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EXPLORE YOUR FAITH
Why do portrayals of Jesus differ so radically?

During Advent, churches usually focus on the person of John the Baptist as the prophetic forerunner of Jesus—"Prepare the way of the Lord." And we also enjoy the musical oracles of Isaiah longing for a "shoot from the stump of Jesse" and a child named "Immanuel." We sing with Handel, "For unto us a child is given; and the government shall rest upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

But if we read respectfully from the words of both John and Isaiah, we realize that Jesus embodied much of what they hoped for, but not all. Isaiah expected this branch from the roots of Jesse to be an earthly king who would rule justly. That's not what happened. And John expected that the coming Promised One would lay an ax at the root of the trees, and winnow and clear the threshing floors, burning the chaff with unquenchable fire. It didn't happen that way either. When John said, "Repent, for the kingdom of God has come near" he intended to provoke fear in the disobedient. When Jesus spoke the same words, he inspired hope through love.

For both Isaiah and John the Baptist, Jesus was a fulfillment of what they hoped for but also was different from what they expected. Many contemporary religious leaders rejected Jesus' ministry because he did not fulfill their prophetic expectations from the Bible. Most disappointed were those who pinned their hopes upon a kingly leader who would punish and judge the wicked. That wasn't Jesus.

Those who were looking for a Promised One who would bring the blessings of healing, compassion, love and forgiveness and who would inspire a new way of living within that kind of reality welcomed Jesus with joy as the fulfillment of their deepest hopes. But those who were looking for a ruler who would punish the wicked and reward the righteous were disappointed. Both groups could point to the prophecies of scripture for support of their expectations.

I see similar divisions in the church today.

There are Christians whose primary image of Jesus is a triumphalistic one—"We're for Jesus!"—who speak of Jesus as the only way and a narrow way, who look forward to a judgment between right and wrong either at death or at an apocalyptic second coming, who regard public institutional allegiance to Jesus as the critical factor to salvation, who dismiss this world as a disposable commodity and regard admission into heaven as the prime concern of faith.

There are other Christians whose primary image of Jesus is a loving one, who speak of Jesus as the spirit of universal compassion and healing, who see their calling to serve the world with care as people whose hearts have been transformed by the love of Christ, and who trust the goodness of God in this life and the life to come. Both groups can point to the witness of scripture for support of their expectations.

If you want a triumphalistic savior who will reward his righteous followers and punish the wicked and foolish, you can look at the scriptures and draw conclusions consistent with what you want to be true. But the facts are, your world-view will be in conflict with the person and ministry of Jesus as he actually lived.

Here's a better way. Look at the essence of Jesus. He summarized all the Law and the Prophets with the Great Commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." He added to that the New Commandment, "Love one another." St. John declared simply, "God is Love." Love is the central characteristic of the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. Believe in love.

If you believe that the world is rotten and that even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees and his winnowing fork is in his hand, you will probably experience a world consistent with your belief. But you may be disappointed when you realize your agenda is not Jesus' agenda.

If you believe in love—that God creates the world out of love, that God loves everything and everyone that is, that compassion, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance is the very energy that constitutes the universe—then your life can be transformed in the image of Jesus.

You can let go of the mean stuff, including the mean stuff in scripture. You can see reality the way Jesus sees it, with eyes of loving compassion. Your heart can be transformed into the heart of Jesus. You can cooperate with what God is doing for the healing of the world. That's the good way.

--Lowell Grisham


 
 


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