“How can you represent Jesus like this?”

Do we recognize Jesus when we encounter him?

That’s a question I’ll be addressing in this weekend’s homily—it’s one of the themes buried in the story of the disciples traveling to Emmaus—and I’ll be talking specifically about this controversial sculpture by Timothy Schmalz.

The Christian Post has more:

Chicago is the most recent city to give the controversial “Jesus the Homeless” sculpture a permanent residence. Even though some Christians feel that the image of Jesus as a homeless person is offensive, the artist believes it’s a clear representation of the Gospel message.

The life-size bronze sculpture depicts Jesus Christ as a homeless person sleeping on a park bench and was unveiled Monday at its newest location, which is in front of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Earlier this year, a woman in Davidson, N.C., called police fearing for the safety of her upscale community after believing that the statue was a vagrant sleeping outside St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.

Cindy Castano Swannack, the woman who had called police, told NBC Charlotte that even after she discovered the person she saw is only a sculpture of Jesus depicted as a homeless person, she further commented that the image is offensive.

“Jesus is not a vagrant; Jesus is not a helpless person who needs our help. We need someone who is capable of meeting our needs, not someone who is also needy,” Swannack asserted.

Christian artist Tim Schmalz, who created the “Jesus the Homeless” sculpture after witnessing the enormity of homelessness in wealthy cities, such as Toronto, Canada, told The Christian Post that Swannack is not alone in her criticism.

“When some people look at it — and I’ve heard comments — they’ve expressed that it creeps them out. And they ask, ‘How can you represent Jesus like this?'” Schmalz explained.

“The criticism is that Jesus wasn’t a bum. And it makes me realize, after half a year of having the piece out there, how much the piece is needed. This representation should be out there to confront people and their hatred toward humanity, in a sense,” he added.

Read more of what he has to say about his work.