INTRIGUED BY JESUS

Even as a minister I paid little attention to Jesus.  Oh sure, I credited him with the big stuff and Easter was a given.  Who in my field wouldn't retrace his historical trek to gain sermon support?  After all, our church was named after him!

But through the years of many highly successful failures, I began to really hone in on this man; this Son of God.  And when I began to really take him at his word rather than just parrot Bible verses, a change washed over me like a new beginning....like an actual new creation.

Any who know me would know I am a weak-kneed coward who cries easily and wants everyone to like me.  Such traits dominated my miserable life for too many years...in ministry.  Urggh!  Church life surely was difficult.  A bunch of people kept taking turns at not liking me.  Woodwork sure does hold a lot of critics for they kept coming out of it.  How was I to know critics organize?

But Jesus.

Jesus, as kind and gentle as he was, would take on a buzz saw as similarly seen in young David versus Goliath.  He loved everyone; but not everyone loved him.  Hummm.  Interesting.  He died for everyone.  But not everyone believed him.

I'm intrigued by his absolute defiance of going with the flow.  Jesus had no taste for mediocrity, publicity, or pressured politics.  He simply loved every person and left it up to each as to whether they would love him back.  Jesus really did lead an eye-for-an-eye free life.  He wouldn't do it.

I have had to learn the hard way; not everyone is going to like me.  At first I believed that if I made enough adjustments and paid better attention, I could win them over.  But...some just aren't winnable for me.  By watching Jesus I have both accepted such and become alright with it. 

Life isn't about me.  It is about others meeting him.  I will do what I can.  But I will not spend much time trying to gain approval of men for some choose to not be so inclined.  What I want to do is to grow in the region of Jesus' intrigue.

How did he maneuver through deep love and deeper heartbreak?  How did he know when to when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em?  The difference between Jesus and me is he had no regard for himself and every regard for others; including those who hated him.

Aren't we all intrigued by Jesus?  Ours will always be the role of John the Baptist; we must decrease that he might increase.  This is intrigue in the greatest of mysteries!