Why I Dig Jesus

David tagged me over a week ago to share five things that I “dig” about Jesus. David probably thinks I forgot. Sorry it’s taken so long… I actually put quite a bit of thought into this one…

Jesus had a cool look going on…. you know, long hair, beard, robe, sandals… O.K., I’m joking. We don’t know what Jesus really looked like but I’m pretty sure he didn’t look like Warner Sallman’s famous painting (above). I doubt he looked much like most other well-known depictions either. And while some have tried to approach the subject of Jesus’ appearance from a more common-sense point of view, the fact remains that we do not know what he really looked like. And I think that is so fortunate because Jesus was and is for everyone. If we had an accurate portrait of Jesus, it might cause those who don’t look much like him to feel that he wasn’t for them. Jesus offers God’s love to each and every person regardless of their appearance, race, nationality, circumstances of birth or any other thing you can think of to say about a person… Now that, I dig!

Jesus challenged the powerful and privileged. But he didn’t do it for his own benefit. Jesus challenged the civil government, social conventions, the religious authorities as well as conventional wisdom with no benefit to himself. In fact he fought the law and the law won in the worst possible way. Jesus was arrested, tortured, tried, and executed. Conventional wisdom says, “end of story!” Conventional wisdom is only sometimes conventional but is almost always not wisdom – fortunately. Whether you are are one who believes that Jesus rose from the grave metaphorically or literally, it was the ultimate victory. It was a victory of massive proportions not only because he overcame the seemingly ultimate defeat (death) but that, in that overcoming of defeat, he empowered others. And that is a legacy that has reverberated down though the ages…

Jesus had a bit of a temper. For a guy known as the Prince of Peace, Jesus wasn’t above getting in someone’s face if the situation called for it. Call it righteous indignation if you want. Remember when he turned over the money table in the temple? He called the religious leaders ‘hypocrites’ and ‘vipers’ to their faces. He occasionally had some harsh words for his friends and followers when they failed him. He even mocked the one man who could have set him free. It’s strange, I suppose, for one like myself who is so meek and mild, but for some reason, I really dig that side of Jesus…

Jesus’ message was disturbing. And is disturbing. I mean that in the best possible way. Jesus’ message was upsetting to those who heard it first hand. It so disturbed the authorities that it led to his execution. It confused and bewildered others, but it has always been difficult to ignore. The message was also so disturbingly powerful to some that they immediately gave up their livelihoods to follow this poor itinerant preacher. And his message continues to disturb folks in the same ways. Disturbing can be good. I think people need to be disturbed.

Jesus spoke for those who had no voice. Jesus loved the unlovable; he had a soft spot for children; he invited women to share in his life and ministry and he hung out with outcasts, sinners and social misfits. The thing that all these folks have in common is that, at the time, they were virtually shut out of society. They had no voice and no one to speak for them. Women and children were little more than property of men back then and those who had done things which made them ‘unclean’ or were regarded as ’sinners’ had no hope of redeeming themselves. But God could give them hope because God can redeem the seemingly unredeemable. Jesus lived this out by forgiving their sins interacting with them normally no matter their shortfalls in the eyes of proper society. I seriously dig that.

That’s my 5… to start with. I’m supposed to tag five others by leaving a link in their comments. Y’all know how I feel about this. If anyone reading this found it interesting, you are tagged!