Jesus: Getting to Know Him


June 27, 2004

SOME YEARS AGO, PHILIP YANCEY,A NOTED CHRISTIAN JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR, WROTE A THOUGHTFUL AND SURPRISING BOOK CALLED “ THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW”. IN THIS BOOK, YANCEY REMEMBERS THAT HE FIRST BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS, AS DID MANY OF US, WHEN HE WAS A CHILD – SINGING “JESUS LOVES ME” IN SUNDAY SCHOOL, SEEING CUT-OUT FIGURES BEING PUT UP ON FLANNEL-BOARDS, ADDRESSING BED-TIME PRAYERS TO ‘DEAR LORD JESUS’. HE WRITES : “I ASSOCIATED JESUS WITH KOOL-AID AND SUGAR COOKIES AND GOLD STARS FOR GOOD ATTENDANCE. I REMEMBER ESPECIALLY ONE IMAGE FROM SUNDAY SCHOOL, AN OIL PAINTING THAT HUNG ON THE CONCRETE BLOCK WALL. JESUS HAD LONG, FLOWING HAIR, UNLIKE THAT OF ANY MAN I KNEW. HIS FACE WAS THIN AND HANDSOME, HIS SKIN WAXEN AND MILKY WHITE. HE WORE A ROBE OF SCARLET, AND THE ARTIST HAD TAKEN PAINS TO SHOW THE PLAY OF LIGHT ON ITS FOLDS. IN HIS ARMS JESUS CRADLED A SMALL SLEEPING LAMB. I IMAGINED MYSELF AS THAT LAMB, BLESSED BEYOND ALL TELLING.”

OVER THE YEARS, YANCEY’S EXPERIENCES AND HIS ENCOUNTERS WITH CHRIST HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BROUGHT HIM NEW AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS. HE FELT COMPELLED TO WRITE ABOUT THAT AS AN AID TO OTHERS SEARCHINGTO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST.NOT A BOOK THAT ONE IS EVER REALLY FINISHED, OR FINISHED WITH, “THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW” OVERLAYS THOSE EARLY IMAGES WITH SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE COMPLEXITY OF JESUS WITH WHICH YANCEY HAS BECOME ACQUAINTED AND CONVERSANT DURING HIS LIFE AND CAREER.

PARTLY FOR THE SAME SET OF REASONS THAT CAUSE ME AVERSION TO SUCH THINGS AS PEOPLE YELLING AT EACH OTHER IN ANGER, OR THE SIGHT OF ALMOST ANY INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, WHETHER IN REAL LIFE OR ON A STAGE OR MOVIE SCREEN, I DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER GOING TO SEE MEL GIBSON’S RECENTLY CONTOVERSIAL MOVIE “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST” OR, AS ONE CRITIC CALLED IT - “THE GREATEST GORY EVER TOLD”. BUT WITHOUT HAVING TALKED IN DEPTH WITH ANYONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY SEEN IT, I HAVE A PERSONAL THEORY THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN SOME OF THE HUGE ATTENDANCE AT THIS FILM.

SOME PEOPLE, I THINK MAY HAVE ATTENDED SIMPLY TO PUT A PHYSICAL FACE, THROUGH WATCHING THIS VERY VISCERAL DRAMA, TO A JESUS THAT MAY BE DISAPPEARING FROM THEIR MIND’S EYE; PEOPLE WHOSE SUNDAY SCHOOL MEMORIES, LIKE PHILIP YANCEY’S DON’T JIVE WITH THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EASTER STORY, AND WHO SOUGHT AN UPDATED IMAGE. PERHAPS IN THIS VERY VISUALLY ORIENTED, INSTANT COMMUNICATION AGE, THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD DO THAT BY “CATCHING A MOVIE”. AND MAYBE, IN THIS AGE, THAT IN ITSELF SHOULD NOT BE SO SURPRISING! BUT, IT SEEMS TO ME, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY THAT THE MOVIE WOULD NOT ACCOMPLISH MUCH OF THAT, SINCE IT SEEMED TO BE MORE ABOUT THE DEATH OF JESUS, THAN ABOUT HIS LIFE. TO DISCOVER, OR REDISCOVER JESUS IN ALL HIS UNIQUE COMPLEXITY, AND TO GRASP THE NATURE OF RELATIONSHIP THAT ONE MIGHT HAVE WITH HIM, ONE NEEDS RATHER TO ENCOUNTER JESUS IN HIS WHOLENESS – A WHOLENESS THAT INCLUDES, IF WE ARE LUCKY THE GENTLE SHEPHERD OF OURCHILDHOOD MEMORIES, THE IMPASSIONED CHRIST DURING HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY, THE AGONIZING REALITY OF HIS CRUCIFIXION, THE BLESSING OF ENCOUNTERS WITH THE RESURRECTED JESUS ALONG THE PATHWAY OF OUR LIVES, AND A CONTINUING DIALOGUE WITH HIM THROUGH THE RECORD OF THE GOSPELS – THE ONLY RECORD, AVAILABLE TO US, OF HIS LIFE AND WORK.

