Jesus as Revolutionary, just some thoughts…by Harry
The following is submitted by Harry:Sitting in a home group one night, a person mused… “Isn’t it funny how we pray to be like Jesus, sing songs to be more like Him, and then when our best friend betrays us, we get cancer, or we are misunderstood… We get upset and wonder why it happens to us.”
In His day, the Jews were looking for a Messiah to take off the yoke of Roman oppression and to even bring back the kingdom to it’s once former splendour. To this same effect, many if not most followers of Christ, expect the yoke of sin an suffering to be lifted off and live “The Good Life”. I am most certainly guilty of this. Yet, Jesus was/is radical, neigh, revolutionary in His thinking and working regarding both the Jews of His day and we ourselves. He wants people to focus on Him in totality and by doing so focusing on eternity. Consider what happened to Peter when he took his eyes off Jesus when he stepped out of the boat, the nice and somewhat safe boat, to walk the waves with his Lord.
We, like the Jews of His day and Peter, are focused on and worry about the things that occupy us in the here and now. How can we be safe? How can we be well? How can we pay the bills? How do I this… How do I that… for the most part, we miss the forest for the trees. We fix on the minutia and fail to notice the big picture. Jesus called His men from what they were doing; and right then and there they stopped and followed. None of them seemed to have had any qualms about it at first. Then in John 16:33 we read…
I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. MSG
He has just been telling them about what is going to happen to Him and how the world is going to be whooping it up! He tells them, you are going to have trouble, take heart, I have conquered (overcome) the world. Note He doesn’t say, Hey keep following Me and your life is going to be a bowl of cherries! What He has been telling them is, that later on, after this life passes, it will be your turn to whoop it up.
So what is so revolutionary? He words, His actions, His focus, His example… He never once takes His eyes off the Father and what is coming for Him. We don’t see Him moping or pouting, sulking or swimming the sea of despond, playing the victim or fixing blame. In this day and age, this is truly revolutionary. Where are our eyes fixed? Where is our heart focused? The heart… funny how Jesus most often talked about heart attitudes and where a person’s heart’s focus was. One man asked for healing and Jesus asked, “Do you really what to be better?” Another, blind Bartimaeus, He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And what of Martha, “Do you believe this?” Right to the heart, every time. Call someone a name and you murder him in your heart. Revolutionary, then and now.
So what now? Fix our eyes upon Jesus. Much easier said than done. But, with God, nothing is impossible. Now to just believe it…
Harry
posted by J.M @ 3:34 PM
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