Salt, Light, a City on a Hill and a Justice Oriented Faith
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion, even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society, engaging within our faith communities, or working one on one alongside others endeavoring to follow Jesus’ teachings of love and justice, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep our work alive.
To all of our supporters, from all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you, and we couldn’t do this work without you.
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Salt, Light, a City on a Hill and a Justice Oriented Faith
Herb Montgomery | February 6, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-20)
This week’s reading has multiple themes worth looking at. Let’s begin with the metaphor of Jesus followers being “salt.” When Jesus tells his listeners, “You are the salt of the earth,” he draws on an image of something that is earthy, practical, and quietly subversive. In the ancient world, salt was not a luxury garnish but a necessity. It preserved food from decay, brought out flavor, and in Jesus’ own culture was often associated with making covenants. Read through the lens of our justice work today, the metaphor could also point to a community whose presence actively resists corruption and nurtures life in the midst of systems that harm and exploit. Let’s see.
Salt preserves by slowing decay. In a social context, this suggests a calling to confront and restrain forces that degrade human dignity such as poverty, racism, patriarchy, xenophobia, violence, and economic exploitation. To be “salt” is not to retreat into purity but to be mixed into the realities of the world, especially where suffering is acute. Salt only works when it comes into contact with what is spoiling. Likewise, justice-oriented faith requires proximity to injustice and a willingness to be changed by that encounter.
Salt also enhances flavor. This points to the positive, creative dimension of justice work: cultivating communities where hope, equity, and mutual care can flourish. Justice is not only about naming what is wrong but about helping life taste more fully human. In a just society, policies, economies, and institutions are shaped around compassion and shared wellbeing rather than profit or power alone.
Finally, Jesus warns that salt can lose its saltiness. In social justice terms, this is a caution against accommodation and complacency. When faith communities absorb the values of domination or individualism, they lose their distinctiveness and moral force. To remain “salty” is to stay grounded in solidarity with the marginalized and committed to transformation, even when such commitment is costly. “You are the salt of the earth” calls for an engaged, courageous presence: even only in small doses, salt is still capable of preserving life and bringing out its best flavors.
Next let’s consider Jesus’ image of a “city on a hill.” This imagery has often been lifted out of its context and repurposed to describe nations, power, or exceptionalism. Writers from the United States, notably, have used this image to describe their country. Yet in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not addressing empires or nations. He is instead speaking to a marginalized community of disciples living under Roman occupation, and calling them into a distinctive way of life shaped by God’s justice. Jesus’ metaphor is ethical, not nationalistic.
A city on a hill is visible not because it dominates, but because it cannot hide. In the same breath, Jesus speaks of light, good works, and glorifying God. The “light” he envisions in this chapter is the concrete practice of compassion and justice, peacemaking, and solidarity with the poor that he has just described in the Beatitudes. This city shines when people who hunger and thirst for justice forgive debts, refuse violence, and love their neighbors and their enemies. Its visibility comes from lived faithfulness, not military might, economic supremacy, or cultural dominance.
So to read the “city on a hill” as a nation-state is to invert Jesus’ meaning. Empires seek to be seen through power; Jesus instead calls his followers to be seen through compassion and a justice that results in peace. The city he imagines is not built by coercion or exclusion but by communities that embody God’s reign, the Kingdom. That kingdom is God’s just future where the vulnerable are protected, resources are shared, and humanity is restored. This kind of visibility often brings risk, not praise, because it exposes injustice and challenges systems of exploitation.
Jesus’ words call his followers, not countries, to account. The question is not whether a nation shines, but whether Jesus-following communities reflect the justice and mercy of God in public and unmistakable ways. When followers of Jesus engage their world by organizing for things such as fair wages, welcoming migrants, and resisting racism, all while standing alongside those harmed by unjust systems, they became that city on a hill. Their light points beyond themselves, not to national glory, but to the character of the Jesus they follow and the world his teachings have led them to not only imagine, but also to work to shape.
This makes even more sense when we hold it in the context of the image of a lamp on a lampstand. Jesus’ lampstand image calls followers to let justice-shaped faith be publicly visible. Light is not meant to be hidden in private piety or confined to personal morality while injustice persists around it and while the world burns. The saying challenges communities to place their values where they can illuminate real conditions of harm and inequality. A lamp on a stand exposes what is broken and guides others toward safer, more just paths. When Christians advocate for the oppressed, confront unjust systems, and practice compassion openly, their faith demonstrated through their choices and actions “gives light to everyone in the house.”
Lastly let’s consider Jesus’ words, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). These words are often heard as a theological clarification, but they are also a deeply social and political statement. Spoken to people living under Roman occupation and local elites who benefited from systems of exploitation, this declaration situates Jesus firmly within Israel’s long tradition of justice-seeking faith. These words signal continuity with the ethical and societal justice demands of the Torah and the prophets, and challenge any religion that divorces faith from the well-being of the vulnerable.
The “law and the prophets” were never merely about ritual observance or abstract morality. Torah and the prophetic tradition were concerned with concrete social realities: fair treatment of the poor, protection of widows and orphans, limits on wealth accumulation, hospitality to the stranger/migrant, and resistance to oppression. When prophets like Amos, Isaiah, and Micah condemned Israel, they did so not because people lacked religious zeal, but because they practiced worship while neglecting justice. By declaring that he fulfills rather than abolishes this tradition, Jesus affirms that God’s concern for justice is ongoing and non-negotiable.
In Matthew’s Gospel, fulfilling the law meant that Jesus consistently deepened and intensified the law’s ethical intent: justice for the vulnerable and marginalized. Matthew’s gospel moves beyond surface compliance, and Matthew’s Jesus opposes violence, promotes community, and extends love even to enemies. In social justice terms, Jesus’ fulfillment exposes systems that technically obey rules while producing harm. It critiques structures that claim legality or tradition while perpetuating inequality, exclusion, or violence.
Jesus’ teaching also resists the use of the law as a tool of domination. In his context, legal interpretations were often shaped by those in power to protect their own interests. By reclaiming the law’s original purpose of human flourishing and communal well-being, Jesus challenges both religious and political authorities alike. His fulfillment of the law centers those most impacted by injustice: the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and the outcast. This orientation suggests that any interpretation of faith that harms the vulnerable is a betrayal of the law’s true intent.
Today, Jesus’ words caution against forms of Christianity that dismiss social responsibility in favor of spiritualized belief or personal salvation alone. They also challenge movements that appeal to “biblical values” while ignoring the prophetic demand for justice. Faithfulness to Jesus does not mean abandoning moral traditions or prophetic critique; it means carrying them forward in ways that confront contemporary injustices such as economic exploitation, racism, patriarchy, LGBTQ discrimination, mistreatment of migrant communities, and more.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets” is ultimately a call to a justice-shaped faith. It insists that following Jesus means participating in the long, unfinished work of aligning social life with God’s vision of justice, compassion, and liberation: the hope of both the law and the prophets.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. What does a justice-oriented faith look like for you? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 6: Salt, Light, a City on a Hill and a Justice Oriented Faith
Matthew 5:13-20
Today, Jesus’ words caution against forms of Christianity that dismiss social responsibility in favor of spiritualized belief or personal salvation alone. They also challenge movements that appeal to “biblical values” while ignoring the prophetic demand for justice. Faithfulness to Jesus does not mean abandoning moral traditions or prophetic critique; it means carrying them forward in ways that confront contemporary injustices such as economic exploitation, racism, patriarchy, LGBTQ discrimination, mistreatment of migrant communities, and more. This passage is ultimately a call to a justice-shaped faith. It insists that following Jesus means participating in the long, unfinished work of aligning social life with God’s vision of justice, compassion, and liberation: the hope of both the law and the prophets.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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Free Sign Up Here
The Beatitudes in the Context of Social Justice
Dear Friend of Renewed Heart Ministries,
Thank You for Your Support of Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025
As 2025 has come to a close, I want to personally thank you for your generous support of Renewed Heart Ministries this year. Your commitment and generosity make our work possible, and we are deeply grateful for the trust you place in this mission.
Because of you, Renewed Heart Ministries continues to challenge injustice, amplify voices too often ignored, and encourage people of faith to follow Jesus in ways that are courageous, compassionate, and transformative. Your support allows us to create resources, foster conversations, and nurture communities committed to love, dignity, and liberation for all, especially those pushed to the margins.
In a time when injustice can feel overwhelming and hope fragile, your partnership reminds us that meaningful change is built together. Every gift, large or small, is a tangible act of solidarity and a powerful statement that justice, mercy, and radical love still matter.
As we look ahead to the coming year, your support gives us the strength to continue this work with clarity and resolve. We are excited about what lies ahead and honored to walk this journey with you.
Thank you for standing with Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025. Your generosity truly makes a difference.
With gratitude and hope,
Herb Montgomery
Director
Renewed Heart Ministries
renewedheartministries.com
The Beatitudes in the Context of Social Justice
Herb Montgomery | January 30, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew.
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward
in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before
you. (Matthew 5:1-12)
I can’t think of a better way to begin our new year than looking at the gospels and the Beatitudes. Jesus’ sermon “on a mountainside” has shifted the focus of Jesus-followers throughout history. The Beatitudes shift people’s focus from individual piety or personal reward to the social realities of suffering and injustice. By blessing the poor, the grieving, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for justice, Jesus centers God’s concern for those harmed by unequal systems rather than for those who benefit from them. These sayings redefine “blessedness” not as comfort or success, but as solidarity with the marginalized. The Beatitudes call communities to evaluate their faith by how they respond to poverty, violence, exclusion, and oppression, and how they shape a vision of justice rooted in compassion, humility, and active peacemaking.
Let’s launch right in at the beginning of the Beatitudes.
Reading through a social justice lens, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” is not a call to passive humility or inward spirituality detached from material realities. Rather, it names those whom the system has made vulnerable because they live without power, security, or privilege. “Poor in spirit” is the opposite of those who are strong in spirit. This is a people for whom the status quo isn’t working. These are the disinherited whose spirits have been beaten down by unjust systems. This can also refer to those who choose to be poor in spirit by refusing the illusion of superiority and hierarchy of value that our present system creates. Jesus announces that God’s reign belongs to those who are excluded by economic and political hierarchies. The saying challenges societies that equate worth with wealth and power, and it invites communities to dismantle structures that produce poverty, replacing them with relationships of shared humanity, mutual care, resource-sharing, and justice.
