Everyone Needs a Little Jesus

abcaines

abcaines

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A little plastic Jesus figurine with our house key for size comparison.

Last weekend at a rally we were attending, a friend gave Mrs. abcaines the above pictured figurine explaining how a person she knows uses these little figurines as a witnessing tool. Sort of an ice breaker if you will.

I get the idea behind this but it still bothers me a bit. I find it too flippant towards our Lord God. Jesus Christ is and ought to be regarded as close and personal; easily approachable, but this carries the idea of an approachable Jesus into irreverence.

So, what would you do if you found yourself in possession of one of these figurines? Throw it away? I see that as even more irreverence towards Jesus.

I know it's a silly little bit of plastic with a well intended but misguided purpose... but it's kind of a conundrum to me. Any ideas?
 
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I do not need a "little" Jesus, I need a BIG JESUS who is LORD and sovereign of ALL!!!

Because without the creator of the universe by which all things consist, I can do nothing!
 
Just wanting to properly and accurately comprehend your position. Why would it be irreverent to throw it away?
 
ALAYMAN said:
Just wanting to properly and accurately comprehend your position. Why would it be irreverent to throw it away?
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I don't know. Sentimentality? I don't like the thing but the thought of just tossing it in the trash crosses a line in my head... It's similar to tossing an infant doll around. There's something in me that wants to treat even a piece of plastic that resembles a human infant with care and dignity.

I'll be the first to tell you it's a weird thing with me. I've always been this way and I can't explain it.

Besides, it's not "mine". It was given to my wife. I just told her how I feel about it.
 
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We have received things like this, and pictures of a European Jesus..you know...white skin, long dirty blonde or brown hair, etc. I don't really like these kinds of things and truly feel like it violates the "graven image" standard given in the Bible. But, I don't always enforce this position as my wife doesn't feel like it violates that standard. So, we have a picture of Jesus that used to hang on the wall...I mean, she had the "it's not being worshipped, but used as a reminder when we start to forget what he did for us." That's a reasonable argument, and it doesn't affect my salvation one way or the other, so I let it be.
 
abcaines said:
View attachment 5743
A little plastic Jesus figurine with our house key for size comparison.

Last weekend at a rally we were attending, a friend gave Mrs. abcaines the above pictured figurine explaining how a person she knows uses these little figurines as a witnessing tool. Sort of an ice breaker if you will.

I get the idea behind this but it still bothers me a bit. I find it too flippant towards our Lord God. Jesus Christ is and ought to be regarded as close and personal; easily approachable, but this carries the idea of an approachable Jesus into irreverence.

So, what would you do if you found yourself in possession of one of these figurines? Throw it away? I see that as even more irreverence towards Jesus.

I know it's a silly little bit of plastic with a well intended but misguided purpose... but it's kind of a conundrum to me. Any ideas?
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i have a whole box of things people gave me that i didn;t know what to do with - - either didn;t want to hurt their feelings by throwing it away - - but also didn;t want to keep it around me either... it started off years ago as a shoe box.... but it;s a pretty big box now..... that (little plastic jesus) would quietly.. but definitely.. go into the box.. .. which is kept in our storage locker .... (along with tons of other things we can;t keep here at the house...) ... ...

but i also have friends who i know would probably like something like that.... i would pass it on to them and they would probably keep it in their purse or bag like a good luck charm..... little onyx elephants they keep in their bags are like that.... .. they are about the same size and supposedly any time you are rummaging through you purse or bag and accidently come across it or touch it;s supposed to bring you good luck..... 🍀.

on another note..... your house key is seriously worn down.... ... you have not only lived in the same place for a long time but you haven;t changed the locks for while either.... ..you must really trust your neighbors... ..and also trust whoever sees that picture on this forum not to recognize that key blank and figure out the pin sizes.... :unsure:....... . .....our entry locks are changed or repinned and rekeyed on a regular basis - for variety of different reasons .... but mostly just added security....🗝️
 
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aleshanee said:
you must really trust your neighbors... ..and also trust whoever sees that picture on this forum not to recognize that key blank and figure out the pin sizes.... :unsure:....... . .....our entry locks are changed or repinned and rekeyed on a regular basis - for variety of different reasons .... but mostly just added security....🗝️
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There are still neighborhoods where there are no worries about that kind of thing.
 
abcaines said:
I don't know. Sentimentality? I don't like the thing but the thought of just tossing it in the trash crosses a line in my head... It's similar to tossing an infant doll around. There's something in me that wants to treat even a piece of plastic that resembles a human infant with care and dignity.

