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Thursday, December 04, 2014

Man Jesus


I listened to a sermon, which provoked some thought. The pastor suggested that the emergent church is painting Jesus as an effeminate man who lacks divinity. The pastor didn't think Jesus should be portrayed as a "hippie"—his exact word.

In the current contemporary culture, roles of men and women are not sharply defined. It is becoming more acceptable for men to possess characteristics that have been traditionally only attributed to women. In contrast, some evangelical authors are not as loose in their standards. The conservative church still upholds that men should maintain the traditional masculine roles and personas.

Personally, it does not bother me that men act more effeminate. It does not bother me that woman act masculine. My own personality is a mix of tomboy and girly diva. I don’t feel any obligation to force men into a standard mold because, honestly, unoriginal molds are boring.

However, I get leery when Jesus is portrayed as feminine. This has nothing to do with gender roles in Christianity; it has everything to do with the reality of God’s character. Anyone who reads scripture will know that Jesus is not effeminate. I fell in love with his kingship, his integrity, his power, and his masculinity. I am not suggesting Jesus is not sensitive or motherly. I believe Jesus is loving and gentle, much like a shepherd. However, the bulk of his character is strong and masculine.

I should stress that I don't believe Jesus's identity is the ideal identity for all men. This post is more about Jesus's unique identity, not some rant about gender roles.

Every human attribute used to describe Jesus fits nicely into the traditional roles of men: king, priest, bridegroom, and father. As humans, we are welcome to embrace our identities without fear of rejection. As God, Jesus has every right to display His true nature of divinity and masculinity.

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