I bring this up because Former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura once said that religion is a crutch for "weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." Other noted atheists have said similar things using the illustration of a crutch as a sign of weakness. The criticism implies that religion is used by people of faith as a coping mechanism for their anxieties and insecurities.
But after hobbling around all summer after surgery with a bum leg, my answer back (in the form of a question) would be: What's so bad about a crutch? People don't usually look at a crutch and say, "That's bad." A crutch is actually a very useful thing. My crutches allowed me to get around despite the limitations of my recovery from surgery. Without them I would have been immobile. So why does a crutch become a bad thing when it refers to religion?
Answer: Because we don't like to see ourselves as cripples. We like to think of ourselves as healthy and self-sufficient. We take pride in our ability to get around on our own. So as Christians, we tend to get defensive when people go about labeling religion as a crutch. But look carefully at what Jesus said:
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17). In other words: It is not the able-bodied that need a crutch, but the crippled, lame and wounded. Guess what? That’s you and me. That's all of us. Nobody is perfect. We’re all sinners and in need of healing. That’s why Jesus came to help us.
The common belief is that we are NOT cripples. The world says: "I'm OK. You're OK. We're all able in body, mind and spirit to get along just fine without God. In fact, there are many generous, good-natured people who have no connection to any religious institution whatsoever and do not espouse any particular faith." Instead of embracing faith, our popular culture believes that happiness and fulfillment in life are to be found in the pursuit of things like: self-reliance, self-confidence, self-determination, self-esteem and self-admiration.Think about each one of these...
1. The world endorses self-reliance. There’s no need to rely on God or exhibit the childlike faith that Jesus calls us to. That’s for sissies! If you want something done right--you have to do it yourself. Just do it!
2. The world embraces self-confidence. Don’t trust God. Trust yourself. The idea of submission is for weak people, stand up for yourself! Believe in yourself and go for it! You can do anything you put your mind to.
3. The world promotes self-determination. We're told early on in life to pick a path. Follow your heart. Pursue your dreams. Set goals and in life and go after them. But when Jesus says, "Follow Me," or "Do my will," we react: "No way! What about my own free will? I'll determine my own destiny, thank you."
4. The world values self-esteem. You’re beautiful. You’re gifted. You’re smart. You’ve got what it takes. Don’t look down on yourself. You’re a winner! Everyone gets a trophy in sports these days. That’s all about self-esteem. But Jesus says, "Your self-esteem comes from being created in the image of God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made." So even though you’ve fallen from grace, through faith in Christ, you’re forgiven. By God's grace, you’re restored. You are redeemed.
5. The world is obsessed with self-admiration. Love yourself. Worship your own image. In fact, take 100 selfies and post all your pictures on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat. But Jesus says: Love God, worship Him alone. And love others as God has loved you.
Do you notice anything about the ways of the world? The world's values all revolve around SELF. Our culture has become so self-obsessed without realizing the impact of it. It’s a religion of self-worship that actually has dominated the world ever since Adam and Eve fell in love with the image of their own independent potential apart from their Creator. It is the reason why they rebelled against God.
Then along comes Christ, our Messiah, not with a sword, not in power or prestige, but as a humble little baby! He arrives in a manger (a feeding trough for animals). Born in Bethlehem, to a poor carpenter in a smelly stable. Then as a grown man he begins teaching things like: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). It’s not at all what people expected the Messiah to be. This is why Christ is a stumbling block for many people—because He takes the disease that we hate most, namely, sin and helplessness, and instead of deflecting these things the way the world does, Jesus says: Recognizing your sin is the first step toward a cure. Admitting your personal weakness is the answer. Helplessness is the doorway to heaven.
The teachings of Jesus challenge our normal way of thinking. What Jesus taught was radical and counter-cultural. It was so radical, it made a lot of people angry. Mostly to the religious people. His words were a threat to their status quo. Jesus took the idea of being “poor in spirit” (which is normally viewed negatively) and he turned it upside down. Now being humble (poor in spirit) is the key to the kingdom.
This certainly is a hard teaching of Jesus. We don’t like to think of ourselves as weak, wounded, lame or crippled. But the Bible reminds us that we are dust. We are sinners. We are sheep. We need to be childlike. Being “poor in spirit” means understanding who we are in the blinding light of God’s magnificent perfection. We are but shadows. We are a mist. We are nothing.
When you understand that, what does Jesus say? The poor in spirit—yours is the kingdom of heaven! Wow. That’s quite a deal. I’ll take that crutch any day.
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