(Mat 24:9 NKJV) "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and
kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
(Mat 24:10 NKJV) "And then many will be offended, will betray one
another, and will hate one another.
The article "Why Evangelicals Hate Jesus" published in the
Huffington Post on 03 March 2011, was based on a poll that they least
supported what was defined as Jesus teachings - mercy and forgiveness,
ie love. They tend to support the death penalty, the right to carry
arms, torture, pro-business, pro-wars, oppose welfare etc. which appear
opposite to the love commandments of Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus was perfect, and as such all of us
are fallen short of His glory. If we define "hating Jesus" as not
reaching the mark of character, then all of us would fall short, one way
or another. Why pick on the Evangelicals as "hating Jesus" more?
Perhaps it is because the Evangelicals are known to pick on others eg
the GLBT community.
The bible talks about "hate" in the context of hating or being offended
by the message of the Gospel rather than somehow failing to be a kind
gentle lamb. The article confuses the teachings of Jesus with His
character - the fruit of the Spirit - His kindness, love, grace and
mercy. If we hate Jesus, surely it is to hate His message. His teaching was about the Kingdom of
God, the kingdom to come which He is the second Adam rather than just
being a good person.
If we were honest, Jesus' teachings are quite awkward for many.
Although, we would not openly deny it, surely we don't believe Jesus'
encounter with Satan in the desert. Some would dismissed it as
metaphorical to avoid addressing the spiritual truths within, whilsts
others eagerly embraced the message but over time succumbed to Satan's
offer - political power, and wealth! The Catholics and Evangelicals
ended up with much but to many sacrificed their conscience for the sake of
worldy gains until they appear to many as not representative of Jesus.
(Luke 14:26 NKJV) "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father
and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own
life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Perhaps Evangelicals display less of the fruit of the Holy Spirit
because they tried too hard to love Jesus, to do good works and be a
good person to reflect Christ. Ultimately, this is a focus on self,
which instead of producing the fruit of the Spirit leads to a Spirit of
Self Righteousness - exalting oneself and denying grace to others.
Christ is our focus and example not our self, intellect, traditions, or
religious faith. He is to have supremacy over our lives, even our
ourselves, family and nation.
Similarly, there is a danger on Queer theology focusing too much on us,
our uniqueness and in some instance even justifying our faults. Our lives and theology may be centered around
ourselves rather than God. We become judgemental failing to see the
substantial substance in Evanglical Chirsitianity. Maybe, we are just as closed minded
as the Evangelicals. We say that the conservatives are absolute in their theology
but so do many of us worshiping our own absolutes that the bible was erroneous, or that Paul's
writings should be simply discarded in view of the supremacy of the love
commandments. We say we are reflective or progressive in our theology
but more often making simple truths as a mystery because our intellect
couldn't understand it.
The Evangelicals don't of course hold the monopoly on hate. The article
fails to mention many other religions especially fundamentalist ones who
hold the same kind of strict religious leanings as Huffington Post have
alleged. Does it make them "Hate Jesus" as well? 9/11 was primarily
motivated by misguided religious faith, the wars in Afganistan and Iraq
stirred by the
religious faith passions of the local populance.
The discples ain't much better. The Sons of Zebedee called
down fire to destroy the cities in Samaria when they rejected Jesus. But
didn't Jesus also said that it would be better in the day of judgement
for Sodom and Gomorrah that the towns who had rejected the Gospel
message of the disciples! Where were the disciples when Jesus was
charged by the Pharisees - they were cursing and swearing to deny any
connection with Jesus.
They don't hate Jesus dont they?
(John 8:58 NKJV) Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
before Abraham was, I AM."
The Pharisees hated Jesus. Are we the modern day Pharisees of the bible who were extremely religious
concerning the works to heaven, and called Jesus a blasphemer for daring
to declare that He was God and the way to God the Father in heaven.