In the context of social justice, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” speaks not to private grief alone, but to a shared lament over suffering caused by injustice. To mourn is to refuse indifference. It is to grieve poverty, racism, violence, and exclusion as violations of God’s intent for human community. This mourning is an act of moral clarity. It names harm rather than normalizing it. It refuses to be silent and channels that mourning into speaking out and taking action. Those who mourn stand in solidarity with the wounded and acknowledge their own participation in broken systems. The promised comfort is not escapist consolation, but the hope born from God’s restorative work, healing relationships, dismantling oppressive structures, and renewing community. Comfort comes as justice takes root, as truth is spoken, and as love reshapes the world through collective repentance and action.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” is often misunderstood as praising passivity, but in the context of social justice, meekness is closer to disciplined strength. The meek are those who refuse domination, violence, and exploitation, yet persistently resist injustice. They do not grasp for power the way empires do. Instead, they practice solidarity, humility, and nonviolent struggle. In our biblical tradition, the “meek” are the oppressed who trust God rather than resorting to violence, and the promise of inheriting the earth is a reversal of unjust systems where the powerful of that time (and today, too) seized properties and resources. This beatitude specifically affirms that a just world will not belong to the ruthless, arrogant, and aggressive, but to those committed to justice, restraint, and the flourishing of all. There are two types of people in the world: those who look out for themselves at the cost of everyone around them and those who see themselves as part of the collective and seek to improve the lives of all of us together. The second group loves their neighbors as themselves. This is a much meeker way of navigating society.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” names justice as a deep, bodily need, not a polite moral preference. Hunger and thirst describe an ache that refuses to be ignored. They are longings born from witnessing such things as exploitation, poverty, racism, xenophobia, patriarchy, transphobia, and violence. In the context of social justice, righteousness is not private virtue alone but right relationships within society. Humanity is protected and resources are shared fairly in a way where everyone thrives. Jesus blesses those who cannot make peace with injustice, whose discomfort drives them to action, solidarity, and risk. The promise of being “filled” does not suggest passive reward, but the deep fulfillment that comes from participating in the work of liberation. In striving for justice, communities experience glimpses of wholeness, healing, and hope, even when the work they are engaging is for future generations.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” frames mercy not as weakness, but as a radical practice that disrupts cycles of harm. In the context of social justice, mercy means refusing to reduce people to their worst actions or social location even while naming and confronting injustice. It calls for active compassion. It calls for seeking restoration, accountability, and healing rather than mere retributive punishment. Mercy stands with those crushed by systems of inequality and resists policies rooted in cruelty, exclusion, or indifference. Jesus blesses those who choose solidarity over scapegoating and care over fear and condemnation. The promise of mercy received is communal and transformative. Societies shaped by mercy create space for repair, dignity, and starting anew. In practicing mercy, we help build a world where justice is not retributive, but deeply restorative and distributive.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” is not a call to private moral perfection, but to undivided commitment. In the context of social justice, purity of heart means refusing double loyalties (loyalty to God and the marginalized on one hand and to systems of domination, profit, or exclusion on the other). A pure heart chooses clearly, without the distortions of self-interest, fear, or ideology. A pure heart recognizes God’s presence in the oppressed, the exploited, and those pushed to the edges and undersides of our communities. Such pureness of heart exposes injustice for what it is and unmasks narratives that justify harm. Pureness of heart and purpose also enables one to “see God” in those they work alongside in solidarity with, to perceive the divine image in every person, especially those whose humanity is being lessened or denied entirely, and to recognize or “see” God wherever liberation, healing, and solidarity is at work. Purity of heart leads not to withdrawal, but to courageous, compassionate action and a way of perceiving God in the world that empowers us to keep working toward a world that is a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” reframes peace as active justice rather than passive calm. In the context of social justice, peacemakers are not those who preserve the status quo or silence conflict, but those who confront the conditions that produce violence: poverty, racism, patriarchy, LGBTQ phobias, exploitation, and oppression. Biblical peace (referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures as shalom) is rooted in right relationships, justice, and the restoration of humanity. Peacemaking often disrupts unjust systems, challenging power and risking backlash, because true peace cannot exist where people are harmed or excluded. To be called children of God is to reflect God’s character as revealed in the Jesus of the gospels stories by healing what is broken and reconciling what has been divided. Peacemakers stand with the wounded, speak truth to power, and labor for communities where justice becomes the soil out of which peace grows.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” names the cost of faithfulness in a world structured by injustice. In the context of social justice, righteousness is right relationship that challenges systems that exploit, exclude, and dehumanize. Those who confront entrenched power often face backlash, misrepresentation, and punishment, not because they are wrong, but because they threaten the status quo. Jesus acknowledges this suffering without glorifying it, locating meaning not in persecution itself but in the justice being pursued. The promise of the kingdom of heaven here on earth affirms the hope of God’s just future here. It suggests that God stands with those who resist oppression and work for liberation. Their struggle already participates in God’s reign or just future, a time and place where power is overturned, humanity is embraced and restored, and justice, not violence, has the final word.
And this is closely related to the last Beatitude. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely accuse you because of me” speaks to the reality that justice work often provokes hostility. I can’t help but think of all the propaganda presently at work to falsely accuse Renee Good and Alex Pretti in an effort to justify their murders by ICE agents. Commitments to stand with the marginalized and challenge systems that benefit the powerful are frequently met with ridicule, character attacks, and distorted narratives meant to discredit and silence. Jesus names this resistance as part of a long prophetic tradition: those who expose injustice are treated as threats. The call to rejoice is not denial of pain, but a reminder that opposition does not mean failure. “Great is your reward in heaven” affirms that God’s measure of faithfulness differs from public approval. To endure in love and truth places justice-seekers in continuity with the prophets and firmly within a movement in history toward God’s just future.
To follow the Jesus of the Beatitudes today is to embrace a faith rooted in justice, compassion, and solidarity with those on the margins. The Beatitudes bless the poor, the grieving, the meek, the peacemakers, and those who hunger for justice, revealing a God who stands with the oppressed rather than the powerful. This way of Jesus calls for inner transformation that leads to public action and to challenging systems that cause harm, resisting violence, and restoring the humanity of all involved. It also acknowledges the cost of discipleship, including misunderstanding and opposition. Following Jesus means living into God’s just future here and now, where love, justice, and liberation shape our response to an unjust world and our work to shape our world into a safe home for everyone.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. What area of our justice work today are the Beatitudes speaking to you about this week? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 5: The Beatitudes in the Context of Social Justice
Matthew 5:1-12
To follow the Jesus of the Beatitudes today is to embrace a faith rooted in justice, compassion, and solidarity with those on the margins. The Beatitudes bless the poor, the grieving, the meek, the peacemakers, and those who hunger for justice, revealing a God who stands with the oppressed rather than the powerful. This way of Jesus calls for inner transformation that leads to public action and to challenging systems that cause harm, resisting violence, and restoring the humanity of all involved. It also acknowledges the cost of discipleship, including misunderstanding and opposition. Following Jesus means living into God’s just future here and now, where love, justice, and liberation shape our response to an unjust world and our work to shape our world into a safe home for everyone.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
Following the Way of Love and Justice in this New Year
Dear Friend of Renewed Heart Ministries,
Thank You for Your Support of Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025
As 2025 has come to a close, I want to personally thank you for your generous support of Renewed Heart Ministries this year. Your commitment and generosity make our work possible, and we are deeply grateful for the trust you place in this mission.
Because of you, Renewed Heart Ministries continues to challenge injustice, amplify voices too often ignored, and encourage people of faith to follow Jesus in ways that are courageous, compassionate, and transformative. Your support allows us to create resources, foster conversations, and nurture communities committed to love, dignity, and liberation for all, especially those pushed to the margins.
In a time when injustice can feel overwhelming and hope fragile, your partnership reminds us that meaningful change is built together. Every gift, large or small, is a tangible act of solidarity and a powerful statement that justice, mercy, and radical love still matter.
As we look ahead to the coming year, your support gives us the strength to continue this work with clarity and resolve. We are excited about what lies ahead and honored to walk this journey with you.
Thank you for standing with Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025. Your generosity truly makes a difference.
With gratitude and hope,
Herb Montgomery
Director
Renewed Heart Ministries
renewedheartministries.com
Following the Way of Love and Justice in this New Year
Herb Montgomery | January 23, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of John:
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (John 1:29-42)
As we shared two weeks ago, I have found it deeply healthy in my own interpretations of the Jesus stories to remember that the Gospel of John is distinctive among the four gospels for both its style and its theological focus. John’s gospel doesn’t begin with Jesus’ birth or even his baptism by John. The gospel of John opens with a cosmic prologue that presents Jesus as the pre-existent Word or the Logos of the ancient world. These high claims come into tension when we get to John baptizing Jesus. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John notably omits a direct account of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’ baptism marks the public beginning of his ministry and affirms him as God’s beloved. John’s Gospel, however, shifts the focus away from the act of baptism itself and toward John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus. John identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God and the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. This omission reflects John’s high Christology, emphasizing Jesus’ pre-existence and divine identity rather than a moment of commissioning by John or social repentance through John’s water baptism.
What does it mean to follow Jesus today?
John the Baptist’s ministry defined religious fidelity not as private piety but as concrete social justice rooted in communal responsibility. Preaching in the wilderness, John did not call people to heightened ritual observance or inward spiritual refinement. Instead, he announced a public reckoning: faithfulness to God would be measured by how people treated one another, especially the poor and vulnerable. When crowds asked John what repentance looked like, his answers were unmistakably social. Those with excess clothing were to share with those who had none. Those with surplus food were to do likewise. For John the Baptist, repentance meant redistribution, not introspection.
John’s message was especially pointed toward those with institutional power. Tax collectors were not told to abandon their profession but to stop exploiting their neighbors. Soldiers were instructed to reject extortion and false accusations and to be content with fair wages. These commands exposed the systemic injustice embedded in everyday economic and political practices of John’s society. John’s call to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” located fidelity to God in ethical transformation that disrupted unjust systems rather than in personal moral purity alone.
Baptism, in John’s ministry, functioned as a public sign of alignment with this justice-oriented vision. It marked a break from exploitative patterns and a commitment to a new social order shaped by equity and compassion. John’s critique also confronted socio-political leaders who relied on ancestry or ritual status for legitimacy. It was not enough to claim descent from Abraham; as the Hebrew prophets of old also preached, justice was the true marker of covenant faithfulness. God, John insisted, was impressed not by pedigree but by practice.
