Jeffress Vs. Jesus

Dr. Robert Jeffress is the pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, TX, and a strong supporter of Donald Trump. Evidently, the admiration is reciprocal, because President Trump had Jeffress preach a special sermon for him the night before his inauguration.

A few weeks before the election, Pastor Jeffress was interviewed on National Public Radio about his unabashed support for Trump. Toward the end of the conversation, Jeffress was asked how he felt about one of Max Lucado’s election-themed blog posts, in which he called Christians to restore each other's humanity and stop being mean.

This was Jeffress’ reply:

Well, first of all, I see a lot of common ground with Max Lucado. I love Max Lucado. And, you know, I've disagreed with his point of view. When I'm looking for a leader who's going to fight ISIS and keep this nation secure, I don't want some meek and mild leader or somebody who's going to turn the other cheek. I've said I want the meanest, toughest SOB I can find to protect this nation. And so that's why Trump's tone doesn't bother me. But having said that, I do agree with Max Lucado. There needs to be unity, especially in the body of Christ.

When I first read those words, several questions came to my mind such as: What should the body of Christ be looking for in a leader? Shouldn’t the head of the body of Christ, Jesus, be the leader of the Church? What should be the unifying principle that binds the body of Christ together? Shouldn’t we be unified around the cross?

I don't want to insinuate that he is not a Christian, but what seems to be going on with Pastor Jeffress is an example of 1 Corinthians 1:18, 27-28 playing itself out in our culture.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …  God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are.

On the cross, Jesus died for His enemies in order to reconcile them to God. On the cross, Jesus looked foolish. On the cross, Jesus looked weak. On the cross, it looked like Jesus had lost and evil had won. Yet, on the cross, Jesus displayed the great power of God.

Perhaps one of the greatest examples of 1 Corinthians 1:18 playing itself out in the New Testament happens in Matthew 16.

In the latter days of His ministry, Jesus asks the disciples who they and the crowds say that He is. It’s a good question we need to ask ourselves from time to time. Is Jesus just a good teacher? Is He just a kind fellow who shows us a nice and fanciful ideal? Or, is He God? Is He the Lord of our lives? Is He the leader whose example we must follow?

After Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus proceeds to tell the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. He says that He must be killed and raised back up on the third day. 

Peter can’t fathom the Messiah losing like that so he says, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But Jesus immediately looked back at Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 

In Matthew 16, Peter views the cross as foolishness and weakness. Peter views the cross as losing because he was being deceived by the devil.

However, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so He begins to reveal to Peter and the other disciples the way to overcome Satan, the way to live in victory and achieve spiritual prosperity. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Jesus elucidated to the disciples and to us the manner in which the great power of God is unleashed. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage and eventual martyr for Christ, echoed his Lord’s words in one of his many works during the third century.

The kingdom of God is not in the wisdom of the world, nor in eloquence, but in the faith of the cross. … In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: “Christ sent me to preach, not in wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of Christ should become of no effect. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; but to those who are saved it is the power of God. – Cypran 250CE, Volume 5, p. 980-981

I believe that Pastor Jeffress is attracted to Trump’s tone and approach toward evil because it appears to be powerful. However, from a kingdom of God perspective, it is weak and foolish because it is completely antithetical to the cross. Is it possible that Pastor Jeffress does not have in mind the thoughts of God, but rather is unintentionally promoting the agenda of the god of this world?

As Paul, the writer of 1 Corinthians proves in his testimony, it is the cross, not a mean SOB, that truly has the power to transform evil into good in the world. It is the cross that turns hate-filled terrorists into love-driven missionaries. And I realize that may sound like nonsense to some, but it is the wisdom and power of God.