Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. (2 Samuel 23:20)
What in the world was Benaiah thinking? Most sane people would run away from the lion, not chase it! Beginning from this passage, Mark Batterson in Catalyst explains we need more gutsy leaders who are not afraid to take on a challenge. (You can read the entire article here.)
He quotes Dorothy Sayers to describe how we have “tamed” Jesus:
To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies.
Although the article does not make this connection, I think that the “taming of Jesus” goes a long ways towards explaining why many churches have a difficult time attracting men. What real man wants to follow a passive, accommodating, wimpy savior? Yes, Jesus was humble and gentle, but He was also strong and bold, and did not hesitate to offend people or incur their wrath when it was necessary.