Excommunicated Jesus

Has Jesus been thrown out of the church? If you’ve looked at certain segments of the Christian church today and wondered how it appears to be so far removed from the teaching of Jesus, it could be that they’ve asked Jesus to leave the church even as they pretend he’s still there.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them and they with me.” Revelation 3:20

It’s one of the best known verses in Scripture and is often used in evangelistic pitches to encourage non-Christians to become followers of Jesus. However, in its original context it has nothing to do with people who don’t believe in Jesus and has everything to do with those who say they do.

The context of this verse is a message to the people of God in the ancient city of Laodicea. It is not unbelievers that have shut Jesus out of their lives, rather it is Christians who have shut Jesus out of the church. Yes, you heard that right, the church can shut Jesus out and leave him outside, knocking on the door asking to be invited back in.

Sadly, this is not something that is unique to the people of Laodicea. Throughout history and in our own time we can find sections of the church where Jesus has been excluded from the community.

The church in Laodicea had become complacent and self-assured. Perhaps pride in their ability to do things themselves was at play too as we hear of them saying, “I am rich; I have acquitted wealth and do not need a thing.” Like us, they had no need to pray for their daily bread, they had an abundance of resources at their disposal.

It’s disheartening to think there are churches that shut Jesus out, but Jesus did say that there will be people who come before him and say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” To which we find Jesus responding, “I never knew you.” I suppose that’s because in spite of thinking they were following Jesus they had actually shut him out of their church.

While I’m saddened by this, I’m not surprised. Russell Moore in an interview with NPR shared that “multiple pastors tell me essentially the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount.” People would come up to them afterwards and ask, “Where did you get those liberal talking points?” To which the pastors would respond, “I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ.” Only to have people respond with, “Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak.”

I’ll add that it doesn’t take a lot of searching to find pastors who also prefer strongman language to the call of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In practice, if not in words, rejecting the beatitudes along with the call of Jesus to love your enemy and turn the other cheek. Rejecting also Paul’s admonition as he quotes Proverbs, “If your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”

Tragically, too many churches shut Jesus out in order to protect the lifestyles of their wealthy members. They don’t want to hear Jesus speaking to us in Matthew 25 when he says, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” We walk right past Jesus, often looking the other way. We don’t believe the statement of John the baptist who says if we have two shirts we should give to the one who has none. Even as many of us have walk-in closets filled with more clothes than we will ever need while many people in the world are without a shirt to call their own.

Oftentimes, we try to appease our conscience by giving a little, just enough to not feel guilt. As Wendell Berry writes in his poem, The Guest, “I paid him to remain strange.” It’s the mindset that says we should go on short term mission trips to help people “over there,” while doing all we can to keep “those people” away from where we live.

If you’re looking at elements of the Christian church and wondering where Jesus is it could be that he’s been excommunicated.

Jesus is shut out of the church.
I hear Jesus knocking on the door of the church.
He is asking to be let back in.
But who is listening?
Who will open the door?

”Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine you did for me.”

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