My last post was about how much I was enjoying N.T. Wright’s book: “The Challenge of Jesus”. In the book Wright gives a view of Jesus as being completely human, a Jesus never truly realizing his God-ness until the Resurrection. Wright portrays Jesus’ time in the gardens of Gethsemane in such a vivid human context as to mirror our own pain and suffering, so that I truly felt closer to Jesus. I have had this sense of utter uncertainty, utter desperation and desolation… and while I have never confronted anything like what Jesus was going to confront later that day… but thinking of him as “just a man”, “just like one of us” allows me to [ touch ] what it must have felt to be like Jesus.

So I finished reading the book. There were many more insights and wonderful things to ponder in the book, but more processing must ensue.

So what to read next?

When Suzy and I taught Disciple, I purchased nearly the entire set of William Barclay’s commentaries on the New Testament for use in the course. Recently digging through our moving mess I stumbled upon the two volume set of “The Gospel of John”. I needed no other encouragement to jump into the reading of this wonderful gospel commentary.

As I was reading Barclay’s preface, I came across this section regarding the omniscience of Jesus:

“It is John’s view that apparently miraculously Jesus knew the past record of the woman of Samaria (4:16-17): apparently without anyone telling him, he knew how long the man beside the healing pool had been ill (5:6) before he asked it… John saw in Jesus one who had a special and miraculous knowledge independent of anything which he might be told.”

If Jesus already knew what to a human, was unknowable, then wasn’t Jesus always a God in human form?

And Jesus would never be accused of being ignorant of his gift, so doesn’t it make sense that Jesus always knew he was God?

Thinking of Jesus as wholly and truly human, a man, not unlike me, helps me want to be more like Him. And in his human-ness, even though He was without sin, gives me hope that my life will have meaning and importance in furthering the Glory of God.

Thinking of Jesus as God ties me to changing the way I live my life, for as C. S. Lewis says (and I paraphrase): “Once you understand, you live your life in a new way, for the first faint gleam of heaven is inside of you.”

God wants to tie us to Him through the human-ness of Jesus Christ. Though He was a king, Jesus showed us how to love and how deeply the pain in our lives affects Him.

So as I spin myself in the multiple permutations of “Jesus was truly just a man”, “Jesus was God… and on and on, I realize that this is unknowable to begin with since it was 2000 years ago.

And then I realize that during the seeking, during the attempt to understand, during the yearning to know, heaven had crept up inside of me. The unknowable and the un-understandable gave way to faith and belief.

To strive to know leads to no certainty, but a renewed strength of purpose to live my life in order to know, at my ultimate call, that I have done all that I can do to live with heaven inside of me. And, to direct my steps toward the eternal and to the everlasting toward ultimate understanding and rest.

RMC #40 - What if God was one of us? Just a stranger on a bus.

Do you ever think of Jesus as a man?

I can truthfully say I never did. What Jesus had to say to us was so perfect, it could only be God speaking through him, the God incarnate, brought to earth.

If he were human, how do you explain the miracles he performed? Oh and please ignore the fact that he sent out his disciples to teach and that they performed many miracles while they were on the road…

So can we mere men perform miracles?

I don’t know that anymore than I have seen profound changes in people once they believe. Is that the same thing?

So many questions…

What brought this on is a book I am finishing up by N.T. Wright called the “Challenge of Jesus”.

Reverend Smith gave me this book to read. He has been giving me ever more challenging readings. I asked for it actually.

What Wright does is approach Jesus historically. As in “What was Jesus like in 1^st century Israel?” And for the first time in my readings he frames Jesus as a true human.

When you “see” Jesus, not as a God, but as human, how more real are his tears at Gethsemane? Think of the time you have approached your greatest fear. How deep did the hurt or shame engulf you? How deep were the tears? Did you ever feel like you were crying inside out, that the more you cried and anguished, the more you were being emptied.

Now… think of Jesus, as a man, knowing that all of his actions were bound to lead him to the worst of punishments from a society that knew all about “taking care” of malcontents and troublemakers. Jesus, the 1^st century man, knew what was in store- scourging, whippings, deceit, spittings and being hung and left to die on the cross.

Could you do it, endure what Jesus was bound to endure, in the belief and the hope that what you were to do could change the world?

I wish I were that kind of man. Knowing me I know how far I am from that capability.

Jesus knew what he was trying to do as no human has ever known, He knew how much value his life would have in the future, to all of mankind. Jesus was to be all of the former prophets and messiahs come together in one God fulfilling moment.

Wright says in his book:

“In Jesus himself, I suggest, we see the biblical portrait of YHWH come to life: the loving God, rolling up his sleeves (Isaiah 52:10) to do in person the job that no one else could do: the creator God, giving new life; the God who works through his created world and supremely through his human creatures: the faithful God, dwelling in the midst of his people: the stern and tender God, relentlessly opposed to all destroys or distorts the good creation and especially human beings, but recklessly loving all those in need and distress. “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall carry the lambs in his arms: and gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11). It is the Old Testament portrait of YHWH, but it fits Jesus like a glove”.

So if we follow what Wright is saying, how can we reflect God’s glory more than by believing in Jesus, the man, the risen man seated at the right hand of God. And now that we learn that Jesus may have been just like you and me, and that knowing that we can act even more closely like Jesus than we have ever believed.

We can change.

We can love more.

We can give more.

We can forgive more.

What if Jesus was one of us?

I know he is. I saw him one morning.

He was on crutches, dirty, and he was standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign asking for money.

I drove by in my nice new shiny car.

Something struck my heart as I drove by this man in my plenty. Why couldn’t I give something to help? The stop I had planned was rushed. I hurried back to his corner to make amends and give him whatever I could give.

And of course… he was gone. It had only been a few minutes, but he was gone.

We can change.

I haven’t driven by many corners since my encounter with Jesus without giving to the people there who are simply trying to survive in a world without enough love.