AS A SOURCE OF MUCH VALUE IN THE SEARCH FOR KNOWING JESUS, AND FOR UNDERSTANDING JESUS’ EXPECTATIONS OF US IN OUR ATTEMPTS AT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND WITH A CHRISTIAN LIFE, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE IS A POWERFUL BLEND OF BIOGRAPHY, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, AND THEOLOGY IN WHICH THE AUTHOR REMEMBERS CHRIST AS A VIBRANT, COMPELLING FIGURE AND PRESENTS HIM AS A VERY ACTIVE AGENT IN HIS, AND OUR, AFFAIRS. BECAUSE SO MANY OF THIS GOSPEL’S IMAGES ARE, FAMILIAR TO US, IF ONLY SUBCONSCIOUSLY SO, IT IS WORTH EXTRA ATTENTION TO APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT THAT IT BRINGS TO US.

THE READING FROM LUKE READ BY BILL JOHNSON THIS MORNING, DESCRIBES THE BEGINNING OF CHRIST’S JOURNEY LEADING TO HIS CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION. THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS CLIMACTIC JOURNEY COMPRISES ALMOST HALF OF LUKE’S GOSPEL, AND IS INTRODUCED BY THE DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE WORDS: “WHEN THE TIME HAD COME FOR HIM TO BE RECEIVED UP, HE STEADFASTLY SET HIS FACE TO GO TO JERUSALEM.” THIS IS AN OLD TESTAMENT EXPRESSION INDICATING FIRM RESOLVE AND INTENT ON THE PART OF THE PERSON SO DESCRIBED. LUKE WOULD AGREE WITH ONE BIBLE COMMENTATOR WHO WROTE :

…MORE IS HAPPENING HERE THAN THE PLAYING OUT OF A SCRIPT. JESUS IS CHOOSING TO GO, RECOGNIZING THE RISKS INHERENT IN THE JOURNEY TO HIMSELF AND TO THOSE AROUND HIM. IT IS HIS INITIATIVE TO GO. IT TELLS US THAT GOD, WHO IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO DEAL WITH US, CHOOSES INSTEAD TO REACH OUT TO THE WORLD AND EACH OF US HERE (THROUGH HIS SON) BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO. AND IF THAT REACHING (OUT) MEANS THE WAY IS GOING TO BE HARD, DANGEROUS, FRUSTRATING, FRIGHTENING AND PAINFUL, THAT IS WHAT THE GOD WHOM WE KNOW IN JESUS CHRIST IS PREPARED TO DO – TO MOVE TOWARDS US, RATHER THAN RUN AWAY.” IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE CLEAR TO LUKE THAT AT LEAST FROM ABOUT THAT TIME, JESUS WAS FULLY AWARE OF HIS IMPENDING SACRIFICE AND RESURRECTION, AND REMAINS TOTALLY FOCUSED, FOR THE YEAR OR SO OF THIS JOURNEY ON WIDENING THE AWARENESS OF HIS MESSAGE AND COMMITTED TO PREPARING HIS FOLLOWERS TO CARRY ON WITH HIS WORK WHEN HE HAS LEFT THEM.

UNIQUE AMONG THE GOSPEL STORIES, LUKE REMEMBERS AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PILGIMAGE, INVOLVING THE RECEPTION OF THE GROUP BY THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR TRAVEL HISTORY TOGETHER, JESUS SENDS MESSENGERS AHEAD OF HIM INTO SAMARIA TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR HIM AND HIS ENTOURAGE. AS THE GOSPELS HAVE ALL POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, IN RECENT WEEKS THE NATURE OF JESUS’ MINISTRY HAS BECOME MORE OPEN AND PUBLIC AND WIDESPREAD, EXTENDING TO THE GENTILES AS WELL AS THE JEWISH PEOPLE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAD BECOME MORE CONTROVERSIAL SINCE CHRIST HAD STARTED ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE WAS THE “SON OF MAN”AND MAKING IT KNOWN THAT HE INTENDED TO GO TO JERUSALEM. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT IT WOULD BE JESUS, THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAD LONG BELIEVED THAT THE MESSIAH WHEN HE CAME WOULD REVEAL HIMSELF TO THE PEOPLE IN THE HOLY CITY. SO THE ADVANCE PARTY MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A TEST OF THE MOOD OF ANY RECEPTION THEY MIGHT RECEIVE FROM THE SAMARITANS, MORE THAN PRUDENT PLANNING FOR THE NEEDS OF A LARGE GROUP!

