Jesus, the Softie
All of our gospels aim to show Jesus as having some kind of spiritual authority. It’s clear that Jesus was not the typical messiah folks envisioned then and there. He wasn’t what came to mind when Jews contemplated what the messiah would be like or look like. He was not a political figure or a military figure, not possessing political or military power or prowess like David. He was a simple carpenter from the Galilee. He was not wealthy, powerful, or from a famous family. In fact, it was just the opposite. He was relatively poor, unknown, and from a family tainted by the context of Mary conceiving a child out of wedlock. And of course, he'd later be executed as a perceived common criminal.
The gospel writers, including the writer of Luke, want to show Jesus as possessing special authority. His authority is a spiritual authority. He has a spiritual power that can overcome the evil in the world and the spiritual illness in people.
That’s what’s behind our story from Luke 8. It shows Jesus having authority over the demonic realm active in the world around him. Jesus knows how to put evil in its place and heal people from it. Even legions of demons cannot match Jesus’ spiritual prowess. Jesus is such a spiritual adept, he wields the power of God to confront and overcome the power of evil.
Jesus, the mystic, the wise and compassionate rabbi, will change the world through his spiritual authority, an authority that overcomes the world’s worship of might, force, and power. Spiritual power, in the end, will always defeat political or military power. That’s the gospel message.
Our world of politics, where might makes right and where wealth, power, and fame rule the roost, worships itself. Jesus transcends the idolatry of worldly power. With Jesus, power is redefined. Love – Love is meant to rule the roost. And love in the end will rule the roost, overcoming the world’s way of making power the supreme god.
Love or power, you choose, Jesus seems to say. If Christians choose power instead of love, they defy and contradict their name’s sake. A Christian rejecting love is a fish out of water, flapping about, gasping for air, doomed to die in spirit.
One last thing before we go to the reading from Galatians. Jesus as a healer – Jesus’s ability to heal comes from his spiritual adeptness. Again, Jesus may not be a political powerhouse, but his spiritual capacity to overcome evil with good is incomparable. Jesus possesses an authority not of this world, but it is an authority that will overcome the world.
Okay, let’s move to Galatians.
We all know disciplinarians in our lives. I’m sure that word disciplinarian brings someone to mind. For me, it is my middle school basketball coach. He was from the old school even in the 1980’s! He made us work and accepted nothing less than perfection. I liked him, I guess, but I was more afraid of him more than liked him.
Bill Belichick, the old Bill Belichick of Patriots’ fame, also comes to mind.
Well, Paul claims the law of the old covenant, the old testament, is akin to a strict disciplinarian. Jesus, however, brings a new way.
The gospel writers, including the writer of Luke, want to show Jesus as possessing special authority. His authority is a spiritual authority. He has a spiritual power that can overcome the evil in the world and the spiritual illness in people.
That’s what’s behind our story from Luke 8. It shows Jesus having authority over the demonic realm active in the world around him. Jesus knows how to put evil in its place and heal people from it. Even legions of demons cannot match Jesus’ spiritual prowess. Jesus is such a spiritual adept, he wields the power of God to confront and overcome the power of evil.
Jesus, the mystic, the wise and compassionate rabbi, will change the world through his spiritual authority, an authority that overcomes the world’s worship of might, force, and power. Spiritual power, in the end, will always defeat political or military power. That’s the gospel message.
Our world of politics, where might makes right and where wealth, power, and fame rule the roost, worships itself. Jesus transcends the idolatry of worldly power. With Jesus, power is redefined. Love – Love is meant to rule the roost. And love in the end will rule the roost, overcoming the world’s way of making power the supreme god.
Love or power, you choose, Jesus seems to say. If Christians choose power instead of love, they defy and contradict their name’s sake. A Christian rejecting love is a fish out of water, flapping about, gasping for air, doomed to die in spirit.
One last thing before we go to the reading from Galatians. Jesus as a healer – Jesus’s ability to heal comes from his spiritual adeptness. Again, Jesus may not be a political powerhouse, but his spiritual capacity to overcome evil with good is incomparable. Jesus possesses an authority not of this world, but it is an authority that will overcome the world.
Okay, let’s move to Galatians.
We all know disciplinarians in our lives. I’m sure that word disciplinarian brings someone to mind. For me, it is my middle school basketball coach. He was from the old school even in the 1980’s! He made us work and accepted nothing less than perfection. I liked him, I guess, but I was more afraid of him more than liked him.
Bill Belichick, the old Bill Belichick of Patriots’ fame, also comes to mind.
Well, Paul claims the law of the old covenant, the old testament, is akin to a strict disciplinarian. Jesus, however, brings a new way.
