Jesus Potato Head

[heyiheardthat]

Perhaps you find the title of this note to be a tad bit bizarre. Maybe you're picturing various kooky body parts tumbling gently out of a brown plastic potato hiney, and wondering how Jesus fits into the mass of interchangeable toy parts. The truth is, this is what Jesus IS to many people... believers and non-believers alike. We like to pick the best parts from the stash and create the most attractive semblance of Christ that we can muster up. One that we can be comfortable with, and not be afraid to be seen in the company of. One that jives with our preferences, and isn't likely to rock the boat of our friendship by expecting us to change. I confess that as recently as a few short weeks ago, I still found myself creating my own image of Jesus by plugging and unplugging parts, and rearranging His image until it was something I could be comfortable with, and be OK sharing with others so that they wouldn't be offended by Him. I've come to realize just how detrimental this can be not only to myself, but others around me as well.

I was pretty sure I knew this Jesus fellow pretty well. I'd seen Him around in the Bible here and there, and had a pretty good grasp of who He was, and what He was all about, but I had missed some key things here and there. Indeed, He was that loving friend who had the audacity to walk alongside society's less-than-elite as though they were no different than kings and prophets. They were considered to be sinners of the worst kind in their day, yet Jesus set a place for them at the table as though they were no less deserving than the most righteous among them. This unfathomable display of unconditional love is often mistaken for tolerance of sin, when in fact, it is anything but. He didn't have to make light of their sinful nature. Chances are, they were already well aware of it. They were drawn to His light for a reason.

Jesus wasn't sent to be a coddler or an enabler of darkness; He was sent to be a teacher, and a savior. He was God in a human suit, born to love and lead as many back to the light as were willing to follow. He didn't see what people saw- He saw underneath sin and darkness what broken yet valuable human beings they were. He didn't tolerate their sins. He warred against them by loving the sinner in a way no fallible human ever could, until they were so humbled by His love that in gratitude, they abandoned their sinful ways to follow Him. Salvation comes with a price, and it's a hefty price to be paid. It means acknowledging the darkest parts of ourselves, and making a choice to part ways with that self and become a new person. I can attest that the most difficult thing I've ever had to do was die to live. However, it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. The reward is phenomenal and will be reaped for all eternity.

As much as I would love to market salvation as being all sunshine and lollipops, I simply can't do that in good conscience. I can't bend or compromise God's word to make it easier for you or I to live with. By the same token, Jesus didn't compromise God's word simply to gain more followers. He extends the invitation to all, but gave us the free will to accept or decline it. He wouldn't have done us any favors by portraying His father to be a wishy-washy redeemer who looks the other way at our indiscretions, because once we accept the invitation to walk with Christ, we quickly find out that this is far from true. His expectations are high because of the things He has called us to do, yet His grace and mercy endure through the process of transformation because He created us to be imperfect and needy. He knows we will fall many times, yet His hands always reach out to pick us back up. In the revelation of this degree of love and faithfulness, I am ashamed that I ever tried changing God's hat or shoes to fit my comfort level. But, I am now more willing than ever to allow Him to change mine. My parts are out on the table, and I trust Him to plug in the ones that fit best, and discard those that are useless to us both.

Admittedly, it's very easy to love and be comfortable with a God who walks, talks, and looks the way our will creates Him, and who approves of everything we do. But that God simply doesn't exist. He doesn't have to be comfortable with us to love us. Neither should we live with this expectation of Him. His love is not contingent upon how we perform; it just is, and always will be... but it's because of this love that He calls us to greater things; to better ourselves, and become resilient enough to dedicate our lives to loving the sin away from those who are slaves to it. Where we will die eventually, His word will continue to shape and mold disciples who share His love and mercy. Change the parts of Christ in your mind all you like, but the end result will always be the same. God is not small, plastic, and interchangeable. He is and will always be uncompromising, and if you plan to walk with Him, you may want to let Him change your shoes... and for that matter, your heart.

[lovemybabygirl7]

Dec. 5, 2008 at 5:06 PM

AWESOME........ All I can say is awesome and so very true

[jspy72]

Dec. 8, 2008 at 8:00 AM

You have such a way with words, wonderful.