Jesus Was Not A Hippie Or Ned Flanders

Ned Flanders from The Simpsons

"For after years of living in a cage, a lion no longer even believes it is a lion...and a man no longer believes he is a man." (Wild at Heart, pg. 41)

Lately I've been struggling with the whole concept of authentic masculinity.  As a Catholic Christian, I am supposed to believe that Jesus is the perfect model of masculinity. Honestly, I still struggle with this. So, in order to help myself out light I decided to re-read one of my favorite spiritual books, "Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge.  (a must read for every man and woman)

Here are the attributes that I ascribe to real men:

• A warrior, a fighter a type like King David, General Patton, or George Washington
• Someone who passionately and competently fights against injustice
• Someone who believes in peace, but through strength
• Someone who is not afraid to stand up for the truth
• Someone who is a strong financial provider for his family
• Someone who commands respect
• Someone who is fierce and projects confidence
• Someone who sacrifices for others
• Someone who is physically and spiritually fit

Now compare this with the view that most churches (thankfully dying churches) have of Jesus today:

• He was the nice and overly polite guy
• He was a relentless peace advocate, who was against the military and any force
• He hated rich people
• He only loved poor people
• He always turned the "other cheek", accepted abuse, and did not defend himself  (Crucifixion)
• He was passive, and overly compliant, and routinely tolerated bad behavior

I attribute much of this warped view of Jesus to liberal priests, seminarians, nuns, bishops, and female dominated churches who were only concerned about climate change and fuzzy, felt banners. 

In all this madness where did I fit in? Why would any intelligent, masculine man want to be part of this church?  Well intentioned, spiritually hungry men would be forced to listen to sermons that often villainized them for being too violent, abusive, and the cause of most of the evils in the world.  The only men that were accepted in these radical churches were the emasculated, psychologically castrated men, the types like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons.  The "ideal man" in these churches was "the nice guy" who everyone liked, but ultimately didn't respect. As a man this type of Jesus had no appeal to me,  I needed Jesus to be much tougher, and convincing than Ned Flanders. Or I would never follow him

As I was reading Wild at Heart I came upon a section that has helped me in part to reconcile some of my misunderstandings with the masculinity of Jesus.

" Now- is Jesus more like Mother Theresa or William Wallace? The answer is...it depends.  If you're leper, an outcast, a pariah of society whom no one has ever touched because you are "unclean," if all you have ever longed for is just one kind word, then Christ is the incarnation of tender mercy.  He reaches out touches you.  On the other hand, if you're a Pharisee, one of those self appointed doctrine police...watch out.  On more than one occasion Jesus "picks a fight" with those notorious hypocrites." (Wild at Heart, pg. 24)