"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...
Names matter. Names aren’t just labels. They’re status badges. What people call you shows where you stand, who you roll with, how much respect you get. Jesus knew this game. By asking his disciples the question, it was more than checking his street reputation. Public response was consequential to power and impact.
Let me tell you straight: if there’s a portrayal of Jesus I hate reading, it’s this one. The one that makes you squirm, makes you hunt for excuses you know don’t exist (like who could ever excuse the Son of God?), or forces you to wrestle with the truth, swallowing stuff you never want to admit...
When the road breaks open and unthinkable obstacles appear on the path, when innate ability and skill are erased and “No Way” is the biggest sign in the road, when risks feels like it’ll cost your whole soul, what then? Inevitably, storms hit, flip your whole world, and what was a smooth sail gets tossed like a toy...
It was a long day, and in wanting to care for their rabbi as well as dissipate the crowd, the disciples tell Jesus to send them into the villages to buy food for an evening meal. That’s when Jesus snapped...
You can’t say Jesus ever made it easy...He required challenge, debate and wrestling with his teachings beyond what makes you feel comfortable.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” The two seeds, good seed and the bad seed which would choke out the good seed, are permitted to exist side by side until end of the world....If you’ve read this parable story as one of God’s condemnation on the evil in the world, slow down. Be very careful....
“I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16
If you push past some religious snobbery and gatekeeping here, Jesus’ parable about a farmer who scatters seed is going to be a real challenge on more than one level…. Anyone out there ever thinking, “I’m saved, I’m good,” ticket to heaven punched, you’re in, and that’s all you need? Then this parable is NOT for you
You’re either going to love it or hate it. And trust me, you’re not the only one wrestling with it. The Bible, Holy Scriptures, God’s Word, Gospel, or whatever name you want to slap on it, isn’t built for folks who want a warm blanket and a bedtime story...
It’s wild out there right now, one side screaming at another, the whole world split in half. You may be feeling if you don’t choose a side, you’ll get caught in the middle with both sides pounding you instead of just one. No lie. The world’s grimy, petty, and straight-up dangerous, no doubt about it. Jesus warned them…
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.
