A Christian commercial about Jesus that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday angered some conservatives who felt like the advertisement justified certain sins.
The commercial, funded by the organization "He Gets Us" showed images of several people, including a woman outside a family planning clinic and a person attending a protest, having their feet washed, a reference to the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. The commercial ends with the phrase, "Jesus didn't teach hate. He washed feet."
The images are meant to symbolize "how we should treat one another," while the commercial is meant to call themes of "love and unity" and "love your neighbor" ahead of a deeply divided election, according to the organization in a press release, which says its goal is to "remind everyone, including ourselves, that Jesus' teachings are a warm embrace, not a cold shoulder."
Still, the commercial was met with an icy reception from many conservatives and religious leaders on social media.
"The 'he gets us' feet ad about Jesus seems to imply that Jesus was cool with all kinds of sinful behavior. He wasn't. He didn't go hangout with prostitutes or any other sinner because he accepted the choices they made, he did it to inspire them to change," Robby Starbuck, a music video director and former congressional candidate, posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Joel Berry, editor of conservative satire publication The Babylon Bee, wrote on X that he believes the commercial was "strictly following oppressed v oppressor intersectionality guidelines" and trying to either "sell Jesus to leftists" or "cynically" use Jesus to "sell a political movement."
"The 'He Gets Us' commercial might seem harmless to some, but it's obviously part of a psyop to trick Christians into thinking Jesus is fine with sin & apostasy. It's the opposite of what our world needs right now," pastor Ryan Visconti wrote.
Pastor Darrell B. Harrison posted to X, "It would take a week — at least — to properly exegete this mission statement by 'He Gets Us.' At best, it is moralistic therapeutic deism. At worst, it is gnostic heresy that posits Jesus as a divine social worker."
"SUPER BOWL WARNING! The 'He gets us' ad is TOTALLY deceptive. Jesus washed the feet of his DISCIPLES (followers)! Those were people who ALREADY BELIEVED in JESUS. He then told them to wash EACH OTHERS (believers) feet. Christianity shouldn't be rewritten as political ads!" posted musician Vinnie James.
Andrew T. Walker, a Southern Seminary theology professor, posted that the commercial "framed evangelism with a leftward tinge, communicating the respectability of certain sins over others in our culture."
"The socially high-status sins of the Left are the ones Christians are told to evangelize, not the low-status sins of the Deplorable Right because, it seems, they are the ones truly outside redemption's reach," he wrote.
Author Travis M. Snow wrote, "Jesus washed the feet of people who repented of their sins & left everything to follow him. He Gets Us is the epitome of hijacking the symbols of the New Testament Gospel in service to the secular Left."
"He Gets Us" Responds to Criticism
A spokesperson for "He Gets Us" responded to the criticism in a statement to Newsweek on Monday, writing that "our intent is to share the authentic love Jesus showed with anyone and everyone."
"Our ads this year this year kick off a year-long focus on loving your neighbors, which will come to life through service events, art, advertising and engaging content, and experiences that bring people together. While we may use different words or methods than others, we hope that it compels people to be curious and explore Jesus' story," the spokesperson wrote.
Others, meanwhile, also defended the commercial.
"Am I the only conservative Christian who didn't totally hate the 'He Gets Us' ad? Yes, it speaks 'woke-ese.' It's not for us; it's for secular libs. There's a risk it leads to heretical complacency. But if it gets some lost lib even to consider Our Lord, I'm not totally opposed," posted commentator Michael Knowles.
"Some Christians hated the @HeGetsUs ad because they think it's an insult to show us humbling ourselves to serve people with whom we disagree. Or they think serving = affirming sin. Reread the Sermon on the Mount. The culture war taught you to focus on fighting them, not Jesus," posted Justin Giboney, an attorney who co-hosts The Church Politics Podcast.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