By framing repentance as economic sharing, honest labor, and nonviolence, John positioned social justice at the heart of religious life. His ministry announced that devotion to God could not be separated from pursuing justice in the world. People would prove their faithfulness not in prayer alone but in transformed relationships and restructured communities. In this way, John the Baptist laid the groundwork for a prophetic tradition that measured spirituality by its social impact, and prepared the way for Jesus’ movement, where love of God and love of neighbor were inseparable.
Jesus’ ministry emerged out of the movement John the Baptist started, and carried forward its core conviction: faithfulness to God is expressed through concrete love for others. So Jesus did not appear in a religious vacuum. He began his public life by aligning himself with John’s baptism and signaled continuity with John’s call to the kind of repentance that was social transformation rather than private piety. Whereas John announced justice as a way to prepare for God’s reign, Jesus embodied and expanded that vision in word and deed.
At the heart of Jesus’ teaching was the inseparable relationship between love of God and love of neighbor. It was not a sentimental ethic but a radical social demand. Jesus defined love of neighbor through practices that challenged economic inequality, social exclusion, and religious boundary-making. Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming those labeled unclean, and restoring dignity to women, the poor, and the marginalized were not secondary acts of kindness but the very substance of how Jesus defined devotion to God. In Jesus’ ministry, worship and love of neighbor were one.
Jesus’ parables also redefined neighbor beyond ethnic, religious, and moral boundaries, making compassionate action the true mark of faithfulness. Teachings about wealth exposed systems that enriched a few at the expense of many. Through his parables, Jesus called for generosity, debt release, and mutual care. His proclamation of the “kingdom of God” named an alternative social order where the last are first, power is shared service within a community, and community is structured around equity and mercy.
Like John, Jesus confronted those who relied on religious and political status while neglecting justice. Yet Jesus went further by forming a community that practiced this ethic in daily life: sharing resources, breaking bread across divisions, and embodying God’s love in public, visible ways. In continuity with John the Baptist, Jesus defined true fidelity to God not by religious performance, but by love enacted as social justice, transforming relationships, and challenging unjust structures at every level of society.
And this brings me to this week’s passage. As I read the Gospel of John’s account of the first disciples called to follow Jesus, I’m struck with what it may mean to follow Jesus today. Following Jesus in this new year means more than private belief or personal spirituality; it requires a renewed commitment to social justice. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus announced good news to the poor, release to the captives, and liberation for the oppressed. To follow him today is to take those words seriously in a world still marked by inequality, violence, and exclusion.
Jesus consistently stood with those pushed to the margins of society. He challenged systems that concentrated wealth and power in the hands of a few while leaving many behind. His teachings confronted economic exploitation, ethical hypocrisy, and political arrangements that benefited elites at the expense of the vulnerable. Following Jesus, then, calls us to examine our individual behavior and also the structures that shape our communities and nations.
In this new year, commitment to societal justice means listening to the voices of those most affected by injustice and allowing their experiences to shape our priorities. Right now, that means advocating for our migrant communities, affordable access to healthcare and education even for the poor, policies that protect, rather than scapegoat, our trans friends and family, dedication to caring for our environment, and so much more. These are not distractions from faith; they are expressions of it. Justice work is sacred work and the needs of people are holy.
Lastly, Jesus’ way of love was costly. Last month’s recommended reading was Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship. Jesus’ way of love led him into conflict with powerful interests and ultimately to the cross. To follow him today may likewise involve risk, discomfort, and resistance. Yet it is precisely in this costly solidarity that hope is born. When we stand with those who are being harmed, we participate in the healing and restoration that Jesus envisioned.
As we step into this new year, following Jesus means choosing justice over comfort, compassion over indifference, and action over silence. It means committing ourselves, again and again, to the work of transforming our world so that it more fully reflects the values of love, compassion, and the liberation at the heart of Jesus’ life and message.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How is societal justice work sacred and holy work for you? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 4: Following the Way of Love and Justice in this New Year
John 1:29-42
Jesus’ ministry emerged out of the movement John the Baptist started, and carried forward its core conviction: faithfulness to God is expressed through concrete love for others. So Jesus did not appear in a religious vacuum. He began his public life by aligning himself with John’s baptism and signaled continuity with John’s call to the kind of repentance that was social transformation rather than private piety. Whereas John announced justice as a way to prepare for God’s reign, Jesus embodied and expanded that vision proclaiming that reign had drawn near. Like John, Jesus confronted those who relied on religious and political status while neglecting justice. Yet Jesus went further by forming a community that practiced this ethic in daily life: sharing resources, breaking bread across divisions, and embodying God’s love in public, visible ways. In continuity with John the Baptist, Jesus defined true fidelity to God not by religious performance, but by love enacted as social justice, transforming relationships, and challenging unjust structures at every level of society. As I read the Gospel of John’s account of the first disciples called to follow Jesus, I’m struck with what it may mean to follow Jesus today.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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Another World is Possible
Dear Friend of Renewed Heart Ministries,
Thank You for Your Support of Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025
As 2025 has come to a close, I want to personally thank you for your generous support of Renewed Heart Ministries this year. Your commitment and generosity make our work possible, and we are deeply grateful for the trust you place in this mission.
Because of you, Renewed Heart Ministries continues to challenge injustice, amplify voices too often ignored, and encourage people of faith to follow Jesus in ways that are courageous, compassionate, and transformative. Your support allows us to create resources, foster conversations, and nurture communities committed to love, dignity, and liberation for all, especially those pushed to the margins.
In a time when injustice can feel overwhelming and hope fragile, your partnership reminds us that meaningful change is built together. Every gift, large or small, is a tangible act of solidarity and a powerful statement that justice, mercy, and radical love still matter.
As we look ahead to the coming year, your support gives us the strength to continue this work with clarity and resolve. We are excited about what lies ahead and honored to walk this journey with you.
Thank you for standing with Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025. Your generosity truly makes a difference.
With gratitude and hope,
Herb Montgomery
Director
Renewed Heart Ministries
renewedheartministries.com
Another World is Possible
Herb Montgomery | January 16, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:12-23)
There are so many good things to highlight in this week’s reading. Before we launch into the good stuff, though, let’s begin with a word of caution about the metaphor of light shining on people living in darkness.
The metaphor of light versus darkness is one of the most enduring symbolic frameworks in Western thought. People routinely associate light with goodness, truth, purity, knowledge, and salvation, while linking darkness to evil, ignorance, danger, and moral failure. Often presented as universal or neutral, this metaphor carries deeply embedded racial meanings that have shaped and continue to shape systems of oppression around the world.
Historically, as European societies moved toward global expansion and colonialism, they increasingly mapped symbolic associations between light and goodness onto human bodies. Whiteness became aligned with light, civilization, order, and rationality. And Blackness and darker skin were cast as closer to darkness, chaos, and moral deficiency. These symbolic associations did not merely reflect prejudice; they actively produced it. The metaphor provided a moral and theological framework that justified enslavement, colonization, and cultural erasure by portraying non-White peoples as needing “enlightenment” or “civilization.”
Religious language played a particularly powerful role in this process. Christian imagery of “light overcoming darkness,” though not originally racial, was weaponized within colonial contexts. Conversion narratives framed European Christianity as light entering the darkness of “heathen” lands, reinforcing the idea that Whiteness and holiness were intertwined. Over time, these metaphors became so normalized that their racial implications became invisible to those who benefited from them.
Again, though this colonial association may not be original to the authors of these passages, the fact that this metaphor has become racialized since then demands that we find better ways to tell the Jesus story today. The light/dark binary still shapes cultural assumptions. Terms like “dark times,” “black marks,” or “lightening” a space or person carry moral weight that subtly reinforces anti-Blackness. This does not mean that every use of the metaphor is intentionally racist, but it does mean the metaphor operates within a cultural ecosystem that is already saturated with racial hierarchy.
Interrogating the metaphor of light versus darkness is not about banning poetic language but about recognizing how symbolism can encode power. Dismantling racism requires not only changing laws and institutions, but also examining the symbols and language that quietly teach us who belongs “in the light” and who is consigned “to the shadows.” Jesus followers today can and should find less harmful metaphors.
This week’s passage also allows us to meet the gospel that Jesus himself actually preached in the canonical Gospel stories.
Much of modern Christianity has come to define the gospel primarily as assurance of heaven after death. In this framework, Jesus’ message becomes reduced to a transaction: believe the right things now so your soul can escape later. While concern for eternal life is present in Christian tradition, this narrow focus misses the heart of Jesus’ own proclamation. In the Gospels, Jesus does not preach how to get to heaven. He begins his ministry by announcing that the kingdom of God has drawn near.
Jesus’ gospel is about God’s reign breaking into the present world, and that’s not merely a promise deferred to the afterlife. The kingdom Jesus proclaims confronts systems of injustice, restores humanity to those on the margins, and calls people into transformed social relationships today. His parables are filled with economic reversals, debt forgiveness, landowners confronted by laborers, and feasts where the poor and excluded are centered now. This is not abstract spirituality; it is a vision of social, economic, and political renewal.
Where the assurance-of-heaven gospel often emphasizes individual belief, Jesus emphasizes collective or societal transformation. He calls for repentance not as private guilt management, but as a turning away from participation in unjust systems. “Good news to the poor,” “release to the captives,” and “freedom for the oppressed” are not metaphors for the afterlife in Jesus’ inaugural sermon in Luke; they describe real conditions in the world he inhabits. Salvation, in this sense, is liberation—healing bodies, restoring community, and challenging concentrations of power that crush human flourishing.
The gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached also redefined righteousness. Instead of ritual purity or doctrinal correctness, righteousness is measured by care for the vulnerable: the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned, and the foreigner. Judgment scenes in Jesus’ teaching do not hinge on confessions of belief but on whether people fed the hungry and welcomed the stranger. In Jesus’ gospel, faithfulness to God is inseparable from justice.
This does not necessarily deny hope beyond death, but it refuses to let that hope excuse indifference to suffering now. An assurance-of-heaven gospel can too easily coexist with oppression, offering comfort without change. Jesus’ gospel, by contrast, is dangerous. It threatens unjust hierarchies, exposes religious complicity with empire, and demands embodied solidarity with those the system defines as the least of these. To follow Jesus, then, is not merely to prepare for another world, but to participate in God’s work of transforming this one.
