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| Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark Galli
Publisher: Baker Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $2.88
You Save: $15.11 (84%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 426174
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.6 x 1
ISBN: 0801012848
Dewey Decimal Number: 232.903
EAN: 9780801012846
ASIN: 0801012848
Publication Date: July 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Many Christians are used to the idea of a meek and mild Jesus, the stereotypical "nice guy." Countering these all too prevalent notions, Mark Galli offers a unique study of seventeen troubling passages from the book of Mark to prove we should be anything but comfortable with Christ. Highlighting the incontrovertible fact of an untamable and often militant Messiah, Galli gives readers a training manual in spiritual growth to awaken sleeping believers and transform them into devoted disciples. Hinging on the compelling nature of the love of God, he explains how this mean and wild Jesus shows us truer love than our pleasant construct ever could. Striking and bold, but always rooted in Scripture, Jesus Mean and Wild will put readers on the road to true discipleship.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
A refreshing perspective August 20, 2006
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
It seems in too many Christian circles we have this idea of a warm and cuddly Jesus -- a Jesus who would never say anything stern, a Jesus who would never make people mad. Too many Christians have embraced Christianity as a religion of being nice -- and if, heaven forbid, you ever say something that's not nice, then you're a wretched sinner.
Galli challenges this idea. He takes 17 passages from the gospel of Mark and shows how Jesus often acted in ways we might not expect -- or even in ways that maybe some think he shouldn't.
For example, he starts with Mark 1:11-12, which says that after Jesus was baptized, "the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness." Why did God do this? Isn't God supposed to be loving? Surely he wouldn't deliberately bring suffering into our lives. But that's exactly what God the Father did to Jesus in this passage. Galli uses this example to argue that difficulties and sufferings are often God's ways of fashioning the character of men and women.
Other examples Galli draws upon from the life of Jesus include his stern warning to the leper who was healed, his rebuke of Peter, his driving the money changers out of the temple, etc.
Galli's book is a refreshing perspective on who Jesus really is. Concise and readable, each chapter is about 8-10 pages long and can stand alone as its own unit -- meaning it's a book that you can read over a long period of time and not feel like you're missing the big picture.
Ultimately, Galli challenges the reader to get to know the real Jesus, not the one we've conjured up and not the one with whom we want to be comfortable -- because God will not allow us the luxury of being comfortable with him.
Jesus Isn't Always Nice December 3, 2006
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
This remarkable little book (with only 207 hardback pages) reminds that Jesus wasn't always nice. Using texts from the Gospel of Mark author Mark Galli presents the "shock and awe" moments from Christ's ministry and life. "Jesus Mean and Wild" (2006) completes its study with six pages of endnotes and 18 pages of small group discussion questions.
Galli's study is provocative and occasionally uncomfortable. He explains that his point is to "explore this unnerving texture by working through seventeen passages of the Gospel" (page 19). The book is simply astonishing! Each time I wanted to disagree with his analysis, the author presented me with a direct quote from Jesus. (I've begun to re-tool my thinking.)
As if to unnerve the stayed and stodgy believer even more, Galli uses the new English Standard Version of Scripture (2001). This translation presents novel, often challenging, words to the biblical text. His use of the ESV greatly assists in his presentation and surprising Jesus recount.
The best parts of this book are chapters 11 and 12 as Galli explains that contemporary western Christianity has given into the gospel of relevance and success. He says that in order for the church to continue to be faithful and effective this pursuit of numbers "must die" (page 128). If there is a downside to this book it is that the author tends to be preachy (he is verbose). Working through his sermons is a small price to pay to discover his pearls of wisdom.
This is a very good book. It shows that sometimes Jesus was direct and confrontational. It is recommended to everyone.
 Too much of a stretch January 28, 2007
13 out of 21 found this review helpful
Mark Galli's book helps to shed light upon Jesus's character -- instead of the "warm and fuzzy" Jesus some people follow, Jesus is portrayed as "not always nice", "demanding", "fear and shame-maker", "forsaker", "desire unfulfiller".... Galli chooses to base each chapter on a different aspect of Jesus from 1-2 verses taken from the Gospel of Mark. Some of what Galli writes fits with the verses chosen, but more often than not found that what he writes was really out of context with the entire passage the verses came from.
Many of the chapters made me feel uncomfortable -- not because the book was doing it's job of changing my perspective of Jesus -- but rather the author's stretching of the truth. For example, he wrote "So we struggle with Jesus in such moments because he so willing employs shame and fear and physical intimidation to motivate people." His quote refers to Mark 11:15-17. None of the versions of the Bible mention this scenario with Jesus actually using "shame" tactics; it's the author's own interpretation.
My main concern is that someone who takes Galli's ideas to heart will become demanding, impatient, guilt-driven, mean followers of Jesus. And not in a good way.
Powerful book, very well written January 4, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Mark Galli reveals a Jesus who prowls the pages of scripture, yet is rarely seen in our play it safe, praise and worship churches. This Jesus is more Lion of Judah than Lamb of God -- a man's man who never backed down from a fight. The delicious irony is that this Jesus would be expelled from many a church -- for being too "UnChristlike."
My only beef with this book: Galli has a real bias against large, successful churches, dismissing them as prideful. He says that Christ prefers to work through small, humble churches. He ignores the fact that wherever Christ went, large crowds followed. I have no doubt that Jesus can work through churches large AND small, but in my experience large churches are much more likely to embody Christ's wildness, risk-taking and mission focus.
This book is definitely worth a read. I highly recommend it.
A More Masculine Approach to Jesus August 8, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I found the book to be refreshing from the usual "Meek and Mild" Jesus approach to Biblical interpretation. The love of our Lord is still there just not so "mushy."
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