On Representing Jesus--November 4, 2025

On Representing Jesus--November 4, 2025

[Jesus said:] “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23)

Right, so let's be clear here: the goal is NOT to get ourselves so hated that we earn a spot in heaven. The idea here is NOT that if we Christians can only make ourselves so mean, rude, and bigoted as to be ridiculed by others, so that then we somehow prove to God we are persecuted so we can win eternal life. And the point is NOT that God wants us to become so obnoxious that people stop inviting us to their parties.

Being rejected isn't a primary goal of the Christian faith, and neither is it our strategy to behave in such a brash, disrespectful way toward others that people think of Christians as rude first and religious second. The goal is to be faithful to the way of Jesus--and if that also lands us in good trouble with the people around us, well, then so be it. But in that case, whatever tensions, insults, or criticism we get will be symptoms of something deeper; they will be evidence that we are, at least in some ways, acting and speaking like Christ, as well as the faithful prophets of centuries before.

This is really important for us to remember, not just because many of us heard these words from Jesus' Sermon on the Plain back on Sunday, but also because sometimes in our day, Respectable Religious folk seem to go out of their way to cast themselves as being "persecuted" when in fact we are just being held accountable or being treated like every other person around us. We're not being persecuted in situations where we are being held to the same standard or practice as other religious groups in the wider culture. We are not being persecuted in situations when Christians are not given special treatment or prioritized consideration. We are not being persecuted for our faith if people do not want to hang out with us because we have been rude, arrogant, selfish, or bigoted toward them. And we're not being persecuted if someone points out how our actions, words, or choices seem to run counter to the character of Jesus--that's just someone else calling us out for our hypocrisy. In a culture and time like ours, when there are lots of groups who all might want a voice at the table of public discourse, it's not an act of persecution when church folks have to make room for others. That's just how our civic life works. It might be difficult for church folks to accept or adapt to, especially if they remember a time when other voices weren't allowed a place at the table or a voice in the conversation. But our faith in Jesus doesn't entitle us to a monopoly on every discussion.

It would probably be wise for us, too, to hold onto that wise observation of James Finley, which goes, "It may be true that every prophet is a pain in the neck, but it is not true that every pain in the neck is a prophet. There is no more firmly entrenched expression of the false self than the self-proclaimed prophet." In other words, we who name the name of Jesus need to be prepared to be rejected or ridiculed for following Jesus, but we don't get to claim "persecution" every time someone else decides they don't want to hang out with us, or if the reason they don't has to do with us acting in un-Christlike ways. If we are Christians who are also acting like jerks, the rejection of others might well be because we are acting like jerks--we don't get to pin that one on Jesus. The goal for us as disciples is to follow Jesus, and Jesus often finds himself mocked, criticized, or attacked without him being selfish, rude, belligerent, or arrogant. Jesus, however, refuses to answer in kind--he does not punch down, insult, or cause hardship for others even when those things are done to him. When we are made fun of for loving like Jesus, or when we are left out because we are committed to being generous, or when people criticize us for not supporting the Empire of the day or kneeling to the Caesar of the hour, then we are being persecuted as Christ-followers. But being inconvenienced, or being asked to share the public square with others, or being called out on hypocrisy, those are not persecution. They are a part of life.

All that said, it is also true that following Jesus may well lead us into situations where we are harassed, left out, or hated, and Jesus doesn't pretend otherwise. They will call us "losers" because we aren't obsessed with defeating everybody else. They will call us "suckers" because we are willing to share our abundance with others without getting something in return. They will call us "weak" because we are committed to doing good to those we might call "enemies" rather than hitting them harder or making them suffer. If those things happen, and if we do end up suffering for it, Jesus says, "Good for you--it's a sign they see the light of God reflected in you!"

Today, then, it is worth asking how we want to represent Jesus in the world. If we wear the name of Jesus casually but are known for being crass, cruel, self-absorbed, and hypocritical, we may find ourselves criticized--but it won't be for our Christ-likeness. If we dare to face the world with Jesus' kind of love, generosity, empathy, and truthful courage, we may also be criticized for it--but at least we will be like Jesus. And that is worth spending our effort and energy on, no matter what else happens or what anybody else says.

And one day, from the vantage point of eternity, I think I know which I will want to have given my life to. I bet you do, too.

Lord Jesus, make us to be like you, whatever the costs.