I have a question. “Have you created a picture of Jesus that only exists in your mind?”
A philosopher once said, “Men create gods after their own image.” That’s a sobering thought.
When you imagine Jesus, are you and Jesus in total agreement? Does Jesus love all the things you love and hate all the things you hate?
As we commemorate Holy Week (the seven days leading up to Easter) on this Monday before Easter, we remember an intense moment in Jesus’ ministry. It’s when He cleared the Temple.
From Mark 11:15-17, “When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
That WAS quite an intense moment with Jesus.
You can imagine the disciples before this, watching Jesus braid a whip and wondering what was about to happen?!
Jesus cared deeply about the holiness of God and the purity of worship. When people dishonored the temple, He confronted it head-on.
But this wasn’t a one-time incident. When you read the Gospels, Jesus often refused to back down. He called Peter “Satan” at one point. He publicly rebuked religious leaders. He pronounced judgment on entire cities. And He preached truths that were so difficult that most of His followers left Him.
Jesus could be bold, confrontational, and even shocking when truth and holiness were on the line.
Some see this picture of Jesus and think, “Yes! That’s my Jesus!”
Tender and Merciful
But if we’re honest, the Gospels also show us a side of Jesus that is incredibly tender and merciful. And that can be just as startling.
I think of Jesus and the leper in Mark 1:40-41, “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing, be healed!’”
In that culture, society isolated lepers. Many went years without human contact. Yet Jesus reached out and touched a man no one else would touch.
That shows the remarkable tenderness of Jesus.
And again, this wasn’t a one-time incident. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus wept with Mary and Martha when their brother died, and spoke gently to the woman with the bleeding condition. He welcomed children into His arms, defended the sinful woman who had washed His feet, and restored Peter after his failure.
Others see this picture of Jesus and think, “Yes! That’s my Jesus!”
But here’s the big idea.
Jesus’ boldness makes us uncomfortable.
And at the same time, His tenderness is uncomfortable.
So, as we meditate on Holy Week, as we think about the Crucifixion and Resurrection, let’s not create a Jesus in our own image.
Instead, let’s see the full picture of who He truly is as revealed in the Gospels.
Amen!
Reflection Questions for Today
1. Have I shaped Jesus to fit my preferences?
2. Where might Jesus be confronting something in my life right now?
3. How can I reflect on both the boldness and compassion of Jesus this week?
Posted in A Word from the Pastor