Jesus Grew Up

“Jesus did grow up.” Perhaps the only important line in a very funny movie, Talladega Nights, it pokes fun at the spiritual immaturity of many Christians. They don’t get past “Sweet Baby Jesus” born in a stable and laying in a manger. Yes, Jesus did grow up and began his ministry with a radical message. . . a message that troubled the powerful, wealthy, and prominence people of his day. “Repent,” this message should trouble us today; if we let it.

Hypocrites

Jesus began his ministry with the words, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” This is still true today. In Matthew 23, Jesus listed the sins from which the people should repent.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices. . . But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. . . You blind guides! You strain at a gnat but swallow a camel.”

—Matthew 23: 23-24

I respect Jimmy Carter; he defiantly is not a hypocrite. I love that he taught Sunday school while President of the United States. He is a giant of human rights. Yet, I met him one time and he is not large in stature.

Human Rights Hero

When he was President, on April 25, 1979, a man named Georgi Vins was placed in a cattle car in Siberia, being exiled form home country. Four days later, Vins sat in a Sunday school class in Washington DC taught by President Carter.

Carter had agreed with Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union, to trade two convicted Soviet spies for the release of five human rights heroes. One of these heroes was the Baptist pastor, Georgi Vins, who insisted on proclaiming and living his faith in Jesus regardless of the consequences. When he left Russia, his head was shaven, he had a Bible in his hand, and a photograph of Jimmy Carter hidden in his shoe.

The words spoken by President Carter that Sunday morning in 1979 are just as relevant today:

“The highest goal that a government or societal structure can hope to achieve is justice…

The deprivation of justice is a serious matter. Those of us who don’t suffer much from it can observe it, if we are sensitive. Quite often we benefit from an injustice, because those with power, wealth, or social prominence are very likely to profit when an advantage is meted out to our peers who, in gaining some advantages from themselves, cause those same benefits to accrue to us.

And if we stand silent and reap the benefits of injustice, then we ourselves are equally culpable with those who initiate the injustice.”

—President Jimmy Carter

Equally Culpable

Equally culpable. . . meaning equally deserving of blame. The lesson is that injustice happens only with the complicity or, worse, acquiescence of people who benefit from the injustice or avoid responsibility by denying knowledge of it. After all, we can’t fix the world’s problems. However, as Christians, we are called to take responsible for our brothers and to love our neighbors, even standing up for those suffering in our community, in our nation, and even in our world.

When I was growing up, I learned an important lesson; don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. We are here to do good! To show the good works of our heavenly father. Yes, the Gospel is about the hope of eternal life, but the truth is that the “Kingdom of God is at hand.” It is here.

Maybe we aren’t powerful, wealthy, or prominent, but let us open our hearts and be troubled by the spirit of God with a radical message. Since I am my brother’s keeper, and I am called to love my neighbor, I must learn about their troubles. I must pray for their troubles. But, it is not enough to learn about or even to pray for their troubles. We are called to act, to be our brother and neighbor’s voice when they have none. I must speak up, protest, and even to fight against injustice and tyranny when I see it. Jesus grew up; we must grow up too.

“… First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”

—Matthew 23:26

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

Also, see Jesus Was a Radical.