Yesterday, I asked a similar question about Justice, and as was writing, I began to think about how afraid so many Christians are of almost everything. I am not pointing fingers or judging; I have my fears as well. Fear is, as I wrote before, part of the human condition that allows us to survive in dangerous situations. When that fear becomes irrational, however, it becomes a form of illness. You might have read this title and wondered if I am still asleep. Let’s address it as clearly as possible: I think many Christians fear the teachings of Jesus because they go against so much of what it means to be human. They also go against much of what it means to be an American.
And again, for clarity’s sake; I also struggle with Jesus daily. I find comfort in the Jesus I was taught in Sunday school; baby Jesus, meek and mild – adult Jesus who didn’t fight back because He was doing God’s will – nice Jesus who loved the little children – Jesus holding a lamb and looking all peaceful and such. Our G-rated, Mr. Rogers wanna-be Messiah has always been easy to digest and, mostly, ignored. White, buff, tall, perfectly coiffed Jesus teaching people to love one another makes most of us feel safe and warm and fuzzy inside. And while many of these descriptions are somewhat true, many are not.
What about the Jesus who made a whip and drove the moneychangers off the Temple steps? What about the Jesus who asked His mother “What do you want of me, woman?” (that would have gotten me slapped by my 4′ 10″ mom). What about the Jesus who more or less called a woman a “dog”? What about the Jesus who banned divorce, saying it was allowed because men were jerks (okay, hard of heart – kind of the same thing to me). What about the Jesus who told us to love our neighbors and God first – to love our enemies – that lust was the same as adultery and wanting someone dead was the same as actually murdering them? There is a lot there to struggle with, and if you haven’t, I would suggest that you need to read the stories about Jesus again.
Mostly, I think many Christians are afraid of Jesus because His teachings would make Him their enemy, and instead of loving Him, they would crucify Him, just like the Romans did. They would deny Him, just like His disciples did. They would say He was in league with the Devil, just like His enemies did. They wouldn’t want Him to be their pastor and they wouldn’t give Him permission to be ordained or hire Him as their teacher. He would be labeled as a communist, a socialist, and a danger to polite society. So, instead of struggling with this disconnect (which I do all the time), we turned Him into something He never was and never would be. There is a lot to be afraid of when it comes to Jesus, and I, for one, am guilty as well. That’s why I take the Bible so seriously; I hope to understand Jesus better. It’s a worthy struggle that would benefit the Church, and each one of us, greatly.
Prayer – Holy God, we want You to agree with us, even when we know You won’t. Heal us of our self-righteousness and show us Your needs. Amen.
Today’s art is by Davide Bonazzi,