That’s right. I’m convinced that Jesus would be fired after a few months if He were hired on staff at a typical church today.
Years ago I wrote a book entitled Firing Jesus. Its premise was this:
What if Jesus were hired as a youth leader by a run-of-the-mill church?
Set in an emergency elders meeting, Firing Jesus grapples with how to manage a 30-year-old youth leader named JC Davidson (Son of David), who was rocking the boat with his radical ministry approach.
Whether Jesus was hired as a youth leader or discipleship pastor—or for any other leadership position—here are four reasons He would be fired fast:
1. Spending too much time praying
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Jesus often couldn’t be found because He was off somewhere praying. Many times, He would intercede for hours on behalf of His disciples and the people He was seeking to reach. He would wrestle in prayer to discern direction from the Father (see John 5:19). Sometimes the disciples were frustrated because they couldn’t find Jesus (see Mark 1:35-37)—perhaps thinking He was missing potential ministry opportunities.
I can imagine a church elder saying, “He spends way too much time praying on the church’s dime. Let Him pray on His own time!”
2. Bringing in the wrong element
Jesus was called “…a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19).
Can you imagine how many alcoholics, thugs, and prostitutes that Jesus would reach out to and bring into the church?
Even though He would speak boldly to them about their sin—as well as about the hope of the Gospel to save them from it—uptight religious leaders would find a reason to “stop the madness and realize church is for good Christians, not vile sinners.”
It would be only a matter of time before some church leaders would present Jesus with a pink slip.
3. Confronting the pastor about his sermon
So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Matthew 23:3-4
Can you imagine what Jesus would say to the typical “turn or burn” pastor who made getting saved more about our commitment, surrender, and service than simple faith in Christ’s death and resurrection?
Jesus would directly confront those who dared to insult His Gospel of grace.
And, yes, this act would get Him fired quickly.
4. Playing favorites
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. Mark 3:13-14
Jesus would be accused of playing favorites. Although He would minister to everyone, He would invest His life in only a few. These He would choose to “be with Him” and to be sent out from Him to share the Gospel and make disciples who make disciples.
I can hear the complaints now:
“Jesus doesn’t invest His time equally among everyone.”
“He delegates way too much to His leaders.”
“Jesus plays favorites and leaves good people out of His inner circle.”
What do you think?
These are four reasons I believe Jesus would be quickly fired from many typical, modern-day churches. But I pray that instead our churches would welcome Jesus’s radical, Gospel Advancing leadership style—and see radical transformation as a result.
Also, if you’d like to read my book Firing Jesus, you can download a free digital copy here.
