Jesus=Shock Value

Shock value defined is when something is communicated (written, spoken, or displayed) with the intent of grating against the dominate flow of what people consider acceptable.  It is to arouse repugnance. I had a professor advise me once in regards to a title of one of my papers that there is no value in shock value.  I would agree...but no I wouldn't.  I'll qualify that: saying or doing something shocking just to amuse (which is to disengage the mind), irritate, or draw attention for the sake of attention, then it is probably worthless rhetoric. But if the unexpected exhibition spurs one out of delusion or into deeper realization of Truth, then there is an argument for it. This may be a shock in and of itself, but if Jesus used shock when he interacted with people, there has to be some value in it.  Yes, Jesus, by his very nature is shock value. We, believers and unbelievers alike, are guilty of recycling caricatures of Jesus.  We highlight one or a few attributes of Jesus neglecting, ignoring, or being completely unaware of others, thus making Jesus seem like a freak instead of the Jesus we read about in the Gospels. Proverbs tells us, "there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Man's morality leads to death, and Jesus was ferociously violent towards man's "morality." Jesus was violent. He is violent. He is violent to our delusion as broken people. And immediately your mind and heart are blowing up with rebuttals. But consider that just like using shock to communicate is neither a good or bad thing, but depends on the motive, so are most things, including violence.

One instance Jesus is violent:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea." Mark 9:42

I'll unpack and defend this idea in the next post, but until then, know that Jesus' shock value in this verse is righting our delusion.