EverybodylikesJesus.Don’tthey?WeoverlookthatJesuswasJudgmental--preachinghellfirefarmorethantheapostlePaulUncompromising--tellingpeopletohatetheirfamiliesChauvinistic--excludingwomenfromleadershipRacist--insultingpeoplefromotherethnicgroupsAnti-environmental--cursingafigtreeandaffirminganimalsacrificeAngry--overturningtablesandchasingmoneychangersinthetempleHedemandedmoralperfection,toldpeopletocutoffbodyparts,madepropheciesthathaven’tcometrue,anddefiedreligiousandpoliticalauthorities.Whilewetendtoignorethistroublingbehavior,thepeoplearoundJesusdidn’t.Somebelievedhimsodangerousthattheyfoundawaytohavehimkilled.TheJesuseverybodylikes,saysMarkStrauss,isnottheJesusfoundintheGospels.He’safigurewe’vecreatedinourownminds.StraussbelievesthatwhenweunpackthepuzzlingparadoxesofthemanfromGalilee,wefindgreaterinsightintohiscounterculturalmessageandmissionthanwecouldeverhaveimagined.
