I’ve recently been immersed in the world of social media. It can be a scary place! But whatever your opinions are on its positive or negative impact, one thing is sure; people love controversy! In fact, I once heard a celebrity say something along the lines of “I don’t care if people agree or disagree with me, as long as they watch and share my posts.” It seems like a counterproductive tactic, but attention of any kind is still attention.

Jesus didn’t have Tik Tok, Instagram, or Youtube, but he did have controversy surrounding him at every turn. No matter how many of his foes tried to limit the reach of his gospel, they only added fuel to the flame! They made a scene when he healed a blind man on the Sabbath, but instead of simply rebuking his actions, they brought even more attention to the story and eventually made it into the scriptures! I guess the joke is on them.

When it comes to controversy, God is looking at the intention of our hearts. When Jesus came, he shocked the world because they were waiting for someone very different. He came unexpectedly as a child of simple parents, he taught the truth despite the laws that men had formed. He preached a new gospel and a new covenant. His very existence challenged the thought of the day but he didn’t hold back. He held onto truth despite the dangers surrounding him and preached an alternative gospel in the face of death. And to the credit of God, the controversial story of Jesus spread wider than anything ever taught.

The Word we have in our hands is truth, and it is the thing we hold onto despite what the world believes. And in the act of telling others what God has done, we spark a new fire of controversy that may be disagreed with, but cannot be ignored.