Jesus Wasn’t Nice – He Was Good

Somewhere along the line, somebody decided Jesus was nice.
As in: always-smiling, always-agreeing, soft-spoken, conflict-avoiding…
basically, Mr. Rogers in sandals.

And God bless it... we bought it.

We turned the table-flipping rabbi into a church greeter with a clipboard, name tag, and a toothy grin.
Like the goal of faith is to keep everything calm, quiet, and comfortable.

But y’all… let’s tell the truth.
Jesus was not nice.

Southern Hospitality Ain’t the Same as Gospel Love

Niceness is what you do when you’re trying not to rock the boat at the family reunion.
Love is what you do when the boat needs rocking and you’re not afraid to get wet.

Nice keeps the peace.
Good makes peace – even if it means calling out injustice at the dinner table.

Nice avoids conflict so nobody gets uncomfortable.
Good walks right into conflict so the oppressed can finally exhale.

Nice says, “Well, bless your heart” and then gossips behind your back.
Good says, “Let’s talk about that, chief,” and means it.

Even if the conversation is hard.

The Polite Church Problem

Some churches would rather split over the color of the carpet than take a stand on anything real.

They want sermons with alliteration, not agitation.
(Personally, I prefer both.)

Worship that sways, not shakes.
Justice that whispers politely from the back row – not stands up front with a bullhorn.

They’ll tell you, “We don’t want to be political.”
But what they really mean is: “We don’t want to be uncomfortable.”

Because nice is easy.
Nice gets applause.

But goodness?
Goodness might get you crucified.

Jesus, Table-Flipping Trouble-Maker

Let’s not forget: the Prince of Peace also made a whip out of cords and cleared the temple like a boss.
He didn’t walk in and say, “Excuse me, friends, but could we maybe reconsider the money-lending layout?”

Nope.
He flipped tables like it was a demolition derby.

He called religious leaders snakes.
He touched people no one else would touch.
He broke social rules like they were cheap dinner plates.

And then? He made more room at the table – every time.

When Niceness Becomes Spiritual Gaslighting

If you’ve ever asked a hard question in church and got told, “That’s not very loving”…
If you’ve ever named injustice and been labeled divisive…
If you’ve ever dared to tell your truth and been handed a Bible verse instead of a seat at the table…

That wasn’t Love talking.
That was control.
Wrapped in a pastel cardigan.

Niceness can become a tool of spiritual manipulation.
It asks the hurt to keep quiet.
It tells the wounded to smile more.
It demands the excluded be grateful for scraps.

That kind of religion smells more like potpourri than Pentecost.
It’s not sacred. It’s sanitized.

Love That Isn’t Afraid to Get Loud

Real Love flips tables when people get hurt.
Real Love shouts from the street corners when systems oppress.
Real Love walks into temples, boardrooms, and backwoods churches and says, “This ain’t it.”

Real Love gets loud – not because it’s rude, but because silence always sides with the powerful.

Jesus didn’t die for being nice.
He died because he disrupted the system.

He loved people Rome wanted ignored.
He fed folks religious leaders wanted forgotten.
He healed bodies empire called disposable.

And he did it all without permission.

That’s not polite.
That’s prophetic.

Let’s Be Good Trouble

So here’s the altar call, y’all:

If your church praises politeness over justice,
if your theology confuses conflict avoidance with compassion,
if your faith never makes anyone uncomfortable – not even you…
you might be following Southern manners more than Jesus.

And I get it – conflict is messy.
Calling out injustice is risky.
But if we’re more worried about keeping things “nice” than making things right, we’ve missed the whole damn point.

Jesus wasn’t crucified for being courteous.
He was crucified for being good.

So let’s be good.

Good like healing on the Sabbath.
Good like feeding the hungry before asking what they believe.
Good like flipping the table when the rules protect profit over people.

Because Love Doesn’t Always Smile – Sometimes It Roars

And the next time somebody tells you to “just be nice”?
Smile sweetly.

Then go love somebody so radically it gets you in trouble.

Because the church doesn’t need more pleasantries.
It needs more prophets.

And prophets? 
Well, prophets don’t play “nice.”