If the Law is Bill Belichick, Jesus is Phil Jackson, dubbed the Zen master.
Jesus is akin to a player’s coach, a player friendly coach, for us. Jesus bases his leadership on relationship and on his own spiritual authority and prowess, his wisdom, his compassion, his connection to God.
Some might ask, if Jesus isn’t a disciplinarian, is he a softie?
My answer – yes. Jesus was a softie. The same way water is soft.
Let us look at a passage from the gospel of John as we come to a conclusion.
John 4:13-14
Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. He once again shows himself to be a spiritual adept, the wise, compassionate guide that humans need. He asks the woman for a cup of water and the dialogue that follows gives way to these words from Jesus in verse 13:
…“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
Jesus, his spirit, is the living water. Is there anything softer than water?
No. But is there anything as powerful? Water holds the power of life and death in its waves, in more ways than one. Go without water for a day or two, and your body begins shutting down. Be inundated by too much water, and you die.
Have you ever heard of the term soft power? Soft power is power derived not from brute force or hard-edged coercion, but from a power born of the virtues found in human friendship, empathy, and wise guidance. Instead of fighting for power, soft power says let us cooperate as friends instead of enemies to get what we both seek.
Water is the perfect symbol for soft power. It is fluid, flowing, capable of expressing beauty and tranquility. But it can also come to influence great change and exhibit great power.
Water holds life in its hands, tenderly rippling in life's wind and reflecting life's sunlight. Jesus, our living water, holds our lives in his hands, holding us with a love and compassion tender yet strong enough to save.
No water, no life!
No living water, no eternal life!
No soft power of Jesus, no life-giving faith.
Instead of the harsh way of the disciplinarian, Jesus offers us the gentle way of the friend and healer, the friend who lays down his life for his friends, the healer that makes us whole. And this gentle way of the friend and healer is more than enough to save us, liberate us, heal us from the meaninglessness and despair, hatred and anger that seek to possess and destroy us.
Reflect on this beautiful truth – if Christ is our friend and Christ is God, then we have a friend in God. Have you ever pondered that? We have a friend in the creator of the universe! We have a friend in the ever-present One and the Ancient of Days! We have a friend in the One who walks with us and talks with us and tells us we’re not alone. This changes everything! You never go alone. You always have a friend.
So, as Stevie Wonder sings:
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God
Jesus is akin to a player’s coach, a player friendly coach, for us. Jesus bases his leadership on relationship and on his own spiritual authority and prowess, his wisdom, his compassion, his connection to God.
Some might ask, if Jesus isn’t a disciplinarian, is he a softie?
My answer – yes. Jesus was a softie. The same way water is soft.
Let us look at a passage from the gospel of John as we come to a conclusion.
John 4:13-14
Jesus is talking with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. He once again shows himself to be a spiritual adept, the wise, compassionate guide that humans need. He asks the woman for a cup of water and the dialogue that follows gives way to these words from Jesus in verse 13:
…“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
Jesus, his spirit, is the living water. Is there anything softer than water?
No. But is there anything as powerful? Water holds the power of life and death in its waves, in more ways than one. Go without water for a day or two, and your body begins shutting down. Be inundated by too much water, and you die.
Have you ever heard of the term soft power? Soft power is power derived not from brute force or hard-edged coercion, but from a power born of the virtues found in human friendship, empathy, and wise guidance. Instead of fighting for power, soft power says let us cooperate as friends instead of enemies to get what we both seek.
Water is the perfect symbol for soft power. It is fluid, flowing, capable of expressing beauty and tranquility. But it can also come to influence great change and exhibit great power.
Water holds life in its hands, tenderly rippling in life's wind and reflecting life's sunlight. Jesus, our living water, holds our lives in his hands, holding us with a love and compassion tender yet strong enough to save.
No water, no life!
No living water, no eternal life!
No soft power of Jesus, no life-giving faith.
Instead of the harsh way of the disciplinarian, Jesus offers us the gentle way of the friend and healer, the friend who lays down his life for his friends, the healer that makes us whole. And this gentle way of the friend and healer is more than enough to save us, liberate us, heal us from the meaninglessness and despair, hatred and anger that seek to possess and destroy us.
Reflect on this beautiful truth – if Christ is our friend and Christ is God, then we have a friend in God. Have you ever pondered that? We have a friend in the creator of the universe! We have a friend in the ever-present One and the Ancient of Days! We have a friend in the One who walks with us and talks with us and tells us we’re not alone. This changes everything! You never go alone. You always have a friend.
So, as Stevie Wonder sings:
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God
Comments
Post a Comment