Why Trying to ‘Live Like Jesus’ Leads to Disaster

And the distinction between Christian and tribal worship

Photo by The Creative Exchange

I both love this statement AND see a deep problem with it…

“Jesus is a model for living more than an object of worship.”

I read it on an email from one of my spiritual heroes, Fr. Richard Rohr. I know he means well with it and totally understands what I’m about to say a hundred times more than I do. I just think that it can be a dangerous statement if taken the wrong way.

First, I’ll address the last part of the sentence — the part about the ‘object of worship’… In one sense, I agree. I don’t think that Jesus wanted us to ‘worship’ him in the common sense of the word. When I think of ‘worshipping’ someone, I tend to think of it in a tribal sense. In a religious “My God/king/president is better than yours and I’m more righteous than you” kind of way.

The way I’ve read it, the Gospel of Jesus is diametrically opposed to this way of ‘worshipping’ him. Yes, Jesus had his feet washed and kissed, but he also returned the favor. He was a living and breathing divine dichotomy — the loving servant and suffering victim who never lost his divine inheritance as the Son of God.