I'll be the first to tell you it's a weird thing with me. I've always been this way and I can't explain it.

Besides, it's not "mine". It was given to my wife. I just told her how I feel about it.
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I don’t think you should violate your conscience, but I would also say that I don’t think that you should grieve over what’s done with it. As Ale said, a reasonable compromise is regifting it.
 
Earlier today, Mrs. abcaines asked me what I wanted her to do with it. I said, "It was given to you, you do whatever you decide." She walked towards the trash can with it, "I said just don't do that in my sight..." She stepped back saying something to the effect of, "well it was given to me by [a good friend]..." I think it's on a bookshelf somewhere.

Like I said, it's a crazy thing I do... I tend to anthropomorphize inanimate objects especially when they resemble humans. If they resemble particularly vulnerable humans, such as infants, I have an extremely hard time discarding them even though I cognitively know they are just plastic. In a case where the object is supposed to represent Jesus, even a European Jesus, my training from my early discipleship kicks in. Jesus, though personable and approachable, is still HOLY and He shed His blood for my redemption. His Person, Life and Sacrifice are not to be taken lightly nor mocked. Of all the things I was taught back in the day, this concept has taken hold the strongest.

This isn't Earth shattering by any stretch... It's just an odd conflict of two very strong proclivities: reverence for Jesus and avoiding violating the graven image commandment but not being able to destroy the image because of Who it represents.

I really appreciated @AverageJoe 's input.

Thanks for allowing me to vent.
 
abcaines said:
Earlier today, Mrs. abcaines asked me what I wanted her to do with it. I said, "It was given to you, you do whatever you decide." She walked towards the trash can with it, "I said just don't do that in my sight..." She stepped back saying something to the effect of, "well it was given to me by [a good friend]..." I think it's on a bookshelf somewhere.

Like I said, it's a crazy thing I do... I tend to anthropomorphize inanimate objects especially when they resemble humans. If they resemble particularly vulnerable humans, such as infants, I have an extremely hard time discarding them even though I cognitively know they are just plastic. In a case where the object is supposed to represent Jesus, even a European Jesus, my training from my early discipleship kicks in. Jesus, though personable and approachable, is still HOLY and He shed His blood for my redemption. His Person, Life and Sacrifice are not to be taken lightly nor mocked. Of all the things I was taught back in the day, this concept has taken hold the strongest.

This isn't Earth shattering by any stretch... It's just an odd conflict of two very strong proclivities: reverence for Jesus and avoiding violating the graven image commandment but not being able to destroy the image because of Who it represents.

I really appreciated @AverageJoe 's input.

Thanks for allowing me to vent.
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That's interesting, and I will say that you're not alone, though there are varying degrees. Do you think you would feel the same way about a crucifix? or of the christchild figure in a nativity? What about a two-dimensional image?

Real questions.
 
abcaines said:
Earlier today, Mrs. abcaines asked me what I wanted her to do with it. I said, "It was given to you, you do whatever you decide." She walked towards the trash can with it, "I said just don't do that in my sight..." She stepped back saying something to the effect of, "well it was given to me by [a good friend]..." I think it's on a bookshelf somewhere.

Like I said, it's a crazy thing I do... I tend to anthropomorphize inanimate objects especially when they resemble humans. If they resemble particularly vulnerable humans, such as infants, I have an extremely hard time discarding them even though I cognitively know they are just plastic. In a case where the object is supposed to represent Jesus, even a European Jesus, my training from my early discipleship kicks in. Jesus, though personable and approachable, is still HOLY and He shed His blood for my redemption. His Person, Life and Sacrifice are not to be taken lightly nor mocked. Of all the things I was taught back in the day, this concept has taken hold the strongest.

This isn't Earth shattering by any stretch... It's just an odd conflict of two very strong proclivities: reverence for Jesus and avoiding violating the graven image commandment but not being able to destroy the image because of Who it represents.

I really appreciated @AverageJoe 's input.

Thanks for allowing me to vent.
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Any time, Brother. We ALL have things that we consider spiritually important that are pretty much open to a different interpretation in our own home. Blessings.
 
Ekklesian said:
That's interesting, and I will say that you're not alone, though there are varying degrees. Do you think you would feel the same way about a crucifix? or of the christchild figure in a nativity? What about a two-dimensional image?

Real questions.
Click to expand...
Crucifix... Not so much; it doesn't portray a human being and since I'm not Catholic, I was never taught to revere those things. Christ child probably would fall under my regard for infants. Printed pictures don't really move me one way or another.
 
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