More Than a Storyteller
He really cared about people. It seemed that everywhere he went people were just naturally attracted to him. They loved hanging out with him. I think most people can sense when you genuinely care about them. It didn’t matter who they were, where they came from or how they earned a paycheck, he welcomed them with open arms. He was all about easing their suffering and giving them a better quality of life. The stories he told were amazing and his listeners were captivated, but it didn’t stop with storytelling. Great speakers draw a crowd, but great people change the world. And that’s exactly what Jesus did.
Actions Speak Louder
His parables and his messages were full of truth and as a Jewish rabbi his reputation as a teacher was unmatched. The religious leaders of the day did not dare challenge or debate him. As impressive as this seems it’s not why ordinary people loved Jesus. People were drawn to this amazing man because of the way he demonstrated love.
“Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease. News about him spread far beyond the borders of Galilee so that the sick were soon coming to be healed from as far away as Syria. And whatever their illness and pain…he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went.” (Matthew 4)
We say that actions speak louder than words and it’s true. Jesus lived in a way that validated his message and demonstrated his core values. He was very clear about his mission to flesh-out God by loving people and ultimately he laid down his life to complete the mission.
Icing on the Cake
Most religions, including the Christian faith, place a high value on what one believes. Growing up I was taught that believing the right thing was of critical importance. As I became an adult this idea was more ingrained. I thought people needed to believe the correct teaching and hold certain doctrinal positions in order to be related to the church. The problem is that we assume as long as we believe the right things we’re living as a Jesus intended. The reality is having a relationship with Jesus is based on faith–trusting him as a person. Sometimes believing other stuff gets added on. For many, what we believe is what matters most and what we do seems like icing on the cake. This approach to life no longer works for me. Here’s why. What I believe is important, but I’ve come to see that what I actually do has to validate what I believe.
Ticket to Paradise
Many of us were taught in church that we must believe the right stuff to be spared from hell and to secure a place in heaven. This kind of thinking tends to evolve into a culture that sees right belief as the ticket to heaven. We invest time and energy trying to convince other folks to believe what we believe so they’ll have a spot in heaven too. Before long, our primary focus is on that other place–heaven–while the world around us is literally going to hell. We reach a point when “here” doesn’t matter that much because we want to be sure we get “there.” This is not what Jesus taught and it’s clearly not how he lived.
Reality Check
A brief survey of the Jesus story in the gospels is our reality check. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father he said, “Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The things that Jesus encountered on earth like sickness, disease, hatred, hunger and war do not occur in heaven so he told us to pray that earth would become more like heaven. He sent out his disciples to share the good news and to heal the sick. He modeled this in his own life. He said that he came to set captives free and to seek and save people who had lost their way. He reached out to those whom society rejected and worked tirelessly to relieve their suffering. Does this sound like someone who was not concerned about “here”? He knew that heaven was his destination, but he didn’t burn a lot of calories talking about it. Jesus’ primary focus was to bring heaven to earth. That was his passion and it should be ours, too.
Do Try This at Home
After Jesus had taught and trained his disciples he made it very clear that he expected them to get into the game. You could not be a spectator and a follower of Jesus. Here’s what he told them in Matthew 10: “Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
The guys who hung out with Jesus understood that it’s not enough to just believe the right stuff. One of his closest friends, John, said: “Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.” James shared this advice in his epistle: “Remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself.” These guys were not pulling any punches. They knew that what you believe must influence what you do. Our faith compels us to care about what happens in this world. And that means we get to play our small part in bringing heaven to earth. This is not a catchy slogan; it’s a lifestyle.
Help Wanted
When Jesus describes how people will be evaluated on what some folks call, ‘Judgment Day,’ it’s very clear that he’s interested in what people did with their lives to validate their faith. There’s no mention of a pop quiz about doctrinal issues or systematic theology. The criteria Jesus describes in Matthew 25 is all about out how we express love. He says to the folks who will receive rewards: “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Absolutely stunning! God identifies so closely with those who suffer and are in need that he says helping them is like helping him.
Down to Earth
When we say that a person is ‘down to earth’ we mean they’re likable, humble and someone we can easily relate to. Jesus was down to earth literally, but people who encountered him knew that he was down to earth as a person. God adds a whole new dimension to being down to earth. Since the very beginning God has consistently shown that he loves people and wants us to have a relationship with him. He paid a high price to ensure that our dysfunctional human family will be restored and together with him forever. In the end, God will get what he wants. Heaven will come crashing down to earth and it will be a celebration that rocks our world. Check out the way this is described in Revelation 21:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared… And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever. And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making all things new!'”
So don’t give up on the world and the people who live “here”. God hasn’t. Let the Father’s love fill up your life until it overflows and then go give it away. It’s best way I know to bring heaven down to earth.
Leave a Reply