A. Philip Randolph, W.E.B Du Bois, and John Lewis.

LGBTQ activists, Harvey Milk, Alok Vaid Menon, Marsh P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, central figures in the 1969 Stonewall riots who also co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), providing shelter for unhoused and marginalized trans youth. Billie Jean King, Frank Kameny, Rachel Levine, RuPaul Andre Charles, Laverne Cox, and Dr. Timothy Selig.

The DNA of this Church is in making Good Trouble

The Washington Square United Methodist Church was known as the "Peace Church" for its intense anti-war activism, supporting conscientious objectors, and serving as a sanctuary for those resisting the Vietnam War. The church gained notoriety when an AWOL pacifist surrendered there in 1968, under the leadership of Rev. Finley Schaef. Under Pastor Paul Abels (1973-1984), who was the first openly gay minister with a major American denomination congregation, the church solidified its reputation as a progressive, inclusive center for social justice.

Founded in 1973, PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) was founded here at Metropolitan Duane United Methodist Church as the plaque outside proclaims.

Members of the Church of the Village successfully challenged the General Conference of the Methodist Church and As of May 2026,the United Methodist Church (UMC) has removed the language from its Book of Discipline stating that "the practice of homosexuality... is incompatible with Christian teaching". Previous bans on the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage ceremonies were also removed by the 2024 General Conference. I also believe we have had a member of this church arrested during an I.C.E protest.

The Good Trouble from ACT UP, founded in March of 1987, who through protests achieved lasting victories in medical treatment, health care access, which allows today's AIDS walk to be a fundraiser.

Finally.

Getting in good trouble is necessary trouble in the fight against the Scribes and Pharisees, and Sanhedrin, the party in charge and the Supreme Court respectively. It will not be easy, in some cases it took generations, but we will get there together.

I want everyone to reach out and hold someones hand.

If you have ever received an email from me you will see why I feel we will get there together. My signature is a quote from the Rev. Dr. Althea Spencer-Miller our minister in residence. "May you stretch forth your hand as an offering and may there always be another hand to hold."

Amen

Copyright © 2026 - Dwight Campbell
All rights reserved.