People often wonder why Jesus is portrayed as being powerful. The facts are that his father worked a trade, his mother became pregnant as an unwed teenager, and he did not have any formal training from an esteemed school. Additionally, he never carried a weapon, held office, or attracted a significant number of followers for any sustained period of time while he was alive. Jesus was, by all accounts, a failure.
The same cannot be said for the terrorists of today. People talk about them, followers seek after them, and their handiwork is displayed for all to see. Some of them come from wealthy and respected families. Frequently they have attended good school and achieved high marks. By most measures they are quite successful at everything they try to do.
It is not always obvious who is out for good versus the ones who are intent on destroying. In society today, we reward results and ignore the process. We concentrate one who has power, not how they got it. We say one thing and then do something quite different. Accountability, consistency, and openness are not things we look for. Perhaps we should. In many ways this is part of the very thing we thirst to know and experience.
Jesus was powerful because everything he did was open for all to see and respond to. Regardless of what you thought of him, He did not change. In spite of threats and adulation, his approach to people and to life remained constant. Even with his life at stake, he put others first. As he died, his conversation was one filled with love, compassion, and mercy.
Do you want to be effective? Do you want to make a difference? Remember, “a person who talks sense is honored, airheads are held in contempt.” (Proverbs 12.8) God’s approach with us is a great template for those we meet, love, and journey with. Transparency is never easy. Each of us has lots to hide.
Today I reached out to God and found his transparency there as I turn; love, compassion, and mercy.
