Research reveals that in America today, when people think of Christ, they think almost exclusively of his feminine side. (Dave Murrow, Why Men Hate Going to Church) How much can we expect boys to want to grow up to be like a feminized Jesus?
The feminization of Jesus begins in Sunday School. Think of the images of Jesus you were given as a child. Probably, Jesus was well-groomed, meek and mild, with girlish hair, wearing a shiny white, clean dress. Under-muscled and frail, he is usually portrayed tapping gently on a door, playing with children, or looking lovingly into the eyes of a lamb nestled in his arms. Christ has become, as John Eldredge puts it, “Mr. Rogers with a beard.” Eldredge continues, “Telling me to be like him is telling me to go limp and passive. Be nice. Be swell. Be like Mother Teresa.” (Wild at Heart)
Apparently, Jesus was so nice that he preferred to lose. Kevin Leman tells the story of a mother who caught her two boys arguing over who would get the first pancake. Mom thought she had a golden opportunity to provide a moral lesson, so she said, “If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’” The older son turned to his brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.” (Making Sense of the Men In Your Life)
There are two problems with the feminized view of Jesus: 1). It isn’t true. To over-stress the feminine side of Christ while neglecting his masculine side is heretical. Heresy is truth out of balance. 2). No man wants to follow a feminized man! As Dave Murrow points out, “Men are looking for a real man to follow: dynamic, outspoken, bold, sharp-edged. They want a leader who is decisive, tough, and fair. They respect a man who tells it like it is and doesn’t mince words, even when it makes them mad. “
The Biblical portrait reveals that this is precisely the kind of man Jesus was. He was fearsome: after he calmed the storm the disciples were terrified of him and at another point, Mark records, “No one dared ask him any more questions“ (Mark 12:34). He was abrasive: he regularly offended the Pharisees with his brutal attacks on their self-righteousness and constantly chided his disciples about their unbelief. You might even say Jesus was ill-mannered: He walked into a dinner party and immediately began insulting his host (Luke 11:37-53).
Many men today have the idea that Christlikeness is synonymous with Mom-likeness. When was the last time you heard a sermon on risk-taking, competency, achievement, reward, or excellence? These more masculine virtues are legitimate values of the kingdom of God and were modeled by Jesus, as well as humility, kindness, and tenderness.
Christian men today need to call the church back from its feminization. We need to protect our sons and grandsons from the common feminized caricature of Jesus. At stake are the very hearts of our sons and grandsons who do not want to follow a feminized man. They desperately want to be masculine. So let’s show them true, godly masculinity in action! Then they will want to be like Jesus!
