The preacher was a nutcase!

Something had to be done!

But what?

As the discussions continued late into the night, the board members took turns listing the many sins of the preacher.

Word around town was that the preacher had been seen in the company of prostitutes and other sinners. He had even taken a trip down to the reserve of undesirables just a few miles out of town. Nobody did that! Everybody around the table that night knew that only people of a certain race could ever be accepted by God. Their own race! The board members shook their heads and gnashed their teeth at the horror of all the the things they had heard. Someone in a position of leadership should maintain an air of respectability!

The mood around the board room table was dire. Most thought that firing was too good for a preacher like this. Yet, even at this point there were still a few moderate board members who urged restraint until all the evidence could be heard. So it was that the chairman gave permission and the reports of the preacher’s misdeeds continued.

“He preaches stuff about loving your enemies, but you know how things are, we’ve got to fight to get things back on track. If we turn the cheek like he says, where’s that going to get us? Under somebodies thumb, that’s where.”

“He’s always out there with the common people, you’d think if he took his job seriously, he’d spend more time with the right people. People with money and influence. People who can help us build an even bigger building!”

“Indeed. Indeed.”

Everyone around the table stroked their long grey beards in agreement. It was common knowledge that the business of Holiness was confined to a certain sacred building and that the board members themselves were the ones appointed to administer this business of righteousness…for a reasonable fee of course.

“Um. Pardon me. What did the preacher say when you confronted him with all these things?” The last remaining moderate member of the board asked timidly from his position in the back corner of the room.

“That so-called preacher called us children of the Devil!” The chairman of the board snapped, irritated that anyone could still be on the fence about a preacher like this.

Everyone in the room gasped with horror.

They, the ones so well-trained in the art of preaching?

Children of the Devil?

Impossible.

“How can he say something like that? He never even went to seminary!”

“You think that’s bad. That isn’t even the worst of it,” another board member piped up. “A few weeks ago I was over at the Church with Matthew and a few others, we were just doing our normal business and then out of the blue, the preacher picks up a whip and chased us all out into the street! I’ve never seen anything like it! He was ranting away, yelling something about the evils of greed and the importance of prayer…it was hard to understand it all. Honestly, I just don’t know what to say about somebody like this. You know me, I’m a reasonable guy but this preacher has gotta go! That’s all there’s to it! I mean, we’re trying to appeal to young families here and this kind of behavior isn’t exactly family friendly…”

“Indeed. Indeed.”

At this point, even the most moderate member of the board had to admit that the preacher was a nutcase. He was leading the people away from the safe, comfortable traditions of old. He was stirring up things that would be better left alone, if they allowed this kind of chaos to continue, the Government would intervene, they’d lose their tax exempt status and worst of all, the board members would all lose their positions.

Then what?

They’d actually have to find work somewhere and that would be completely unacceptable.

It was time to deal with that crazy preacher!

After a few hours of sober discussion, the board members all agreed, the preacher would have to be done away with for the good of everyone.

Jesus would have go preach elsewhere.

He and his wild ideas weren’t welcome here anymore.

They would have to find a nice, respectable teacher instead.

***

To someone who finds this story outrageous…these types of incidents are actually recorded about Jesus in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Obviously, the character of Jesus also includes stories of Grace, Mercy and Love…but there is an edgier, revolutionary side to his character that is often watered down. Would this kind of Jesus be welcomed in Church today?

As a guest on certain “Christian” TV programs?

Why or why not?