Sentimentality and Jesus

I have previously mentioned the many “Jesus is my boyfriend” songs being used in church as “worship” songs, and how they completely distort the character of Jesus.  The International House of Prayer teaches what is known as the “bridal paradigm” of Jesus being the bridegroom of the individual Christian - which again distorts Jesus’ character, as well as twisting what the Scripture actually does say.

My wife receives daily email devotions from Joni Eareckson Tada’s Joni and Friends ministry, and today’s devotion speaks to this aberration.  I think she has hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Have you ever noticed that we treat a person or an object sentimentally because of emotion, not reason? That's certainly true when it comes to the sentimental pictures we have of Jesus...Jesus with His hair parted down the middle, surrounded by cherub-like children and bluebirds. Everywhere this Jesus walks, strains of organ music sound.

We even have sentimental hymns about the Lord. "He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the birds hush their singing." That's a line from one of my father's favorite hymns, and I know those thoughts can comfort us. But they are more reinforcement of a romanticized image. We have gilded the real Jesus with so much "dew on the roses" that many people have lost touch with Him.

Why do we prefer a sentimental picture? It requires nothing from us, neither conviction nor commitment. Because it lacks truth, it lacks power. We have to change that picture. And one way to do it is to think about the resurrection. Sure, romanticists try to color the resurrection with lilies and birds, but lay aside the emotions and think of the facts for a moment: A man, stone-cold dead, rose from His slab, and walked out of His grave.

That's almost frightening. But that's what Jesus did. That reality has power; it's truth that grips you. Some people believe Jesus came to do nice, sweet things like turn bad people into good. Not so. Our Lord and Savior came to turn dead people into living ones - and there's nothing sentimental about that.  Erase images of syrupy sweetness. Replace them with mental pictures of a powerful God who overcame the harshest foe - death itself. Then you will begin to grasp how amazing God really is.