Scripture tells us to be like Jesus. Does that mean we should call hypocritical leaders “blind fools” and a “brood of vipers” like Jesus does in Matthew 23?
Does imitating Jesus mean we should make a whip of cords, curse a fig tree, and flip a table in a temple? Should we make it our goal to do the same? And if not, why not?
Clearly it is not enough to say we should imitate Jesus, as if that answers every question. We need to think a bit more carefully about this question. We should not go out of our way to look for opportunities for anger and strong language. It is not that Jesus sinned in these cases. It is rather that as we aim to imitate Jesus, we must reflect those aspects he would want us to reflect. And being mindful of what we mimic is entirely consistent with an ancient understanding of imitation.
What is Imitation?
Biblical scholar Cornelis Bennema has recently written Imitation in Early Christianity: Mimesis and Religious-Ethical Formation (Eerdmans, 2025). Across nearly 450 pages, Bennema details how imitation is taught in various religious sources from Greco-Roman Antiquity, Jewish Antiquity, the New Testament, and the Apostolic Fathers.
Importantly for our discussion, Bennema defines imitation as a “dynamic, participatory, creative, and cognitive process” (24). When Jesus asks his disciples, “Do you understand what I have done to you?” he is encouraging reflection prior to doing what he’s modelling. Bennema calls this a step of “moral reasoning,” which emphasizes contemplation before action.
Deciding how to imitate Jesus must be tied to the biblical texts. Bennema rejects a purely subjective “picking and choosing.” And yet, he notes there are aspects of Jesus’s life that cannot be imitated since the text, properly interpreted, restricts us, and practically we are never able to perfectly copy Jesus’s exact actions in the first century.
Bennema says our actions “may differ from the original example while expressing the intention or attitude of the original act” (363). Jesus’s life informs us of what may be permissible Christian behaviour, but we must interpret before we act.
In other words, we do not need to walk in Galilee or make fish for breakfast to imitate Jesus. We should not copy all that Jesus does. In fact, we should not “copy” at all. Rather, we must reflect on the kind of person he is, including his intentions and teaching, and apply aspects of his character to our life.
How Should We Imitate Christ?
Bennema does not spend much time discussing what imitating Jesus actually looks like. This is the nature of scholarship. He focuses on his research question—what imitation is—and doesn’t get distracted with tangents. It’s good scholarship and a great book.
But I want to know in particular if it is wise to tell Christians, “we should flip tables like Jesus.” Should it be not only permitted, but encouraged? This is an important distinction. My question is whether it is consistent with the nature of imitation to encourage Christians today to be like Jesus in flipping tables and using strong language. My question is not whether or not such actions are permitted.
In imitating Jesus, I grant that there may be cases in which anger, curses, and strong language are not only permitted but good for Christians to take part in. I once angrily yelled at my daughter when she moved a metal spoon close to an electrical outlet. I believe I was right to respond in anger. If I flipped the spoon out of her hand, I would have been right to do so. And Jesus’s own life gives me permission for this. I would encourage others to act in this way in similar situations.
But anger in the abstract is not good. Rather, when stopping my daughter, certain criteria were met. To justify the flipping of a table (or a spoon), we must consider the primary virtues such as love, fortitude, and wisdom rather than “anger” and “strong language” in the abstract. Yes, many in our culture have softened their understanding of Jesus to ignore his boldness in speech and action. But the correction to this must remain biblical.
We may note at this point that many passages encourage purity of speech and gentleness in behaviour (Eph. 4:29; Eph. 5:4; Col. 3:8; Col. 4:6; James 3:9–10; 1 Pet. 3:15). These guide our moral reasoning.
More interesting to me is the biblical command to imitate Jesus itself. Does the New Testament attach the idea of imitation with cursing, anger, and strong language or with gentleness, love, or servanthood?
My concern is that too many Christians use Jesus’s example in the abstract, devoid of the fullness of biblical moral reasoning and devoid of the specific content we find in the commands to imitate Jesus.
In the text below, I have detailed many (but not all) New Testament references to imitation. As will be seen, Christians are never told to imitate the anger, aggression, or even the zeal of Jesus. In fact, most of the references to imitating Jesus have to do with self-giving.
Gospels:
- “Let him… take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24)
- “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15, in the context of washing the disciples’ feet)
- “Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34)
- “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12)
Pauline Epistles:
- “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” (Rom. 15:7)
- “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1, in the context of becoming like all people to save some)
- “Walk in love, as Christ loved us” (Eph. 5:2)
- “Love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25)
- “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, in the context of humility)
- “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Col. 3:13)
General Epistles:
- “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Heb. 12:3)
- “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21)
- “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6)
- “He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16)
Even when it comes to being in the presence of hostile sinners (perhaps like the Pharisees), the New Testament imitation texts do not encourage the flipping of tables but the endurance of suffering (Heb. 12:3; 1 Pet. 2:19–23).
We can divide the texts on imitation into three categories (this is my own analysis; derived from but distinct from Bennema’s):
- Texts which tell us to imitate Jesus’s zeal, anger, and use of strong language.
- Texts which tell us to imitate Jesus in general.
- Texts which tell us to imitate Jesus in his preferring other people more than oneself, or serving/loving others, or forgiving others.
No texts fall within the first category. You could argue that a few texts would perhaps land in the second (perhaps Jesus’s commands to “follow me”). But nearly all would land in the third. This is more reason to say that we must be selective in what we aim to imitate.
Servanthood More Than Anger
To get more practical, should Christians be encouraged to write angry tweets? Should we be told to yell and flip tables when we enter religious and cultural events which demean Jesus? Should a Christian be encouraged to use strong and provocative language when confronting sin? Based on my analysis of the commands to imitate Jesus, what imitation is, and the teaching of Scripture, I believe the answer is a resounding “no.” This is permitted, yes, but not encouraged. Remember to imitate Jesus: “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (1 Pet. 2:23).
Some readers may wonder, what about righteous anger in the face of injustice? After all, Paul does say, “be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26a). Am I disagreeing with Paul? No. You can be angry. But we must heed the rest of the verse, which says, “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Scripture permits anger but it does not encourage it in most circumstances.
Again, some readers may ask me what criteria I think are needed to do as Jesus did in flipping the tables. I have given an example (with my daughter) but I cannot give an exhaustive morality. Wisdom is not often found in checklists. In the Torah, God gave the Israelites narrative, moral law, and examples of case law. He did not give an exhaustive list of every right and wrong.
In society today, it is common to try to iron out every moral detail; the City of Toronto’s bylaws are so long they devote 92 pages to parking. Christians do not need such details; we have the guidance of the Spirit, the benefit of Scripture, and the example of godly Christians around us. Christians ought to grow in wisdom and discern what is the will of God, including what is good and acceptable and perfect (see Rom. 12:2).
Scripture intentionally emphasizes humility and servanthood over anger and strong language. We should do likewise. We must follow Jesus knowing his actions are different from our own. We do not need to imitate his every act to be his faithful follower.
