Jesus wasn't like the big bad wolf
Communicating God's Love
Do you remember the story of "The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf"?
Since the old sow couldn't provide any longer for her three little pigs, she sent them off to live on their own and make their own fortunes.
The first little pig builds his house out of straw, the second builds his out of sticks, and the third builds his out of bricks.
Then along comes the big bad wolf to pay a visit at the house built of straw. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
The little pig remembers scary stories his mother told about the big bad wolf and replies, "No, no, not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin."
Tired of being a nice guy, the wolf growls back, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." And that's exactly what he does. Then he eats the first little pig. And -- still hungry -- he speeds to the second little pig's home built of sticks. And on goes the story.
Now, contrast the picture of the big bad wolf with the scene described in Revelation 3:20, which shows how Jesus went calling. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," Jesus says. "If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
Jesus shows the same depth of caring and concern when he extends this invitation: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
Unlike the big bad wolf, Jesus doesn't bang your door down, barge in, and bully you into submission. He doesn't come to eat you, but to eat with you. He doesn't come to take advantage of you; he comes to help you take advantage of life at its best now and forever.
Paul must have been reflecting about the compassionate way Jesus related to people when he described love in 1 Corinthians 13. Jesus was everything that Paul described love as. He was patient and kind. He was not envious or proud or rude or self-seeking or easily angered. He never delighted in evil, but rejoiced with the truth. He always protected and trusted and hoped and persevered.
In a word, Jesus loved people, and because he loved people, he respected them and wanted the best for them. He cared for them.
Some people pretend to care for others when they are actually trying to control them. Jesus didn't. His caring grew out of genuine concern for a person's well-being and fulfillment. He did not nurture dependency. He encouraged growth and self- actualization.
Jesus came to show us -- not just to tell us -- who God is. By the way he respected and responded and related to people, he described how God respects and responds and relates to us. He demonstrated that God is love.
Jesus was also describing God's nature when he told the story about the father whose son asked for his inheritance. While his son was in a far country, involved with the wrong crowd, his father did not hire a bounty hunter to chase him down and drag him back. It didn't take long for his son to go through his inheritance and come to himself and decide to go home and beg his father to hire him. When he returned, his father did not scold him. He did not hire him as his servant; he welcomed him as his son.
Jesus was saying that God is like that with us. God welcomes us home. He does not treat us like puppets. God invites himself into our lives. But he gives us the freedom to decline his invitation. That's what love is. And that's who God is!
No, Jesus was not like the big bad wolf and God is not like the big bad wolf and as followers of Jesus we are not supposed to be like the big bad wolf either. Luke 6:36 sums up how we are created to live: "Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."
At times, some of us have been more like the big bad wolf than we have been like Jesus. I haven't been and you haven't been, of course, but I know some colleagues who have been. You probably know some, too.
As pastors, most of us have vague job descriptions and less supervision than most people in our pews. Consequently, we have more opportunities to define our responsibilities and authority, and more opportunities to exploit our positions and privileges. When we abuse these opportunities, we become self-serving. We neglect our sermon preparation, our church administration duties, and our other pastoral responsibilities.
We develop holier-than-thou, better-than-thou, smarter-than-thou attitudes. We bully people, lay guilt on them, pressure them to do more and give more. We exploit relationships, and justify whatever we do or don't do, including sexual exploits, which we call something else. We act more like the big bad wolf than we act like Jesus.
Aristotle -- the brilliant teacher of rhetoric who lived more than 300 years before Jesus was born -- said a speaker's most powerful means of persuasion is his ethos, the Greek word for character. It's still true. Good moral character gives you good credibility. People trust you. They listen to your message.
That's why Jesus was the master communicator. He was credible. He loved people just as they were and people knew it, and because they received his love their lives were transformed.
Our effectiveness as communicators of God's love depends on whether we are like the big bad wolf or like Jesus.
Dr. Boyce A. Bowdon, a United Methodist minister and writer, is author of several books, including "A Child Friendly Church."
