WAS JESUS NICE?
7/30/24
I’m angry. Daily I ask God for the mind of Christ. I want to treat fellow believers and non-believers as Jesus would. Was Jesus nice? What did a holy God, embodied in a physical form, do when confronted with evil? I’m not talking about being offended but let’s examine a couple events from the accounts of Jesus life on earth. Top of mind is the money changers in the temple. Those vendors devalued the holiness of God by making the temple a place of profit. Jesus drove them out because of their greed. Matt 21:13, “And He said to them, ‘It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robber’s den’”. If someone entered your church foyer and starting flipping tables, who would you restrain? Are we trying to be nice or honor a holy God? How does any appeasement of their disregard for holiness build faith and community? What did Jesus do? Jesus confronted evil in other ways including exorcism and teaching. He spoke with authority and the demons had to leave. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, He did not fight back or seek revenge against his tormentors. He forgave them. Jesus also asked God for a pass. He did not want to become sin but He did. Jesus’ death on the cross defeated evil once and for all. In my opinion, the weapons of evil are hanging on until the second coming. Luther was a law student before entering a monastery. He said that we have two teachers – law and grace. There is a time for law and a time for grace. There is good news and bad news. The bad news is law and the good news does not belong to me – grace. Choose wisely. Jesus did demonstrate both law and grace. He confronted evil, loved the sinner and addressed the offenses against holiness. Here is why I’m angry. My friends are discussing the Paris Olympics and an opening ceremony that is controversial. I’m wondering if the Jesus depicted in ‘The Chosen’ is a bit too nice compared to the Jesus I see in the New Testament. Again, how does my appeasement of their disregard for holiness accomplish anything or are some like the pigs that Jesus sent off the cliff? It was fitting but does not seem nice. The owners of the pigs were pretty hot and wanted Jesus to leave. I don’t want to hear all the grace from my more liberal Christian friends without the holy law. The Olympics took something sacred, Jesus’ last supper (with those disciples who would change the world by carrying truth all over the world) and devalued the holiness of God by entertaining the world to the dishonor of God. I know Jesus was/is way nicer than me. I am not angry with the fools in Paris but I’m disappointed in those of us willing to correct other believers who know something is wrong in Paris.
