humbleshoeshineboy

Does the modern Christian man really behave like Jesus? The unfortunate image that most of us have of a Christian man isn’t manly at all. We think of a sickly, foppish little man who does what his wife tells him or else. At best he is meek and quiet, corralling his litter of kids, wearing a pastel shirt and a smart pair of slacks, never challenging anyone on their views or behavior. Christian men just don’t cause trouble because they might offend someone and they’ve been told that Jesus would never offend anyone. After all, the greatest crime in America today is to offend someone or hurt their feelings.

Jesus was nice to everyone and that is how a Christian man should act. He came to make everyone happy and feel good about ourselves!  What a load of crap!  Christian man, go to your wife’s purse and get your backbone. No, don’t ask for permission! Jesus was rude and crude and He didn’t care who you were, He told the truth! He stood up to the bullies and angrily called them names and offended them greatly. If you were weak, He had the backbone to stand up for you. If you were a weasel, He had the backbone to let you have it. He fought when He had to fight and wept when He had to weep. He was truth unleashed.  At no point did Jesus simply try to get along and make everyone happy. Quite frankly, He didn’t make many folks happy at all. He was confrontational and challenged most of their beliefs and expectations. Today many in society call Christians hypocrites and Jesus called the church people of His day hypocrites too. Can you imagine Jesus visiting a church today, tearing it apart like He did at the temple with the moneychangers?  Calling church folks white washed tombs? I’ll bet He has learned a few nastier words since then! Perhaps giving a sermon on being wise as serpents or how to be ready with a sword. I think people would be as scared of Jesus today as they were 2000 years ago! This who the passive men are supposed to be emulating? I’m not seeing it.

Jesus wasn’t nice, but was He good? Emphatically yes!  Nice has cowardice attached to it, fake to please. Good is based on truth. Jesus was all about truth and He never held back. 2000 years later, truth is still counter-cultural, it still offends.

You have to understand that there is no compassion in nice, only selfishness. Weak men don’t want to make waves  and take a stand. They would never confront anyone or risk hurting someone’s(gasp!) feelings. They do no good to anyone.

There is only compassion in truth. There is hope in truth and its worth fighting to be able to bring hope to the weak.. That is true kindness.  To be a man following Jesus, we have to stick our neck out, we have to be with people when they’re broken and stand up forcefully to the bullies. Stand up loudly for the truth that God so kindly gave us in Holy Scripture. Offer people true hope( not the con of a politician). Hiding cowardly in a corner, they aren’t being kind, they are just  selfish little cowards. Jesus will have a talk with them someday and I don’t want to be part of it.

If you are a follower of Jesus, learn about the real Jesus, not the soft feminized version. Dig into scripture and find Him friend. If you aren’t a follower because you cant be that passive and wimpy, neither could Jesus. He’s a pretty kick ass King and He is so worth following. Don’t be afraid, man up for an eternal cause. Join a gang that fears no one. Short term can get pretty rough, but the benefit package will blow you away!  Pray hard friend.