Man Up

There is a surge of energy in the evangelical church to “reclaim the male identity” (as I interpret it) that many lament has been lost in the flattening of gender roles in contemporary Western society.  Leading the effort is well-known, no-nonsense preacher Mark Driscoll.  For a quick peek at his representative view check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddFbELpXTcg

Do men have to fight to be men?  Must a true man have an aggressive mentality, a relentless urge to dominate others?  Am I a sissy or a ninny or have I lost my y-chromosome because I don’t have any desire to fight with or inflict harm upon another man?  Have true manhood and Americanized masculinity been confused for one another?

As Christians we believe the greatest example of a man, the purest personification of humanity, is Jesus.  So we should look at the New Testament to see if Jesus more resembled a cage fighter or crusader on the one hand, or if his “manhood” is best described in other ways.  We’ll briefly survey Jesus’ example and teaching.

His Example.  No one who has ever lived has been quite as compassionate, merciful, patient, and loving as Jesus.  In Israel’s tradition they referred to God’s character as “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”  Jesus put this description into motion, giving it flesh and substance as he dined with sinners (Luke 19:1ff), defended the accused (John 8:1ff), played and prayed with children (Mark 10:13ff), and forgave his executioners (Luke 23:34) to mention a few examples.  Jesus refused to retaliate, rejected putting on a spectacle to impress the religious authorities, and didn’t clamor for political power or personal prestige.  In his life and ministry as well as in his suffering and death Jesus demonstrated a seamless witness to the unequaled love and unqualified mercy of the Father.  And what about his emotional side?  Did he repress or hide feelings of fear that men in our culture aren’t supposed to have?  Not at all!  He wept at the death of his friend (John 11) and trembled in fear at the prospect of his suffering and death (Matt. 26:36-39).  He was a great man because he showed great love for others through service (John 13:3ff) and sacrifice (John 10:17-18).

His Teaching.  Let’s next consider Jesus’ teaching, which he perfectly embodied in his own example.  The Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matt. 5-7, is the best summation of Jesus’ teaching, laying forth the way of discipleship in the kingdom of God.  There he proclaimed God’s blessing on the humble, meek, merciful, peacemakers, and those patient in persecution (5:3-13), preached against all forms of murder including hatred (5:21-22), urged forgiveness and reconciliation (5:23ff), prohibited retaliation in all its forms (5:38-42), and called his followers to love enemies and pray for persecutors (5:43ff).  He taught that the way to treat others is to treat them as we ourselves want to be treated (7:12).  If you want mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and love, then live in these ways towards others, regardless of how they live towards you.  In his teaching Jesus didn’t define manhood so much as he defined discipleship for all, whether men or women, old or young.  This way of discipleship is the way of the cross (Luke 9:23), the way of selfless, sacrificial, suffering love.

Finally, let’s explore the most frequent biblical objection to this meek Savior: “What about when he turned over tables in the temple?—Jesus was aggressive, confrontational, and even violent.”  You can read the record of this incident in all four gospels (Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 2).  We have to ask if we are reading this story as aggressive men, excited that Jesus brandishes a whip and overturns tables, or if we are reading the story in its first century context.  Let’s consider that setting.  Jesus was outraged because people used the temple (the place of God’s presence and worship) for personal profit.  Jesus made a statement that day about the priority of worship, prayer, and inclusiveness in God’s kingdom: his father’s house is a house of prayer for all nations.  And note that none of the gospel writers mention that Jesus did physical harm to anyone.  He was upset and rightfully so, but he didn’t resort to violence.  He was honest with his anger and manifested it against the items of a corrupt system, not against the corrupt people themselves.  In this episode Jesus showed that a true man (or better said, a true worshiper) has strong conviction and courageous action to preserve the purity of worship and the honor of God’s name.

So where does this lengthy essay leave us in defining manhood from a Christian perspective?  People today sometimes use the phrase “Man up!” to encourage a man to “act like a man” defined as bold, fearless, and aggressive.  Rather, Jesus, as seen from his example and in his teaching, encourages us to be true men and women of God.  We “Man up” by walking the downward way of the cross.  We “Man up” by serving others, not demanding to be served.  We “Man up” when we use our words and actions to heal, reconcile, and bless, not to hurt, put down, or destroy.  We “Man up” when we show mercy, extend grace, and exhibit genuine love, not when we demand our due and insist on our way.  We “Man up” through humble submission to God and others (Eph. 5:21; Jas. 4:7), not striving for personal glory.  We “Man up” when we put weapons aside, resist seeking revenge, and bestow kindness upon our enemies (Rom. 12:14-21), not taking vengeance into our own hands, perhaps under the guise of “self-defense.”  We “Man up” when we’re honest with our emotions and authentic in our relationships, not when we feign confidence and display arrogance through a show of childish masculinity.

Said simply: real men follow Jesus through imitation and obedience, with love and devotion.  Man up.

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