HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

There broke out severe persecution of Christians in Jerusalem.

Saul went from house to house dragging men and women out

To be imprisoned.   (Acts: 8: 1b, 3)

Sound familiar?  It is, perhaps, the greatest weakness of the human being, that if something or someone is not understood, it/they must be destroyed.  It happens daily all over the world and probably always will.  The Killing Fields of Cambodia, the concentration camps of Poland, the Gulags of Russia, Boko Harum and ISIS, are all testaments to the failure of the human race to even try to understand one another. 

Jesus is meant to be the guiding light to that understanding.  Yet even Christian people are guilty of destroying others they do not understand.  It has to do with ego, with the need to control, with insecurities and fear.  All these things can be banished with a clear understanding of Jesus.  

Jesus appeared on the scene without fanfare or public relations personnel paving the way, unless you count John the Baptist.  He simply stood among the people and showed them the love of God. He spoke the truth to the powerful and encouraged the powerless to trust in the love of God. All the ugly things that keep us from one another can be controlled by the presence of Jesus in our lives.  The years of his mission, short as they were, were only the prologue to his presence on earth. If we believe him when he says that God loves us, we must believe him when he says he is with us all days.  This is not an illusion or a story we tell ourselves to make us feel better, but the absolute truth.  

The burning question is this; “Is Jesus meant to be the center of our lives, or is he merely meant to be the 911 operator?”  

When Jesus said;  “Peace be with you.”  He meant, “I’m here, be at peace. “ He is still here and he still brings peace, but we must know him better. We need to get to know him the way his disciples did. For centuries we have been made to feel guilty for the death of Christ.  Christ is depicted as a victim on every crucifix, a victim of our sinfulness. But He is not a victim. He is the victor. We are invited to share in that victory and to tell it to the world. But we can’t do that unless are comfortable in his presence.  Aren’t we always more comfortable with people we know? 

We should pray and ask Jesus to reveal himself to us. Then we should search for ways to find out more. To that end I would like to recommend a book called Beautiful Outlawby John Eldridge, which reveals the personality of Christ by examining the scriptures.  

To know Him is to love Him. 

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin OPA