Gentle Jesus Meek And And Mild? Really

Lk 12:49-56: Gentle Jesus meek and mild?

You will probably recall that famous Anglican hymn writer Charles Wesley’s hymn that start with the words “Gentle Jesus meek and mild”

I have a great respect for John and Charles Wesley but I would have to say

You have to be kidding - as we see in the Gospel today!!

Jesus is anything but gentle, meek and mild as our Gospel reading today shows

Story: At the very start of his ministry in Florence, Savonarola the Italian political reformer (1452-1498) noticed an elderly woman who used to come and pray regularly before that statue of the Virgin Mary.

One day, Savonarola took an elderly priest aside, who had been serving in the cathedral for many years, and said,

"Look how devoted this woman is. She comes every day to offer prayers to the blessed Mother of Jesus. What a marvellous act of faith."

But the elderly priest replied

"Do not be deceived by what you see. Many

years ago when the sculptor needed a model

to pose for this statue of the blessed Mother,

he hired a beautiful young woman to sit for him.

This devout worshiper you see here everyday is

that young woman.

She is worshiping who she used to be."

And in the same way, the Jesus we think we are worshipping in the 21st Century is not the true

Jesus that we find in Holy Scripture.

Some preachers focus on “his love for

mankind” – forgetting that he called us to

repent of our sins and follow him wholeheartedly.

We focus on the two Great Commandments –

• to love God and

• to love our neighbour

and find that so comforting

Darrel Brock in the NIV Application Commentary on Luke summed modern thinking up about Jesus by saying this

“He came as the ultimate peacemaker, who sought peace at any cost.

He never challenged anyone other than to call for love and tolerance.

As a teacher of wisdom and a teller of parables, Jesus did not force people into hard choices; or if he did, it had nothing to do with his own person only with the need for Israel to reform ethically.”

But this is not the Jesus of Scripture.

Scot McKnight said this about the modern view of Jesus – expressed in the Jesus Seminar said this

“Such a Jesus

would never have been crucified,

would never have drawn the fire he did,

would never have commanded the following he did,

and

would never have created a movement that still shakes the world”

In his day Jesus was very controversial

Jesus’ teachings were in their day revolutionary, because he exposed a corrupt society.

He exposed hypocrites members of the Jewish religious elite and this was not popular

What is interesting is that he started with the Church of his day and not the Roman oppressors.

Jesus’ ministry was prophesied from his birth as being controversial

Before Jesus was even born, his mother Mary realised that.

You may recall that on the day of His Dedication to God in the Temple the old prophet Simeon held Jesus in his arms and said :

31 “Lord,” he said, “now I can die content! For I have seen the Saviour you have given to the world as you promised I would

32 He is the Light that will shine upon the nations, and he will be the glory of your people Israel!”

(We Anglicans know this saying as the Nunc Dimittis)

Then Simeon looked at Mary and said,

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Luke’s account of Jesus’ ministry begins in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth.

And even then there was controversy.

There Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah that day, and the congregation was so incensed by what he said that they drove him out of town and tried to throw him over a cliff. (Luke 4:16-30).

Jesus hated hypocrisy.

We read in Luke 13.10-17 how Jesus healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath.

And the leaders in the Synagogue were indignant saying that there are six days in a week to heal instead of rejoicing that the woman was healed.

In reply Jesus doesn’t mince his words

“You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.