Mocking Jesus Of Nazareth

“The men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.”

Perhaps you imagine that the soldiers who beat Jesus and mocked Him were unusually cruel; surely people in this enlightened day would never act in such a vicious manner! However, mocking Jesus of Nazareth is almost a contemporary sport. Whether it is today’s Lady Gaga or whether we are speaking of a “Hunky Jesus” contest in San Francisco, Jesus has been the subject of ridicule by those who do not know Him.

One attempt at blasphemy, called “Judas,” is from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” album. In the “song” she sings about how she’s in love with the betrayer of Jesus. Isn’t that special? It is a “Springtime for Hitler” moment without the humour. Nicki Minaj continues the assault against Christianity with her performance at the Grammy awards this year. In San Francisco, a gay group employs the cross, the crown of thorns and men with beards as part of their “contest.” I’ll leave the rest to someone’s twisted imagination.

It has always been something of a curiosity to we who follow the Christ that Jesus was not mocked then—nor is He mocked now—for demonstrating compassion and concern for the poor and showing forgiveness to prostitutes and tax collectors who repented. Rather, He was mocked because He revealed the darkness that lies within each of us and because of the refusal by many to come to the Light. People then, and people now, prefer to remain in darkness rather than come into the light. Perhaps this mocking has something to do with the way a few who claim to be His followers misrepresent Him. That may be worth mocking, but He isn’t.

Today’s mockers would never dare to speak ill of Muhammad—to say nothing of the bloodthirsty Allah—they might have their throats slit, or their homes blown-up. A cartoonist, who did something as innocent as portraying Muhammad wearing a bear costume, received death threats. The New York Times, rapidly becoming infamous as a shill to promote liberalism, recently accepted an ad calling on Catholics to leave their church. However, the same paper refused to run an ad calling on Muslims to leave their religion. The Gray Lady justified the decision by noting that Muslims are prone to respond with violence when they perceive a slight.

Others have been the victims of more than threats. They have been murdered because they “offended” some self-appointed defender of the Religion of Peace. Think of the response of Muslims to what they viewed as mishandling of their holy book by American servicemen. It did not matter to the enraged murderers that Taliban Muslims had already desecrated the books by writing notes in them that fomented rebellion and sought to create trouble for their nation; their holy literature was more precious than human life. The despicable god of Islam is a bloody tyrant incapable of changing hearts—he is dependent upon coercion and threats. No wonder people are afraid to mock Muhammad. Jesus is always a safe target, because His followers are unlikely to retaliate, just as He did not retaliate when false charges were brought against Him.

For the atheists and other unbelievers who enjoy mocking events holy to Christians, I recommend setting aside on the calendar a special day for them to enjoy and celebrate their lack of faith. Let it be April 1; after all, we are taught, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” [PSALM 14:1].

Even on the day we call Good Friday, the day He hung on a cross for the sins of others (not His own, for He had none), Jesus was ridiculed. “Come down from the cross and then we’ll believe” [see MATTHEW 27:40-42], some shouted. They wouldn’t have believed even had He come down, because they refused to believe all the other miracles He performed before their eyes.

As for mocking Jesus, recall the Divine warning penned by the Apostle in GALATIANS 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Joyous Easter! He is risen, just as He said!

MANKIND HATES THE FAITH — That is undoubtedly a harsh statement; however, I don’t believe it to be overly harsh. I will concede that it is a general statement and that I am painting with a broad brush. Moreover, I suppose it is possible to soften the tone by stating that mankind is irritated by the Faith, or by stating that people want to remake the Faith in a form more acceptable to their ideal—an ideal that holds the Faith in reserve when needed, though it should mostly remain unobtrusive and hidden from sight so as not to disturb the idyllic peace of the inhabitants of this darkened world.