Tuesday, April 19, 2011

PLAY-DOH


I do a lot of reading. My bookshelf is full of books (see the April 11th blog). There are a lot of great authors out there. There are also some great authors who are wrong. A lot of books promise to give the 'real truth' about Jesus, but what they offer is hardly that. Very often these books appear to be the result of some serious scholarship and we fall hook-line-and-sinker for anything that sounds smart these days.

In the end, Jesus gets demoted.

I'm not going to take potshots by naming people or books that I think are in that category - maybe I should - maybe I will another time. But there is a definite sense that Jesus is taking on a 'lesser-than' status when we read some of them.

I have never known a believer who would admit to relegating Jesus to a 'step down' from how He is described in Scripture. There is no intentional denigration. Yet we create other Jesus-es who look a whole lot more like us than taking seriously the way He is genuinely revealed to us.

"Jesus is a perfect gentleman." Really? Go back and read the Gospels again on that one. Democrats think Jesus would be one of them if He walked in the flesh today. Ironically, Republicans think the same. I even read about a Socialist who said that Jesus was the first one of his kind. Somebody has to be wrong there. Most likely they're all wrong.

We seem pretty sure we know what Jesus would be like if He were to join current society:
"Jesus would wear jeans to church."
"Jesus would walk around in shorts and a tank top."
"Jesus would have some tats and piercings."
"Jesus would watch 'American Idol.'"
An opponent against the law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets swears Jesus would be in his corner on that.
Christian heavy metal rock music says: "If Jesus was alive today, He'd be in the mosh pit."
Another: "If Jesus was alive today, He would be at the Super Bowl!" (No doubt standing shirtless a the 50-yard line wearing a rainbow wig with John 3:16 painted in blue on His chest.)

OK, I admit those are kind of laughable - but we all do that to one extent or another. We make Jesus the Jesus of our personal preferences. That's harmless to do, isn't it?

I don't think so. When we do that, He becomes a lump of Play-Doh and we end up trivializing Him - He becomes one more politico, one more spectator, one more music fan molded to our pleasure. That is a serious problem for us who are of faith, because we obscure who Jesus really is - what He really came to do - why He journeyed from Heaven to earth. We miss the entire point of His birth - His life - His death - and His resurrection.

Even more shattering, if He becomes too much like us, what's the point of being transformed to be like Him?

And be blessed.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

keith said...

Excellent post! Very well said!

I always thought it was dependant on the day of the week.
On Tuesday Jesus is a blue eyed, sandle wearing, vegetarian, hippie that drives a hybrid.
On Wednesday he is a tatted up Harley rider that kicks butt and asks questions later.
On Thursday he wears a suit and tie, drives a caddy, and throws crazy money around to anyone that tithes a penny to him.

Just kidding...obviously!

Your post is right on and I loved it.

K

Anonymous said...

I read Christian books exclusively. I admit, I have such a soft spot for the female perspective of Jesus. A softer, more loving Jesus, but that is not the total picture. My brain knows that, but I don't like to think about it. I want Him to be my best friend...the one who knows me better than anyone.

I'm sure if He were here, in person He w,ould give me a good dose of tough love. I still wish He really was here.


Makes me wonder what you would think about the books I read....hmmm.

Anonymous said...

Jesus is here:)