3 Reasons Why (Many) American Evangelicals Who LOVE Jesus Wouldn’t Actually LIKE Him

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time spent a lot of time talking about God and the coming Messiah.

A LOT of time!

I mean, hey, it was part of their national identity.  It was who they were as a people.  God and his promised Messiah.  It was all, “When this Messiah comes this…” and “When the Messiah comes that…”.

There was just one problem though.  When God did finally get around to sending them their Messiah (who just happened to be God himself), those Messiah yearning religious folk found they didn’t really like him all that much.  Turns out they had a specific agenda for their Messiah; but the Messiah had other plans.

I’m finding a lot in common with many American Evangelicals today.  They talk a lot about God and passionately proclaim Jesus their “Personal Lord & Savior”

I’m sure they all love Jesus…I’m just not sure they would like him all that much.

So here are three reasons I think many American Evangelicals wouldn’t actually like their Personal Lord and Savior:

Jesus is a “Globalist” and will try to correct your “America First” attitude

The Jewish leaders of Christ’s time were looking for a Messiah that was going to affirm Israel’s “chosen people” status, right the perceived wrongs they felt their country had endured, and put Israel back on top.

Right from the beginning though Jesus had other plans.  In Luke 4 Jesus tells his fellow countrymen that God would not be sending out vengeance on Israel’s enemies and as they are trying to wrap their heads around that bit of news he goes on to say that when God wasn’t blessing Israel in the past he was blessing foreigners and enemy military commanders.

That’s like telling a group of patriotic American pastors while God was ignoring your prayers, he was healing a military leader from ISIS and a Hindu widow in India.

The response Jesus got from his friends and neighbours was they tried to toss him off a cliff…which is kinda the first century version of being “unfriended” on Facebook.

• The religious leaders were looking for a Messiah that was going to validate Israel
• Jesus instead came to validate all peoples (John 3:16-17)
• The religious leaders were looking for a Messiah that was going to Make Israel Great Again
• Jesus instead came to Make Humanity Great Again
• The religious leaders were looking for a Messiah that would ride a warhorse and lead them into battle slaying their oppressors and liberating Israel
• Jesus instead came riding a silly donkey calf and gave his own life in a manner that liberated all humanity

It’s no coincidence that many American Evangelicals have developed an unhealthy relationship with the modern state of Israel and in that relationship attempt to co-opt Israel’s Old Testament blessings (read out of context) for America.  One American Evangelical once told me they supported Donald Trump because he loved America and loved Israel.

I strongly suspect this Christian also LOVED Jesus but probably wouldn’t LIKE him

Apparently folk who LOVED the Messiah, actually didn’t LIKE him that much when he showed up.

Jesus will hang out with people you can’t stand (aka “liberal Dems” and “Religious Right Republicans”)

Jesus hung out with some pretty interesting folk.  And because of that he developed a bit of a reputation as a “winebibber” and “glutton” among the pastors, eldership boards, and worship leaders of Jesus’ time.  (Luke 7)  He was a “friend” of sinners.

Like really their friend.

Jesus listened to their inappropriate jokes, drunken confessions, and stories of muddy tangled relationships all while seated around tables full of wine, bread, and humus.

Suffice to say his Communion Table looked a bit different from ours

And just when you though Jesus was this “man of the people Joe Six Pack Democrat” kinda guy he turns the table and goes and hangs out with a rich Republican Fox News “talking head” type of guy named Zacchaeus. His friends back at the pub thought he had sold out but Jesus’ compassion crosses political, economic, cultural, and partisan boundaries.

Whether Michael Moore or Jerry Falwell Jr, Nancy Pelosi or Franklin Graham, Lady Gaga or Sean Hannity Jesus will hang out with and love all “sinners”…and expect you to as well.

Jesus will ask why you are following him but carrying a gun?

In the first 239 years of its existence the United States has been at war 222 years

For those that prefer percentages, 93% of its life span America has been at war

The United States military has a base or physical presence in nearly 800 places across 70 countries.  (To put in perspective Russian, France, and Great Britain have about 30 combined.  China has 1)

And Americans, not surprisingly, have 112 guns per 100 residents making it the #1 private gun owning nation followed by distinguished runner ups Serbia and Yemen

At it’s core DNA America is a militaristic warrior nation specialising in power backed up by violence which makes it often (but not always) at enmity with the Country and Government Jesus proclaimed being a peaceful nation specialising in compassion backed up by forgiveness

Americans want to bare arms

Jesus wants citizens of his country to Love their Enemy

Americans just want a gun to defend their home

Jesus wants citizens of his country to practice peace even in the face of death.  A practice he modelled in allowing himself to be crucified rather than raise a hand against his enemies.

You see the clash of cultures?  The Sermon on the Mount becomes a real burr in the saddle.

That’s why Christianity in America has largely been coopted into a tool for nationalistic policy and aspirations.  High profile pastors are brought in to the White House to bless our wars and give assurance to anxious parents whose kids (kids mind you) are going off to war that, should they die, that this is a “good” war and that their sacrifice will not be in vain.  As Pastor Brian Zahnd would say the god Mars is still demanding the sacrifice of children, it just takes a different form in modern times.  And we continue to sacrifice them with the blessing of Christian leaders who exchange speaking prophetic truth to power and instead enjoy the access to inner circle political power that is dangled before them.

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I’m pretty convinced that many who long for Jesus’ return would actually be mocking and condemning him six months after he arrived.  He’d be just another liberal “snowflake”

Yep, many who LOVE Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior actually wouldn’t like him

Peace,

Steve