4-29-24<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have come to the conclusion that a lot of things they say about Jesus Christ are not true. Especially hearing all that Jesus-stuff around Easter, you know? Enough! What bothers me, really, is that we\u2019re not hearing about that other<\/em> Jesus, as I call Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, He was serene and holy, like the peaceful face we see in stories about the Shroud. And I\u2019m sure He smiled a lot, and sometimes wore perfectly starched robes, and went around patting children on the head, like I saw on the covers of all those Sunday-School pamphlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if I remember correctly we have stories of Him preaching and dispensing wisdom and then moving on to the next town, other river banks. Like in the Chosen <\/em>TV series. Yes, He was misunderstood; people were jealous of Him or threatened by Him; and He was an innocent victim of persecution. I understand all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But why can\u2019t He just leave me alone with those images? Messiah, I get it. Died for my sins, fine. Shouldn\u2019t that be enough, like at Christmas and Easter? A lot of people think that\u2019s the whole package\u2026 but it turns out that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is what makes me annoyed, drives me crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Jesus who smiles all the time? No\u2026 I see Him otherwise. Sometimes He is angry. Sometimes He is disappointed and looks sad. Sometimes I see tears in His eyes. In those moments He confronts me<\/em>. He reminds me that I make mistakes and even sin, that I am lost in this crazy world. He pleads with me to make a choice. To change. To believe in Him. To replace the junk in my heart with the goodness He promises. I\u2019ve heard it. I hear it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The annoying thing: He never shuts up. I wish there were a fishing village down the road, or some little group of followers that He would move on to. He persists. He won\u2019t let me go, leave me alone. Those paintings of Jesus standing at the door and knocking? Don\u2019t let that kid you. He knocks at the front door. The back door. He scratches at the windows. He is like an alarm clock; like virtual phone calls and texts. \u201cWhy do you ignore Me, reject Me?\u201d is what He seems to be saying. \u201cI love you! Don\u2019t you understand? I<\/em> love you<\/em>! Let me in!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And how annoying is this? \u2013 I\u2019m getting the feeling that Christmas and Easter are not enough for Him. Or church once in a while. Or even every Sunday morning. He wants me<\/em>, not my schedule or my habits or my family\u2019s customs. But don\u2019t I pray… or think about praying\u2026 or tell people I will pray\u2026 when someone is sick, or I\u2019m having another crisis? What does He want<\/em> from me, anyhow???<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why, why can\u2019t Jesus be like the guys in those other religions? A wise man, a powerful teacher, a prophet, a role model\u2026 those are good enough gods for all those other followers, and their lives are OK. Well, maybe not, but at least those religions are sensible. I mean, Buddha and Mohamed and Confucius and the rest didn\u2019t ever claim they were sons of God, or \u201cGod With Us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Isn\u2019t it just like Jesus, though, to be the only One claiming that this is exactly who He is? That accepting Him is the way, the only way, to experience forgiveness, to have eternal life? It gets annoying, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because if it\u2019s true\u2026 I\u2019m fried. If that persistent, sincere, earnest, holy, logical, annoying Person called Jesus is telling the truth, I should be scared crazy. I heard that Bono recently said, \u201cJesus isn\u2019t lettin\u2019 you off the hook\u2026 When people say, you know, \u2018Good teacher,\u2019 \u2018Prophet,\u2019 \u2018Really nice guy\u2019\u2026 this is not how Jesus thought of Himself. So you\u2019re left with a challenge: either Jesus was who He said He was, or He\u2019s a complete and utter nutcase\u2026 You have to make a choice about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annoying! \u201cMake a choice!\u201d First Jesus says it; and then all those people who died as martyrs, embracing Him; and then these guys like C S Lewis and Bono, laying it out so logically; and then\u2026 then\u2026 then I know I do<\/em> have to make a choice. Annoying!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything else in life these days frees us from having to make choices. Or, if we make bad choices, someone is right there to say \u201cNo worries\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s OK\u201d and \u201cNo problem.\u201d That\u2019s what is great about modern life, right? But\u2026 \u201cMake a choice, make a choice<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not like my life depended on it. Can\u2019t you see how annoying this Jesus is? Why? WHY<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n + + +<\/p>\n\n\n\n