I’ve read the weekend papers, listened to the news, participated in societal debates: my conclusion deepened by my morning’s devotional reading:
We see God not through a philosophy but in and through a Person: Jesus of Nazareth.
I know that this is not new! But how refreshing to come to it again and again.
I am reminded of Bishop Lightfoot’s comment on the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ),
though the Gospel is capable of doctrinal exposition, though it is eminently fertile in moral results, yet its substance is neither a dogmatic system nor a moral code, but a Person and a Life.
This is the uniqueness, the particularity, of Jesus Christ.
Though he was 100% human and lived his humanity fully as one of us, yet he is 100% divine.
The ‘scandal’ of his ‘particularity’ compels to rejection or worship.
As for me, I am compelled by his love to worship, and hence to prayer:
Almighty God and heavenly Father, through your Holy Spirit keep me focused on your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Person, the Life which gives life. My life is often filled with people and demands which are good but which too often leave little time for Christ, for us, for growing to know Him more. Help my scattered life to be centred on Christ, not on philosophy but on ‘The Person’. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to know your Son more and more to rejoice in His love and purposes for life to live with thankfulness a life of generosity and to worship God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The post reminded me of Chris Clarke, CEO of World Vision New Zealand’s keynote at the World Vision Staff Day last week. He talked about Charles Templeton – and evangelist during the 50s and 60s who would have become bigger than Billy Graham, had he not said “Farewell to God”.
In his dying days living with dementia, Templeton was interviewed. This is described in this article http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/328-a-skeptic-reflects-upon-jesus-christ but I’ll paste the relevant part here.
During the course of their conversation, Charles Templeton had again vigorously defended his disavowal of God and his rejection of the Bible. There was no apparent chink in the armor of his callused soul. Then, Strobel directed the old gentleman’s attention to Christ. How would he now assess Jesus at this stage of his life?
Strobel says that, amazingly, Templeton’s “body language softened.” His voice took on a “melancholy and reflective tone.” And then, incredibly, he said:
“He was the greatest human being who has ever lived. He was a moral genius. His ethical sense was unique. He was the intrinsically wisest person that I’ve ever encountered in my life or in my reading. His commitment was total and led to his own death, much to the detriment of the world.”
Mind you, he’s talking about the same Teacher who claimed to have existed eternally before Abraham was born (Jn. 8:58), who asserted his oneness of nature with God, the Father (Jn. 10:30), and who allowed men to honor him as “Lord and God” (Jn. 20:28). Which — if these things were not true — makes Jesus of Nazareth the most preposterous and outrageous “con-man” who ever walked the earth. Thousands happily went to their deaths, in the most horrible ways imaginable, confessing his deity.
But the interview continued.
Strobel quietly commented: “You sound like you really care about him.”
“Well, yes,” Templeton acknowledged, “he’s the most important thing in my life.” He stammered: “I . . . I . . . I adore him . . . Everything good I know, everything decent I know, everything pure I know, I learned from Jesus.”
Strobel was stunned. He listened in shock. He says that Templeton’s voice began to crack. He then said, “I . . . miss . . . him!” With that the old man burst into tears; with shaking frame, he wept bitterly.
Too often we forget to be Jesus-like,and many people around the world have created their forms of Christianity. Even in the bible Jesus seems to talk about this where the Pharisees and Sadducees make various laws and interpretations of scripture to suit situations or times. I think it is pretty simple though – Jesus is saying just be like me, follow my example, do what I do.
Simple doesn’t make easy though, and its easy to make excuses, but I know for me I’ve recommitted to get back to the basics of my faith and do as He did, and then go from there. This helps me to know that Jesus will always be a support – a practical support in my life.