Reflections on the Osteen Trial

Jared Wilson reflects on the reports of the court appearance of Joel and Victoria Osteen as a result of Victoria's altercation with a flight attendant. If you have not read about it you can do so here. I think this post could walk the line of being gossip, but I fully resonate with what Jared writes below and I think Joel and Victoria do preach a false gospel, thus we need to be informed about what this incident can demonstrate about their theology.

To sum it up: Osteen's Christianity fosters a sense of entitlement (which is made clear in the story), and Biblical Christianity fosters a sense of humble thankfulness and servanthood. Read the following, especially the part about the evangelistic implications. Remember, this guy "pastors" the biggest "church" in America.

Here's another important one, though

McKamie also asked Osteen whether his family was used to getting special treatment, making reference to an anecdote in one of the pastor's books in which he wrote about being allowed to take an expensive television camera onboard a flight to India even though it was against the rules.

"You feel that you're entitled to the favor of God ... to do things other people can't do," McKamie said.

"All of God's children are," Osteen said.

And that's the money quote. That's how Osteen and his variety of prosperity gospelism position Christian identity -- to be better, higher, more favored by the world than anybody else. It is a position of entitlement. And it is the antithesis of grace. Because they believe they deserve special treatment. The camera incident cited there comes from an anecdote in Your Best Life Now, where Osteen describes being told by a clerk that he would have to check a camera with luggage, that it couldn't be carried on. He basically argued with her, got nowhere, and then the pilot, who overheard, tried to placate Osteen by offering to stow it in the cockpit. Osteen writes (p.36):

The woman behind the counter glared at me and shook her head, clearly aggravated. I just smiled and said, "Sorry, ma'am; it's the favor of God."

No sir. It's being an ass. And I imagine after that incident, that clerk didn't come away thinking, "Wow, God is awesome to favor a believer that way." She was likely thinking, "Wow, what a jerk your followers are, God." Osteen and his devotees believe they know their place. As children of God, they are entitled to money, health, good jobs, special treatment. They know nothing of the cross. And it makes me wonder if they've actually read any Jesus in the Gospels. We are not entitled to anything. We have graciously been made co-heirs with Jesus, and our response, out of gratitude and joy and love for God, should be humility and servanthood and sacrifice.
Certainly we can wipe up a spill every now and then. As lovers of God and neighbor, it is our job.