Was Jesus A Shock Jock?
Jun 8th, 2007 by TheStraitGate
I was reading an article the other day where a guy was talking about the Don Imus affair and made the claim that just as Imus shocked people, so did Jesus Christ in much the same way, making Jesus the original shock jock.
And I thought to myself “don’t be ridiculous”.
A shock jock says outrageous things that upset innocent people - and in some cases pays the price - whereas Jesus was just controversial. He didn’t deliberately upset anybody. You can’t compare the two.
But then yesterday I was reading something about parables which said that Jesus’ parables would have a twist which ‘disturbed the hearers assumptions about the way things are’ - and my mind immediately went back to the shock jock claim.
So I decided that maybe there was more to this claim than I thought. Let’s look at some of the words in red (as I like to call them) and see.
First stop - the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. We all know this one don’t we. It’s all about love thy neighbor. Help those in need. Nothing controversial, just a nice little ‘how to be a good Christian’ story.
Just a minute though - wasn’t one of the people who refused to help the guy a priest?
Yes, but that’s OK, he didn’t want to risk defiling himself. Besides which, a Samaritan came to help.
A SAMARITAN ????? Good grief man, don’t you know that orthodox Jews depised Samaritans and thought them to be unworthy of God ????? And you’re telling me that this Samaritan is better than a priest??!!!
Whoops. Bit of a shocker then. Better get Jesus on Hannity and Colmes tonight to explain himself.
Lets move on to something else.
Second stop , the Pharisee and the Tax Collector - Luke 18:9-14.
The Pharisee gets up and prays “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”
I’d be grateful too, the Pharisee was considered to be the epitome of piety, highly respected within the Jewish community. Do you like the bit about “or even like this tax collector”?
Speaking of whom……..
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
You’ll be lucky. Larry Lowlife the tax collector, you should be…… wait a minute, what did Jesus just say?
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The tax collector is justified (right before God) but the Pharisee isn’t? Wow, another shocker.
Better get Jesus down for Bill’s talking points memo tonight.
Final stop - John Chapter 8 verse 58:
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” ”
Nothing wrong with that is there? I wonder why the next verse says they picked up stones to throw at him?
Simple. He’d just claimed to be God. No wonder they got upset.
Tonight Greta goes on the record with Jesus Christ.
Was Jesus a shock jock?
You decide…….
