Jesus Schmalzified

What has Christianity done to Jesus? I know today's thoughts are sure to ruffle a few feathers, but then so did Jesus when, upon arriving in Jerusalem, he entered the Temple and rid it of the moneychangers and marketeers thus fronting the Jewish hierarchy.

Please hear me out before discounting this reflection as blasphemous. Jesus, a man faith proclaims to be one with GOD or GOD's equal, manifests unbounded power that could have been directed toward his own personal gain or greatness. It is noteworthy however that in every instance Jesus never sought that for himself. When Jesus intervened, it was not to win kudos for himself but to direct the beneficiary toward his loving heavenly Father. When Jesus taught, he raised the bar by challenging his listeners not to find contentment in a minimalist approach to the commandments but to fulfill the very heart and spirit of the law. Jesus was not about the business of condemning or judging persons. He challenged those who would follow him to rise to the spirit of the law and prophets and be prepared to be judged on the merit of one's actions. Jesus' life on earth wasn't lived as a king. He was a selfless servant, giving totally out of love all the way to the cross!

Christians would do well to revisit its founder and his message and reconnect with the spiritual basis of Jesus' life and teachings. In their prayer, Christians appear to call on Jesus to claim entitlements that Jesus never claimed for himself. In the last election followers of Jesus, who judged not and challenged not to cast the first stone unless free of sin, urged voters to ignore his example and embrace their political agenda. The truth is neither political party's platform espouses the highest principles Jesus challenges his followers to embrace. Finally, would Jesus, who consistently made the Father the focus of his teachings and works, be comfortable with discarding his example here as well?

It's time to stop making milk toast of Jesus. Schmaltzifying him does not pay proper homage to this extraordinary man whose life ran against the grain of the culture and society of his day. Wrapping our lives in pursuit of the very things Jesus shunned - popularity, prestige, power and pride - is not worthy of the name given his followers.

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