The Extra-Religious Jesus

The Extra-Religious Jesus

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.[1]

As I have stated numerous times throughout this series, Jesus did not seek to start a new religion. Jesus sought to teach a holier way of living that is consistent with the will of God, was accessible for any time or culture, and could be practiced by anyone regardless of their religion beliefs, if any. Jesus never left his Jewish faith, even as the Jewish leaders sought to murder him. Our religious choices do not usually determine how we live or how we treat others anyway. Our beliefs more often influence how we justify our actions—we change our excuses long before we change our behaviors. Jesus understood this. He also understood that the religious leaders of his day were not going to lead their followers to God, at least in part because they did not know how to do that themselves. It wasn’t so much because of their evil intentions as because of their ignorance. They protected specific Jewish beliefs and practices (and ignored others) from time immemorial as traditional paths to living a life obedient to their God. Not surprisingly, following their chosen beliefs and practices also benefitted them personally, in wealth and social status, while enhancing their relationship with their Roman occupiers.

And the same occurs today under the guise of Christianity. We mold our religion to justify our desired actions instead of allowing our religion to guide and change our actions. It is not that we or our leaders are inherently evil but that we and our leaders are misguided and know no other way. The Way Jesus taught and that his early followers journeyed is primarily an inner journey that does not require a church, religion, or religious leaders. Certainly, churches, religious beliefs, and leaders can assist in the transformation sought, if they themselves have been transformed, but the crux of the journey is between an individual and God. And Jesus showed how that path begins by focusing our attention outward on the needs of those less fortunate than us even as we direct our change efforts inward, seeking to awaken our deepest, inmost selves where our essential nature is and always has been One with God. It is not as hard as it is unusual. It is not taught or rewarded in earthly circles. We will not learn that path by any educational system that serves or teaches worldly political or religious powers. The path cannot be taught there because the path does not exist or lead there.

Mahatma Gandhi, the devout Hindu and non-violence guru who peacefully led his beloved India to freedom from Great Britain last century, was a fan of Jesus. He is said to have studied the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) regularly. He famously said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” And that is a brilliant summation of the point I’ve spent these many words trying to make: We Christians are so unlike our Christ! If we separate the life and teachings of Jesus from the rest of the Bible for a moment, we find a few core themes recurring throughout: using non-violent means to achieve one’s ends, loving others (including our enemies), feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming the stranger, caring for immigrants. Although we may be able interpret other parts of the Bible as supportive of behaviors contrary to this list, we cannot justify behaviors contrary to this list from the life and teachings of Jesus. And if we proclaim ourselves as Christians, meaning followers of the Christ, shouldn’t our behavior be as consistent as possible with his teachings? Of course it should!

In his book, A More Christlike God,[2] Bradley Jersak, expands on the need to use the life and teachings of Jesus as the standard by which everything else in the Bible must be filtered if we are to live a  Christian life. He quotes the biting, satirical humor of Bill Maher, saying, “If you’re a Christian that supports killing your enemy and torture, you have come up with a new name for yourself…’Capping thy enemy’ is not exactly what Jesus said.” Maher continues: “If you ignore every single thing Jesus commanded you, you’re not a Christian – you’re just auditing. You’re not Christ’s followers, you’re just fans.”[3] While I am no fan of much of Bill Maher’s humor, I confess these words hit hard and close to home for me. Yes, if we are to call ourselves Christian, we must use the life and teachings of Jesus as our standard. Everything else is secondary and is interpreted and understood by that standard. In the words of a popular meme, “Stop trying to sit at the tables Jesus overturned!”

This is the 49^th in a series titled Crucifying Christianity, Resurrecting the Way.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi

[2] Bradley Jersak, A More Christlike God, Plain Truth Ministries, Pasadena, CA, 2015.

[3] pp. 10-11.