Twisting Jesus

Christians, out of everyone, should know that invoking the name of Jesus is a lightning rod for controversy. Some claim that He was a good man who was, after His death, deified by weak people. Others, like myself, believe that He was and is the Son of God. In today's politically charged culture most parts of the political spectrum would be happy to claim Jesus as one of their own. Here in Huntington a billboard on 3rd Avenue boldy proclaims "Democrats are Christians, Too!!" And many democrats are Christians. Republicans certainly have no monopoly on Christian belief.

Involving Jesus in political debates often involves the twisting of what Jesus actually believed. In the context of the debate about homosexuality, for instance, many whose sympathies lie with the gay rights movement point to Jesus' progressive attitudes. For instance, they will often say that they are more in line with the spirit of Jesus' actions because He lambasted the religious hypocrites (i.e. conservatives) and elevated the status of women. He was loving and caring toward the outcasts of society. This plainly distorts Jesus' message.

Jesus did indeed elevate the status of women, and He did criticize religious hypocrites, but He also did a number of things many "progressive" people would dislike. For instance, He spoke a great deal about the reality of hell. No single person in the New Testament spoke more on Hell than Jesus. Also, Jesus was a religious exclusivist. He did not think that sincerely believing in a way to heaven other than Himself could secure anyone's salvation. Also, people must keep in mind that when Jesus spent time with the "outcasts of society" He did so in order to bring them to repentance. In other words, He wanted them to leave behind the very things that made them "outcasts." That paints a different picture than many more liberal people would want us to believe.

Please do not think that by this short essay I mean to indicate that conservatives are perfectly in line with Jesus' teachings. I think this is false as well. What I think we should do is, rather than trying to co-opt Jesus for our political agendas, we should strive to understand what He was saying in His own context. He was a faithful Jew who believed firmly in what we now call the Old Testament and His so-called "progressive" convictions grew out of that, not a general desire for a more tolerant society. In the same way, we as Christians must hold our culture up to the Bible and reject all that does not fit with what it says. Be ruthless!! I have heard it said and believe that the church is most effective when it is least like the culture.