Would Jesus Recognize Himself Today?

Matthew 20:17-28

Confession time. Usually I'm very reluctant to tell people about my faith. It's not so much pride or embarrassment as it the feeling that I'm selling them a bill of goods. It's a lot like one time when I started selling this stuff called Juice Plus

Juice Plus was sold via multi-level marketing, so a person couldn't just walk into a store and purchase it. That made me suspicious. Juice Plus claims they can provide benefits such as reducing inoxidative stress and promoting cardiovascular health. I never fully believed the grandiose claims made by the manufacturer and was very reluctant to hit up my friends for $40.00 a month to get on this stuff. I've known distributors who were pulling in lots of money each month. But I couldn't bring myself to promote something I didn't believe in.

Over the month I've been spending a lot of time reading the book of Matthew (see last several posts). My religion doesn't look much like the Kingdom values Jesus shared with his disciples. This truth has been difficult for me to digest.

I like distance running. A piece of my "training" is to run intervals once a week. So most Wednesdays, early in the morning, I can be found running round and round at the local high school track. I hate running on the track. It's boring. I hate running in circles but it's just too convenient. The distances are clearly marked, there are lights, and the track is completely flat. I keep telling myself I'm going to go to the local park where I often run and mark off intervals . But I've put that off for years now.

I feel like I have been running in boring circles in my faith, with little desire to step outside my comfort zone and share Jesus with those who need him most. Maybe it's because I know I don't have complete faith in the Jesus I have to offer people. Will they come to my church and find people more selfish and indulgent them themselves? Will they see that I love my neighbors less than they do? Sure, we may have the story of the gospel correct. We believe Jesus' atonement for our sins. But is the "Jesus" who we have hanging on the cross for our sins also worth the sacrifice of following? Am I willing to lose myself for His sake?

I think the more literally I embrace the person and teachings of Jesus, the more confident I will be to share Him with others. Not because it will be more popular. No, quite the opposite. The real Jesus is not the Jesus of least resistance. Culture mocks Kingdom values. Culture persecutes Kingdom values. Culture abuses and runs over Kingdom values. Culture sees Kingdom values as vices to be disposed off. I must place my trust in Jesus' sacrifice AND in his Kingdom values, for there life to the fullest is found.

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over their subjects, and their high officials throw their weight around. It's not going to be that way with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."