I agree that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet of some sort and in fact my own research is focused on apocalyptic eschatology (from a social historical perspective). But Jesus seems an interesting blend of apocalyptic eschatology and other forms of the prophetic, which are more “optimistic.” That is, Jesus tells of a coming end, but he also seems to suggest that “what’s wrong with the world” can be addressed even before the ultimate end by radically changing one’s way of life (not that it’s just about the individual). For me, Jesus has too many social teachings for them not to be take seriously. Maybe “literally” isn’t the best term, since people mean so many different things by that, but I don’t think he’s throwing these teachings around for nothing.

You are certainly more qualified to assess sources than I am. I understand that you’ve done extensive research with Q, based on your comments at Wrong’s blog. It may be my ignorance in this area that hinders me from understanding why your comment about Matthew supports your statement. I believe “hate” refers to the need to realign one’s allegiance.

When you place Jesus’ teachings within their social context, I remain convinced of the arguments by Bartchy and several other Context Group folks in this regard.