Jesus Kicked Out of Church–Part 2 – Steve Orr

Click here for Jesus Kicked out of Church part 1.
Jesus was not impressed by political power.
When interrogated by the Roman Governor, the foremost authority in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate asked, “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
Jesus did not flinch, saying, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” Pilate was oblivious to the double meaning. Jesus was talking about “the god of this world,” but Pilate was thinking about Caesar back in Rome.
Jesus also confronted the well-entrenched religious authorities of his day, the Pharisees, who ruled over the capital city with all of its religious power.
Jesus undermined these religious authorities just by being a nice guy who was greatly liked by normal non-religious folk.
Jesus became a thorn in the side of the Pharisees. They lorded it over people with their readings of the Law of Moses. The entire religious system of Jerusalem was enriched, including individual members of the Levitical priesthood. Jesus became such a threat to the power structure that the Jews in charge plotted to have him killed.
This great battle had been brewing for centuries. Ultimately, it became the greatest theological debate and showdown in human history—Jesus versus Moses!
The Law of the Pharisees is a burden no human being can bear. They use it as a club to maintain power and keep people in line. If you want respect in this community, you only need to keep your head down and go along with the system.
The problem was that Jesus hung out with the wrong people. Those who didn’t measure up to acceptable behavior were the rejects of the system, and they loved Jesus for exposing the Pharisees for who they were, but he got on the wrong side of the religious leaders. Jesus deliberately broke their laws and traditions. He highlighted their hypocrisy, to the crowd’s delight, and made fun of them. If you really want to upset religious authorities, present a serious, scholarly challenge to their interpretation of Scripture. Ask hard questions. Point out problematic passages that conflict with old preachers set in their ways from their institutionally funded seminary training.
Think of this in a modern context. The church rumor mill would go nuts:
“Have you heard about this guy, Jessie? He ministers to sinners at the bar! Prostitutes follow him around, and he actually talks to them. He gives handouts to these losers, loafers, and lowlifes who can’t or won’t hold an honest job. Many of them are diseased illegal immigrants who even eat house pets. Sometimes, the sexual orientation of this motley crew is beyond reckoning. He’s obviously pandering to perverts and weirdos just to draw a crowd. OMG! Now they’re coming to church! How can we worship with all the distractions from dirty, smelly, and needy sinners who do not reflect our values? They are degrading. These miscreants and bums are a drain on our resources. Despite the financial drain, this Jessie guy never teaches tithing. And worst of all, his team of helpers are a bunch of misfits pretending to be teachers even though they don’t have credentials from a respected seminary.”
Religion poses as a refuge of stability in a confusing world. It fears unpredictability and instability.
If Jesus visited many of the modern mega-churches today, what would he see? Lots of money spent on large church edifices. Earnest entreaties for contributions to support these modern temples managed by a highly compensated clergy. Many well-dressed congregants in very comfortable chairs with plenty of good coffee and pastries in the back. They would be sold a prosperity gospel that depends on their faithfulness to the church. While no poor folk would be in sight, there would be plenty of talk about supporting para-church organizations specializing in ministering to the poor. People would make out their checks feeling good that they helped the poor—From a comfortable distance.
Jesus challenged the status quo. Not only did he mock the “generous” contributions of the wealthy, but he also made a whip and attacked the religious financial power structure by overturning their monetary system of exchange!
The Prince of Peace was at war with the religious-political establishment. The predictable result was that Jesus was executed like a common criminal. It was a well-planned and tidy operation of the power elite. This is the same toxic brew of the political and religious power that has exploited and domineered over the masses for millennia.
As seen by the steady decline in church attendance, this rebellion against Christless religion has been going on for decades. Jesus has left the building, and so have many of his followers. On average, every day, about 4,000 Christians leave the institutional church, and nine churches close their doors.
Christians never walk alone. The Holy Spirit comes alongside and Christ is our constant companion. Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us.
Let us take heart in the words of our Lord:
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. (John 15:18 NIV)
Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me. (Luke 10:16 NIV)
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:4-6 NIV)
While the great church exodus of our times may seem depressing, there is very good news on the horizon. More on that later.
Steve Orr writes to us from Montana. After working in the mecca of technology, Steve traded the rat race of Silicon Valley for the adventures of High Tech in Big Sky Country. Steve has an MBA with experience in accounting, finance, technology, and management. He occasionally writes a little software code, but mostly he likes writing about Matters of the Heart.