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What do you see?

October 7, 2007

The way we see Jesus makes a difference to the way we see ourselves. We model ourselves on what we think he was like. This makes life difficult because Jesus is not easily understood. We can see him in different ways – some of which we understand better than others. Or at least some of which fit more easily with our own character and interests.

Was John the Baptist disappointed with Jesus? (Luke 7.18) Maybe he thought Jesus should have been more decisive and have taken action more quickly. Maybe he felt let down after all his preaching about judgment – to see Jesus not doing too much judgment. Perhaps Jesus’ activity called into question what John had been doing.

Was he satisfied with Jesus’ answer, which was all about healing and preaching the good news to the poor? Jesus’ answer was a kind of coded reply that reminded John of the promises of the Old Testament. Promises that said God was sending his servant, his anointed King, to rescue and help his people.

But was the reply of Jesus the whole answer? Was the one they were waiting for just a healer and a preacher? Was healing and preaching the main game? Or was it to do with heavenly eternal realities? Such as forgiveness, and freedom from the fear of death, and the overthrowing of the hostile spiritual powers?

Once we make a list like that it is clear that it is difficult to separate the heavenly and earthly aspects of Jesus’ ministry. The preaching of the good news to the poor was an announcement about the coming of the King who had come to gather his people into a new family. The same old people, but into a new set of relationships brought about by the death and resurrection of their King.

The problem of whether the focus on the lame and blind and lepers was the main game or not is the same problem about who Jesus is. Is he just a human with great powers that comes to help humans in their difficulties? Or is he the great God himself who has come to bring people into a spiritual relationship with himself?

They way we understand Jesus affects the way we follow him. The answer to the questions above is both. He is both really human, concerned with human living and also really God concerned to bring people into a living relationship with his Father who is Spirit.

And we also live in both worlds and want to do the same.
Dale


 

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