  The Missing Dead Body of Jesus   Not much remains today of
Jesus. What we have of him is way too much of the religion about
Jesus. If Jesus returned tomorrow and witnessed that religion, I
expect he would weep and rend his garments in extreme grief and
anger like the Hebrew prophet he was. I expect he would loudly
reject much of what is done in his name. Like what is currently
being done to the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Jesus has been domesticated by rulers over the centuries and his
message tailored to fit the agenda of empire building. Beginning
to remember how that happened is our agenda this morning. You
may start weeping and gnashing your teeth too when you hear what
has been done to the compassionate, life giving message Jesus
originally brought to life.  The one thing argumentative Jesus
scholars all agree on is his proclamation of the Baselia of God,
commonly translated as the realm or kingdom of God. Many
contemporary Christians interpret this as a future event. The
second comi