People see Jesus differently. The armed crowd coming into Gethsemane sought to arrest an enemy of the state and when He answered their query with, “I AM He.” they fell to the ground. All they recognized in their blindness was duty.
When Peter was pointed out in the courtyard by a servant girl as a follower of Jesus he missed what us modern evangelicals might call an excellent opportunity to witness. His blindness was lifted by a single look from the Christ. The record of the story says Peter wept bitterly at recognizing his betrayal.
Later that same night Pilate confessed he could find no fault in this Man.
The first example of faith in Jesus after His arrest and crucifixion comes from the thief hanging by His side asking to be remembered in Christ’s Kingdom.
Even the centurion on guard to catch His last breath and verify His death exclaimed, “Surely this was the Son of God.”
In short, none of His followers testified in His behalf. The truest witnesses of Christ’s mission on earth were a criminal, a judge, an an executioner, and I wonder if the Jesus we hold so dear in our imagination bears any bloodied resemblance to the Lamb led to slaughter that day.
Gregory Mayers, a Redemptorist priest, and author of “Listen to the Desert : Secrets of Spiritual Maturity from the Desert Fathers and Mothers” states…”We need to examine carefully this human act of thinking about God. Thoughts about God are cut from the same cloth as the clay idols of pagan worship. They tell nothing about God. We are not joined to God by thinking, but by Love.”
When we see someone we haven’t seen in a long time we often marvel at how much they’ve changed. When we see Jesus as He is, the marvel will be, how much He has changed us.
Well said Will. I particularly liked this phrase: “The truest witnesses of Christ’s mission on earth were a criminal, a judge, an an executioner”… I’d never thought of it that way. Thanks for challenging me to be a better Christian today.
Will, I like your writing… but disagree slightly with your point. When we think about God, it DOES draw us closer to him. But, of course just intellectualizing Him, does not in and of itself bring about a relationship. And of course, as you said, LOVE has to be full and overflowing. Blessings.
Not everyone would see it that way…I’m glorified that my soul goes closer to God when I read this…when I think,speak or in my way hear Him speak to me…not putting you down…I just know not everyone had a favour toward the Lord… Others seem to be set into a Devils spin…I pray for All…Will. I really felt this … Thank you