Gandhi's wisdom

How many times have you heard this phrase?

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I have heard and read it plenty of times in my life, both from non-Christians and Christians (the latter being especially annoying to me). I do not like the phrase. Let me explain.

You might think I do not like it because I'm indignant that anyone would slam Christians as being unlike Christ, because that's a major insult, saying believers are not always like what they believe. Well, no, I'm not offended by that. That, in itself, is true. 

What offends me is the misunderstanding of Christ Jesus, and therefore of Christians. Gandhi said this (and people repeat it) because he did not realize Who Christ is, or who Christ's people are. Gandhi says he likes Christ, but does he really? He probably liked the concept of Jesus the good man, the teacher, the one who preached peace and love, who said that the meek shall inherit the earth and the poor in spirit are blessed beyond measure. Who doesn't like that Christ? He's a pretty cool guy. (He doesn't afraid of anything...moving on.) 

Yet Christ Jesus is so much more than this good man. He is God, the Son, the Word. He holds the universe together by the word of His power. In Him all things live, move, and have their being. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the firstborn, the heir of all creation. He is perfect in being, power, wisdom, authority, justice, goodness and truth. He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Did Gandhi know Christ? Did he really know this Christ he claimed to like? If he did, how can he cast such a judgment upon Christians? If he did not, by what authority does he claim to pronounce such a judgment? 

The fact that Christians are unlike Christ most of the time is really the point. We are bad. We are sinners. Christ is good. He is sinless. He accomplished the law for us and died in our place. Of course we are unlike Christ. That's why we need Him! 

The problem is that Gandhi (and those who quote him) expect Christians to be Christ. Christians are often watched because people want to see them slip up, to fall into sin, so that they can say, "You see? Christians are just like the rest of us." That's true. We are. That's why we need a Saviour. You do, too. Because, you're just like the Christians (you see, it goes both ways), who rely on Christ's propitiatory death and victorious resurrection in order to be reconciled to God. 

Gandhi may have liked Christ, but it remains to be seen whether he actually believed Him. 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ESV)