Lastly, I’d like to consider an alternative interpretation for what Jesus might have meant by the metaphor of “fishing for people” in this call to his first disciples. Ched Myers reads Jesus’ call to become “fishers of people” not as a metaphor for saving individual souls for heaven, but as a deeply political image rooted in the prophetic tradition of Israel. In Binding the Strong Man, Myers argues that first-century hearers would have recognized “fishing” language from the Hebrew prophets as a symbol of divine judgment against oppressive rulers. Far from a gentle invitation to evangelism, the metaphor signals the dismantling of unjust power structures and removal of elites who exploit the poor.
In texts such as Jeremiah 16:16, Ezekiel 29:4, and Amos 4:2, God promises to “hook” or “catch” kings, nobles, and ruling classes who have grown fat on injustice. Fishing here is not about rescuing the fish but about dragging predators out of the water, out of the systems that allow them to dominate others. Myers insists that Jesus is consciously invoking this imagery when he calls Galilean peasants to follow him. To “fish for people” is to participate in God’s work of confronting and overthrowing unjust rule.
This reading becomes sharper when set in the political geography of Galilee. Jesus calls fishermen working under Herodian and Roman economic control, where fishing rights were taxed, regulated, and often exploited by elites. These men are not being invited into a spiritualized mission detached from their lived reality. They are being recruited into a movement that challenges the very forces that keep them poor and oppressed. Leaving their nets and boats is not merely symbolic discipleship; it is an act of economic and political resistance.
This interpretation further emphasizes that Jesus’ proclamation of the “kingdom of God” must be heard as an alternative to the kingdom of Caesar. In this light, “fishing for people” is a strategy within a larger campaign to expose, unmask, and ultimately depose illegitimate authority. The people being “caught” are not the marginalized masses, but the rulers who have claimed divine sanction for their violence and greed. Jesus’ movement aims to bring these powers into the open, where their injustice will be judged.
This interpretation reframes discipleship itself. To follow Jesus is not primarily to persuade others to adopt correct beliefs, but to join a struggle for social transformation and change. The earliest disciples are trained not as religious recruiters, but as organizers in a nonviolent resistance movement grounded in God’s justice. Their task is to announce that the old order is passing away and to live as if that process is already fulfilled.
The eventual crucifixion of Jesus, I believe, confirms this interpretation. Rome did not execute itinerant preachers for offering private spiritual comfort. Jesus was killed because his vision of God’s reign threatened the stability of imperial and temple power alike. His “fishing for people” led directly to confrontation with the state, exposing who ruled and at whose expense.
This interpretation also challenges modern Christianity to reconsider how it reads Jesus’ words. If “fishing for people” means removing unjust rulers from power, then faithfulness to Jesus today requires more than evangelistic zeal. It also demands active resistance to systems of domination and a commitment to building communities that embody justice, equity, and shared power as signs that another world is not only possible, but already breaking in.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. In this new year, what area of societal justice is Jesus’ gospel inspiring you to engage? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 3: Another World is Possible
Matthew 4:12-23
Where the assurance-of-heaven gospel often emphasizes individual belief, Jesus emphasizes collective or societal transformation. He calls for repentance not as private guilt management, but as a turning away from participation in unjust systems. “Good news to the poor,” “release to the captives,” and “freedom for the oppressed” are not metaphors for the afterlife in Jesus’ inaugural sermon in Luke; they describe real conditions in the world he inhabits. Salvation, in this sense, is liberation—healing bodies, restoring community, and challenging concentrations of power that crush human flourishing. The gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached also redefined righteousness. Instead of ritual purity or doctrinal correctness, righteousness is measured by care for the vulnerable: the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned, and the foreigner. Judgment scenes in Jesus’ teaching do not hinge on confessions of belief but on whether people fed the hungry and welcomed the stranger. In Jesus’ gospel, faithfulness to God is inseparable from justice.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/another-world-is-possible
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
Jesus’ Baptism as Alignment with a Movement for Justice
Dear Friend of Renewed Heart Ministries,
Thank You for Your Support of Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025
As 2025 has come to a close, I want to personally thank you for your generous support of Renewed Heart Ministries this year. Your commitment and generosity make our work possible, and we are deeply grateful for the trust you place in this mission.
Because of you, Renewed Heart Ministries continues to challenge injustice, amplify voices too often ignored, and encourage people of faith to follow Jesus in ways that are courageous, compassionate, and transformative. Your support allows us to create resources, foster conversations, and nurture communities committed to love, dignity, and liberation for all, especially those pushed to the margins.
In a time when injustice can feel overwhelming and hope fragile, your partnership reminds us that meaningful change is built together. Every gift, large or small, is a tangible act of solidarity and a powerful statement that justice, mercy, and radical love still matter.
As we look ahead to the coming year, your support gives us the strength to continue this work with clarity and resolve. We are excited about what lies ahead and honored to walk this journey with you.
Thank you for standing with Renewed Heart Ministries in 2025. Your generosity truly makes a difference.
With gratitude and hope,
Herb Montgomery
Director
Renewed Heart Ministries
renewedheartministries.com
Jesus’ Baptism as Alignment with a Movement for Justice
Herb Montgomery | January 9, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)
The narratives of Jesus’ baptism in each of the synoptic gospels are deeply rooted in themes of social justice.
John’s baptism ritual was associated with repentance and returning to the justice teachings of the Torah among the marginalized communities of his time. By submitting to John’s baptism in the Jordan, Jesus publicly aligns himself with John’s justice movement in the wilderness.
Also, John’s ministry was wholly outside of the Temple State’s power structure. Born into a priestly family tied to the Jerusalem Temple, John the Baptist inherited a path toward institutional political/religious authority. He deliberately stepped away from that system. Instead of participating with the Temple State’s complicity with the Roman empire, John went to the wilderness—a place of resistance, testing, and renewal in Israel’s story. There he preached repentance, not as private piety but as a public call to societal transformation. By baptizing outside Temple control, John challenged the idea that access to God was mediated by institutions. His wilderness ministry confronted religious complicity with imperial power, announcing that renewal would come from the margins, not the center.
The Jordan River itself evokes liberation memory, recalling Israel’s crossing from oppression into freedom. In our reading this week, by stepping into these waters, Jesus identifies with a people longing for justice amid Roman occupation and economic exploitation. The divine affirmation “You are my beloved” is not a private spiritual moment but a public declaration that God stands with this justice-oriented movement. The descent of the Spirit signals empowerment for a mission that will challenge systems of exclusion, heal those cast aside, and confront those in positions of power harming vulnerable people on the edges of society. Jesus’ baptism inaugurates a ministry grounded in solidarity with the oppressed, announcing that repentance is not merely personal morality but also a call to reorder society toward equity, justice, and collective flourishing.
As the social location of Christianity changed and it ultimately became united with the empire (a collusion with empire that John spent his ministry condemning) the meaning of Jesus’ baptism as solidarity with John’s anti-Imperialism became lost. Before the fourth century, Christianity existed largely as a marginal and often persecuted movement within the Roman Empire. Its identity was shaped by small, decentralized communities that emphasized following Jesus in ways that implicitly challenged imperial claims of ultimate authority. This situation changed dramatically under Emperor Constantine in the early fourth century.
After Constantine’s conversion and the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, Christianity moved from persecution to imperial favor. The church gained legal status, imperial patronage, and material support, including land, buildings, and financial resources. Bishops increasingly assumed roles resembling imperial administrators, and ecclesial structures began to mirror Roman political hierarchies. This was a kind of collusion that the elites of the Temple State also chose in John the Baptist’s time.
As Christianity aligned with empire, its theology and practices adapted accordingly. The cross, once a symbol of Rome’s crushing violent response to any social uprising, became a sign of Christian victory. Jesus was increasingly portrayed by Imperial Christianity in regal and triumphant imagery that resonated with Roman ideals of power. The church’s earlier resistance to violence softened as justifications for imperial warfare and coercion emerged. Unity of belief was no longer merely a theological concern but a matter of imperial stability. Constantine’s involvement in the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) illustrates this shift: doctrinal disputes were addressed with the emperor acting as convener and enforcer. Constantine bound orthodoxy to imperial authority.
This union brought undeniable benefits such as security, growth, and cultural influence for Christianity, but it also marked a profound transformation. Christianity moved from a countercultural movement shaped by the margins to a religion intertwined with state power. The Constanti“nian shift continues to shape Christian theology, ethics, and politics, raising enduring questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus today.
Along with all of these changes, the way the Jesus story was interpreted changed, too. And interpretations of Jesus’ baptism were not exempt. Jesus’ baptism became problematic for the church. Christianity no longer interpreted the baptism of Jesus by John as political alignment with rejection of empire and a return to the Torah’s social justice teachings. Jesus’ baptism by John rather began to be interpreted as more about personal piety than a movement for social change. For example, Jerome, an ecclesiastical author who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries, quotes the Gospel of the Nazoreans:
Note that the Lord’s mother and his brothers said to him, “John the Baptist practiced baptism for the remission of sins. We should go and be baptized by him.” To this Jesus replied, “What sin have I committed that I should go and be baptized by him? Unless, of course, what I just said is itself a sin of ignorance.”
The facts that Jesus had been baptized by John at all and that John was Jesus’ mentor for a time became a source of tension for the Christian community because of their high claims for Jesus. The Church developed various apologetic ploys to explain Jesus’ connection to John as well as to Jewish religion itself.
Yet, the Gospels consistently present Jesus as emerging from the movement begun by John the Baptist, and this connection is best understood not merely as a ritual or personal association but as their participation in a broader social justice movement. John’s ministry in the wilderness was a prophetic critique of the political, economic, and religious systems of his day. By calling people to repentance in the Jordan, John was challenging the Temple-state alliance that mediated forgiveness through expensive sacrifice, taxation, and elite control. His baptism offered an alternative vision of communal renewal apart from institutional power.
John’s message also had explicit social and economic dimensions. In Luke’s Gospel, John instructs the crowds to share clothing and food, demands that tax collectors stop exploiting others, and tells soldiers to reject extortion and violence. These directives confronted systemic injustice rather than focusing solely on private morality. John announced God’s imminent reign as a reordering of society, one that threatened both Roman authority and its local collaborators. His execution by Herod Antipas underscores the political danger of his movement.
Jesus’ baptism by John signifies his identification with this vision. Rather than distancing himself from John, Jesus begins his ministry proclaiming the same kingdom message as John did, and he gathers a community shaped by similar ethical demands. Jesus expands John’s work by centering it on the poor, the sick, and the socially excluded, and by intensifying its critiques of wealth, domination, and religious hypocrisy.
