On Reconciliation Sunday, the leader and facilitator of a workshop at a local Midwest church introduced a discussion by showing two images of Jesus. The first was a painting by Stephen Sawyer, titled “Undefeated.”
He depicts Jesus as a boxer standing inside a boxing ring. In his corner, we find the word “Savior” printed on the protective padding of the corner post, and hanging from the ropes are the boxing gloves with the word “mercy” written upon them.
When the speaker flashed the image on the screen, he heard a gasp from Jackie, a lady sitting near the front row. She was shaking her head, and exclaiming, “No, no, that’s not my Jesus! That image is just wrong.” Later, she would talk about how the image of Jesus she holds onto is the Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. That image of Jesus dressed as a boxer was the furthest thing from a Prince of Peace. The image of Jesus as an undefeated boxer was followed by another image — this one by Nathan Greene, titled “The Good Shepherd.” This image shows Jesus holding a black lamb.
When looking at these images side by side, one has to ask, “How did we go from an image of a loving, compassionate Good Shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep to one of Jesus standing in the corner of a boxing ring, gloves off and ready to fight?” We all have an image or two of Jesus. These conceptions tell us more about ourselves and our theology than they do about Jesus, for whom no real physical description exists. Except for Revelation:
Revelation 1:14-15 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
What image of Jesus do we have?
The reading from the Gospel according to Matthew is part of what is called the 2nd Discourse, or the Missionary Discourse. Jesus is preparing to send people out. Jesus is teaching, and the interesting thing is that Jesus is not talking about people who are deciding if they want to follow Jesus but rather Jesus is talking to established believers, Jesus is talking to the church folk and letting them know that following him is not for the faint of heart.
William Goettler said "Jesus is actually addressing the faithful who seek to live into their Christian faith while facing conflict and discouragement, and even the threat to their physical well-being, because of the gospel’s calling."
Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year A volume) . Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
Some people just want to go along to get along, don’t want any conflict and want things to be peaceful, and peaceful meaning the absence of any tension, not a peace that comes with solving problems. Those are the people who when people were protesting police brutality at NFL games, said "I watch sports to get away from politics” People think as long as they stay in their bubble everything will be alright.
I read an article about a young man named Byron Williams in Nevada arrested for cycling without a safety light. Said 17 times, that he could not breathe, and died. He was arrested in September 2019, by March 2020 the prosecutors decided not to prosecute the police involved.
I bring this up now, because news articles are being posted about it, and there are people who are more mad about the news reporting on it than the fact that a mad died because he didn’t have a safety light on his bike. Then of course comes his criminal history, he should not have resisted, he should not have run. If I stay in my bubble everything will be ok. People willfully stay in their bubble and not address the problems of the day or the problems of the text. Discipleship is costly, discipleship aims to change the culture, discipleship is uncomfortable. The Disciples have and will experience rejection from friends and family because they will talk about things that make people uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable things like the fact that this text particularly the first couple of verses would be used to continue to oppress people of color in slavery. It is a definite missinterpretaiton of the text and slavery for that matter. Back then people were in servitude to work off a debt, but the American ancestors changed into a 400 year chattel system to build this country. Talk about uncomfortable things, and why is it that if I bring up slavery, I’m told that it is in the past and get over it, but when someone wants to tear down a Confederate statue people get upset about that? Why would someone care more about property than people?
Jesus said he did not come to bring peace but a sword, and my obedience to Jesus is more important than anything else. Jesus is telling the people of God they will have to do some uncomfortable things, and they will have to do these uncomfortable things PUBLICLY, a private witness is not enough. In any struggle the silent majority is the reason oppression continues. Jesus tells us to bring light to the dark places. Be public, be transparent.
Jesus tells us not to be afraid of those who can hurt the body but not the souls. There is not a heaven or a hell another person can put me in. Jesus tells us that God cares about the sparrows and we are worth more than the sparrows. This life of discipleship is costly, you will give up some things but you will gain so much more.
