A family who thought he was crazy and tried to get him to quit the ministry. (Mark 3)
A small business, its customers and the stresses of making money.
Religious people.
Religious leaders willing to kill to protect their turf and their idea of God.
Religious leaders who misused the scriptures.
Religious leaders who hated you if you challenged them.
Religious leaders on the payroll of the politically powerful.
People caught up in a racist mentality.
People who thought politics was the way to solve everything.
People who thought a war was God’s way to bring about the Kingdom.
People without mercy.
Slow students. Really slow.
Sexual sinners.
Backstabbing friends.
Religious people who were shocked at his liberal behavior and lack of concern for his witness.
Religious instutionalists who thought it was all about the show they controlled and profited from.
Religious flea markets.
People who didn’t get the main point of the scriptures even though they studied them all the time.
Taxes.
Gossip, whining, arrogance and generally juvenile behavior among his students.
Chest beating manly braggarts who denied knowing him when challenged by a girl.
People who couldn’t understand his sermons.
People who just wanted him to go away.
People who disliked him because he told the truth.
People who wouldn’t know that God was at work if he was right in front of them.
Which he was.
And is.
And you hear people say that the Bible doesn’t apply to their every day life.. lol..
I think this article shows it does. Jesus was dealing with the issues that effect our daily lives over 2000 years ago. The more things change the more they stay the same.
And through it all, he still went to the synagogue, “as was his custom” (Mark 10:1), “preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matt 4:23).
Sometimes he challenged them (e.g., Mark 10:2-12). Sometimes he affirmed them (e.g., Mark 12:28-34; Matt 23:2a), and always he revealed the Father to them (John 14:9). Let us do the same!
Did someone say that Jesus wasn’t an observant Jew?
Comment 2 was not meant to be a challenge to anything written (’twas a great original post!); it was meant as an encouragement for us to endure what Jesus endured for the sake of the Kingdom. Sorry that didn’t come through!
Isn’t it interesting to also see how Jesus interacted with these different types of people/situations. I have often said that it would be better to be a hooker than a religious leader…
I think that something in the Jesus Shaped idea has to have us determining how to interact with these people/situations very differently than we have been taught.
Yes, yes, yes… Absolutely not Foo-Foo…
JC may say you’re next… Always head on…
Always makes the real roaches run for cover… 2000 yrs ago and still today…
R-A-I-D!!!
And then all God’s people said “R-O-L-A-I-D-S!!!!!!!”
A few of my own to add to Michael’s superb list:
Lazy co-workers.
Religious leaders who fight over which one of them is His right hand man.
The fact that booze is ok, and if you run out before the party’s over, get some more.
Death.
How about…
Meddling mothers?
Estranged families?
Family arguments/disputes?
Rules devoid of reason or reasons or horse sense?
Women who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer?
People who could tell you what they wanted in five words or less?
People who would never admit their true agenda or desires?
“Thunderheads” who, in the name of zeal, were more interested in calling down lightening than being enlightened with truth.
[…] Things I’m Glad Jesus Talked About Michael Spencer has a great list of “Stuff I’m Glad Jesus Chose to Deal With While He Was Here.” You owe it to yourself to read it. […]
Great list.
Andy in #8…I like your “Women who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer!” :-)
[…] Michael Spencer has a provocative (and for me encouraging) post about “Stuff He’s Glad Jesus Chose to Deal With While He Was Here”. […]
[…] what made them angry. A number of them said injustice. For me, it was legalism and a lack of grace. In this post by Michael Spencer he points out how Jesus had a full experience with the frustrations of life and with the body of […]
How about…
“Worship” services that had absolutely nothing to do with worship.