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The Trouble with Jesus
by Constance Hastings
A Losing Life
December 17, 2019
Love God, Love Losers
How Not to Change the World would be a good title for Jesus’ autobiography. Or maybe, How to Take Good Ideas and Get Killed for It. Or, Love God, Love Losers. If Jesus came to change the world, he was his own worst enemy as he went about it. Common sense just wasn’t his forte.
Leaders with idealistic platforms are wonderful to read about, but everyone knows that doesn’t get votes. Practical policies that work the system to everyone’s benefit make the better headline. But no, he castigated those who could have helped him and buddied up with those of questionable repute. You’d think if he really wanted to change the world, he’d garner influence from those who ran things. It seemed not to be in his DNA.
What’s worse, he elevated the lowest of the low as the preeminent example of the character of faith. In short, he liked kids more than they were worth. Now, children ministries love to tell stories of how Jesus welcomed children. So sweet, wasn’t he? Bless these little ones. To be fair, it was genuine, but it’s used too much as a photo-op. Once again, The Son of God played for an impact that was beyond the surface.
Children in the first century were not always valued. In their early years, they required considerable care that had little return, for the death rate among the young was high. Why have emotional investment in those who could very well die before they could work and be profitable? Children were the least among the lesser ones of status. They could not speak, work, or carry any influence to further the cause. Beyond that, the Jews knew pagan cults were not beyond stealing children for slavery or sexual molestation, even child-sacrifice. Surviving childhood was almost a miracle. Don’t wrap your life around them.
It’s almost silly how one day his followers were arguing who would be the greatest in heaven. These guys were losers from the start, and now they pictured themselves in some kind of celestial hierarchy. Just goes to show what a crowd around your leader can do for you. But Jesus calls a child to his side, saying, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me…Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” (Luke 9:46-48) Huh? These whining brats? Dear Lord, what are you getting at?
Yep, he chose losers, and were they ever a drag around his neck. A simple lesson that had to be repeated. Another time, parents were turned away when they tried to bring their kids near so Jesus could touch and bless them. His followers only saw that as a bother. Jesus noticed and wouldn’t have it. Hear the frustrated, measured anger in his voice: “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16-17) Slammed again!
Losers were a drag around his neck all the time. Even so, you can tell he loved them by how he often called his followers. “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…” (Mark 10:24) “Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” (John 12:36) “Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. (John 13:33) “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) “In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:45) He spoke and taught losers as children, and he loved them.
Jesus called children unto himself knowing they innately have the most simple, unadulterated trust which love requires as its basis. In effect, he loved then the unlovable. With another reversal that slams into the center of social and cultural values, he demonstrated that all persons who would be loved by God have that which makes them unlovable and certainly are not generally thought to be among the greatest.
But to be loved by this Son of God, one must become counted among the child-like losers.
Truth is the spotlight on humanity. Find it, wrestle with it, run from it but know truth tells much, sometimes too much. Just-the-facts, video footage, eyewitness testimony, subpoenaed emails and documents only color the canvas. Anything can be made to say anything; it’s all in the spin. But truth reveals the greater story, and the direction life gives.
Jesus, what makes you think this Doomsday portrait you give here is helping? Why even talk about it? We’ve been through a hell of a lot, and this end-of-the-world talk isn’t doing us any good. Besides, who’d ever get behind you if this is where you’re going. We’re just not going to listen to this kind of thing.
Yeah, well what galaxy do you come from? If talk of apocalyptic endings bother you, why do you watch so much of it from streaming movies to video games to best sellers? Listen guy, there’s money to be made from this genre, and the makers of these stories play right into the basic fears of futurists to preppers to predictive prophets with megaphones shouting, “The End is Near.” Why is this ok for everyone else, but Jesus can’t say anything beyond Love Your Neighbor and Bless the Children? Get over that, and listen up.
Brief musing here: November 5:2024 Today, tonight, this week we will wait. Apply whatever importance you prefer to this date. Take your side expressed by your vote. Hope for the best. Yet in the marking of your ballot, also bow your head. Pray the hardest prayer ever spoken. “Your will be done.” Accept what will be. Then move into your space, your world, and see what God will do. Shalom.
The Trouble with Jesus is he doesn’t want to fight as much as he wants to lead in Love.
What do you want me to do for you?
One’s answer reveals the beggar in one’s soul.
Jesus, if you don’t mind, we’d like to talk with you about what you just said and ask a favor.
Sure guys, what’s on your minds.?
About your plans, when it all comes about, if the two of us could be seated next to you, one of your right and the other on your left?
(long pause…)
You have no idea what you’re asking....
True Story: A husband told his wife he was going the next day to possibly buy a Corvette. (Disclaimer: this did not happen in my house…) She read to him these words of Jesus:
“Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
“Now, how do you think you’ll get to heaven if you buy a Corvette?” she challenged him.
After a short pause, he smiled, and said, “Fast!”
The Trouble with Jesus: He doesn’t speak from a legalistic mindset. He speaks with the loving mind of God.
In some ways, Jesus, your radical messages are just what we need. You just said that welcoming children is just like welcoming you. Nice image there. But this time, it’s like you’re pushing radicalization, sending your followers off the deep end. Cutting off one’s hands or feet, gouging out the eye so you’re good enough to get access to your Dad’s Kingdom? Calling people to self-mutilation isn’t going to garner many likes on your page with this kind of talk.
Jesus, oh Son of Man, you gotta lay off this. If you want to get your message out there and have everybody behind you, you have to play to what they want. All this talk about dying and staying in last place is going to destroy you. But no, you just keep repeating it over and over again. Take some good advice even those sorry followers of yours seem to realize. The only thing that needs to raise from the dead is your rhetoric.
