Was Jesus Tolerant? and Should Christians Be?

Tolerance in today’s society is hyped up in the news and nearly every school. “You need to tolerate others and their beliefs” seems to be the current status quo. But what is tolerance? Better yet, for those people arguing that Christianity is the epitome of non-tolerance: Was Jesus tolerant? to function in society’s atmosphere, one needs to determine where one stands in such an issue as tolerance in order to prevent being trampled in the wake of others’ opinions and accusations.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, to “tolerate” means “to allow or permit; to treat with forbearance; to put up with; to allow religious freedom to” and “toleration” means “act of tolerating; allowance given to that which in not wholly approved; recognition of the right of private judgment in religion.” With this definition, there is an added twist that floats around in some circles. This attitude that one’s religion or belief is equally as valid as one’s neighbor’s seems to be spreading like wildfire. So what’s wrong with that idea? After all, it has been said by the author of Case for Faith, Lee Strobel, that “many people consider it arrogant, narrow-minded, and bigoted for Christians to contend that the only path to God must go through Jesus of Nazareth. In a day of religious pluralism and tolerance, the exclusivity claim is politically incorrect, a verbal slap in the face of other belief systems” (p204).

However, we are told in the Bible that Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). So how is a Christian to handle himself in this light? Does the Christian just not say anything and in doing so, appear to accept this generation’s definition of tolerance? If this is the case, then what does the Christian do with what’s been labeled as the “Great Commission” found in Mark 16:15? “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Does he just ignore what Jesus commands? If this Christian does that, what is to stop him from choosing bits and pieces from the Bible and tossing them aside, claiming they are not “en vogue” or “in style with today’s society”? People cannot just pick and choose what they want to follow out of the Bible. There should not be any “fence-walkers” when it comes to obeying God’s Word! One is either with Him or is against Him. The Bible says that you cannot serve two masters. While this verse in Matthew is referring to serving God and money at the same time, the idea can be applied to this essay. There is no possible way to serve both society and Jesus whole-heartedly and with all one’s devotion. If one tries to do this, along the way one will need to compromise one devotion or the other.

One more point to make before getting back to the topic of this essay. As a Christian, shouldn’t I strive to become like Christ? If I attempt that, then I need to learn all I can about the characteristics of my LORD in order to put them in my own life.

So, was Jesus tolerant? If one takes the modern-day definition of considering His belief and desires equally valid to anyone else’s, the answer is a resounding NO! Consequently, the reader may ask himself, “Did Jesus shout at people that they were wrong in what they were doing?” That answer must be a “yes”. Consider the scene in the Temple found in Matthew 21:12-13. “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘ “My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it a “den of robbers.”’” The reader can plainly see anger in Jesus’ voice; and rightly so. These men were selling items in the house of God and cheating people out of their money with the exorbitant taxes on those items. Notice, Jesus was angry, not hateful. There is a difference; a major one.

Jesus was not hateful towards the prostitutes and “common sinners” either. He wasn’t happy with them being in their condition (If He was, why would He call them “sick” and refer to himself as the “Doctor” in Matthew 9:12?), but He was not hateful. We Christians need to realize that difference sometimes. Especially when someone is in sin and won’t attempt to get out or haven’t asked Jesus to help them. Examples are not that hard to imagine here on campus. These same people are exactly the ones reading this essay. Another person that sins is the author. We are the people referred to as “all” in Romans 3:23, “For all­ have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (underline added).

If Jesus were tolerant, He would not have minded that we, the human race, are sick. He would not have cared about us. He would have used the mentality of “everything is ok if that’s the way you want to be.” He would not have believed it necessary to die for us if He was tolerant. The Great Physician cannot afford to be tolerant of our actions and us if He is to heal our sins and us! Neither can we, as Christians who wish to be more like Christ, do so.

Notice though, there is a side to this Physician only briefly mentioned: love. We Christians must be intolerant while practicing love at the same time. Impossible? While we are still struggling with sin, maybe, but we must strive for this balance; just like Jesus calls us to love one another as ourselves and to practice intolerance with this emotion; not hate, like so many people believe. As Christians, we must stand against the flow when it goes against what Jesus teaches and leads us to do. We cannot be tolerant of sin anymore! Our part is not to play the role of God and judge people, but to “preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Love is key to doing this as we follow Christ’s example in intolerance against sin.

In conclusion, Jesus was not tolerant and neither should we be! We should go out and help, encourage, and most of all love our neighbor—Christian or nonChristian—just like Christ loved and continues to love us; for “greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).