Playing the Jesus Card

For these thoughts, my “muse” knows who she is, so thanks. For the rest of you, I am not sure how to get to the biblical point I need to make without first muddling through a particular political argument.

I was texted in the last few days with a request for my thoughts on an article written by one Stephen Mattson for Sojourner Magazine. The title fairly represented the author’s premise, “Social Justice Is a Christian Tradition – Not a Liberal Agenda.” He apparently wanted to make people who are wary of specific social justice movements feel more comfortable in participating with them, even to the point of believing that they are walking in the steps of Jesus for doing so. But, he lost me pretty quickly. The following introduces the article.

       “Many Christians are wary of participating in social justice because of a deep-rooted fear of being labeled “liberal,” “progressive,” or “secular.” They don’t want to be associated with “secular” movements, and are uncomfortable delving into issues that go beyond their cultural comfort zones.

     “But the Bible tells us that Jesus cared deeply about the social causes around him.

     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said,
     ‘Samaritan lives matter.’
     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said, ‘Children’s lives matter.’
     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said, ‘Gentile lives matter.’
     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said, ‘Jewish lives matter.’
     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said, ‘Women’s lives matter.’
     “Instead of saying all lives matter, Jesus said, ‘Lepers’ lives matter.’

     “Even though Jesus loves everyone, even to the point of dying for their sins, he went out of his way to intentionally help specific groups of people — the alienated, mistreated, and those facing injustice.

     “So saying 'Black Lives Matter' and participating in a movement seeking justice, positive reform, and empowerment is one of the most Christ-like things we can do.”

Apparently, Mr. Mattson has in his sights those who would specifically dismiss the BLM movement with what he finds to be a cliché: “All lives matter.” But, in doing so, he began by erecting what is, in my experience, a straw man. He identified them with his first words as “Many people …”

I belong to a church, a Bible School class, and the rest of my closest relationships are largely Christian. I cannot think of any of them who have ever shared with me that they avoid joining in particular social causes because they are wary that their buddies will call them “leftists.” Without speaking for them, I could never be a part of Black Lives Matter, not because of any potential scorn from my friends, but because of the plethora of problems I have with the movement’s claims, poster-children, and rhetoric. I’ll save that explanation for anyone who asks. (By the way, I do have friends who are deeply involved in social justice causes they trust.)

I could not help but notice that, according to Mattson, Jesus never collectively said, “All lives matter,” but rather, that individually He spoke to the worth of every specific demographic of the ancient world that came to the author’s mind. In fact, we have no record that Jesus uttered any of these things. Of course, I realize that the author was just using a figure of speech, but what he communicated to me was that Jesus conducted Himself as though all lives mattered.

I hinted that my real agenda for writing was to make a biblical point, not a political one. I guess I have a little issue with a practice I call, “Playing the Jesus Card,” of which the aforementioned article is simply a blatant example. If Jesus conducted Himself according to any mantra, it was not that these or those lives mattered. Jesus embodied the ethic of the kingdom of God, and He applied that ethic to everyone He encountered. We have no example of Him ever zeroing-in on some specific social justice cause that in any way might confuse us in our understanding that His all-consuming passion was to advance the kingdom of His Father.

There is such a thing as a religious right AND a religious left, and I do not get the sense that either group is particularly interested in the precise and accurate treatment of the scriptures so as to advance the invisible kingdom of God that Jesus disclosed to His earliest disciples. Rather, the use of the Bible and the example of Jesus is played like a card to steer emotion and/or guilt. I take issue when any party represents the Bible as saying something it simply does not say, whether that misrepresentation comes from the political right or the political left. 

Every time I go to work or return home, I pass a church sign that has taken playing the Jesus card to absurd extremes. When folks were up in arms about immigrant children being separated at the southern border from the adults accompanying them, the sign said, “Let the little children come to me.” Really? I never knew that verse was about immigration. Currently the sign says, “Listen to women. Jesus did.” I had to wonder if this literary wizard understood that Jesus was a loyal Jew Who gave a high place to the Law of Moses. I suspect that He would have listened to a woman AND supported the concept of due process and corroborating witnesses, not as the United States constitution emphasizes it, but as YAHWEH, through Moses, commanded it. The stupidest slogan to date was posted several months ago: “God’s bathrooms are for everyone.” I guess the church was arguing that God is okay with the tearing down of gender distinctions.” (Actually, I did not and still do know what to say to that one except, perhaps, “Repent, or at least keep your head low in a lightning storm.”)

The only reason that any of these nonsensical misuses of the Name of God or Jesus can work is rampant biblical illiteracy among the people of God, which exposes them as fodder for emotional demagoguery because they are simply unarmed in the battle for discernment.

The Bible is not simply a book of ancient documents to be used as frivolously and carelessly as needed for some political hack to score points. It is the living, active, God-breathed Book of God that expresses the Incarnate Word of God. When it is abused to manipulate the minds of people rather than to enlighten them to the mind of God, the abusers themselves are one day going to have to answer, regardless of whether they tilt right or left in their politics.

Every Christian’s walk with Jesus should inform their walk in this world. I take no issue with those who feel led toward some work they believe in because they think it honors Jesus. But, if anyone attempts to play the Jesus card so as to coerce another into seeing things his or her way, I can only recommend to that person, “Be very sure that you are being accurate with God’s Word.” Paul spoke of “rightly dividing the word of truth,” because there must be many ways to twist it to one’s own ends.