Since the old sow couldn't provide any longer for her three little pigs, she sent them off to live on their own and make their own fortunes.
The first little pig builds his house out of straw, the second builds his out of sticks, and the third builds his out of bricks.
Then along comes the big bad wolf to pay a visit at the house built of straw. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
The little pig remembers scary stories his mother told about the big bad wolf and replies, "No, no, not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin."
Tired of being a nice guy, the wolf growls back, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." And that's exactly what he does. Then he eats the first little pig. And -- still hungry -- he speeds to the second little pig's home built of sticks. And on goes the story.
Now, contrast the picture of the big bad wolf with the scene described in Revelation 3:20, which shows how Jesus went calling. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," Jesus says. "If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
Jesus shows the same depth of caring and concern when he extends this invitation: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).
Unlike the big bad wolf, Jesus doesn't bang your door down, barge in, and bully you into submission. He doesn't come to eat you, but to eat with you. He doesn't come to take advantage of you; he comes to help you take advantage of life at its best now and forever.
Paul must have been reflecting about the compassionate way Jesus related to people when he described love in 1 Corinthians 13. Jesus was everything that Paul described love as. He was patient and kind. He was not envious or proud or rude or self-seeking or easily angered. He never delighted in evil, but rejoiced with the truth. He always protected and trusted and hoped and persevered.
In a word, Jesus loved people, and because he loved people, he respected them and wanted the best for them. He cared for them.
Some people pretend to care for others when they are actually trying to control them. Jesus didn't. His caring grew out of genuine concern for a person's well-being and fulfillment. He did not nurture dependency. He encouraged growth and self- actualization.
Jesus came to show us -- not just to tell us -- who God is. By the way he respected and responded and related to people, he described how God respects and responds and relates to us. He demonstrated that God is love.
Jesus was also describing God's nature when he told the story about the father whose son asked for his inheritance. While his son was in a far country, involved with the wrong crowd, his father did not hire a bounty hunter to chase him down and drag him back. It didn't take long for his son to go through his inheritance and come to himself and decide to go home and beg his father to hire him. When he returned, his father did not scold him. He did not hire him as his servant; he welcomed him as his son.
Jesus was saying that God is like that with us. God welcomes us home. He does not treat us like puppets. God invites himself into our lives. But he gives us the freedom to decline his invitation. That's what love is. And that's who God is!
No, Jesus was not like the big bad wolf and God is not like the big bad wolf and as followers of Jesus we are not supposed to be like the big bad wolf either. Luke 6:36 sums up how we are created to live: "Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."
At times, some of us have been more like the big bad wolf than we have been like Jesus. I haven't been and you haven't been, of course, but I know some colleagues who have been. You probably know some, too.
As pastors, most of us have vague job descriptions and less supervision than most people in our pews. Consequently, we have more opportunities to define our responsibilities and authority, and more opportunities to exploit our positions and privileges. When we abuse these opportunities, we become self-serving. We neglect our sermon preparation, our church administration duties, and our other pastoral responsibilities.
We develop holier-than-thou, better-than-thou, smarter-than-thou attitudes. We bully people, lay guilt on them, pressure them to do more and give more. We exploit relationships, and justify whatever we do or don't do, including sexual exploits, which we call something else. We act more like the big bad wolf than we act like Jesus.
Aristotle -- the brilliant teacher of rhetoric who lived more than 300 years before Jesus was born -- said a speaker's most powerful means of persuasion is his ethos, the Greek word for character. It's still true. Good moral character gives you good credibility. People trust you. They listen to your message.
That's why Jesus was the master communicator. He was credible. He loved people just as they were and people knew it, and because they received his love their lives were transformed.
Our effectiveness as communicators of God's love depends on whether we are like the big bad wolf or like Jesus.
Dr. Boyce A. Bowdon, a United Methodist minister and writer, is author of several books, including "A Child Friendly Church."
