What is that picture of Jesus you have in your head? Or what image do you think Christians try to paint? Do you see a man dressed in a long, flowing white dress, not entirely present in this reality, almost passive, saintly, glowing and floating everywhere he went?

Come back down to earth. All those years ago, Jesus was seen as a rebel. Today, he would probably be labelled a terrorist by some governments and religious leaders because he does not fit into any mould.

Jesus is full of love, wisdom and truth; but not all moments with him on earth were cosy, ‘kumbaya’ moments around the fireplace. Think of him as that best friend that hugs you, teases you, insults and scolds you, then hugs you again. And I love the Bible – it doesn’t hide a thing.

Jesus spat in my eye

When he had spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’
(Mark 8:23)

In Jericho, when a blind man needed healing, Jesus touched his eyes and he was healed. On other occasions, Jesus simply touched eyes as well. So not the case in Bethsaida. Here, Jesus put his spit on a blind man’s eyes. But the man had no complaints – his sight was restored.

Jesus destroyed my business (literally)

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:15)

On a trip to Jerusalem for Passover, Jesus met a thriving religious market at the temple which was supposed to be a place of worship. The man whom we typically imagine to be ‘glowing, passive and floating’ got furious and went on a rampage round the temple court, bringing down businesses. After this, he delivered this line: “Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:16).

Jesus called me a dog

While in Gentile (non-Jewish) territory, a woman came up to Jesus begging for healing for her daughter. This was his reply:

‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ (Mark 7:27)

Ouch! Yes, Jesus called her a dog, the word Jews used for Gentiles because they saw them as unclean. In reality, Jesus had no problem with Gentiles. In fact, he had previously preached and healed non-Jews, and why would he be in Gentile territory if not to do his mission of binding up the broken-hearted?

By saying what he said, Jesus was referring to the prophecy that salvation will first come to and through the Jews (‘the children’ in his figure of speech); but this was only half of it. The woman’s bold response carried the second half of the prophecy:

‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ (Mark 7:28)

Yes, salvation came first to the Jews but everyone else is meant to enjoy the overflow of God’s salvation too. In other words, “I have full right to ask you for healing”.

By speaking to the woman sarcastically this way, Jesus was asserting that Gentiles too have the right to access God, not just Jews.

Jesus let my brother die

‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (John 11:21)

This is the one thing no one can ever claim to fully understand about God. Why would he let such a thing happen? Jesus received news that Martha’s brother, Lazarus, was ill in Bethany but he didn’t leave immediately to heal him.

In fact, Jesus stayed where he was for a few more days until Lazarus died. Jesus didn’t even have to go to Bethany physically, he could have healed him where he was as he had done for others before. Yet, he let Lazarus die.

Jesus called us ‘unmarked graves’

‘Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.’ (Luke 11:44)

Read through the gospel and you will see some pretty impressive insults. This one that bites deeply. If a Jew should walk over an unmarked grave, they become defiled. So calling someone an unmarked grave is like…Woah! That’s way too far!

Here, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, a sect of strict and over-religious leaders. Basically, though the Pharisees seemed perfect and holy on the outside, that’s not what they really were on the inside. Those who follow their teachings will end up worse off than before.

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