The Emptiness of Christianity Overly Focused on Social Justice

Daniel Darling wrote a book titled The Original Jesus: Trading the Myths We Create for the Savior Who Is.  Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet.  Fortunately, he has a blog post that boils the book down into a free online read.  No one's false version of Jesus is safe, as Darling critiques both "Left-wing Jesus" and "American Jesus" among others.

One fake Jesus that consistently frustrates me is Social-Justice Jesus.  Darling doesn't have a specific version of this he discusses, but there are several that probably touch on this idea.

Now, don't get me wrong.  Jesus taught what would be considered social justice.  Scripture instructs us take care of the poor (Luke 14:12-14), the widows and orphans (James 1:27), and the foreigners (Leviticus 19:33-34).  Christians are to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44).  Those the world tells you to disregard, Jesus tells you to acknowledge, love, and serve.  The problem is that those who worship Social-Justice Jesus stop there, as if Jesus' teachings were only about earthly issues.  Social justice is part of Jesus' message, but it is not nearly the sum of his message.

Consider John 12:1-8, which my pastor taught yesterday.  Here's the text:

Six days before Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  So they gave a dinner for him there.  Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.  Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointing the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of  his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.  Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.  For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.

Mary shows up and "wastes" something that costs nearly a year's salary by dumping it on Jesus' feet.  Judas Iscariot points out that this resource could have been used to help the poor.  Of course he doesn't actually care about the poor, and Jesus knows this, but the point is valid, isn't it?  Money that could have helped widows and orphans was dumped on Jesus' feet and the floor.  Social-justice Jesus would probably agree with Judas' point, but the real Jesus doesn't.  The real Jesus points out that this woman lowered herself and sacrificed something of value to glorify him.

That's the crux of the matter.  As Christians, we don't care for the marginalized because they are marginalized.  We take care of the marginalized because it glorifies Jesus.  Caring for them takes care of the two greatest commandments, which is loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40).  By caring for those in need, we glorify Jesus by following his instructions.  By caring for those in need, we act on a love for others.  We give up our time to serve in soup kitchens because it honors Jesus.  We forgo extravagant vacations and luxury cars because sacrificing money to those in need honors Jesus.  The point of service isn't service.  The point of service (and anything else we do) is Jesus.

Social-Justice Jesus is empty.  Many like worshiping this fake Jesus because it makes us look good.  It makes us feel good.  But this version of Jesus falls short of the true Jesus.  Serving the marginalized is a part of being a Christians, but it is not the whole.  Jesus is the whole part.  Jesus includes serving the poor, obeying scripture, loving your neighbors, remaining chaste, putting others before yourself, and most importantly loving God and confessing Jesus as the Christ.

Yes, serve and love those in need.  But do it as a service to and love of Jesus (the real Jesus).