THAT MESSAGE JESUS SHOWS US

Words.  Our world seems to be increasing in word volume.  You know that I'm for words; otherwise, there would be no post today, huh?

The very base of all action seems to be words.  We can think about an assortment of things; but when we "say" we seem to move toward engagement.  Words like, I'm going to buy that car, would you marry me, let's go out to eat, block off your calendar on these specific dates; all will find action following.

Jesus was the most effective at action.  He wasted no time.  He wasted no clock time and he wasted no interaction time with people.  The message Jesus shows us is that our productivity, influence, and power are embedded within words....that we use toward others.  Jesus was not a public theorist; but rather, he was an intentional peopleist.  He saw people, reached to people, talked to people, died for people, and arose to bless people.

To be in the kingdom and hide within a church activity in order to avoid contacting people is a flagrant doctrinal error.  I surely realize that not everyone seems to be born with the ability to connect; but every one can learn to connect.  Jesus rebirthed us for this mission.  For some of us, it simply takes practice.

That message Jesus shows us is that everywhere we turn there are individuals or groups of people who matter.  Since I was a kid, I have been a people-person until....until I became serious about serving God and then I reversed.  So many things were taught me where I understood that I so had to get  it right--could not be in error like other religious groups--that such froze me in my tracks.  I became a different person.  Due to Bible teaching; strong, adamant Bible study in school.  I became...afraid; afraid that I would get Bible teaching wrong.

This is all wrong.  My reach out became reserve within.  I began to live to be sure I didn't so church stuff wrong.  Within that mixture was reluctance to be with/talk with people for I might express an error.  Church, my friend, has removed many (who wish to win the world) from the world.  Our lips have gone silent as a self-protectionary effort.  We see missions and programs and meetings while hedging on actually interacting with the very thing (people) of which all of these efforts were designed.

That message Jesus shows us is that we must not hide within church works in order to refrain from  engaging with common man.  People...need people.  God didn't just send a Bible to earth.  He sent a child with arms, legs, eyes, ears, and emotions to connect; divinely so.  God connected, not with a telegram.  He could have simply made an announcement over the Heavenly PA system.  Rather, God intentionally connected by being like us.

He spoke our language.  Such IS the message Jesus shows us.

We are the message to be read by others.  Do they see us as a story interested in them/sympathetic to them?  Or, do they read us as religiously busy as our eyes avoid contact with theirs?