Poor Jesus

Poor Jesus.

From Doug Perry 5/30/26 (Download printable PDF)

“Why would you do that?! Why didn’t you think first? Did you even consider MY feelings? Are you kidding me? I would have NEVER done it that way! Why didn’t you do it the way I wanted it done? How do you expect me to live in this dump? Can’t you do better than this? What did you get me for Valentine’s Day? You know it’s all about the woman, right? Budget? You can’t put me on a budget! I have needs! You need to get another job! Maybe I should just do everything myself since you’re never going to get around to it. You are insignificant. I never really loved you anyway. I’m going out with my friends – to talk about what a worthless jerk you are. At least they love me for who I am. You don’t even satisfy me anymore. I’m bored with you.”

Poor Jesus.

He’s betrothed to the Church. She’s His Bride. He longs for her. He gives her gifts. He tries to woo her.

But she’s a gold-digging whore. Or at least some of her multiple personalities are. She’s so whacked and dysfunctional and such a good liar that it’s hard to even tell who you’re talking to. She’s learned to use the right words, to say “Amen” in the right places, to put on a good show and convince people that she’s in love with Jesus. But behind the scenes, the scheming and plotting and cheating starts to come out.

Poor Jesus.

It’s not like He doesn’t know. It just isn’t His call. His Father set this whole thing up. In fact, His Father is her Father, too, as weird as that sounds – just like Adam and Eve. This is how it has to go and even though she breaks His heart, He has to endure with her, waiting and hoping and praying that she’ll get her head on right.

But she’s only using Him for her own purposes. She is sure that men are pigs and she is queen of all she surveys. She’s sure that He’s wrong about so many things. She doesn’t want His jewelry. The scar tissue from suffering and patience and self-sacrifice and martyrdom and loving your enemies? That’s insane! She wants gold-crusted houses and fancy clothes and jet planes and fame. She wants to world to marvel at what she’s built.

Poor Jesus.

His heart breaks at the opportunities lost, the people ignored, His children starving to death all over the world. Especially when He gave her enough that she could fix it all. Even a fraction of what He’s given her could fix it all – could feed the world, reach them all, show His love. But she insists on spending 94% of everything on herself and her crazy pet projects.

Clearly she’s sure that Jesus doesn’t know how to build the Church up and grow her. There are marketing consultants and fundraising experts that are so much better at that. How could we motivate everyone to keep increasing their giving if we weren’t entertaining them and tickling their ears more and more? She’s just sure that Jesus is providing, when she’s really trusting the work of her own hands – and schemes.

Poor Jesus.

He wants to lead her down the Narrow Path. He models obedience and devotion to His Father and love for everyone around. He fully surrenders to Him Who Is Greater. He forgives the people that kill Him. He even forgives her.

But she can’t even get along with herself. She has multiple personalites that all think the other ones are going to hell. She’s quick to abort any “clumps of cells” in her own body that are inconvenient or irritating. They’re not people. They don’t have a soul. Those useless cells probably can’t even feel anything. They could never survive on their own anyway. They don’t count. And ... it’s her body after all. She should get to decide what to do with her own body.

Poor Jesus.

She’s supposed to be His Body, but she’s sure that He has nothing to do with it and has no say. Long ago she stopped listening to Him. She does whatever she thinks is right. She still tells everyone that she is His Body, but she doesn’t do anything the way He would do it. She is a bigamist. She is still married to The World – while she says that she’s betrothed to Jesus.

She doesn’t want to change. To surrender. To be different. She knows what He wants – for her to exist FOR HIM – but The World, her true husband – thinks that’s crazy. She would lose herself! How can she exist FOR HIM? She would have to die for that to work. She would have to subvert and surrender all of her wants and expectations and goals and dreams! No way! That’s crazy! If Jesus isn’t going to cater to her, then why should she follow Him at all?

Poor Jesus.

The way she talks to Him is horrifying. She tells people to give Him money, but then she diverts it and spends it on herself. He weeps and weeps for the hungry and lost and homeless and addicted, while she builds cathedrals and monuments to herself. She thinks He is a financial idiot and she knows best. Live on faith? Without an endowment and savings account? Clearly Jesus can’t manage money. Even when He was here He had a purse with holes in it and let people steal from Him!

She’s not like that. She’ll make people show their tax forms so she can be sure she’s getting her share. Then she wastes it on stupid stuff or let’s leaders steal it – but will never admit that. She doesn’t think there will ever be an accounting. That she’ll never have to answer for any of the waste and fraud and graft. People are dying all over and she doesn’t really care.

Poor Jesus.

His heart breaks to get busy and fix everything. He came to reach all the lost, she even promised to help, but nearly 70% of all people since He got here have never once heard His name. It’s like she’d rather just have all her personalities talk to each other endlessly, than go reach the lost. And Jesus just weeps.