Seen in this light, Jesus’ connection to John is not incidental but foundational. Jesus inherits and radicalizes John’s social justice movement, transforming prophetic protest into a sustained, embodied challenge to systems that dehumanize, exploit, and exclude. This challenge was an inheritance that ultimately led to Jesus, like John, being executed by the social power they both confronted.
Following Jesus today cannot be separated from a commitment to social justice, because Jesus’ life and teachings, like John the Baptist’s, consistently confronted systems that harmed the vulnerable and concentrated power in the hands of a few. The Gospels portray Jesus not only as a spiritual teacher but as a public figure whose message of God’s reign challenged economic exploitation, social exclusion, and religious complicity with injustice. To follow Jesus, then, is to take seriously the ethical and political implications of his vision.
Jesus announced good news to the poor, release to captives, and freedom for the oppressed. These were not abstract spiritual metaphors but concrete promises that addressed real suffering. He healed the sick, restored those labeled “unclean,” and formed a community that crossed boundaries of class, gender, ethnicity, and socially constructed definitions of moral respectability. His teachings on wealth (warning the rich, blessing the poor, and calling for radical generosity) directly confronted economic systems that produced inequality and deprivation.
In today’s context, following Jesus means discerning how similar systems operate in modern forms: racism, economic injustice, nationalism, environmental destruction, fear and exclusion of LGBTQ people, and policies that marginalize immigrants, the disabled, and the poor. Faithfulness is not limited to personal piety or charity, important as those are, but extends to challenging structures that perpetuate harm. Jesus’ call to love one’s neighbor and enemy alike demands resistance to narratives that dehumanize others for political or economic gain.
The end of the Jesus story reminds Christians that confronting injustice is costly. Jesus was executed not for private belief but for embodying a way of life that threatened established power. Resurrection faith, then, is not escapism but hope that justice, compassion, and solidarity can outlast violence and death.
To follow Jesus today is to walk in that same path. It means standing with those on the margins, advocating for systemic change not political dominance, and embodying a love that seeks the restoration of human dignity and the healing of the world. It means we join Jesus in the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for all.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. In this new year, what existing call for justice is presently on your heart? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 2: Jesus’ Baptism as Alignment with a Movement for Justice
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus’ baptism by John signifies his identification with John’s vision. Rather than distancing himself from John, Jesus begins his ministry proclaiming the same kingdom message as John did, and he gathers a community shaped by similar ethical demands. Jesus expands John’s work by centering it on the poor, the sick, and the socially excluded, and by intensifying its critiques of wealth, domination, and religious hypocrisy. Seen in this light, Jesus’ connection to John is not incidental but foundational. Jesus inherits and radicalizes John’s social justice movement, transforming prophetic protest into a sustained, embodied challenge to systems that dehumanize, exploit, and exclude. This challenge was an inheritance that ultimately led to Jesus, like John, being executed by the social power they both confronted. Following Jesus today cannot be separated from a commitment to social justice, because Jesus’ life and teachings, like John the Baptist’s, consistently confronted systems that harmed the vulnerable and concentrated power in the hands of a few. The Gospels portray Jesus not only as a spiritual teacher but as a public figure whose message of God’s reign challenged economic exploitation, social exclusion, and religious complicity with injustice. To follow Jesus, then, is to take seriously the ethical and political implications of his vision.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
Herb Montgomery | January 2, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this first weekend of the new year is from the gospel of John.
“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” (John 1:10-18)
Our subject this week is New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today. But before we rush to our topic, it’s important to consider some preliminary thoughts about the Gospel of John itself, since it is our foundation for this week’s contemplations.
As we begin this week, it’s healthy to remember that John’s gospel stands apart from the synoptic gospels. It’s the latest gospel written (by quite a lewngth of time) in our sacred canon and it is quite different from the others in both style and theology. Regarding style, rather than short parables and healing stories, John’s version of the Jesus story is comprised of extended dialogues by Jesus, John’s famous “signs,” and high Christology based reflections. John centers Jesus’ identity more than the chronology of his ministry. Events appear in a different order, and Jesus speaks in long, reflective discourses. Theologically, the gospel of John presents a high Christology, portraying Jesus not merely as God’s agent but as fully divine. From its opening lines—“In the beginning was the Word”—John identifies Jesus with the ideas of the eternal Logos in the ancient world who was with God and was God. Jesus exists before creation, participates in creation, and ultimatly in the gospel of John, reveals God’s very nature. John emphasizes a union between the Father and Son, and presents Jesus as the definitive revelation of God’s glory, life, and presence in the world.
The gospel of John has also long raised concerns about antisemitism because it repeatedly, negatively refers to “the Jews” as opponents of Jesus. Christians have historically misused these passages to justify hostility toward Jewish people. However, some scholars stress that John reflects an intense intra-Jewish conflict of the late 1st Century, not condemnation of Judaism as a whole. Jesus, his followers, and the author(s) of John were themselves Jewish. The polemical language likely mirrors painful community divisions after the synagogue–Johannine community split. Responsible interpretation requires historical context and rejection of antisemitic interpretations. This week’s reading contains language such as “his own people did not accept him” and contrasts Moses and Jesus. We’ll unpack this a bit more later.
But first, from the early church fathers all the way down to more recent scholars, readers have associated John with first and second century gnosticism because of its elevated language about knowledge, light, and divine revelation and how it contrasts spirit and the flesh. John speaks of Jesus as the preexistent Logos (Word) who descends from above, revealing truth to a world trapped in misunderstandings. This emphasis on revelation and knowing God has led many scholars to suggest that John reflects gnostic thought. However, other scholars argue that while John uses similar vocabulary to the gnostic communities of that time, the gospel ultimately stands in dialogue and tension with Gnosticism and does not promotes it.
Classical gnostics viewed the material world as inherently evil and salvation as an escape from the physical realm through secret knowledge (gnosis). John’s gospel both confirms this view of the material world as negative (i.e. “ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”) and at other times seems to confront it (“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”). Salvation in John, like salvation in gnosticism, is achieved through esoteric knowledge, yet for John that knowledge is only available through Jesus and revealed and embodied in Jesus’ life. Eternal life is both an escape from the world and “knowing” (gnosis) God’s glory. (John 17:3). On one side, John’s gospel emphasizes the incarnation and on another describes Jesus transforming death into a portal into the afterlife.
The gospel of John can be understood as engaging proto-gnostic ideas circulating in the 1st Century, sometimes by agreeing with them and sometimes by debating and providing theological tension with gnosticism. John adopts familiar gnostic language while presenting a theology that affirms the ethic of the love of God more than the synoptics’ focus on justice and love of neighbor. John’s Gospel thus proclaims a spirituality that insists that gnosticism’s knowledge is knowledge of the divine as known through Jesus and the real revelation is a disclosure of God loving the world. John’s gospels doesn’t define salvation as quite the same as do the synoptic gospels. Salvation in John is not as Jesus’ kingdom having arrived on earth or God’s will being done on earth as in heaven. In John salvation is through obtaining the knowledge of God in Jesus and entering fully into the divine life that transforms death into an escape from our material world into God who is spirit. All of this gives us much to ponder in tension with not only 1st Century gnosticism but also its relationship to the synoptic gospels.
Let’s get back to the contrast between Moses and Jesus. In John’s gospel, contrasting Moses with Jesus in ways that portray Moses or Judaism as inferior is a form of antisemitic interpretation. Not all of the New Testament requires that reading, but John does. These contrasts often frame Moses as representing legalism, wrath, or spiritual blindness, while depicting Jesus as embodying grace, truth, or love. But the opposition distorts both figures. Moses is central to Israel’s story of liberation, covenant, and justice, and Jewish tradition has long understood the Torah as a gift of grace, not a legalistic burden. When Christian readings suggest that Jesus replaces rather than building on and dialoguing with Moses, they implicitly delegitimize Judaism and sever Jesus from his own Jewish identity. The synoptic gospels, in contrast to John, present Jesus as standing firmly within Israel’s Hebrew prophetic justice tradition, drawing on the Torah and the prophets rather than rejecting them. Healthy interpretation emphasizes congruency: Jesus continues and intensifies Moses’ vision of covenant liberation, compassion, and justice. Reading Moses and Jesus in both continuity and at times in tension with with each other, correcting and even dissenting from each other, doesn’t mean they weren’t still part of the same Jewish family. Their has always existed vigorous incongruence even within Hebrew traditions themselves. Historically, dissonant voices have existed within Hebrew and Jewish culture, both then and even now. But however we interepret both Jesus and Moses, refraining from denigrating Moses in order to center attention on Jesus resists antisemitism and honors Jesus’ Jewish roots and the Jewish roots of the Christian faith itself.
However one reads the gospel of John, the Jesus of the synoptic gospel stories did not emerge in history as a quiet spiritual teacher detached from the realities of oppression and power. He came as a liberator, proclaiming a vision of God’s reign that directly confronted systemic injustice and exposed the moral bankruptcy of entrenched hierarchies. In 1st Century Judaism, economic exploitation, political domination by Rome, and religious systems that had grown complicit with imperial power all shaped everyday life. And into this world, Jesus announced “good news to the poor,” release to the captives, and freedom for the oppressed. It was language that was not merely metaphorical but also deeply social and political in its implications.
Jesus consistently named and challenged structures that privileged the elites while crushing the vulnerable. He confronted economic injustice by condemning wealth hoarding and exposing how predatory debt, land consolidation, and state taxation impoverished peasants. His parables turned accepted social logic upside down: day laborers received equal wages, the last were made first, and those excluded from honor were welcomed to the table. These teachings were not abstract ideals; they undermined the economic and social assumptions that kept the powerful secure.
Equally disruptive was Jesus’ critique of the elites’ authority when it aligned with empire. He challenged purity systems that excluded the sick, women, and the poor, and restored dignity to those deemed unclean or unworthy. On this, John’s gospel wholly agrees with the synoptics. His symbolic actions—such as the disruption of the Temple economy—publicly exposed how his society’s institutions had become tools of exploitation. By declaring that God desired mercy rather than sacrifice, Jesus echoes other Jewish voices who also questioned a system that justified injustice in the name of faithfulness.
As Jesus’ movement grew, so did its threat to the status quo. Crowds followed him not simply because of miracles, but because his vision offered hope of real transformation. A society organized around mutual care, shared resources, and the equal worth of all people was dangerous to those who benefited from hierarchy and control. Roman authorities feared unrest; local elites feared loss of influence; and the leaders of Jesus’ society feared destabilization. Crucifixion, we must remember, was Rome’s instrument of terror, reserved for those who challenged imperial order. Jesus was executed not for private, religious beliefs, but for a public, liberating message that called the existing system into question.
