Living Backwards

Do you ever read the stories about Jesus and wonder how he became such a successful savior? It looked like he started okay with the birth, angels, and wise men. True, Bethlehem, a feed trough bassinet and the shepherds were a bit of a stretch but everybody loves a rags-to-riches, underdog-makes-good, log cabin to White House story. That story from Luke 2 about him impressing the Jewish rabbis at the Temple when he was twelve was good, too. Then it kinda gets awkward.

To be honest, it goes downhill after that. He isn't heard of again until he is about 30 years old. By then he is simply a tradesman and he quits that. He calls a bunch of fishermen, a tax collector, a terrorist (the Zealot), and a few relatives and in-laws of these characters and they go out to save the world. Good luck with that.

Turns out he didn't need luck. He was good. Jesus preached really well. He healed like only God can. He fed more people on less than McDonald's at lunch hour. He was smarter and quicker that the lawyers and preachers of his day. He could have been king. But he kept saying these backward, awkward, counter-cultural, this-ain't-your-granddaddy's-messiah kind of things. It was like he had no intentions of being king or even the messiah, at least not the way most folks defined messiah.

He tells a rich, young ruler in Luke 18 to sell all he has and follow him. Everything? Can't we negotiate that price? Maybe two more per cent?  It's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Ouch. Jesus kept doing other backward things. He tells people that the first shall be last and the last first. Unless you get next year's top draft pick from being last this year that doesn't work very well. He teaches that if you want to gain your life you must lose it. He tells his disciples that the greatest in his Kingdom must be the least, like children. He tells everybody that if they truly want to live they have to die... to self, sin, Satan, the world...gosh what's left?

Last to be first? Lose to gain? Least is greatest? You gotta die to really live? Did Jesus really teach that? Does any one really believe it?

It's backward living. It goes against everything big time sports, business, banking, marketing, Hollywood, Washington, Las Vegas and lots of performance based churches tell the world is the way to make it. It's no wonder they crucified him.

By the way world, how are your methods working out?


Cos