Jesus

The older I get, the more I seem to be examining some deeply held thoughts I've had for most of my life.  The older I get, the more questions I seem to have, the less "black and white" things seem to be. The things taught to me for years don't always seem to jive with where my heart and faith are leading me.  

The bottom line, when I question, is to look to Jesus.  Jesus' life and words are what I rely on when I wonder about things.  If I am a "Christian", literally a believer in Jesus Christ, then He is my ultimate guide.  

When I look at Jesus' life, and who He surrounded himself with, I see an eclectic group.  I see common fishermen (blue collar guys), tax-collectors, prostitutes, adulterers, a woman with a disease that made all of society reject her, a man desperate for his daughter to be well, the lame, crippled, blind, lepers (diseased), women (so many women!), and children.  He surrounded Himself with you, with me, with sinners.  His best friend betrayed Him.  His disciples were sometimes embarrassed by Him.  He was chastised by them.  But these are who He welcomed.  These are who flocked to Him in droves.  They knew.  They knew He would love them, heal them, give to them, save them.

And who hated Him most of all?  Religious leaders, pious men, those who looked for any possible fault in order to convict and judge Him.  They did not see His love and generosity and care for all humans as a positive attribute.  They used it to crucify Him.  They used their religious words and piety to kill the Son of God.  

He was humble to the end.  The King rode through Jerusalem on a donkey, not on a great white steed. Our humble King was pleased with the palm branches laid on the ground before Him.  He did not need gold and jewels and greatness.  He came to be a servant.  He came to die for the sinners and the diseased and the sick and the women and the children, and yes, even the religious leaders.  And the best part, was that He did not stay dead.  We can worship Him in ALL of His glory now.  And He still welcomes the sinners and the sick, and the gay, and the transgender, and the refugee, and the poor, and the addict, and the depressed, and the politician, and the religious leader, and the women and men and children whose hearts are open to Him.  "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."  

God has been stirring something in my heart over this Lent season and this is a small part of it.  I needed to share Jesus, plain and simple.