The Jesus narratives, from beginning (Christmas) to the end (the resurrection), insist that justice, peace and love will win in the end. These narratives proclaim that life, justice, and love outlast injustice and empire. In this sense, the Jesus story is God’s refusal to validate systems that oppress and do harm. The gospels affirm that the way of Jesus was solidarity with the oppressed, resistance to injustice, and courageous love. This way began in a manger in Bethlehem, traversed the countryside challenging injustice and mitigating harm, and ultimately, after standing up to systemic injustice in Jesus’ own societal context, Jesus’ way was not defeated by a Roman cross, but was resurrected to live on in the lives of his followers.
To follow Jesus today is to take his liberating call seriously. It means recognizing that injustice is not only personal but also systemic and woven into economic, political, social, and yes, even religious structures. Discipleship involves naming those injustices, standing with those harmed by them, and working for change even when such efforts are costly. Just as in Jesus’ time, movements for justice will unsettle comfort and provoke resistance. Yet the call remains the same: to seek a world shaped by compassion, equity, and shared thriving. This second weekend of the Christian Christmas season, let’s embrace the call to believe and live out the gospel truth that justice work is sacred, necessary, and, ultimately, life-giving.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. What new beginnings are you making as you commit this new year to making our world a safer, more just place for everyone? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 1: New Beginnings and Our Justice Work Today
John 1:10-18
“These narratives proclaim that life, justice, and love outlast injustice and empire. In this sense, the Jesus story is God’s refusal to validate systems that oppress and do harm. The gospels affirm that the way of Jesus was solidarity with the oppressed, resistance to injustice, and courageous love. This way began in a manger in Bethlehem, traversed the countryside challenging injustice and mitigating harm, and ultimately, after standing up to systemic injustice in Jesus’ own societal context, Jesus’ way was not defeated by a Roman cross, but was resurrected to live on in the lives of his followers. To follow Jesus today is to take his liberating call seriously. It means recognizing that injustice is not only personal but also systemic and woven into economic, political, social, and yes, even religious structures. Discipleship involves naming those injustices, standing with those harmed by them, and working for change even when such efforts are costly. Just as in Jesus’ time, movements for justice will unsettle comfort and provoke resistance. Yet the call remains the same: to seek a world shaped by compassion, equity, and shared thriving. This second weekend of the Christian Christmas season, and the first weekend of the new year, let’s embrace the call to believe and live out the gospel truth that justice work is sacred, necessary, and, ultimately, life-giving.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/new-beginnings-and-our-justice-work-today
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
Chistmas as Critique of Complicity with Empire
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Chistmas as Critique of Complicity with Empire
Herb Montgomery | December 24, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)
The birth narratives of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke emerge in a world saturated with Roman imperial propaganda. We can read them as intentional counter-stories that rivaled prevailing narratives surrounding the birth of Caesar Augustus. In the early Roman Empire, Augustus’ rise was framed as a divinely orchestrated event. Imperial poets and historians portrayed him as born under auspicious signs, heralded by prophecies, and destined to bring a golden age of peace. They said his birth would fulfill cosmic expectations. Inscriptions such as the Priene Calendar Decree called him a “savior” whose arrival marked the beginning of “good news” (or gospel) for the world. These themes formed a powerful ideological backdrop that shaped public imagination.
In this context, early Christians crafted their own contrary birth narratives. These stories don’t simply tell of Jesus’ origins but also deliberately challenge Rome’s theological claims. Luke’s narrative in particular mirrors and subverts imperial motifs. While Augustus issues a decree that sets the story in motion, the real focus is on a child born not in a palace but among the poor. Angels proclaim “good news” of “peace on earth,” echoing Roman language but redirecting it toward a different kind of rule. Instead of imperial conquest, this peace is grounded in human compassion and justice. Matthew’s story likewise positions Jesus in a prophetic lineage superior to Rome and presents him as the true king threatened by unjust power.
By adopting forms familiar from imperial birth legends and filling them with radically different content, the gospel writers offer a theological critique of empire. They portray Jesus as the genuine bringer of salvation, who saves society not through domination and imperial violence but through love of neighbor and solidarity with the marginalized. The birth narratives that we celebrate at this time of year originally functioned as political statements. They offer an alternative vision of power, challenge Rome’s claims to divine favor, and invite readers to imagine a world ordered not by imperial might but by the values of justice, compassion, and liberation.
Supernatural as these narratives are, I would like us to try and step back from the supernatural elements of the narratives about Jesus’ birth. These claims were made for Caesar as well. So what are these supernatural narratives saying politically, and can they inform our justice work today as we, too, seek to follow that 1st Century Jewish prophet of the poor from Galilee.
The central passage the Matthew chooses to adopt in his birth narrative about Jesus is from a completely different ancient Jewish story. And if we are to understand Isaiah’s story in a life-giving way, we need to start with the history of the original claim in Isaiah 7 that “a virgin would conceive”. Isaiah is a book about prophetic justice. Bear with me as we briefly summarize its history. It will be worth it in the end.
Isaiah 7 is set during the Syro-Ephraimite War (735–732 BCE). This was a major geopolitical crisis where the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Aram (Syria) formed an alliance against Assyria and then threatened to invade the southern kingdom of Judah. Their goal was to depose Judah’s king, Ahaz, and force his kingdom to join their anti-Assyrian alliance. Ahaz and his people were terrified of this impending war.
King Rezin of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah of Israel (Ephraim) marched to besiege Jerusalem. They planned to overthrow the Davidic monarchy (Ahaz) and install a puppet ruler, the son of Tabeal. Ahaz and his people “trembled with fear, like the trees of the forest shake with the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). Rather than seeking help from God, however, Ahaz began making secret overtures to Tiglath-Pileser III, the powerful king of Assyria, to become his vassal and gain his military protection.
In Isaiah 7, God sent Isaiah to meet Ahaz and urged him to stay calm and trust in the Lord instead of in a foreign alliance. Isaiah assured the king that the invasion would fail, and he referred to the two enemy kings as “smoldering stubs of firewood” who would soon be extinguished.
Within a few years, Assyria conquered both Syria and Israel, the two nations threatening Judah. Isaiah’s prophecy indicated that before the child Immanuel was old enough to know right from wrong, the threat from Rezin and Pekah would be over.
Because Ahaz chose to rely on Assyria rather than God, Judah became an Assyrian vassal state. Heavy tributes and the introduction of pagan practices set the stage for future conflict and exile.
This is the connection between Isaiah and Matthew’s birth narrative for Jesus and Isaiah. Our culture’s naturalistic worldview means that what catches our attention is the scientific impossibility of a virgin birth, and this has distracted us from the political point that the author of Matthew’s gospel is making.
Let me explain. Just as Ahaz submitted to the powerful king of Assyria, the Temple state elites of Jesus’ society had submitted to being a vassal of Imperial Rome. Their complicity in Rome’s exploitation of the region had brought them both power and wealth, but it was privilege for the few at the expense of the masses.
In Jesus’ world, the Jerusalem Temple was not only a religious center but also the administrative heart of a Temple-State, a political institution deeply entangled with Roman imperial power. After Rome appointed Herod the Great as client king and installed Roman prefects to govern Judea, the Temple leadership—particularly the high-priestly aristocracy—found itself operating within a system designed to maintain stability for Rome and to secure its own privileged status. The high priest was no longer chosen by internal Jewish processes but appointed and removed at the will of Roman authorities. This arrangement created a class of leaders whose power, wealth, and security depended on cooperation with the empire.
The Temple system collected tithes, offerings, and taxes from the people, on top of Rome’s own heavy taxation. Many scholars note that this dual burden intensified economic strain on ordinary people, especially peasants already living close to subsistence. Temple elites, benefiting from control of offerings, land, and commerce, were seen as aligning themselves with Roman economic extraction rather than resisting it. Their collaboration helped stabilize Rome’s rule and reinforced their own authority.
This complicity is a central backdrop to Jesus’ confrontations in the gospels. His overturning tables in the Temple didn’t challenge Jewish worship; it challenged a system that exploited the poor and legitimized imperial violence. By critiquing both economic injustice and elite collaboration with Rome, Jesus exposed how the Temple-State had drifted far from its vocation as a place of liberation and had instead become a partner in imperial domination.
This leads us to parallels in our time. In the United States today, certain sectors of Christianity have become closely aligned with nationalism, blending religious identity with political power and national loyalty. This alignment often frames a nation as uniquely chosen or divinely favored, and so transforms faith into a marker of cultural belonging rather than a call to ethical discipleship that follows the values and teachings actually found in the Jesus story, values such as nonviolence, inclusion of the marginalized, welcoming the migrant, and taking care of the poor. Christian symbols and language are sometimes used to legitimize policies that prioritize dominance, exclusion, or fear of the “other,” especially immigrants, religious minorities, and dissenters. In this framework, loyalty to the nation can eclipse core Christian commitments to peace, justice, and love of neighbor. National success is interpreted as divine blessing, while critique of the state is portrayed as unfaithful. This fusion risks turning Christianity into a tool for preserving power rather than a prophetic voice that challenges injustice. When faith is subordinated to nationalist goals, it loses its capacity to speak truth to power and to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable.
In the light of Isaiah’s critique of a union with Assyria and the gospels’ critique of a union with Rome, today’s Jesus followers are called to put their faith in the way of peace and justice. This holiday season, the birth narratives of Jesus give us cause to pause and assess whether our own faith practices are still in harmony with the stories we hold so dear.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How are the Christmas narratives in the gospels informing your own justice work this year? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 51: Christmas as Critique of Complicity with Empire
Matthew 1:18-25
“Our culture’s naturalistic worldview means that what catches our attention is the scientific impossibility of a virgin birth, and this has distracted us from the political point that the author of Matthew’s gospel is making. That political point has parallels in our time. In the United States today, certain sectors of Christianity have become closely aligned with nationalism, blending religious identity with political power and national loyalty. This alignment often frames a nation as uniquely chosen or divinely favored, and so transforms faith into a marker of cultural belonging rather than a call to ethical discipleship that follows the values and teachings actually found in the Jesus story, values such as nonviolence, inclusion of the marginalized, welcoming the migrant, and taking care of the poor. Christian symbols and language are sometimes used to legitimize policies that prioritize dominance, exclusion, or fear of the ‘other,’ especially immigrants, religious minorities, and dissenters. In this framework, loyalty to the nation can eclipse core Christian commitments to peace, justice, and love of neighbor. National success is interpreted as divine blessing, while critique of the state is portrayed as unfaithful. This fusion risks turning Christianity into a tool for preserving power rather than a prophetic voice that challenges injustice. When faith is subordinated to nationalist goals, it loses its capacity to speak truth to power and to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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Advent as Good News for the Marginalized
Big News! Your Gift Will Go Twice as Far!
