Is Jesus ‘Woke?’

by

Perspectives

“And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” (Mark 13:37)

Special to United Methodist Insight | Nov. 25, 2025

“Woke” is a trigger word today. Things or people deemed “woke” are being cancelled, de-funded, or closed. People on the right, left, and center of the political landscape, as well as universities and corporations are all steering clear of the word. Concepts like “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion,” once seen as virtues, are now viewed as liabilities. Amid all this, a dear friend and colleague recently raised a simple but important question, “I wonder if Jesus would be considered ‘woke’?”

Some will surely bristle at even asking the question. It is problematic to try and squeeze Jesus into such a politically charged phrase, as if answering the question in the affirmative or negative means Jesus is on my side, or the other. I don’t think Jesus plays by our rules of winners and losers.

Further, I am not entirely clear what the term “woke” even means. It is an elusive word that seems to be a catch all for many things. For those whom “woke” is a negative concept, it means prioritizing the marginalized at the expense of those traditionally privileged, creating a new layer of inequality. On the others side, “woke” means naming systemic and historical injustices and helping to level the playing field to make it more just.

So where is Jesus?

So where is Jesus in all of this? To be clear, when Jesus speaks of being “awake” in Mark 13, he is not using the modern phrase “woke,” as we might think of it today. Rather, he is referring to being attentive to the inbreaking Kingdom of God, the work of God in renewing and healing creation. It is about being awake enough to recognize this work and presence of God all around.

There are many Christians who claim Jesus is “anti-woke.” They argue that he loves all people the same and thus deference to a historically marginalized group diminishes that truth. While I would agree that God’s love for the privileged is without question, even a cursory reading of the gospels (and the Bible as a whole) demonstrates God has a special concern for the poor, oppressed and marginalized. Hebrew prophets like Isaiah, Micah, and Amos demand God’s people practice social justice and care for the un-privileged persons if they want to be aligned with God. The Psalms repeatedly tell the story of the Hebrew people’s unjust slavery in Egypt as a reminder of God’s fidelity, especially for lifting up the oppressed and suffering.

It is no surprise, then, that in the gospels, Jesus, who was steeped in this Hebrew prophetic tradition, is consistently aligning with and upholding the “least of these.” This happens in three important ways: Jesus includes them, he recognizes God in them, and last, he identifies with them.

First, when the religious authorities exerted their privilege and demanded Jesus not associate with sinners, tax collectors, and others who fell beyond the more privileged and holy class, he intentionally made a place for them at the table. He included them. A good example of this can be found in Luke 15. Here, the Pharisees and the scribes are complaining about Jesus welcoming and eating with tax collectors and “sinners.” Jesus will have none of it and proceeds to offer a series of parables to illumine the rationale for his inclusion. Here he shares the “Prodigal Son” parable which ends at a crisis point, the miffed older brother can come join the party or remain outside in his resentment. Either way, God’s gracious love is intentionally extended to the one on the margins. It is only a matter of moving towards or away from the table of grace.

Next, Jesus recognizes that God is already working in marginalized and disregarded persons in his day. An example of this is the story of the complex interaction between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. She was a foreigner, an outsider. As the woman approaches Jesus desperately seeking healing for her daughter, he initially dismisses her as unworthy of the grace reserved for the chosen, privileged people (Mark 7:24ff). The story takes a dramatic shift though, when Jesus recognizes God already working in her. Matthew ends the story with Jesus seeing the woman’s deep trust and saying, “Woman, great is your faith…” (Matthew 15:28). That this story is even included in the gospel of Jesus reflects the priority of elevating the under-privileged to a special place in God’s story of redemption.

Last, Jesus identifies with the oppressed and marginalized. In Matthew 25:31-46, we find Jesus claiming that if we seek to find him, we must look among the poor, suffering, and rejected, those lacking privilege. How one treats the underprivileged then reflects how one treats Jesus. It is significant that Jesus takes his place with those who, in many cases, are being crushed under the weight of societal and systemic injustice. He further calls those who follow him to act in ways that acknowledge and heal their suffering.

Not rejecting the privileged

To be clear, Jesus does not simply reject persons of the privileged class. He sees them as children of God, just as he does the oppressed. Jesus is just as concerned about their salvation, healing of heart and life. The salvation of the privileged, though, is not simply a continuation of their privilege, but rather a heart that is willing to surrender privilege to make space for those being left out. Think of the rich ruler seeking eternal life and having to release his hold on wealth, or Zacchaeus who repays those he has defrauded, or the proclamation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she anticipates his birth and God’s work in her coming son. She declares that in her coming child, God has “…scattered the proud, brought down the powerful from their thrones, lifted up the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-53, NRSVUE)

So back to the original question, is Jesus woke? I am always hesitant to try and squeeze Jesus into modern political phrases and concepts. Jesus is and always will be greater than our political concepts and agendas, on both the left and right. However, if woke means elevating the marginalized and dismantling the privilege that one group exerts over another, then I suppose Jesus could be “woke.”  

As business, education, and political leaders flee from diversity, inclusion, and equity, I wonder who the voices will be for the powerless, marginalized, and oppressed. Who will call for justice and fairness? Perhaps it will be the Church, living into its high calling? I hope so. For this is a discipleship moment, in which we must decide whether we will move in the direction of Jesus, who simply bids us to come and follow him.

The Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski serves as assistant dean of Methodist Studies at UMC-related Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.