The Manliest of All

I'm going to try to say this as reverently as possible.

There is a wild misunderstanding out there that I feel the need to correct: the Savior of the world was no wuss.

Look at an illustration of Jesus Christ. Many of the depictions you'll see show an emaciated, delicate, weak-looking man that I feel is a very poor representation indeed. I attribute this to the misinterpretation of way the Savior was described as "meek" and "lowly in heart". He was humble and gentle, but He was no wuss.

Jesus was a carpenter. In Jerusalem, there aren't a whole lot of trees. In fact, the dwellings are built out of stone. He was not a carpenter in the same sense that we in the US understand it. He was a stone mason. Due to the demands of His profession, He had a large and exceptionally strong stature.

Jesus was no stranger to discipline and rebuke. Anyone who has read the New Testament has seen, repeatedly, that the Savior had no problem dishing out reproach when it was deserved. Indeed, if the reader understands the context in which He was speaking, He often said things that make me understand why people would be angry enough to crucify Him.

However, He was perfect. He knew when to say what needed to be said, and He knew how much to push people to help them learn. He understood perfectly what was in the hearts of those among whom He lived, and His motivation was always perfect love, and a desire to help others repent and seek salvation. He understood perfectly the balance between justice and mercy, and often saw fit to freely forgive those who broke His laws.

Sometimes though, the best thing He saw fit to dispense was sharp rebuke.

So when I hear people insisting that we don't interfere with those who spit in the face of what the Savior stood for, it makes me kind of mad. Forgive me for breaking the social norms and having the guts to stand up for what the Lord taught; I'm merely trying to follow His example, and He was no wuss.