One of the many things that are difficult to understand about contemporary Christianity is how people desire to believe in Jesus, and even find his “rebellious” counter-cultural ways appealing, but have absolutely no desire to be the way he was.

In many ways, they try to communicate his revolutionary life in the third person, but never in the first person. It’s always Jesus who was the provocative one, the challenging one, the unsettling one. And ironically, all these messages about him are communicated in the most stable and secure environments - in seminaries, from pulpits, and in bible studies. Hardly in action or lifestyle.

The greatest of security-seeking Christians seem to be the ones talking about the counter-cultural and revolutionary Jesus. Those who occupy the highest chairs of structural positions are the ones talking about sacrificing one’s own reputation and position for the sake of justice and peace.

When confronted with the practical alternative of actually being provocative and revolutionary in lifestyle and choice, you hear a thousand and one excuses and reasons for why it’s impractical to do so:

“Jesus and his early believers suffered persecution because it was necessary for them. For us today, it’s not necessary.”

“The bible cannot be taken wholesale just like that. We must use our wisdom to discern what applies to today’s situations and what don’t apply any longer. We must be as innocent as doves and wise like serpents!”

“I’m already suffering for my faith! You see how much time I spend serving God in church? Who else devotes so much time like that?”

“Come on, by doing all these things, you’re just courting trouble unnecessarily. I have enough trouble in my life already. I’ve had enough, and don’t want anymore unnecessary trouble.”

Really, perhaps many of the things Jesus did was unnecessary after all. He was perhaps courting trouble in vain. From this rhyme of reasoning, maybe it was his own fault that he eventually went to the cross. Had he learned to behave himself properly, he might not have had to be crucified. But no, he had to go ahead and do the unnecessary things.

For we who are wise, stay clear. Stay out of trouble. Always speak of Jesus in the third person. Forget about embodying his gospel in the first person. Be wise. After all, all you need to get into heaven is to believe in Jesus’ saving power, and you’re saved.