Mrs. Clark’s 7th Grade Bible Class Discusses:

Wimpy Jesus: The Meek and Mild Myth

You are badly mistaken if you think that Jesus Christ was as weak, soft-spoken, or smooth-handed as some of our artists have made Him appear.

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,

and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Mark 11:15-17

Study Sessions

Read Luke 13:31-33. How does Jesus respond to the threat on His life?

What word does He use to refer to Herod?

Does this incident reveal anything about the strength of Jesus’ character?

In this chapter a myth is being described about a wimpy Jesus. This myth proposes that Jesus is just a kind and not angry person.

But on many occasions Jesus showed that He had anger — under control.

An example is when there were money traders in the temple, and Jesus grabbed a whip and drove them out. The Bible says that Jesus said that [the things that happened during trading] were disrespectful to the Lord.
Another example is when there were demons about and Jesus commanded them. He told them to go into pigs bodies. After they did, the pigs ran off a cliff and drowned.
Other times, Jesus verbally fights back against the Pharisees calling them blind and snakes.
This shows that Jesus is not intimidated at all by the Pharisees.

Therefore, this myth can be debunked. Jesus is not wimpy, He could do anything in the world possessing the power of God,  but He did only what he needed to do.

Rio, age 12

 The book talks about the Meek and Mild myth. This myth is about Jesus Christ being weak, soft-spoken, or smooth-handed.

This is a myth because he is not weak; we as humans are weak compared to Jesus.

Yes Jesus was a person that sat comfortably with children on His lap, but Jesus [Christ] was also a man that stood bravely in the presence of His enemies. The book states “that gentleness and meekness were not the absence of strength; they were strength under control.” Like I have mentioned before Jesus is not wimpy, or weak.
There are many examples in the bible that state the myth being wrong.
For example, in Matthew 23:13 Jesus describes the people as hypocrites. In verse 16 He refers to them as blind guides, in verse 17 He calls them blind fools, also in verse 19 they are called blind men. And in verse 33 he describes them as snakes.
This is why it is a myth.

Marisol, age 14

If you believe that Jesus is a weak and soft person, you are surely mistaken. Although Jesus was kind, gentle, and humble, He was also a man. He had feelings, including anger.
As Scripture tells us in Mark 11:15-16, Jesus showed this. In these passages, Jesus was very angry at those who were trading money in the temple courts. He drove them out as he was flipping table after table with money on it at the same time.
He obviously was not a wimpy, soft, man. He had real emotions that really happened, with a real purpose.

Nevertheless, He was gentle, and meek. But that does not mean that He didn’t have strength. He had strength that was tamed.

Therefore, Jesus didn’t hide away in the presence of his enemies. He bravely stood up to their face.

That is a King rather than a wimp.

Sarah, age 12

There is a myth that, unfortunately, some Christians believe that states Jesus was a meek, gentle, weak, harmless man.

Although Jesus did things such as sitting with children in his lap and standing silent while kings unjustly insulted him, He was a strong man that was not afraid to express His opinions.

• Think about when Jesus spoke out against the Pharisees that held so much power in Matthew 23. He speaks to the men without caring about their authority, calling them “snakes,” “whitewashed tombs,” and “blind guides,” basically calling them corrupt liars.
• Or think about the passage in Luke 13:31-33, in this verse He strides right through a crowd of people who wanted to throw Him off a cliff.
• There are also stories of Jesus turning over merchants’ tables in a temple (Matthew 21, John 2), and
• Him walking toward what He knew would be death and incredible pain with Roman soldiers (Mark 14).

Don’t forget, Revelation promises us that Jesus will come and defeat the antichrist, and all that is evil. That sounds like it would take great power, and indignation.
Jesus does not lack power, He controls it, being gentle with us because He loves us so much. However, He despises our sin and evil, and surely does not deal with it lightly. Nor did He back down against His powerful enemies on earth.

Elizabeth, age 13