Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

 27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ ²⁸And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ²⁹He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ ³⁰And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. (Mark 8)

I have been reading a sermon, that Eugene Peterson wrote, on this passage.  He brings up some interesting points, that have tapped my imagination. 

Most of it has to do with thinking about believing the man Jesus is actually God in human skin.

Some years ago a very serious youne man, from the seventh grade confirmation class, came into my office one evening before class.  His faced look concerned and his body language was tense. He looked at me and quickly said:  “Pastor Marcia I’m having trouble with Jesus.  I know about God, I can believe in God; but Jesus just doesn’t fit.”

Not too many years after that my cousin, who was retirement age, basically told me the same thing.  

Peter’s pronouncement that Jesus was the Messiah, and the reality of that, must have created a tangled paradigm of confusion. What really went through the minds of those twelve men who had walked, talked, and ate meals with Jesus for some three years?  

Have you ever thought about that?  I never have.

This is so interesting to me because Jesus has always, from a tiny little child, been precious to me.  I loved Jesus early-on.  God was almost not in the picture for me.

And I wonder now if, even at that early age, I knew that they were the same.  

I don't know the answer.

When I read Peterson’s sermon I began to wonder about what it would be like to know someone for years — maybe not just three years — but many years.  And all of the sudden the person, I thought I knew well, told me he/she was the “Messiah,” Emmanuel — God with me.  God with me right now face to face with my friend.

WOW!

How would I react?

How would you react? 

How would you feel?

What would you think?

More tomorrow

One More Blog on Paul Young's Book

 I have been spending some time writing about Paul Young’s book: ‘Lies we believe about GOD.’

What I am hoping is that these blogs spark an interest so you will read the book.  Today I will briefly introduce you to three more ‘lies’ that have created a huge amount of attention through the years.

One is: “God does not summit.”  This chapter poses an interesting question:  “Do you think the Golden Rule applies to God?  It was a simple question with profound implications.  Does God treat others the way God want to be treated?” (p.46)

The question came up at a conference, Young and a friend attended, which had invited a discussion between Christian, Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians.  Religious folks who don’t necessarily agree on much.

The conference was to focus on how “the spirit of Jesus might cross all boundaries — ethnic, racial, political, etc. —and call us to something greater and grander than our divisions and disputes.”  (p.45)

You’ll have to read the book for yourself to fine out the answer.

The second “lie” is: “God is a Christian.”

I’ll just give you one paragraph:

“So is God a Christian?  If you are asking if God is about separation and treats people of different denominations, faiths, and ways of thinking as outsiders until they pray a special prayer to “get In”……then of course not.  If you are asking does God relate too all of us as beloved insiders who are completely ignorant and miserable, does God love us and incessantly find ways to lead us to discover Jesus as our only way, truth, and life…then of course.” (p.55)

The third, and one of my favorites is: “God bless my politics.”

We spend a lot of time, in the United States, diligently trying to remove ‘state’ from ‘faith.’  We don’t think it is proper to mix politics with religion.

In my truth, it is impossible to eliminate anything — anything — from the faith we live by.  Anyone who really knows me knows that I strongly believe that any and all of our living involve our faith.

Young writes: 

“Political identities do not originate in God.  God is not about separation and division, not about building walls and excluding, not about domination and power….(p.102)  

….. an unrelenting tension that exists between the kingdom God, which has no political alliance or agenda, and the kingdoms of this world  (which are always founded in bloodshed).  Left-wing policies express the same blindness  and lust for power and control as do right-wing policies.  If we are so bold as to identify ourselves with the kingdom of God, which is supposed to be an alternative to the kingdoms of this world, then everything about what we do and why we do it must change, including all of our allegiance…..

Government is not instituted by or originated by God.  We built it…..(p 103)

You see, if we are adamant about preaching, teaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then there is no way to avoid politics.  

Think about it.

This has been fun getting back into faith discussions in this blog.  I lost my inspiration for a while; and am now trying to resurface.

It is my hope that some of you will join me by writing your own thoughts and opinions where comments are invited.

"God Loves Us, But He Doesn't Like Us"

Paul Young's book, 'Lies we believe about God,' pokes at an issue that has long been a fascination for me.  The difference between ‘love’ and ‘like’. 

In my mind there is a huge difference between liking someone and loving them.  You can love a person, but not like the way they may speak or act — or the way they think for that matter. 

We in the church throw around the word love like it is just an ordinary concept. Something we all just naturally understand.  When in fact it has a depth of richness that we totally miss the truth of.

Like is much easier to feel and define.

In Paul Young’s book he devotes a chapter on:  “God loves us, but doesn’t like us.”

He was asked to visit a women’s prison to talk about his book, The Shack.  Apparently the women at this prison had been gathered together by a common interest in the Shack's message about God.  

So he is given one hour to speak with these women.  It is a touching story of how protective-tough-skinned individuals drop their facade of personal protection.

At the end to the session Young did some book sighing;

“A woman stands waiting, her body tense with emotion.  When I simply take her in my arms, it is as if I set off a charge that lets a dam burst.  She sobs uncontrollably for minutes.  I whisper that it is okay, I have other shirts, that I have her and she is safe.  I can’t comprehend all the misery and humanity that is flooding through this one small touch, but it is real ands visceral and wrenching. 

Finally, she stops the heaving enough to find some words.

“Do you really think,’ she whispered in a short burst, “that Papa is fond of me?” 

And there is the question.  This tender human being is entrusting me with this monumental question." (p.25-26)

That woman’s question is the deepest of wonders in the history of humanity.

It is probably the number one wonder of even the most faithful of believers.

If I am not mistaken the ones, reading this blog, have probably asked the same question as that woman in that prison.

With all I have done that is wrong and unkind in my life; how is it that the God of love can even be fond of me?  Because God certainly doesn’t approve or like my actions.

To believe in a God that loves us despite our thoughts, actions and behavior,  just doesn’t make sense to the human mind.

And yet it remains true.  

                                  God is a loving and forgiving God. 

                                      A God that remembers our sins no more.

31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant ……³³But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31)