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would the real Jesus please stand...

do you remember that game show? the one where 3 people all posed as the same person and a panel of celebrities asked them questions and then guessed which one was real? i didn't watch it often, but i was never very good.

anyways...lately, or for about the past 4-6 months, i've been on a quest to see who the real Jesus is. call me postmodern, or just call me crazy, but i can't help but think that in the grand scheme of things we are so busy doing church that we are clueless about who Jesus really was and what he would like in our world today.

i've done a little questioning of God in my prayer life...begging Him to show me Jesus. the real Jesus. not the one i want Him to be. then i read the shack and oh my....rocked my world! awesome book and i highly recommend it! i don't think i get who Jesus truly was.

i've had some of the best spiritual growth in the past year, but an awful lot of "tribulation." i believe Jesus promises us those tribulations. anyways...i've been on this quest for a little while and am starting to see glimpses of the real Jesus and i have to say i'm amazed and saddened. saddened that we, I, have never recognized Him before. amazed that in so many ways i have seen Him, but ignored Him.

you see, Jesus hung out with the not so pretty. he chose the disciples that had been deemed "not good enough" by the other rabbis. he hung out with the partiers, the adulterors, the liars....sometimes he even just sat with them. other times he called them to repent. but most importantly, he listened to their stories. we are really good at calling people to repent, but how often do we listen to their stories? i mean really listen.

you see when Jesus would talk to one of the unlovely, He knew their deepest hurts and would address those hurts. we so often say, Jesus loves you and you need to believe in Him....then when they don't we walk away. and sometimes they do believe, but then we still walk away when they don't get lovely right away. why don't we stop and listen to their story?

i believe that Jesus is sad by how we treat people today. i get the sense that we are so busy "doing" that we miss out on the opportunity to be like Jesus. i've had to take a hard look at my life and those around me. i have so missed out...in fact, i was so caught up in doing church and having everyone there holy, that i almost missed out on a great friendship i'm so thankful for now. a young lady that thinks i'm cool even though i'm in my 30's. she has taught me a lot about Jesus.

i've missed out because for a while i was so focused that all my friends needed to be christians. and yes, my closest friends should be and are, but how am i supposed to be Jesus to a complete stranger? it seemed like even Jesus sat and talked to that women at the well for a little while before He told her she needed Him. and i'm not sure He said it so clear....He met her right where she was!

i got in my car the other day with my mind filled with these rambling thoughts. our pastor is teaching a series on who Jesus is. and i've just started back through the Gospels intent and focused on seeing Jesus for who He really is. the song that is currently playing came on. i pulled into my parking space and just sat - for a long time soaking in the words to the song.......listen to it. really listen and tell me - who is your Jesus???

Comments

Lindsey said…
Goood post, I love it! You said a book The Shack? It sounds like I would like it too...who is it by?
October 13, 2008 at 9:35 PM
jillian4 said…
I think that it is very humbling of you to write that post. You are so right, many times we get so caught up in "our lives, our world" that we lose focus of our purpose. I believe that one of our biggest purposes is to serve others and reach out as you have said, and really listen. And although we may face tribulations, and they are not always pleasant, this is God's way of showing us who He is. I know that I have learned a lot of who Jesus is over the last few months based on tribulations that I am facing. I am saddened that I had to get to this point to see who Jesus is and realize how much bigger He is than all of my "mess" But yet I am so thankful that He has and is carrying me through, had I not had to face these things, I would not have realized just how amazing He is!
"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." 1 Peter 6-7
October 13, 2008 at 10:33 PM
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