Gentle Jesus not so gentle, for the sake of the beloved.
By Mark Reidy
There are countless images of Jesus with a countenance of gentleness and serenity, but what I would really like to carry around in my wallet is a picture of him in a state of fury – red-faced, veins bulging and spittle flying.
This is how I imagine Him when I read of His fiery barrage with the stringently law abiding holy men in Matthew’s Gospel (Chapter 23). “Hypocrites”, “serpents”, “brood of vipers”, “fools”, “blind guides”, “child of hell” – it is a verbal tirade like no other – and portrays an image of Jesus that seems to be far removed from the all-compassionate, all-embracing figure of niceness that we are so used to seeing and hearing.
So why would I choose to carry this very uncomfortable depiction with me on a daily basis? Because it would remind me of just how passionately God wants my heart to be converted, not just my actions. “For you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Mt 23:27).
Such words were very relevant several weeks ago as I watched my seven year old son, Joseph, playing soccer. One of his team-mates had left the field in a distressed state and was sitting alone crying. Joseph decided to follow and sat beside him with a hand on his shoulder. As it was a four-a-side game the absence of two players was very obvious.
My first instinct was to order Joseph back to the game. You can’t just walk off the field – it’s not in the rules. What would the other parents be thinking? But then, in a moment of grace, I understood that he had chosen what was right.
The incident sparked a period of introspection. How many times a day do I instinctively react to people and situations because of self-image or because I am dictated by “rules” or mores? How many times do I feign an image of righteousness because of what others think, but underneath harbour jealousy, judgement, resentment or anger? How many times are my decisions controlled by the letter of the law and not by what Jesus calls the “weightier matters of … justice, mercy and faith” (Mt 23:23)?
That is not to say that my thoughts alone are sinful, but if I choose to entertain them then I allow hypocrisy to take residence in my heart. Jesus Himself does not condemn the actual laws, but He challenges us to examine what truly motivates us to abide by them – is it love or appearance?
In the past I have been able to dismiss Jesus’ hard-hitting words away from myself and divert them toward corrupt religious leaders of today, but in reality they are as relevant to me as they are to a priest guilty of paedophilia or an embezzling bishop.
The fact that Jesus’ outburst to the high ranking Jews is in such direct contrast to his gentle interaction with the woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:3-11) indicates that God wants our relationship with Him to be based on truthfulness rather than mere pretence. The adulterous woman acknowledged her need for conversion – she didn’t pretend to be something that she wasn’t. The Pharisees, however, chose to continue living behind a deceitful façade of righteousness.
Jesus, of course, already knows the state of our hearts, but He desires that the starting point of our relationship with Him begin with honest self-appraisal. This is not so that we can condemn ourselves, but rather to recognise the fact that the conversion of our hearts is a journey that will take a lifetime.