Jesus Is Not Nice

Yesterday Brenna Rubio pointed out what a flabby word ‘nice’ is. If you say you’re nice, it essentially has come to mean, “I don’t bother people much.” And that’s certainly not a good description of Jesus.

He turned over the tables of the powerful as they exploited people in the temple lobby, he was called a drunk and a ‘friend of sinners’ because of the company he kept, and stirred up enough jealousy and hatred in the elite to have him executed. That’s not what nice people do.

But there’s no doubt he was kind. He actively extended himself to others in relationship, he publicly called out the best qualities in others, and he gave gifts people could never have imagined receiving. When Peter, one of his best friends, summarized his life to a group of people who’d never hear of Jesus, he put it this way: “He went around doing good” (Acts 10:38).

Would you be willing to take a risk this week and try kindness? Let’s make this really practical. What if each day you attempted one extra act of kindness that goes above and beyond your usual level of engagement with others. Give a genuine compliment, make a donation, offer someone assistance, write a letter to your representative or sign a petition not because it primarily benefits you, but because it would help someone else. Then jot down your act of kindness each evening and reflect on the experience, aware of the Spirit’s presence with you as you process it.