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Synopsis:
The title is a pun on “Jesus Meek and Mild.” In seventeen chapters, Galli, managing editor of Christianity Today, looks at the forceful and demanding nature of Jesus, an aspect which he feels is largely downplayed in contemporary churches. Each chapter begins with a quote from the gospel of Mark; many passages, of course, are included in the other gospels. For example, though Luke and John are known to present Jesus with a focus on his compassion, all four gospel writers include the episode of Jesus cleansing the temple area. Chapter 13, “Gracious Impatience,” is integral to Galli’s theme that tolerance is not necessarily the same as love; warning a person about their need to accept God’s grace may make that person unhappy at first. As Galli notes, we tolerate a rude stranger in the grocery line because we want to exit without a scene. Tolerance for our own child, for example, is different -- we temporarily ignore our children’s bad behavior and then later correct them and lay down rules and punishments because we are patient, and lovingly concerned about their future. Jesus sometimes is angry and confrontational because he has a message of salvation which Satan tries to obscure and block. Galli, however, does not slip into legalism. He points out that when Jesus uses fear and shame it is to direct people towards God’s love. Love is the basis of Jesus’ message, whereas legalism is “shame-based and fear-based.” The message and purpose of Mark is that Jesus has the power to make good on his promises. That power gives us confidence in the message and in our ability to respond to Jesus and thus spend eternity with God. Ignoring that power, and the demands on us inherent in Jesus’ message, is to create a god that is not the true God.

Reading Level (scale of 1-5; 5 being scholarly):
Galli quotes from a number of Christian teachers throughout history, including St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi. On a reading scale of 1 to 5, 5 being scholarly, I rate this a 4. The material is well-organized, and the writing clear, but Galli packs in a lot of principles and conclusions in each chapter.

Additional Information:
Footnotes in the back are useful for further reading, and there are also discussion questions for small groups, a set for each chapter.

Submitted By:
Mark Dawson

Available in Church Library:
Unknown at this time

Disclaimer:
This article reflects the views of the reviewer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arlington Church of Christ.