Why can’t Jesus be just a tad bit nicer? Here’s what I mean –
In prayer and devotions before worship practice this last Sunday morning, we were discussing Peter walking (trying to walk) on the water. When Peter got his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink, Jesus stretched out His hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” If Jesus had been aware of how much damage critical words can inflict upon fragile egos, He would have taken another approach. The Therapeutic Jesus would have been more affirming and soothing to someone who had experienced such a fright as Peter had. The Therapeutic Jesus would have said, “Nice try, Peter. I give you an “A” for effort. None of the other disciples even attempted what you did. You’re so brave. On your first attempt to walk on water, you made quite a splash! And don’t worry, there’s a trophy waiting for you back in Capernaum because you’re a winner and not a loser!” The Therapeutic Jesus would have comforted and consoled Peter instead of pointing out what he lacked.
Or how about when Jesus cleansed the temple, turned over the tables of the moneychangers, and ran off all the animal salesmen with a scourge of cords? Chaos ensued as people stumbled over each other to get out of Jesus’ way. He cried out, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” Jesus could have been a little nicer, don’t you think? The Therapeutic Jesus would have stood in the middle of the temple courtyard and cried, “You guys are really hurting My feelings. And think of how upset God must be when He sees His children breaking the rules. It is not nice to cheat pilgrims out of their money. Please think about what you are doing.” There would have been no stampede, no chaos. No one would stumble over anyone else trying to get out of Jesus’ way. The Therapeutic Jesus would have been totally ignored.
But Jesus is not one to be ignored. And He is not one to pull His punches in order to spare feelings. He has been accused of utilizing violence and employing shaming techniques to bully others in order to get His way. He has been faulted for not being the Therapeutic Jesus.
We have all heard the phrase – no pain, no gain. This is in play here. There is learning that makes the brain hurt, and the mind experiences the pain of cognitive overload. If our teachers did not academically challenge us to keep learning, we wouldn’t get much further than 2+2 = 4. How many of us got lost in Algebra 2 due to brain pain? There are physical accomplishments that only come through severe discipline of the body. There are lessons of life and faith that can only be learned through emotional trauma – like being rebuked by Jesus. I do not want the Therapeutic Jesus; I want the Jesus who isn’t afraid to wound me.
And because of this, I do not want a Therapeutic Preacher. I do not want a preacher who will take a scourge of cords and turn it into a lollipop. If Jesus needs to be hard with me and say hard things to me, I do not want the Therapeutic Preacher to take the hard word and make it a sugar-coated, ego-affirming word. If necessary, I want a preacher who will kick my butt and pull no punches. I do not want a preacher who is intentionally harsh or deliberately abrasive, but I want one who is not afraid to hurt my feelings for fear of wounding me. Sometimes we need to be wounded. Sometimes, God wants to jump on us and wrestle with us all night and pop our hips out of joint, so we spend the rest of our lives walking with a limp.
And while I am on the theme – I don’t want a Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul Preacher whose only purpose is to move me emotionally with heartfelt stories. I want a preacher who can move me but move me in all the capacities of my soul – emotional, intellectual, and volitional. If his only goal is to move me emotionally, he will not move me too far for too long. But if my whole soul is moved, a new day will dawn for me.
I do not want a Professor Preacher whose only ability is to fill my head with Bible knowledge. I love Bible knowledge, and I want more and more, yet the pulpit is not a lectern for the sermon is not a lecture. Amazing as it may sound, some can fill your head with Bible info and never bring you face-to-face with the living God.
“Well, Tim, it must be nice to be the perfect preacher.” Frankly, I would not know. I am amazed that anyone can sit and listen to me for five minutes. Amazing! I have been guilty of all I have criticized above – this is why this is all so painfully real to me. I have been the Therapeutic Preacher, the Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul Preacher, and I have been the Professor Preacher. God has been gracious to me and has been merciful toward those I have afflicted with my Multiple Personality Preacher Disorder. The people say to one another each week, “Who is he going to show up as this week? May the Living God who raised Jesus from the dead have mercy on our souls!”
Believe me, you do not want the nice Jesus who massages your ego and gives out little trophies every Sunday. May there be life-giving, soul-forming, hell-breaking preaching in the church you attend. The Enthroned Jesus will wound you and heal you; He will speak a hard word and a kind word. May you be prepared for all that the Spirit will speak to you.
