"Jesus chose Losers. Not always a smart choice to further his cause. But to be loved by the Son of God, one must become counted among the child-like losers." Constance Hastings
The Trouble With Jesus...
The Trouble with Jesus is found in the uninhabitable, forbidding, empty regions of life where God speaks to the soul.
This is one of those things that might very well hurt your head but take two of your favorite OTC and go with it. Mortals experience time chronologically, like from the nanosecond to millennials. God’s got another sense of time which is kairos. So when Jesus said no one knows the day or hour, he was speaking of kairos, God’s time.
Whoa, baby, don’t you know what week this is? For centuries, no, a couple of millennia at least, people have taken time, even created festivals and holidays, just for the purpose of giving thanks to their Creator God and those who are much appreciated in this life we have. Your question implies that thanking God is not important or necessary. Where are you going with this?
The Trouble with Jesus was never did he attempt to be a leader, king, messiah who used force, oppression, military and political power, and control. Yet, if you’re looking for one who commanded rule in beliefs, values, and heart like no other across the empires, globe and millennia, you’ll find a king.
The Trouble with Jesus: His words speak into the history of every generation, of which every generation coming after must learn again.
The Trouble with Jesus: He doesn’t make death sound like a big family reunion but being fully with God.
Jesus, we’ve noticed. Time after time, you unloaded on those who set the example of what the Law required. What was worse, you buddied up with those of questionable repute. You’d think if you’d really wanted to change the world, you’d garner influence from those who ran things. Usual common sense just isn’t your forte.
Jesus didn’t tell stories or preach so good people can be good people. The Trouble with Jesus is good people are not much use to him.
This one is not so bad, especially with all the mud slinging we’re seeing now with a government shutdown. Your dealing with a corrupt government official gives us hope...
The Trouble with Jesus is he plays with our common assumptions about God to shock us into a faith that won’t let go.
So Jesus, ... to get through this life, you ask for this thing called faith. How is that just wishful hope for something to hang on to, even if it’s not real? Oh, you’re good at telling us how much a person has to have. Mustard-seed size, you say. That kind of example may have worked in your day, but if you are going to take me down this exercise of improbability, give it to me in some way I can wrap my head around it.
Rev. Constance Hastings
Author of, soon to be released, The Trouble With Jesus
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Easy answers are not my goal, so you won’t get from me a saccharine-sweet line. We’ve all experienced too much to swallow them and be satisfied. I’ve lived long enough to know trials and challenges will sink your soul if that’s all you’ve got in your grasp. On the other hand, the hard questions can be the ones that take a person to new heights of perspective while providing foundations that are as old as excavated rocks. Tough, scary questions are the ones with most value in a fully examined life.
