Beating up Jesus
In Issue 24 of Relevant Magazine (Jan-Feb 2007), Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Seattle and proponent of what I called Tough Guy Jesus, writes, “That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up.[emphasis added]” At first I thought that Mr. Driscoll was just on another “Jesus is not a sissy” kicks, but the next day that last piece stuck with me. I think there may be something wrong with that.
I thought, “Maybe, that’s what the Jews thought.” I remembered in Matthew where someone says, “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” Essentially, they are saying, “We can’t believe in someone we can beat up.” But they did beat him up – hardcore.
Then I remembered where Jacob is beating up God and says, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And God conceeds. Strangely enough, after God is unable to overpower Jacob, Jacob sets up a memorial to honor the God he just beat up.
In all that I was thinking that surely it meant something. In the fact that Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Jesus really does identify with the beat up people. I thought, “What if Jesus came as a cripple instead of a carpenter?” Would we still tout his strength?
Could it be that with Tough Guy Jesus, we are missing something important about Jesus’ nature? Could it be that our old lives are shading the way we understand the Kingdom?
[I am not trying to demean Mr. Driscoll. A response to clear up my misunderstanding would be great.]
January 21st, 2007 at 10:07 am
Jake,
That was a beautiful response. I had read Driscoll’s quote before and I was really bothered by it. You lend a fresh perspective on it that makes so much sense.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 am
Its a good point. I think the truth is that in scripture we see both don’t we? In his incarnation; the humble marginalized Galilean peasant able to relate to our suffering, the oppressed, and the “beat up” and in his exaltation, where he is currently; the King Jesus who makes war on his enemies and sin. Most likely the problem exists in seeing either of those view as the only or too prominent of our primary focus of worship.
January 22nd, 2007 at 8:33 am
You are right, we see humble and strong. We have to be able to worship all parts of the nature of God. I feel that in our culture it is the meek part we neglect more, which can make us look much like those who mocked Jesus while he was on the Cross. Thanks for your contribution to the conversation.