Channel Ten’s The Project’s Crude Jesus Joke Controversy – A Christian Response
Earlier this week on the Channel Ten show The Project, comedian Reuben Kaye made a crude joke about Jesus on air and the hosts laughed along.
In response, many Christians and Muslims took offence and demanded an apology. Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris have issued a formal apology following backlash from the incident.
As Christians, there is a temptation to retaliate. To let those involved know how much offence and hurt they have caused. They were, after all insulting the One Who is most precious to us. As I watched the video, I wrestled with this temptation.
Some have raised their concerns about the fact that The Project is on at a time when families are gathered in front of the TV and little ears shouldn’t be exposed to crude jokes such as the one that was made, which I wholeheartedly agree with.
Christ’s Example
Now, returning to the response that we should take. As I reflect on the journey of Jesus to the cross, I see a man who did not retaliate.
I see a man who took no offence. A man who prayed for the ones spitting on Him and hurling insults. A man who knew His own innocence and yet did not defend Himself. In the face of false accusation, He remained silent.
Jesus, in a moment of excruciating pain, gazing over at the Roman soldiers, the Jewish leaders and perhaps even His disciples in the distance, utters the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
What amazing self-restraint and grace lies behind these words.
In a world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards Christians, we must reflect carefully on Jesus’s response to those from whom He faced hostility.
We have the opportunity to show the grace and love of Jesus to the very people who mock us; and we should, in fact, expect this hostility. In Jesus’ words, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”
Divine Love
The human heart longs to experience true, unconditional love.
This love is exemplified in Jesus hanging on the cross, in our place, for the wrongs we have committed. The joke that was made referenced this very moment.
In an interesting twist, the very joke that was meant to mock the God I love, only brings more glory to Him. Because you see, the God Who has been mocked from the time He walked on this earth to this present moment knew that all humans would fail.
Fail to see Him as he is. Fail to worship Him as He deserves. And He still chose to be nailed to the cross.
Let us strive to exemplify this same level of love and grace to others, in the face of being misunderstood, falsely accused and ridiculed. Let us reflect our Saviour to a world that needs to experience a love that reaches beyond human understanding.
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A beautufully crafted article about Gods magnificent, glorious, wonderful love through Jesus Christ HIS son.
Exactly, imagine the outcry and possibly a murderous retaliation if this was said on air about Mohammed. But then he wasn’t nailed to a cross and died for our sins 🙏✝️📖
Romans 1
I am so tired of seeing men dressed up in women’s clothing and looking ridiculous! Equally so for women who swagger like the men they profess to dislike so much yet they can’t help but mimic them. I am weary of others insisting on waving their sex life in front of me when I have absolutely no interest in them or their sex lives.
I am comforted by the fact that others have affirmed the beauty in this article and greatfull because their having done so – affords me some licence.
So true! Just love this piece, you can just feel the love and Grace that Jesus intended when He said “love your enemies”, so true, really something to reflect on!
Jana, thank you for standing your ground and not being afraid to voice Jesus, who He is and what He stands for. We should never forget to follow His example.
Looking at this videos is just again an example of someone that thinks he is funny because he is dressed up as a woman, it is sad! Why would a show want to entertain such behaviour? Although the hosts apologized, especially the lady host means nothing, it is such a poor apology. If you are a presenter on air and especially a show where this can be exposed to young kids, you should be prepared foe anything and especially how to react. They obviously have no clue.
I salute you and proud of the person you have become. Thank you for sharing this with us all without hesitation.
What an amazing and well articulated Christian response to what could only be described as a disgusting and vile so called “joke” about Jesus.
Jana has been so gracious in how she has considered the situation and clearly been Spirit led in replying to nothing short of a vile and unnecessary attack on Christ and all Christians.
I must be honest and say I was not feeling at all gracious when I read about this but after reading Jana’s response, it prompted me to pray for this person and others who are so far from knowing Jesus as their personal Saviour,
Well done Jana🙏
there are so many things swirling in my head, Jesus is our example and I do a poor job following Him, thank God for His mercy. Jesus was not shy at calling people out for doing the wrong thing, ie a generation of vipers, hypocrites and upending the market in His Father’s house. We do not want to be in danger of watering down the truth, sin is sin and Jesus told it as it was, how else will people know they need a Saviour. If you blasphemy God and do not repent, you go to hell for eternity. If you know the truth and don’t warn people you will be accountable. God is loving, full of mercy and wants all to be saved, but God is also Holy and just and will reward us all appropriately. There is a difference in calling for an apology for very inappropriate behaviour and speech, than retaliation, if you love people and want to help you stop them doing things that will damage them.
Vivienne, I agree with you completely.
“If you know the truth and don’t warn people you will be accountable. God is loving, full of mercy and wants all to be saved, but God is also Holy and just and will reward us all appropriately. There is a difference in calling for an apology for very inappropriate behaviour and speech, than retaliation, if you love people and want to help you stop them doing things that will damage them.”
Jesus was never shy in calling out the hypocritical Pharisees. His purpose was to seek their repentance and to protect His flock. He did not gloss over their behaviour. On the cross, in the trial, He kept focus on His sacrificial task and goal.
We too must stand and speak the truth.
just get over it and yourself! Ask why of yourselves why you are watching this tasteless woke show
unbelievable degradation of Christian values in this nation and to what end. If this were a ‘joke’ targeting other religions it would be hammered by cultural diversity thought police but “christianity is an open season” just as it was in the days of coliseum’s. What were we thinking when we allowed grandstanding halloween sex orientated content as norms in our society?