I Don't Think Jesus Wants Us To Evangelize

In Mark 8 Jesus asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am?” “Umm. Is this a trick question, Jesus?”

Right?

I imagine they likely looked at each other wondering who would take the first stab at it.

Well, “some say John the Baptist.”

And, “others say Elijah.”

And, “still others say one of the prophets.”

“Ahhh”, said Jesus, “but who do you say that I am?”

Crickets.

I imagine they looked at each mentally drawing straws to see who was going to jump on such a lofty question when all of a sudden Peter jumped up and said, “you are the Christ.”

Bravo, Peter! Right? He nailed it. If there was a theology exam that day, Peter passed it with flying colors. Who is Jesus?

He is the CHRIST.

He is the MESSIAH.

He is the LORD.

He is the SON OF GOD.

And since believing all the right things about Jesus is tops on his priority list and tops on the list of what it means to be a good follower of Jesus, it makes sense that the next thing he told Peter and the disciples to do was to head out into the world and tell everyone who would listen that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, the Lord, the Savior.

Except.

Well.

… He didn’t say any such thing.

Instead Mark tells us that Jesus “warned them not to tell anyone about him.”

Hm.

I’m in the middle of reading Colby Martin’s new book, “The Shift” (it’s BRILLIANT, go pre-order it. Now.) and in chapter 5 he points out that the Greek word used for “warned” is “epitimao” and it literally means “to rebuke”. It’s the same word, if you were wondering, that is used when Jesus …

“Rebukes” demons.

“Rebukes” the wind and the sea.

“Rebukes” Peter for trying to stop him from going to the cross.

And here, in Mark 8, he “rebukes” the disciples when they get the answer right about who he is - he rebukes them and tells them not to tell anyone about him.

I was always taught that the reason Jesus said this was because he didn’t want word getting out yet that he was the Messiah. Like, his time wasn’t up yet and if people started spreading around that he was the Son of God then the timetable of his crucifixion would be put into overdrive and the whole thing would go down much quicker than he wanted.

Eh.

Seems boring to me.

Right?

It seems boring and very un-human-like of Jesus. Why? Because if we make his command for his disciples not to tell anyone about him being the Christ out to be a mere coverup for his greater Divine plan that he wasn’t ready to have fully unfold …

I don’t know.

… It takes the human element out of Jesus, I think, and makes him way more God-like than human-like; and since Paul once said that “Jesus emptied himself of his divine qualities” (Philippians 2:7) in order to become fully human, it seems to me like that can’t possibly be right. Jesus was walking around as a human being (like you and me) who relied on the guidance and empowerment of the Divine to do his work … he didn’t walk around as an all-knowing, all-powerful deity who had a grand-master plan that he needed to keep under his hat until the moment was just right.

And so back to this rebuke or this command for the disciples “not to tell anyone about him” - why did he say that? What’s going on?

I find it interesting that he laid this command down in Mark 8, but then never took it back. Have you ever noticed that? He told the disciples in Mark 8 NOT to tell anyone who he was, but then never went on to later tell the disciples (in Mark 9, 10, 11, etc.) to now go out and tell the world that he is the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah.

Which doesn’t make sense, right?

Because if believing the right things about Jesus was tops on his list of priorities and if having the right theologies and doctrines and beliefs about him was the most important thing. Well. Then you would think that Jesus would have cut the leash off the disciples and told them to head out into the streets to tell everyone this wonderful thing they had discovered.

“Yes, Peter! Now is the time! Go into all the world and tell everyone that I am the Christ, that I am the Messiah, that they all need to believe in Me, Me, Me, Me!“

OR.

“Remember what I said a few chapters back, guys? It’s cool now. Peter, that thing you said about me being the Christ - go tell everyone!”

If evangelism and helping people believe in Jesus was an important thing on Jesus’ radar, then Jesus’ rebuke in Mark 8 is a gigantic example of missing the boat.

(Just saying.)

Here’s what I think.

I think Jesus told the disciples NOT to tell anyone about him and then never reversed that command by telling them to go out and tell everyone about him because Jesus really wasn’t interested in what anyone thought of him and he really wasn’t all that interested in creating a religion where everyone would bow down and worship him.

Rather.

He was much more interested in people following him, emulating his way of life, and walking in his footsteps of love and grace and mercy and kindness and inclusion.

In Matthew 28 Jesus said, “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations” … and what is a disciple?

Someone who can pass a theology test?

Someone who has all the right answers?

Nah.

It was once said that a disciple is someone who is “covered in the dust left behind by the feet of their rabbi.” In other words, a disciple isn’t so much someone who knows all the answers, but someone who has learned to walk and live and act and move like the teacher that they follow.

I think the evangelical church, in particular, can take note here and try obeying this command. Jesus told his disciples NOT to tell anyone about him and yet the evangelical church spends …

All.

Of.

Its.

Time.

… Telling everyone who will listen who they think Jesus is AND what everyone else is supposed to believe about him, as well.

“Jesus is God.”

“You have to believe ____ about Jesus.”

“You need to believe he died for your sins.”

“You need to ask him into your heart.”

“You need to say the sinner’s prayer.”

What if, though - what if trying to believe the right things about Jesus and have all the right answers about who he is and why he died and what if evangelizing to people in an effort to make sure that they also believe all the right things … what if all of those things are missing the point?

Like, what if he meant what he told the disciples in Mark 8?

And what if he really didn’t want his disciples (them and us) standing on the rooftops shouting our thoughts about him?

And what if he didn’t want us doing those things not because he was trying to hold off his big Divine plan of saving the world, but simply because he didn’t want all of the focus and all of the attention placed on who he was, but on how he lived his life as one who is the truest form that a human can possibly be?

If evangelism means telling people the right things to believe about Jesus, I gave that up this past year. I’m much more interested in being covered in the dust of Jesus’ feet and then spreading that beautiful dust on everyone I come into contact with.

Much love,