Something intrinctically insidious about demoralizing psychological beatdowns, but Christians are used to hearing how worthless and no good they are.
It should be a huge red flag but it’s the same as women who won’t leave their abusers. They don’t have any comprehension of what a loving husband would do or say to bring life and light into the home, as it is completely outside anything they’ve known and experienced. All they know is the manipulator who knocks them down hard and then offers his “loving, forgiving” hand up.
The Messiah is more likely to be kicked out of his own church for lifting the room darkening shades and opening the windows.
Plenty of regular people [who aren’t in bondage to the established wisdom] will flock to the man, because he’s a loving, caring listener. He wants to heal them because he loves them. Those are the folks who will learn from his uplifting example of mercy and kindness and will be eager to go out and do likewise.
Mercy is the key to the Redemption. Those who are forgiven much, love much. If people aren’t inspired to go out in joy, to love as they were loved, maybe it’s because they have been constantly told over and over and over that they are filthy piles of garbage.
Plenty of surprises on the horizon.