[This reflection by Dazz Jones was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 03/Mar/2024]
The Revolutionary way of Jesus: A Seismic-Shift in History
In the course of all human history, few people have left a mark as profoundly or with such an enduring nature as that of Jesus of Nazareth. His teachings, life events, and legacy sparked revolution in thought, culture, and spirituality and they continue to shape the world today. From His humble beginnings in a manger to the profound events of His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus instigated a paradigm shift that transcended His time (and in fact all time!) and continues to resonate with our species millennia later. This is a fact we gloss over in our minds every day.
Jesus was a master storyteller, He knew people so well and deeply that he could bottle the most complex of ‘kingdom truths’ into the most accessible of narrative tales. Fathers and sons, sheep and shepherds, farmers and farm hands. He took what people understood and used it to show them how God his Father loved them; He did it so profoundly that we can tell these stories today with the same (or very similar) effect. Wow!
The message of Jesus was to look up to heaven for hope, to invest in God’s kingdom and not get too distracted by the politics and materialism of daily life on earth. To experience the life God has in store for us, we must give ours away he said. Pick up our cross and follow in His example by serving all those around us tirelessly and with a smile on our face and joy in our hearts. This will only happen if we truly understand what he achieved on the cross and in rising again.
Martin asked a poignant question of us last week,[1] he asked if it is: “Better to be right, or better to be merciful?” and I think it was implied that to be merciful is the goal, above being right about something. This again is a really difficult balance to strike, but in the life of Christ we see Him show mercy to the woman caught in adultery, opening up a conversation with a sinful woman at a well and promising a dying, convicted and ‘confessed to be guilty’ criminal that he would be with him in paradise. Jesus Christ lived a life marked by Mercy and that was a game changer, let us be game changers too!
Resources:
[1] The Ninety #8: Mercy Amnesia, HBC, 25/Feb/2024
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Last week’s reflection: Modern Slavery by Michael Goble
Contributed by Dazz Jones; © Dazz Jones