Is a question often posed by people who are skeptical about the Christian faith. It is seen as something that is needed by those who can't really cope with what the world throws at them.However, the Bible sees Christianity as anything but a crutch. Instead of making your life easier it actually makes it more difficult. Here's Jesus is Luke as he explains what discipleship means: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Jesus certainly didn't see Christianity as a crutch, he saw following him as a challenge.
The cross today has become a bit sanitised, it is viewed as a nice clean religious symbol. But in Jesus day it was the ultimate sign of suffering, carrying your cross was not and is not easy, it is not a crutch under your arm it is a burden on your back.
Jesus then goes to on to teach his disciples some of the practical outworking of this, it means going out with the message that the kingdom is come in Jesus and facing rejection, it means being the neighbour to those in need, even those you wouldn't naturally help, and bearing the cost yourself. It means your priorities, aspirations and desires are to be being increasingly conformed not to what I want but to what gives God the glory for his grace.
Its worth reading Acts posing the question - is Christianity a crutch for the early church? Acts 4 Peter and John are hauled before the Sanhedrin and threatened, Acts 5 the Apostles are flogged for preaching. Acts 7 Stephen is stoned, Acts 8 persecution breaks out against the church, and from Acts 13 onwards as the gospel is proclaimed you see persecution, riots, threats, arrests, and trials. In the rest of the New Testament much of the teaching is encouragment live out the scandal of the cross in light of the rejection and persecution it brings. A crutch? I don't think so, a cross? Most definitely.
In many places today (China, Philippians, Saudi Arabia, Iraq to name but a few) Christians are persecuted for their faith yet still they stand and proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord. The history of England shows that for all our freedoms we enjoy now hundreds, if not thousands, before us died for their faith. Even in what seems to be a multicultural Britain persecution exists, Christians are derided for their beliefs.
Christianity is not a crutch it is a cross, not just a cause of persecution but a life of self denial to glorify God who has worked in us so great a salvation.
