Just Jesus?

Someone once told me he did not want to be Catholic because Catholics had too many rules and laws; instead he wanted to have "just Jesus" and not a "legalistic Church". I told him that I agreed with him on the issue of not wanting a "legalistic Church", but explained that if we stayed with "just Jesus" and no Church, then it would much harder. He was shocked and asked what I was talking about. Jesus, you see, was far more focused on rules and laws than the Church ever has been. The Church is not being "legalistic" when she tells us what to do; she is doing her duty.

After all, the Church's job is to point to what Jesus said, and tell people to worship Him. Jesus, on the other hand, can be seen in the gospels telling people that they had to "obey everything He commands". He also warns that those who refuse to obey His commands will spend eternity in Hell. Yeah, that might not sound like the meek and mild Jesus that so many people are used to, but it is the Jesus of Scripture. Those who want Jesus without the Church, are seeking a different Jesus than the One who walked this Earth 2000 years ago. They are seeking a fake Jesus that never actually existed except in their own imagination. We are called to follow the Jesus of revelation, not imagination.