I am really excited about this blog series. It is sure to be one of my favorites. Yes, Christ did have a "dark side", according to the religious establishment anyway. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was all good, all loving, and perfect, had the worst of reputations. This three part blog will take a look at the dark reputation of our blessed Lord. We will start with His reputation of being a "heretic" and "blasphemer".
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
-Matthew 9:2-3
Jesus was called a heretic because He claimed authority to forgive sins, and as the story continues, make the paralyzed walk again. It is amazing how many times the religious establishment cries foul when someone starts helping people. at one point, we had people attending our church that typically don't darken the door of a church. Not only does this particular sub culture not go to church, they are normally not welcome at the House of God. Someone once asked me, "So, how are you going to handle this?" I thought to myself, "yeah... Lost people coming to church and hearing the gospel. That's a real problem..."
Church people, hypocrites, pit of vipers. They make it so hard for people to get to God.I also remember the Methodist minister who just recently was booted from that denomination for an act of love and service to his son. He was also labeled a heretic for what he did. Yet, what he did mirrors Christ's act of compassion to the paralyzed man. It also mirrors another incident where Jesus was accused of blasphemy...
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
-Matthew 12:11-14
It's interesting how Jesus was accused of blasphemy on multiple occasions for of all things, helping people.... These were not isolated instances either. After His "Sermon on the Mout" He touched a lepor. He allowed Himself to be touched by an unclean woman. Then He refused to condemn a notorious slut.... Heretic. On top of all this, He claimed to be God's Son, that He would tear down God's temple, then rebuild it, and eternal life is found by eating His flesh and blood as priests would eat the sacrificial lamb... Heretic
Jesus was labeled a heretic because He did what God wanted, not what the religious establishment said God wanted. All too often, people know what God wants, they know what the scriptures really say, but are more inclined to follow their traditions and what they've always been taught the scriptures say. For example, some churches REFUSE to allow certain styles of music or instruments in worship NOT because it would be unbiblical, but because "that's not how we do things around here!".
Jesus placed Himself in the same predicament. He asked Himself, "What does God say?" not, "What do people say about God?". He knew that rules, rites, and rituals were of no importance. He taught His followers that if they loved God, and loved people, they would have done alright. For that, He was labled a heretic.
