jésu, Jesus, Jsvwv, Jesus
by Larry Bubb

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In any computer language, that name is just as sweet. Well, over the years I've written about or inter- viewed the likes of Michael Jordan, O.J., Amy Grant, Kurt Cobain, and even our world famous kitty Stephen.

It dawned on me as I was reading a book called "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Philip Yancey that I had never written a main article about the most important and influential person in all of history . . . Jesus Christ, though hopefully each newsletter is pointing toward Him. I believe the devil has tried to degrade the name of Jesus so that it is not held in as high royal, regard as it should be. For instance, when was the last time you heard someone hit their finger with a hammer and yell "Oh, Buddha!" or "Oh, Mohammed!" or "Hare H. Krishna!"? The devil doesn't care about diminishing those names, but he has done his best to even turn the name of Jesus Christ into an everyday curse word. And where in the world did anyone get the idea that His middle initial was "H"? Instead of honoring the name & person of Jesus as the Holy Son of God, people too often take Him, His love and His power for granted.

Well, the dilemma facing me is what in the world do I write about the One of whom the Bible says, "Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21: 25) I will attempt to briefly cover 3 areas, each of which could easily be an entire dissertation (or for today's computer generation - 500 megabytes worth).

(1) Many people are of the opinion that Jesus was simply a great religious teacher or prophet. However, He claimed to be GOD here among us on earth (John 10: 30-33). To paraphrase C. S. Lewis: a good religious man or prophet would not claim to be God unless He actually was. If He wasn't God, then He was either a crazy man along the lines of someone who thought he was a flying monkey, or He was deceitfully lying. "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." (Mere Christianity)

(2) In the 1st century, many of the Jews and Zealots hoped He was coming as a political redeemer to lead the country to peace and freedom from Rome. In retrospect, we can see that wasn't true but we often forget what the political climate was at the time. To quote Philip Yancey from his book, "Roman Soldiers have just invaded a Galilean village to exact vengeance for some trespass against the empire. They have strung up Jewish men of fighting age, shoved their hysterical wives to the ground, even speared babies in order to 'teach these Jews a lesson.' Into that tumultuous scene of blood and tears and keening for the dead strides Jesus with eyes ablaze.

I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, right? So our forefathers said. Love your kinsmen, hate your enemies, right? But I say it's easy to love your own brother, to love those who love you. Even tax collectors do that! You want me to congratulate you for loving your own kinsmen? No, Love your enemy.

Love the man who would kick you and spit at you. Love the soldier who would drive his sword in your belly. Love the one who robs and tortures you.

Listen to me! Love your enemy! If a Roman soldier hits you on the left cheek, offer him the right one . . ." (see Matthew 5: 38 - 48 and Luke 6: 27 - 36) "For three centuries Christians tended to take literally His command to 'Resist not evil,' but eventually the Church developed a doctrine of 'just war' and even 'holy war.' " The Kingdom Jesus spoke about and came to bring the 1st time was invisible and within us. Yancey adds, "(At election time) I have difficulty imagining Jesus pondering whether Tiberius, Octavius, or Julius Caesar was 'God's man' for the empire."

"ASLAN is good. But He is NO TAME Lion." [Another C. S. Lewis paraphrase from the Chronicles of Narnia where the Lion, Aslan, represents Jesus Christ.] In our 20th century Americanized Christianity we tend to want to mold Jesus into our cultural preferences rather than conform ourselves into what He actually taught. He is no tame Lion King that we should put him into our little box and control Him!

Jesus will come and make all things right and bring justice. But for now "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord." As Rich Mullins used to joke, "But I just want to be about the Lord's business!" It is much easier for us to get caught up in exacting judgment and revenge rather then unconditionally loving. In John 8, the leaders wanted to stone the lady caught in adultery as the law said. Jesus said that whoever was without sin should throw the 1st stone. He didn't tell her that what she did was OK, but rather, "Go and sin no more." Jesus calls us to live radical Christian lives not by picketing or moral reform or even electing the right political leaders (not that there is anything wrong with any of that), but by unconditionally loving even those that hate us and make our lives miserable (John 13:35). Pray for them and go out of your way to do good things for them.

It's easy to intellectually say , "God loves the whole world of sinners." But can you say, "God loves a wife beater. God loves a child molester. God loves that person that makes fun of me all the time." ???

I know what you're thinking, "That's impossible Larry!" That's exactly right. However the things which are impossible with men, are possible with God (Luke 18 : 27). That's why we need Jesus in our life to love the unlovely through us. He must increase and I must decrease (John 3 : 30). We need that One living through us Who did not even physically defend Himself but rather looked at the very people who had been beating Him and making fun of Him and said, "Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are doing." And as a result, He turned the world upside down without a political revolution! We often forget in this physical, visible world that our battle is not against flesh, but is a spiritual battle (Eph. 6 : 12).

I guess it would be helpful to ask that question . . . WWJD? No, not Who Would Jesus Date ( I borrowed that from Dave Hart), but What Would Jesus Do?

Rarely do we look at Jesus today as some political savior since we live in a free country. But we often do see Him as the One who will get us out of all our jams or give us all the material things we so rightly deserve because we love Him. Sometimes people mistakenly picture Jesus as the Santa Claus of the Solar System, or Credit Card of the Cosmos or Heavenly Bellhop in the Sky. Just snap your fingers, He'll come running every time you cry.

No, we are followers of a homeless man, not one who was wealthy! Our hope rests on One whose teaching and love were rejected. We follow a man who was sentenced to die as a criminal.

But to those who are poor and homeless,

He does offer the Kingdom of Heaven.

To those who are rejected and lonely,

He will be our Best Friend.

To those in chains, He is Freedom.

To the orphaned, He is the Everlasting Father.

To the weak, He is the Mighty God.

To the confused, He is the Wonderful Counselor.

To the war torn, He is the Prince of Peace.

To the lost, He is the Way.

To the weary, He is Strength.

To the atom, He is Fusion

For by Him all things hold together.

To those who are dying (every one of us), He is Life.

To the broken hearted, He is LOVE.

He loves us desperately and furiously in spite of all we've done! The raging Love of God surpasses our understanding. The One who knows us the best (faults and all) loves us the most! Jesus!!!

(Ed note-OK, so that was only 2 points. After point (1) was so short, I thought for sure I'd make it. Then I got carried away on point (2) and ran out of room for point (3). Sorry!)


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