October 26, 2023
By Jen Stanbro
A question:
How would you post on social media if you knew your post was directly implicating, criticizing or arguing with Jesus? Would your posts look any different?
Those of us who purport to follow Him, imagine your posts are in His social media feed.
But He’s not who you think.
Jesus is one of your social media acquaintances who doesn’t agree with you on policy. If you’re pro-life, Jesus is your pro-choice friend. If you’re against the LGBTQIA+ agendas, Jesus is your friend to whom the rainbow has additional meaning. If you’re against gun law reform, Jesus is your friend who keeps posting about gun violence. And vice versa. If you’re left leaning, Jesus is your right-leaning friend.
“That’s ridiculous,” you say. Your heart rate goes up at the very thought. “Jesus would agree with me.” Or wait… “I agree with Jesus!” Obviously.
Here’s the thing though — Jesus made a crazy claim in Matthew 25. He asserts that the way you treat every human being is the way you treat Him. If you’re insensitive and combative with literally anyone, you’re being insensitive and combative with Jesus. If you flippantly or brazenly spout your ideals without concern for who might feel attacked by the words you posted or the meme you shared, your dismissiveness is toward the heart of Jesus. If your pride and self-righteousness causes you to treat any person created in God’s image with disdain, you have disrespected God himself.
What you feel in your heart toward any person, Jesus knows it well. And it matters to Him.
Well, crap.
Exactly. And yet, God not only expects us to treat every person with lovingkindness, He has given us His Spirit (the same Spirit Jesus had) to empower our efforts. We need only submit our weak, volatile, disdainful inner person to His Lordship.
Simple.
I think of this idea kind of like the prodigal son story, but with a few differences, and me as the parent (so I can relate to God’s Dad/Mom-heart) —
Let’s say one of my daughters was in perpetual conflict with one of my sons. It would break my heart. Let’s say my son has decided that a relationship with me, his father and his other siblings isn’t worth having to associate with his sister and he leaves. Moves far away and essentially cuts himself off from the family. The deep desire of my heart is to reconcile with him, but my daughter practically ensures that that won’t happen.
She’s constantly posting insensitive messages on her social media that I know he sees. Messages that drive him away and keep him away. Remind him of why he left and will never come back. I love my daughter, and I’m so happy for our relationship, but her relentless attacks on her brother, sometimes even in defense of me, carry no love, no intention of reconciliation, they only serve to keep us divided. Every single hurtful thing she directs at him feels like a dagger to my own heart.
It’s not a perfect analogy, but I think it makes a decent enough point. God’s desire is for relationship. Not just with us who believe, but with all of His beloved. As we hurl accusation and condemnation at literally anyone, we are completely out of step with the heart of God. In fact we are against the heart of our God.
Reflect a little more with me?
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” Matthew 25:35-36
Do we think that all of the strangers agree with us? Welcome the advocate for transgender surgery in adolescents, the pro-abortion gynecologist, the politician for gun reform.
Do we think that the imprisoned Jesus speaks about were wrongfully convicted, or do we realize that Jesus is in the face of criminals? Visit the molester, the trafficker, the abuser (whew, those one’s are especially hard for me).
Do we limit this passage to only the specifically mentioned?
When I heard the Christian backlash against Target earlier this year, my first thought was — what must Erik Carnell be feeling, having been so vehemently, publicly rejected? And by Jesus’ people?
I’m not defending or endorsing his choices. I honestly don’t know enough to do so. But he’s a person, friends. A person created by God, with a heart and soul, capable of being hurt, who seriously put himself out there, only to be scorned by those claiming to be followers of the One who is Love.
Do you think the actions of the American Christian angry masses reflected an invitation to come home and be reconciled to Dad?
Do you not see the face of Jesus in Erik Carnell?
Why not?
Our American Christian culture is fine with the idea of seeing Jesus in the faces of the obviously vulnerable.
But it’s not enough.
Jesus’ point was further reaching.
What if Jesus is also in the face of the deceitful politician, the activist standing boldly for things you believe are wrong, the person who made you miss your exit because they wouldn’t let you in even though you had your signal on for a whole freaking minute? What if Jesus is in the face of your rude, belligerent uncle, your spouse?
Can you imagine if Jesus’ example to us was to argue with everybody about their sinful ways in condemning undertones that showed His secret disgust for them?
If this was not His way, how can we possibly justify it being ours?
I pray that as we navigate the coming season, we would take every thought captive to obey Christ. And we would consider that every word spoken, posted, or otherwise seen by others is aimed at Jesus, Himself. Even if what we say has truth to it, if it’s without love (sensitivity, empathy, an authentic invitation to relationship) we’re working against the One we call Lord.
Doggedly pursue love.
Thanks for reading.