We may not be much different:-
a) Talking about good works and morality to reach heaven or gain
acceptance with God, insisting that
our righteousness was sufficient. In many churches, salvation is mixed
with the OT law, and we become very judgemental and selective in the use
of the Jewish laws for example to condemn gays whilsts not applying the
rest of the laws under such strict scrutiny to ourselves.
b) Denying the Jesus as God, and Saviour. The Pharisees
denied Christ as the only way to God, to salvation. They sneered when
Jesus said "no one can come to the Father except through me". Weren't
they worshipping God in the Synagogue! "Where were you" they sharply
criticised Jesus, when Abraham talked to God. Jesus answered, before
Abraham, "I am" - no longer the 30 odd years old carpentar but God
incarnate! present at the start of humanity.
They had worshipped the same God, just as many of the churches today
worship God. Yet, Christ was the way ordained for men to be saved and
the Pharisees were so insulted by the message of salvation in Christ
alone as to crucify Him.
We "Hate Jesus" when we "hate" the message He was proclaiming, the
message of Salvation through Him alone motivated by Love, Grace and
mercy. Some Christians focused on the good works being displayed - the
love shown, but missed the central message that this love took Jesus to
the Cross of Calvary when there was no really a need to unless He was
and is the Messiah. We often proclaim that "Love is God" when it should
be "God is love".
The Evangelicals focused on righteousness in Christ and what they need
to do to be "saved", but forgotten that it is His righteousness not
ours. The more we try to be good, the worst we become - because it is
His goodness displayed through us, His righteousness, and not our own.
The fruit of the Spirit comes naturally when we behold God's grace and
mercy in our lives. We love because He first loved us.
The Evangelicals descended to become the modern day Pharisees when
they were afraid that the simplicity of Faith in Christ alone is not
sufficient, but added to it, the religious laws. They could not see the
lack of consistency of their approach to cherry pick the bible, yet not
following all the Jewish Laws. Worst still, they took these laws to
condemn the GLBT community bring upon themselves judgement by not
following the rest of the laws. The high bar or scales of return judgement was set
to condemn the Evangelicals themselves until it seems to others that
they "hate Jesus".
The reason why Evangelical Christians show such disdain to show love,
grace and mercy as highlighted in the Huffington Post, was because they
were under the curse of the law which brings out the worst in people in
order to bring them to a point of futility when they will finally see
their blood stained hands and realised that Christ alone is more than
sufficient. The harm they had caused against the GLBT community - the
many lives lost, and lives destroyed or put into bondage, or simply
rejecting the gospel message upon seeing the dark nature of these of
people of faith is enormous.
(John 7:7 NKJV) "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I
testify of it that its works are evil.
Although there is much goodness in the world and in common
humanity, it is the world that hates Jesus because He testified of the
righteousness of God, the way to conquer sin and evil, is through
Himself, a living sacrifice.
Jesus Christ did not come to condemn us for our sins and flaws -
our failure to show basic humanity to others because we are already
condemned by the very fact that we did not believe Jesus as the Lord and
Saviour. He came to reach our hearts, that amongst the many alleged ways
to God - whether obliging the law, worshipping the various prevailing
religious faith, through power, wealth or politics, there may be room in
the inn of our hearts for Jesus.
Jesus came to give us rest in Him, so that we can stop trying to be
good, but to rest in the finished work of the Cross. As we behold the
beauty of Christ, and we in fellowship with the Holy Spirit who is
revealing more of Christ each day to us, we will be changed slowly but
surely to relfect the character of God. It is effortless change that is
sustainable because it changes us from the inside to the outside.
Whilst, many Christians attempt to be good Christians by modifying their
outward behaviour but inside remains as skeletons. Jesus called the
Pharisees, white wash tombs, and they were.
The love of Christ is not only in feeding the physical needs of the
human body but the spiritual needs of the human soul. We are to preach
the Full Gospel, that God is not only Love, grace and mercy,
but is personified in a saving grace declaring God's righteousness and
morality. Evangelical Christianity is not static especially the
Charismatics who in Singapore are starting to learn about the depths of
God's grace and mercy when hitherto they were legalistic and law
centered fearing to depart from the right.
When we claim that others hate Jesus, the questions come back to us, do
we really love Jesus, do week seek to follow and imitate Him, do we
really believe the simplicity of His teachings rather than watering it
down to "love" in order to fit our own theology.
We will come to the conclusion that we too are far away from Christ, His
life, and teachings and Kingdom message of salvation, and in need of
God's Grace and mercy.