IN ANY EVENT,THE REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION MADE BY JAMES AND JOHN IS TURNED DOWN. ONE COMMENTARY SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS CONFIRMATION FROM LUKE THAT HOSTILITY TOWARDS JESUS AND/OR HIS MINISTRY WAS INDEED BECOMING MORE WIDELY SPREAD. IN ANY CASE JAMES AND JOHN RETURN WITH THE BAD NEWS AND ASK JESUS, IN THEIR FRUSTRATION AND EMBARRASSMENT, WHETHER THEY SHOULD CALL DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN AND TORCH THE PLACE FOR BEING SO INHOSPITABLE.

IN SEVERAL MODERN TRANSLATIONS THAT I HAVE SEEN, JESUS REACTION IS SIMPLY TO “TURN AND REBUKE” JAMES AND JOHN, WITHOUT FURTHER ELABORATION AND THEN PRESS ON TO ANOTHER VILLAGE. IN THE KING JAMES VERSION HOWEVER, FOR FURTHER CLARITY, JESUS IN REBUKING THEM SAYS “YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YOU ARE OF.FOR THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN’S LIVES, BUT TO SAVE THEM.”

HOWEVER DEALT WITH, THE POINT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MADE THAT JESUS IN MAKING THIS PARTICULAR STOP WAS INTENT ON BRINGING THE MESSAGE, AND THE OFFER OF SALVATION TO THE SAMARITAN PEOPLE. IN BEING TURNED AWAY JESUS RECOGNIZED, AND HONOURED THEIR RIGHT TO SAY NO, AND IN TAKING NO RETRIBUTION HE MADE THE POINT THAT HE WAS NOT PROMOTING IN HIS WORK YET ANOTHER FORM OF REPRESSION OR DOMINATION TO A STRUGGLING PEOPLE.

PERHAPS THROUGH THIS GENTLE AVOIDANCE OF CONFLICT JESUS SEWED THE SEEDS OF FUTURE SUCCESS FOR THE APOSTLES. LUKE, WHO IS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF ACTS, TELLS US IN THAT BOOK THATAFTER THE RESURRECTION PHILIP BAPTIZED MANY SAMARITANS FROMTHAT AREA, AND LATER WITH PETER AND JOHN BROUGHT MANYOF THEM INTO THE JERUSALEM CHURCH.

AS THE JOURNEY CONTINUES, LUKE REMEMBERS THREE EXCHANGES OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN JESUS , AND PEOPLE IN HIS ENTOURAGE. EACH HAD TO DO WITH THE DIFFICULT ROLE OF DISCIPLESHIP. IN THE FIRST OF THESE, A PERSON APPROACHES JESUS AND ANNOUNCES “I WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” ALTHOUGH LUKE DOESN’T SAY SO, THE GOSPEL OF MARK SUGGESTS THIS PERSON WAS A STUDENT, AND HIS APPROACH TO JESUS WAS INDEED AS A STUDENT TO A TEACHER. HE ADDRESSES JESUS IN MARK’S VERSION AS “RABBI”. IN THAT CONTEXT THE STUDENT’S REMARK WOULD HAVE IMPLIED A COMMON SITUATION WHERE STUDENTS LIVED AND AS NECESSARY TRAVELLED WITH A SPECIFIC RABBI WHILE IN HIS SCHOOL.

JESUS IS QUITE CLEAR THAT DISCIPLESHIP WITH HIM IS OF A MUCH DIFFERENT ORDER, OFFERING NO SECURITY , OR INDEED REWARD OR BENEFIT TO A DISCIPLE EXCEPT WHAT WILL RESULT FOR THEM FROM THEIR TRUST IN GOD. HE IS ACTUALLY ASKING OF HIS DISCIPLES EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING ASKED OF HIM – AND HOW COULD IT BE OTHERWISE? “FOXES HAVE HOLES, AND BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD.” IN DISCOURAGING THIS YOUNG MAN , JESUS PROTECTS HIM FROM UNDERTAKING MORE THAN HE HAD PROBABLY INTENDED, AND PERHAPS MORE THAN HE COULD HAVE DONE. AT THE SAME TIME, JESUS DOES NOT DISCOUNT HIS EFFORTS AS A STUDENT NOR DIMINISH OR UNDERVALUE THE ARDUOUS ROLEOF DISCIPLESHIP.

TO A SEC0ND MAN, JESUS EXTENDS THE INVITATION – “FOLLOW ME!” TO THIS THE MAN REPLIES “LET ME GO FIRST AND BURY MY FATHER.”