From now through December 31st, every dollar you donate to Renewed Heart Ministries will be matched dollar for dollar!
That means your support will have double the impact in helping us continue to educate, inspire, and work toward a more just world grounded in love and compassion as we follow Jesus together.
Whether it’s $5 or $5,000, your generosity will be doubled thanks to a matching gift opportunity.
Give today and make twice the difference!
Go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Or you can mail your support to:
Renewed Heart Ministries
PO Box 1211
Lewisburg, WV 24901
Thank you for being part of this work. Let’s finish the year strong—together.
Advent as Good News for the Marginalized
Herb Montgomery | December 19, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this weekend is from the gospel of Matthew.
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:
“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
(Matthew 11:2-11)
For years, I was a preacher of the gospel in a pretty fundamentalist tradition. At the same time, the gospel I preached never even mentioned the poor. This week’s lectionary passage continues to remind me that good news to the poor is how we know whether Christianity’s gospel is the same as the one Jesus’ preached. Audience members used to often remind me that if it’s not good news it’s not the gospel. Today, a better reminder would be that if what we are preaching is not good news first and foremost to the poor, if it’s not accessible by the poor, than it’s at bare minimum not the same gospel that the Jesus of the stories preached.
A reliable litmus test for the gospel is whether it is truly good news to the poor. Jesus announced a kingdom where the last are made first, the hungry are fed, people’s humanity is restored, and the poor become the blessed. If our message comforts only the privileged, it drifts from Jesus’ own proclamation in the gospels. The gospel becomes tangible when it addresses hunger, oppression, exploitation, and injustice with practical compassion and material, concrete hope. Good news to the poor is not just charity. It is solidarity. It is justice. It stands with those who are overlooked by the status quo and affirms the intrinsic worth of those presently being disenfranchised and made vulnerable. Today, it doesn’t matter whether we define those communities as migrant, trans, or the people in Ukraine or Gaza. The gospel Jesus preached challenges systems that crush people and inspires us to create societies shaped by generosity and justice. When the marginalized including the poor hear the gospel and recognize it as hope, freedom, and belonging, its authenticity is unmistakable.
In the spirit of that justice and hope, I want to begin this week by addressing the other recipients of Jesus’ gospel in the statement to John’s disciples. When it comes to people who live with disabilities and how we tell the Jesus story, I believe we can do better today for them. The gospels contain ableist elements. Many healing stories frame disability primarily as a condition needing correction. Jesus’ miracles often present disabled people as objects through whom divine power is displayed, rather than as full participants with agency. This narrative pattern has unintentionally reinforced the idea that a meaningful life requires being “fixed.” Additionally, disability is sometimes used metaphorically for moral or spiritual lack, such as blindness for ignorance and lameness for weakness, which can deepen the stigmatizing, negative associations of having a disability with being “less than.” Many disability theologians also note subversive moments in the Jesus story where Jesus centers marginalized people, restores them to community, and challenges social exclusion (see Nancy Eiesland’s The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability.)
Acknowledging ableist elements doesn’t disqualify the gospel stories. Rather, admitting the truth about these stories invites us into deeper reflection on how we can interpret these texts today as faith communities endeavor to uphold the humanity and dignity of all, including people who live with disabilities.
Next in our reading, Jesus addresses his audience regarding John the Baptist. John the Baptist was born into a respected priestly family; his father, Zechariah, served in the Temple State system, and his lineage offered him the social, political, and economic benefits of that path. Yet John chose a radically different calling. Rather than serve within the structured Temple State system—deeply intertwined with political and religious authority—he withdrew to the wilderness. He chose a path of challenging the status quo, calling his society to repent for complicity with Rome and to return to the practice of justice toward one another, all of this outside of institutional control. John’s voice in the desert was a contemporary return to the Hebrew prophetic justice tradition and was in tension with the institutionalized and co-opted-by-Rome priesthood. John confronted corruption, preparing hearts for a just future brought about by a God who would respond to the people’s repentance and return to justice. He reminded the people that their future directly depended on what they chose to practice toward one another: continued exploitation or a return to the Torah’s justice.
In the gospels, “the wilderness” symbolizes the margins of society. It represents those places far from centers of power, wealth, and political/religious control. It is in these edges that God’s presence is revealed most clearly. John the Baptist preaches there in the wilderness, showing that divine truth arises outside the institutional authority of his time. Remember, Jesus is also tested in the wilderness, therefore identifying with the vulnerable and the unseen. The wilderness becomes a space where God meets those who are overlooked, oppressed, or displaced. By locating revelation in the margins, the Gospels declare that God is not confined to centered places of power but stands in solidarity with the marginalized and offers them hope, reclaimed humanity, and new beginnings rooted in justice.
In his book Say to This Mountain, Ched Myers writes, “The experience of wilderness is common to the vast majority of people in the world. Their reality is at the margins of almost everything that is defined by the modern Western world as ‘the good life.’ This wilderness has not been created by accident. It is the result of a system stacked against many people and their communities, whose lives and resources are exploited to benefit a very small minority at the centers of power and privilege.” (Say to This Mountain: Mark’s Story of Discipleship, p. 11)
Myers goes on to say, “While the margin has a primarily negative political connotation as a place of disenfranchisement, Mark ascribes to it a primarily positive theological value. It is the place where the sovereignty of God is made manifest, where the story of liberation is renewed, where God’s intervention in history occurs. (Say to This Mountain: Mark’s Story of Discipleship, p. 12)
John the Baptist’s ministry, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke and illuminated by Josephus, centers not on offering assurances of heavenly reward but on demanding concrete, ethical transformation in society. Luke presents John as standing in the Hebrew prophetic justice tradition with a message focusing on action-based repentance in contrast to the complicity that elites engaged in with the Roman empire. When the crowds ask John what repentance requires, John does not speak of greater fidelity to the Temple State, but of earthy, concrete, social practices and preparation for an approaching end to unsustainable social practice. He instructed them to share resources: “Whoever has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same” (Luke 3:11). John’s demands also addressed tax collectors and soldiers. He calls tax collectors to economic honesty, to refuse to collect more than prescribed, and calls soldiers to non-violence and contentment, forbidding extortion and false accusation (Luke 3:12–14). These calls reveal his vision of repentance as social and economic justice embodied in everyday life.
Josephus corroborates this image, describing John as a teacher who urged people to practice justice toward one another as an expression of their devotion to God. In Antiquities 18.5.2, Josephus states that John commanded his followers to exercise justice in their dealings and piety toward God, emphasizing the practice of social justice as the true preparation for baptism. This portrait aligns with Luke’s emphasis: John’s baptism symbolizes a commitment to transforming present social reality, not a ticket to a later heaven.
Taken together, Luke and Josephus portray John as a prophetic figure calling Israel to ethical renewal. He insists that genuine repentance manifests in equitable economic practices and compassionate treatment of neighbors. His message is a summons to rebuild society on justice, not a promise of post-mortem security.
Advent rituals remind and call us, like John’s preaching of old, to return to the social justice practices of our various faith traditions, and to renew our commitments to shaping our present world into a just, safe, compassionate home for us all.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How are you taking a stand for justice this Advent season? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 50: Advent as Good News for the Marginalized
Matthew 11:2-11
Advent rituals remind and call us, like John’s preaching of old, to return to the social justice practices of our various faith traditions, and to renew our commitments to shaping our present world into a just, safe, compassionate home for us all. John chose a radically different calling. Rather than serve within the structured Temple State system—deeply intertwined with political and religious authority—he withdrew to the wilderness. He chose a path of challenging the status quo, calling his society to repent for complicity with Rome and to return to the practice of justice toward one another, all of this outside of institutional control. In the gospels, “the wilderness” symbolizes the margins of society. It represents those places far from centers of power, wealth, and political/religious control. It is in these edges that God’s presence is revealed most clearly. This narrative details speaks to every person who finds themselves doing justice work along the edges of our communities today.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/advent-as-good-news-for-the-marginalized
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
Clearing a Path for Justice
Big News! Your Gift Will Go Twice as Far!
From now through December 31st, every dollar you donate to Renewed Heart Ministries will be matched dollar for dollar!
That means your support will have double the impact in helping us continue to educate, inspire, and work toward a more just world grounded in love and compassion as we follow Jesus together.
Whether it’s $5 or $5,000, your generosity will be doubled thanks to a matching gift opportunity.
Give today and make twice the difference!
Go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Or you can mail your support to:
Renewed Heart Ministries
PO Box 1211
Lewisburg, WV 24901
Thank you for being part of this work. Let’s finish the year strong—together.
Clearing a Path for Justice
Herb Montgomery | December 16, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this Advent weekend is from the gospel of Matthew:
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-12)
The story of John the Baptist is an excellent narrative to remind us of what Advent is all about. It’s about arrival, and specifically an arrival that propels us further toward a world that is a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone. Matthew’s gospel reaches back to the Hebrew prophetic justice tradition to characterize John in this version of the Jesus story:
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5)
The Hebrew prophets repeatedly explained the tragic crisis their society was facing as the result of social injustice and oppression toward the vulnerable, marginalized, and disenfranchised. Notice how the book of Isaiah begins:
“When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson.” (Isaiah 1:12-18)
The prophet Isaiah states that more religious rituals, more sacrifices, more prayers, and more religious gatherings won’t fix their society’s sins. What does Isaiah call for instead? Practicing justice and rescuing those presently oppressed. The oppressed people mentioned here specifically are orphans and widows. Why? Because in patriarchal societies, orphans (the fatherless) and widows (the husbandless) are the ones made vulnerable through their disenfranchisement.
The voice of one calling in the wilderness to make our paths straight is defined here as “seeking justice.” And this leads to John the Baptist. In Josephus’ works, we find a description of John that is worth our consideration:
“Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God, and was a very just punishment for what he did against John called the Baptist. For Herod had him killed, although he was a good man and had urged the Jews to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God . . .” (Antiquities 18.5.2 116-119)
John was known for calling his own society back to practicing justice toward one another as an act of reverence toward God.