She been a big part of why the world is going wrong. Corruption and strife and pride is all around, but it’s really her fault. Because she didn’t share His message – and instead made up her own and did whatever she wanted – so now the world is convinced that they should have no awe or respect or fear for Him either.

Poor Jesus.

Why should they fear or respect Him? She doesn’t. In fact, she’s taught them that Jesus’ job is to give US whatever we want. He exists for OUR happiness. He doesn’t expect us to obey Him or be like Him. He gave His life so that we could live forever doing whatever we wanted!

And she’s convinced that none of it is ever sin because Jesus fixed it. He closed that loophole, just for her – so that now anything she does is safe. But we don’t owe Him anything! That would be “works”! In fact, He is so desperate for our love that He owes US. After all, He NEEDS us. He’s not complete without US. She is SO blessed! She sings about it all the time. She has all the benefits and none of the costs or expectations. Jesus is desperately in love with her – because she’s just THAT wonderful.

Poor Jesus.

He wants to lead, but she won’t go. She schedules and programs and tells Him when to show up and when to leave. She tells Him how He can and can’t manifest in and through His own children. If He steps out of line, she pulls back even more. She’s sure that He’s unrealistic, too idealistic, too demanding, too controlling. How could He want HER to suffer? Surely He would never put her through “tribulation” or “martyrdom”!

Surely He loves her so much that He will come and rescue her before anything bad happens! Even as she is, a rebellious whore that made Him promises and pretended that she wasn’t still married to the world. A two-faced Jezebel that that uses His name to get what she wants and justifies it all. A witch casting spells over people to manipulate and get what she wants – while refusing to do anything He asks of her. She sits at her feast table with false teachers and leaders and prophets of all kinds – glad they are there and rejoicing in their shared debauchery. While He sits alone in the dark.

Poor Jesus.

His heart has been broken so many times. He got matched with that Moravian girl – and she turned on Him. So many times He would flirt with her, give gifts, woo her – and she would spin up into another denomination or forget about Him. The Puritans, the Quakers, the Methodists, the Church of Christ, the Christian Church, the Nazarenes, the Wesleyans, the Salvation Army, the Disciples of Christ – all started to be different, then all became just like the others. And He would keep trying forever. He would endure and weep and keep hoping for a Bride that meant it all the way.

But the Father is about fed up. What an embarrassment she is. What a shame to the family name. What a stain. Her best efforts, her most sincere try, the best parts of her are like old, stinking, used menstrual cloths. But she’s supposed to be AMAZING, without any blemish, without any wrinkle or spot. She’s supposed to be equally yoked, a matched pair, identical horses yoked to the Father’s chariot – regal and powerful and muscular and glorious – the Lamb and the Bride pulling the Father around at the head of the parade in heaven.

How can this be her? What is the Father going to have to do to her to clean her up enough to marry Jesus? To be a worthy mate and walk alongside? She’s not a Proverbs 31 woman. She’s an Ezekiel 16 woman! And when her lovers have beat her up enough, when the Father opens her eyes and she sees herself and all that she’s done through HIS eyes, then maybe she’ll be ready. And she’ll never open her mouth to Jesus ever again.

If she’s going to be His Body, then she’s going to have to follow the same path that His physical body followed – whipped, mocked, beaten, crucified, dead – and THEN bursting out of the tomb dressed in white. She doesn’t get “without wrinkle and spot” without tribulation. And she’s going to have to fully realize what she’s done.

She’s going to have to repent – and she’s going to cry RIVERS when the Father shows her through His eyes. When she sees all that she COULD have been had she just not focused on herself so much. It’s horrifying. Jesus weeps because He doesn’t want her to hurt. But He knows that this is the Fathers plan and that it’s necessary. He’s willing to endure this treatment forever, but He really would like it over and to get on to the next thing.

Everything she’s built, every investment, every cathedral is coming down. Everything she justified and thought was right, is going to get shredded. Her skirt is going to get lifted and everyone will see her ugly underside. Her enemies – and the worldly friends she whored with – are going to beat her. When she’s bruised and bloody enough, repentant and has wept enough, maybe then – maybe – she’ll be ready to be yoked to Jesus and pull alongside.

To be dressed in white they’re both going to have to die.

Except He already did – and she doesn’t want to.

And she thinks He’s happily coming back for her just as she is.

Oh, funny Bride. Wake up and weep.

Related Scripture: Ezekiel 16, Hosea 1-3, Jeremiah 2-3, Revelation 2-3 (Ephesus, Sardis, Laodicea), James 4:4, Isaiah 1, Matthew 23, Ezekiel 34.