How to Be Hated in 3 Simple Steps — Wednesday
Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (NIV)
A few months ago, a woman asked if she could speak with me about some friends of hers. She set her toddler down on the ground to play and then took a deep breath. “My friends have been hurt… hurt by a lotta different churches.”
“I see,” I said, nodding gently—knowing that many people have shared the same experience. But I’ll admit, the question she asked next threw me a bit.
“I just wanna know… why does the church always tell people how much Jesus loves ‘em, but then turn around and say what they’re doing is wrong? I mean, what’s up with that?!” she said in exasperation.
I paused, doing my best to frame my words carefully. Before I could say anything, her toddler threw the toy truck he’d been playing with directly at her face, hitting her square in the forehead. Crying out in pain, she scolded him for his behavior.
“He’s cute,” I said, grateful for the breathable moment. “I bet you love him a lot!”
“More than anything,” she said, somewhat rolling her eyes at what he’d just done to her face.
“But, if you don’t mind me asking—do you love every single thing he does?” I charmed her, wanting her to see the connection. She laughed a bit, not fully agreeing with the trap she’d walked into.
“Well, I mean… No, but… I feel like it’s different with kids!” she protested playfully.
“It really isn’t,” I said, standing on solid ground.
She may have not liked my answer, the same way her friends may have not liked it when the church challenged the decisions they were making. The reality is, none of us like to be told that we’re wrong—I certainly don’t, either. But sometimes, it’s the most loving thing we can do for someone.
Even though the Sadducees (the religious progressives of Jesus’ day) often tried to trap Him with their questions, Jesus never backed down or tried to spare their feelings. He pointed out that they were actually in error because they were ignoring what is written in Scripture—the same way we sometimes like to ignore it as well.
Don’t get me wrong—there have been plenty of people who have been hurt by the church for many different reasons, and truth without grace can do more harm than good. But a church that isn’t willing to offend someone with truth isn’t modeling themselves after Jesus.
Because Jesus wasn’t afraid of offending anyone.
Wednesday’s Reflection
What are some areas of our world where you see progressive thinking? How do you think Jesus would respond to this?
