Smoodock's Blog

As we approach the end of this study series of N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Jesus, we’ve come to understand that Jesus’ reign isn’t something the world understands. It’s like judging the taste of a basket of apples from a perspective of tasting oranges. The end result wouldn’t be a fair judgment. Moreover, in our previous study we came to understand that Jesus’ reign looks like what the Church and/or leading Christians are doing. Nevertheless, the Church is made up of normal, everyday folks who are just as prone to err as any unbeliever in the world today. In other words, no one, not Christians nor anyone else of other faiths are perfect. Furthermore, and perhaps surprisingly for many good folks, God never intended to create perfectly moral people to image him in this world. I am not saying immoral folks image God, but I am saying imperfect folks submitting themselves to the Lord do, in fact, image God. One might, then, ask: what if the Church, a major part of it, becomes immoral? What is the role of the Church in an immoral society, when scandals, involving Church leaders, seem to contradict and betray the Jesus, we see in the Gospel narratives?

What was Jesus thinking? Why would he attempt to build his Church with folks like Peter, James and John? And, even more incongruently, how is the end of Jesus’ labor justified or successful with someone like Judas in the mix, and could any of his other Apostles fare any better? Nevertheless, the scriptures are clear. Jesus chose these men (Matthew 10:1-4), and claimed, with their preaching, (Matthew 28:19-20), he would build his Church (Matthew 16:17-19). Church is the means, through which Jesus would establish his rule over the earth, as it is in Heaven (Matthew 28:18; Revelation 11:15, 18; Matthew 6:10).

Of course, there is not a shortage of detractors of this understanding. Many skeptics assume the Church, imperfect as it is, must find the purposes of Jesus “…unattainable, (and is) hopelessly out of touch, triumphalistic and self-congratulatory.” Many today find “God believable but the Church unbearable, Jesus appealing but the Church is appalling.” The critics of the Church are many, indeed, but we must also ask: where is its equal? With what should it be replaced? Silence… —except, of course, for those crickets who won’t accept rebuke, and are known for throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Imperfect as it is, the Church continues to be the helper of the Lord.

While the world is quick to point to the very foolish and offensive Christian leader, who embarrasses and troubles the name of Christ, it is strangely silent over, and unpersuaded by the many thousands of normal, everyday followers of Jesus, who are not only law-abiding, but do a great many good works in their communities; they go unhailed and unnoticed. Why? It is because the world is interested in only what might seem odd or scandalous. That is what sells papers and validates present authority figures, while actually helping the poor, educating the ignorant or giving aid to the sick and weary don’t account for much, as far as newsworthiness is concerned. Thus, the world begins to assume that the Church is collapsing under the weight of corrupt leadership and ready to fade away in the present generation.

What’s happening? The problem is not so much bad reporting, as it is selective reporting. In the end we must conclude, Christians are no different from other folks in the world. There are bad, evil men who rule countries and/or head up businesses and social organizations, yet no one assumes, because of such rotten apples, the nation, the business or the social organization is about to collapse. No! That isn’t the point there, nor is it the point for the Church, when corrupt and evil men rise up to hold influential positions in a church outreach effort. The real problem with reporting Church scandals is, the journalist happens to be roaming the streets on garbage-day! Had he or she been active on any other day of the week, his or her effort in narrating an event would have been different. It would have been all about Jesus reigning in his people who help the poor, educate the masses, and aid the sick and the downtrodden. Then again, that’s not odd enough or corrupt enough to be garbage, and, thus, to be newsworthy. Is it?