In Luke’s gospel we find the same characterization of John. There he calls for systemic change in the social institutions of his day. “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none” He called tax collectors not to “collect any more than you are required to.” And he told soldiers, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely.” (See Luke 3:10-14)
John critiqued the social institutions of his time and called for justice.
Josephus told us that John’s call of renewing reverence for God was tied to the virtue of the people practicing justice with each another. Justice toward one another is social justice. Social justice is merely applying the ethic of loving your neighbor societally.
John the Baptist’s ministry was rooted in a call to repentance, but the repentance he demanded was profoundly social and economic at its core. In Luke’s gospel, when the crowds ask what repentance looks like in practice, John, like Isaiah of old, does not speak of sacrifices, rituals, or private spirituality. Instead, he calls for concrete acts of justice: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” This ethic directly confronts economic inequality and insists that compassion for the vulnerable is inseparable from fidelity to God.
When tax collectors approach him, John tells them to collect no more than what is required. This was an explicit rebuke of systems of exploitation embedded in Roman taxation practices. John likewise instructs soldiers not to extort money or abuse their power. His message, therefore, challenges both personal greed and the structural injustices carried out through imperial institutions.
Far from being merely a wilderness prophet preaching private piety, John functions as a moral reformer calling society back to equity, integrity, and communal responsibility. He frames justice as the visible fruit of repentance, teaching that genuine spiritual renewal requires economic fairness, honest labor, and protection of the poor from exploitation. It’s a call not to become more religious but to become more just, to embrace social righteousness.
So in the gospels, the call to “make his paths straight” echoes through the preaching of John the Baptist as both a spiritual summons and a social one. While often interpreted as a metaphor for personal repentance, the phrase draws on the prophetic tradition of Isaiah, where “preparing the way of the Lord” involves removing obstacles that prevent justice, equity, and peace from flourishing in the community. In this sense, straightening the path is not merely an inward moral adjustment; it is an outward reordering of social conditions so that God’s reign, characterized by liberation, dignity, justice, and compassion, can break in.
John preached his message to crowds living under economic exploitation, political oppression, and deep social stratification. His concrete instructions—share your extra cloak, feed the hungry, refuse to exploit others, reject corrupt gain—demonstrate that preparing God’s way involves repairing the moral fabric of society. It is a call to dismantle systems of harm and to build structures that reflect justice. In the gospels, the advent of both Jesus and John exposes and confronts the world’s crooked paths: inequity, exclusion, and violence. Making those paths straight, then, becomes the work of aligning human society with divine intention.
For us today, this invitation challenges us to examine the uneven roads in our own world—spaces where poverty, racial and gender based injustice, LGBTQ discrimination, environmental harm, and economic inequality bend the path away from God’s vision. To “make his paths straight” is to engage in the slow, committed labor of reforming institutions, amplifying marginalized voices, and redistributing resources so all may flourish and thrive. It means choosing solidarity over indifference, advocacy over silence, and compassion over convenience.
Ultimately, straightening the way is about preparing a landscape where love, justice, and peace encounter the fewest obstacles. It is the ongoing work of shaping society into a place where justice can be recognized, welcomed, and then practiced and embodied.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How are you clearing a path for justice this holiday season? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
If you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 49: Clearing a Path for Justice
Matthew 3:1-12
For us today, this invitation challenges us to examine the uneven roads in our own world—spaces where poverty, racial and gender based injustice, LGBTQ discrimination, environmental harm, and economic inequality bend the path away from God’s vision. To “make his paths straight” is to engage in the slow, committed labor of reforming institutions, amplifying marginalized voices, and redistributing resources so all may flourish and thrive. It means choosing solidarity over indifference, advocacy over silence, and compassion over convenience.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/clearing-a-path-for-justice
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
The Liberation at the Heart of Advent
Big News! Your Gift Will Go Twice as Far!
From now through December 31st, every dollar you donate to Renewed Heart Ministries will be matched dollar for dollar!
That means your support will have double the impact in helping us continue to educate, inspire, and work toward a more just world grounded in love and compassion as we follow Jesus together.
Whether it’s $5 or $5,000, your generosity will be doubled thanks to a matching gift opportunity.
Give today and make twice the difference!
Go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Or you can mail your support to:
Renewed Heart Ministries
PO Box 1211
Lewisburg, WV 24901
Thank you for being part of this work. Let’s finish the year strong—together.
The Liberation at the Heart of Advent
Herb Montgomery | Novembrer 28, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
This weekend is the beginning of Advent season and our gospel reading in the Lectionary is from the gospel of Matthew:
But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the ddays of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
(Matthew 24:36-44)
Our first gospel passage of Advent this year is deeply rooted in the liberation hopes of Daniel’s “Son of Man” who would bring liberation for the oppressed, subjugated, and disenfranchised.
As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like the Son of Man [a human being]
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed. (Dan 7:13)
In Daniel 7, the oppressive, unjust, and violent world empires of that time are represented by violent, fantastical beasts that are brought to judgement and replaced with the just reign of the Son of Man. It’s a transition away from predatory beasts to a world where our humanity, both oppressed and oppressor, has been reclaimed, thus represented by a “human being” or the “son of man.” By rooting the passage in Matthew in the imagery of Daniel 7, Matthew’s author is reminding readers that Jesus’ God is the God of the oppressed. As Mev Puleo wrote, “There’s an immediate relationship between God, oppression, liberation: God is in the poor who cry out. And God is the one who listens to the cry and liberates, so that the poor no longer need to cry out.” (Mev Puleo in Hune Margulies’ Will and Grace: Meditations on the Dialogical Philosophy of Martin Buber, p. 303.)
The imagery in Matthews of two groups with only one remaining reminds me of Matthew’s other parable where the sheep and the goats are separated, the goats are taken away, and the sheep remain. The condition in the parable that allows them to remain is the King’s statement “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
That condition is empathy. The kind of liberation Jesus envisioned is a liberation rooted in empathy and embracing our neighbor as ourselves. The Christmas season follows Advent. One of my all-time favorite Christmas stories is Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. I have loved its macabre challenge of classism and the economic exploitation of children, the poor, and laboring classes since I was young. In the scene where Scrooge is confronted by ignorance and want, we read:
“’Spirit! are they yours?’ Scrooge could say no more.
‘They are Man’s,’ said the Spirit, looking down upon them. ‘And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree; but most of all beware this boy [Ignorance], for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!’ cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. ‘Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!’” – The Ghost of Christmas Present
Liberation rooted in empathy is the path away from the crisis coming as we continue to strain the sustainability of our present system. The masses make less and less while the cost of living becomes more and more expensive. Jesus’ ministry stood in the long lineage of the Hebrew prophetic justice tradition, and those prophets from long ago cried out in ways that resonate with what we witness daily here in the U.S.:
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” (Isaiah 10:1-2).
People’s SNAP benefits were arbitrarily made a condition of the recent Government shutdown struggle while both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, which puts healthcare in the reach of so many, are threatened. Standing in that prophetic justice tradition, Luke’s Jesus echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah when he states, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
Advent is our annual reminder of what James H. Cone wrote decades ago: “There can be no Christian theology that is not identified unreservedly with those who are humiliated and abused. In fact, theology ceases to be a theology of the gospel when it fails to arise out of the community of the oppressed. For it is impossible to speak of the God of Israelite history, who is the God revealed in Jesus Christ, without recognizing that God is the God of and for those who labor and are overladen” (James H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, p. 18).
Cone repeats this theme years later in his career in God of the Oppressed, expanding what it means in our context today:
“There can be no Christian theology that is not social and political. If theology is to speak about the God of Jesus who is revealed in the struggle of the oppressed for freedom, then theology must also become political, speaking for the God of the poor and the oppressed.” (James H. Cone; God of the Oppressed, p. 75)
Jesus is too often only envisioned as a peacemaker who accepted everybody. But this fails to take in the story in its entirety. Peacemakers who accept everybody don’t end up on Roman crosses. Jesus’ teachings and actions were rooted in his alternative social vision for his society. Jesus did not preach personal piety that left the status quo unchallenged, uncritiqued, or unchanged. He called his followers to a social vision that included the distributive justice found in Torah that many of those in his society had either forgotten or were choosing to ignore. He called this vision the kingdom, proclaimed it had come near (Advent), and invited his listeners to follow him in being a part of it.
Today, too many Christians want to claim Jesus so they can go to heaven but leave Jesus’ politics alone because it threatens their privilege, their power, or their social standing. Advent reminds us that Christianity’s gospel is rooted in a Jesus who proclaimed the advent of liberation for the oppressed and the beginning of a whole new world where injustice, violence and oppression are replaced by loving one’s neighbor as oneself and relating our neighbor as we would like our neighbor to relate to us. Anything less is a failure to grasp Jesus in his entirety.
I’ll close with one more quotation from Dr. Cone that it would be life-giving for us, this Advent season, to meditate on.
After all, are we not all oppressed, especially those who think that their freedom is found in social, political, and economic domination of others? Although these questions point to an essential truth of the gospel of liberation, they have been used by oppressors for untruth. The untruth of these questions lies in the subjective and often undisclosed intention of the people who ask them. While pretending to be concerned about the universal character of the human condition, oppressors are in fact concerned to justify their own particular status in society. They want to be oppressors and Christians at the same time. Since the oppressed are the only true Christians, oppressors claim to be victims, not for the purpose of being liberated but for their own social interests in retaining a ‘Christian’ identity while being against Jesus Christ. This is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer in another context called ‘cheap grace.’ I call it hypocrisy and blasphemy. (James H. Cone, God of the Oppressed, p. 136)
What does it mean this Advent season for us, together, to be a part of the advent of justice for the marginalized, oppressed, and disenfranchised?
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. What is Advent calling you to remember this season? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
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Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 48: The Liberation at the Heart of Advent
Matthew 24:36-44
“Today, too many Christians want to claim Jesus so they can go to heaven but leave Jesus’ politics alone because it threatens their privilege, their power, or their social standing. Advent reminds us that Christianity’s gospel is rooted in a Jesus who proclaimed the advent of liberation for the oppressed and the beginning of a whole new world where injustice, violence and oppression are replaced by loving one’s neighbor as oneself and relating to our neighbor as we would like our neighbor to relate to us. Anything less is a failure to grasp Jesus in his entirety.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/the-liberation-at-the-heart-of-advent
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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