Would Jesus Wear a Mask?

Would Jesus wear a mask?

I've seen this question posted and answered by a baker's dozen Facebook theologians and even some pastors. One is not necessarily any more qualified than the other. Although I will say that when someone "in ministry" posts their opinion it always carries more weight to believers (or at least to some believers) because of their position and because of the confusing phenomenon that causes otherwise rationally thinking adults to surrender their own ability to think critically and to read and understand the Bible for themselves as soon as a "minister" makes a statement.

The majority I've read claim "Jesus would wear a mask!" which scares the crap out of me. Because it's not based on even ONE solid biblical reference. They pull some generic verses out of context or verses that at best, speak in generalities, and make the specific to the topic. And voila! Virtue signalling is now doctrine.

So with this in mind, here is my take on whether Jesus would wear a mask:

"Would Jesus wear a mask?"

Short answer...No!

Why?

Jesus came to bring Truth. He said "They shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free." Now I realize He was referring to Himself here. He is "The way the Truth and the Life..." But the principle is clear...Jesus WAS Truth, He valued truth, and He proclaimed that it is ONLY Truth that sets people free.

Free from what?

Well logically, if Truth is what sets you free, then you are being held captive with lies. Lies are your prison and Truth is the key that unlocks your cell.

What lies was Jesus setting people free from? Well look at the times in which He spoke those words. The main religious factions, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, were not merely religious leaders, they were the LAW to Israel. Israel was an occupied Roman territory, but as was Rome's tradition, in order to keep the peace, they allowed the local system of governance to remain in place, so long as it didn't embrace revolution against Caesar. So the powerful of the day could remain in power as long as they didn't teach rebellion against Caesar and as long as they paid Caesar his due royalties. There was also a Roman decree that you had to regard Caesar as a god, but the Romans got around that with the Jews by compromising with them. As long as the Jewish leaders didn't say he WASN'T a god, the Romans would leave well enough alone. So the Jewish leaders betrayed their faith in order to preserve some scraps of power, right from the get-go.

The Pharisees and Sadducees ruled the people of Israel with an iron fist and with an EVER-CHANGING LIST OF RULES AND LAWS AND REGULATIONS. (Sound familiar?) The people were obligated to blindly follow because these men claimed to speak on God's behalf and because they could put you out of the temple and ruin your life and the life of your family simply by claiming that you broke one of the thousands of micro-regulations that changed constantly. (Sound familiar?)

They claimed to speak for God and had -over the course of several hundred years-- created an image of God that was so far from His actual person, that the people were worshipping a false god and didn't even know it.

Jesus came into this scenario and kicked down the walls to let the sunlight in, and those in power screamed like vampires.

Jesus refused to be fooled by their lies. Time and time again they would lie to Him or about Him, telling half-truths, convoluting facts, misquoting scriptures and declaring anyone who believed His words to be disloyal to Caesar, and the enemy of God. They even declared them "crazy" and literally called them the "spawn of Satan." (Sound familiar?)

When they tried to trick Jesus He refuted them over and over with Truth. Nothing but TRUTH. Facts. Reality. And every time they went away hating Him more. They hate Truth because Truth eliminates their control.

Jesus told the truth about the endless regulations and changing stories and constantly evolving parameters by which your values as a Jew-in-good-standing was defined. At one point he looked at the Pharisees and Sadducees and told them they were liars from the "father of Lies" (Satan). Pretty bold words.

Jesus saw the maelstrom of laws and ordinances and the bondage they held the people under and rejected them entirely. The Pharisees and Sadducees had taken the various fears of the people and developed an entire system of rules and regulations around them, using them to enslave their own people. Let me restate that for you...**"The Pharisees and Sadducees had taken the various fears of the people and developed an entire system of rules and regulations around them, using them to enslave their own people."** (Sound Familiar?) They did this for their own gain and for the magnanimous claim that "they were doing it for the good of the nation of Israel." (Remember when they decided to have Jesus murdered, they said "it is better that one should die than the entire house of Israel be lost") Preserving the power they still had was the first thing on their minds. (Sound Familiar?)

Their power was based on lies. Lies and manipulated half-truths. They used constantly changing regulations to keep the people off balance and make it look as if THEY were the only legit group. Jesus came specifically to overthrow this entire demonic system of manipulation.

Now...having laid all this out...would Jesus wear a mask?

I say a resounding NO! Jesus would NEVER abide the kind of lying, manipulation, and psychological torture being forced on us every single day. Jesus would NEVER cede the high ground of TRUTH (which He proclaimed was the ONLY thing that would set us free) to the advancing enemy of lies, manipulations, inflated death counts, falsified test numbers, and misinformation about masks / no masks. He would flip over the tables of those who are willingly embracing this evil, devious, dangerous attitude that people who question the "facts" are bad people, bad Americans and bad Christians. He would make His whip and land His shots on the backs of those who are determined to enslave people with fear and who are determined to make this "Us versus Them, Good Versus Evil" and who see Freedom as a bad, dangerous thing. He would bellow His harshest words against those who wish to marginalize, ostracize and even destroy those who refuse to go quietly into that good night of surrender without questioning the VERY OBVIOUS inconsistencies and manipulations.

I could go on. I could list more examples from Jesus' life but I will stop here. This is wordy enough. If you haven't guessed by now, my answer -based solidly on scripture and using real, actual events from Jesus' life and His response to them-- is NO. No Jesus would not wear a mask. Jesus would speak the TRUTH.

(Apply this also to the current wave of SJW embracing neo-evangelicals)