Jesus: meek and mild?

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers whether the popular image of Jesus as meek and mild is really an accurate one

Readings for Thursday of Week 29 of Ordinary Time: Romans 6.19-23; Luke 12.49-53

Way back in 1999 the Churches Advertising Network in the UK caused a stir with its poster encouraging people to attend church at Easter that year. It featured an image of Jesus modelled on a famous picture of the Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara. The slogan on the advert was “Meek. Mild. As if. Discover the real Jesus”. It caused much controversy at the time, which of course delighted the creators – at least people were talking about it. The message of the advert was surely that the popular image of Jesus is indeed one who is meek and mild, the figure who preached love and forgiveness while blessing children and being nice to animals. The real Jesus, the message went, was more hard hitting than this.

We see that “other” side to Jesus in today’s Gospel. He says “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”. He then goes on to talk about how families and households will be divided because of his message. There’s not a lot of meekness or mildness here! Jesus is surely trying to underline just how important the Christian faith is in the life of the believer. It is not a hobby or spare time interest; in the words of the great hymn it “demands my soul, my life, my all”. There can be no compromise, and others may find this hard to accept.

Paul uses equally stark language in today’s passage from Romans; he writes that Christians have become “slaves of God”, again emphasising total commitment. And yet we are not subservient, like the followers of an earthly revolutionary leader. As a result of becoming God’s slaves, we have received the “free gift of God … eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Let us rejoice in that!