Seeing a Flerken
by Elizabeth Kos
I always struggle when Jesus gets mad at people. If you’re into Marvel movies, it’s kind of like seeing a flerken. One minute you’re petting this warm, fuzzy, kitty and the next minute that kitty spews tentacles from its mouth and eats a car whole. (Jesus, forgive me for comparing you to a flerken!) I know that Jesus does and should rebuke people, but when he’s flipping tables and admonishing groups of people, I can’t help feeling taken aback.
Today, Jesus looks at all of us and says, “Let me tell you what’s wrong with you people.” Ouch. No one likes unsolicited criticism, but it’s especially rough coming from Jesus!
So, what’s wrong with us? When we don’t like the message, we discredit the messenger. And this isn’t just true of the people two millennia ago. If I’m honest, I still wonder if John the Baptist could have paved the way for Jesus and still bathed regularly and ate a few less insects. And while I whole heartedly support Jesus’ model of eating, drinking and celebrating with friends on a regular basis, that doesn’t stop me from doubting what he taught sometimes because it’s hard.
When I tell myself that He might have done things differently if He came today, or that two thousand years of scholars have misinterpreted what He meant when He said it, I doubt Him. I doubt his teachings because I struggle with them just as the people in this chapter of Matthew did. I try to force Jesus into what I think He should be and what I think He should teach because I want him to fit into my own molds of right and wrong.
I like my interpretations because they fit better today. Or maybe it’s that they help me fit into today better. Reading that back, maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised when Jesus lashes out.
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