SOME COMMENTARIES ON THIS EXCHANGE POINT OUT THAT IF THE MAN’S FATHER WERE RECENTLY DEAD, HE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENT WITH JESUS BUT AT HOME OBSERVING PROPER MOURNING. HOWEVER, IN THOSE CULTURES IT WAS ALSO A SACRED DUTY TO CARE FOR ONE’S ELDERS UNTIL THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH. IN THAT CONTEXT, THE MAN SEEMED TO BE POINTING OUT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THAT MIGHT REQUIRE EVEN YEARS OF HIS TIME BEFORE HE WAS EVEN FREE TO BECOME A DISCIPLE.

JESUS UNDERSTANDS THAT THE KIND OF DISCIPLESHIP HE MEANS NEEDS MORE COMMITMENT, AND MORE IMMEDIATELY. THOUGH HE SEEMS INITIALLY RUDE TO THIS FELLOW “LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD”, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT HE RECOGNIZES SOME TALENT THIS MAN COULD SHARE ON BEHALF OF THE CAUSE. RELUCTANT TO DISCOURAGE THAT, HE MAKES A SUGGESTION THAT MIGHT ALLOW THE MAN TO MEET HIS OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE SAME TIME AS HE WORKS FOR GOD. “BUT YOU GO”, HE ADDS,“AND PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD”.

THE THIRD MAN RAISES THE SUBJECT WITH JESUS :”LORD, I WILL FOLLOW YOU, BUT FIRST LET ME GO AND BID FAREWELL TO THE PEOPLE AT MY HOUSE.” IN THE FACE OF THIS WEAK EXCUSE, JESUS IS UNCOMPROMISING IN HIS RESPONSE, USING IMAGERY THAT COULD NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD IN AGRICULTURAL PALESTINE THEN, OR NOW. “NO ONE, WHO PUTS HIS HAND TO THE PLOW AND LOOKS BACK, IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD!” THE BOTTOM LINE FOR JESUS CLEARLY IS, IF, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED YOU HAVE COMMITTED YOURSELF TO AN ACTION, A CAUSE, A RELATIONSHIP, YOU HAVE TO DO IT. ANY THING LESS IS NOT WORTHY. EVEN IN DEALING WITH THIS MAN, THOUGH, JESUS LEAVES HIM MORE INFORMED ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CHOICE HE HAS TO MAKE. THOUGH IT IS LIKELY THAT THE MAN WILL FALL AWAY, JESUS HAS AGAIN LEFT THE CHOICE, AND THE COMMITMENT UP TO HIM .

THROUGH ALL OF THESE EXCHANGES JESUS RETAINS HIS FOCUS ON DISCIPLESHIP, AND AFFORDS IT A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE HIERARCHY OF TASKS REQUIRED FOR HIS MISSION. WITHOUT MISREPRESENTING OR DISCOUNTING THE COMMITMENT DISCIPLESHIP REQUIRES, HE RECOGNIZES THAT OTHER ROLES NEED TO BE PERFORMED, AND HELPS THE VOLUNTEERS TO LOOK TOWARDS WHAT MAY BE A MORE APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR THEM. IN EVERY CASE HE LEAVES THE DECISION ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT OPEN TO HIS HEARERS – TO THE FOLLOWERS OF HIS DAY AS MUCH AS TO US – AND THE INVITATION OPEN TO ALL.

HERE, THEN, IN JUST A FRAGMENT OF ONE OF THE GOSPELS, LUKE ENLARGES OUR PERCEPTION OF THE WONDER, THE UNIQUENESS, THE DEPTH OF THIS MAN, JESUS. AT A TIME OF WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN MOUNTING PERSONAL STRESS, CHRIST IS SEEN ORGANIZING AND LEADING AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY OF WHAT WILL BE INDETERMINATE LENGTH, A JOURNEY ENDING ULTIMATELY WITH HIS OWN DEATH, AND PREACHING A REVOLUTIONARY REWORKING OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT WILL REVEAL HIM AS THE PROMISED MESSIAH . FROM THE OUTSET, AS SHOWN IN THESE FEW INCIDENTS HE DEMONSTRATES CARE AND CONCERN FOR ALL THE PEOPLE HE ENCOUNTERS, WITHOUT ALIENATING ANY FROM HIS AFFECTION OR CONCERN. IN THIS HE REMAINS FAITHFUL TO THE COVENANT HE HAS WITH GOD THE FATHER, AND A FAITHFUL STEWARD AND SHEPHERD TO HIS FOLLOWERS. IN HIS AWESOME COMPLEXITY AND DEPTH, HIS PERSONIFICATION OF LOVE AND GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, THIS SELF- NAMED SHEPHERD OF THE FLOCK IS, AND REMAINS OUR LOVING FRIEND.

FOR THAT INDISPUTABLE CORNERSTONE OF OUR FAITH, MAY WE ALWAYS GIVE OUR THANKS,OUR DEVOTION AND OUR PRAISE. AMEN.

Preached by Thomas D. Stickland
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan