Don’t Let Religious Criticism Stop Your Mission
How weird would it be if Jesus said he wanted to bring people closer to God and then never went near them? What if he never talked to people far from God? What if he never ate with them or went to the places they were? His ministry would have looked very different if Jesus never associated with any people or places that drew criticism.
Jesus was constantly breaking cultural norms, often doing what others considered unthinkable.
However, Jesus didn’t do things just to make people uncomfortable or cause trouble. He had a goal. He was on a mission, and he wasn’t about to let religious discomfort or cultural norms get in the way of that life-giving goal.
Don’t Do That!
There are examples through all the gospels of the behavior that drew the ire of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others like them. Turning over the tables in the Temple is one everyone loves to point to, but in Mark 2 there is another one to examine. Mark records back-to-back-to-back-to-back (that’s four!!) behavior that drew sharp rebuke and warnings from his Jewish peers as they repeatedly told Jesus, “You can’t do that!” Here they are:
Don't say that! In verse 7, the scribes sitting nearby question Jesus’ words in their hearts, saying, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Don’t be with them! In verse 16, the scribes of the Pharisees see Jesus eating with the wrong crowd, and they say, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Don’t eat that! In verse 18, we hear the people say, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Don’t do that! In verse 24, Jesus’ disciples pick grain, and the Pharisees say, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
Don’t say that! Don’t do that! Don’t eat that! Don’t be with them! Jesus was constantly facing religious scrutiny and was regularly told that he was out of line. But He always had an explanation. If you look deeper than just the back-and-forth between Jesus and his religious critics, you will find the real reason he never apologized or gave in to the pressure. There was a fundamental reason Jesus constantly got in trouble with these religious authorities.
Jesus Was on a MISSION
The best answer to Jesus’ behavior in Mark 2 comes in verse 17 when he points out:
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus was completely focused on those who were deeply in need of God. Jesus did not give a lot of attention or consideration to the scribes and others who spent their lives in self-righteous study. Jesus wasn’t about to prioritize his time on Earth debating the legalistic rules they’d created out of the Law. Jesus wanted to spend time with people who desperately needed God and would admit that need. He came for the “sick” - not those who were already convinced they were “well.”
The people Jesus came to seek and save lived in dirty places. Reaching them required Jesus to say and do things and go to places and associate with people who were off-limits to legalistically religious folk. Their rules made it impossible for Jesus to reach them or love them well.
So, Jesus was constantly making religious people uncomfortable. He faced a relentless barrage of people questioning his actions, motives, and character.
But Jesus knew his mission. He knew who he came for. And he wasn’t going to let his critics stop him from completing what he came to do. Again, I ask:
How weird would it be if Jesus said he wanted to bring people closer to God and then never talked to or ate with or went to the places they were?
If he didn’t do those things, you would have to doubt his mission, wouldn’t you? You’d have to wonder if he was serious about it in the first place.
Ignore the Religious Critics. Focus on Jesus’ Calling
So, what does all of this mean for you and me? How can we take the inspiring clarity of Jesus living out his ministry and apply it to our daily lives? You can start by remembering (or discovering) your calling.It’s only when you understand your mission that you can withstand the critics.
Just to be clear, receiving correction is important. Staying open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit is important. These are different things! God occasionally needs to correct or redirect all of us so we can learn and grow. However, constructive feedback and even healthy disagreement are very different from religious criticism.
I constantly receive messages about everything I’m supposed to do or not do as a Christian, as a teacher, and as a woman in the Church. “Don’t dress like that. Don’t talk about movies or football in church. Don’t teach or even be on a stage with men. Don’t play or laugh. Don’t drink a glass of wine.” When you are on a mission and step out in faith to complete it, the criticism is going to come. I can guarantee that. The question is, will you let it stop you from what your Father sent you to do? Jesus stayed focused on his mission until he was able to say in his final breath on the cross, “It is finished.”