Wed 29 April – Bless ME Jesus!

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday, we spoke about how the two Emmaus disciples had an inadequate version of God (a military Messiah) which left them wandering down a road to nowhere. Have you ever wondered what modern versions of God we might have that may be similarly inadequate?

I would like to propose one possibility. Let’s call it the ‘Bless ME Jesus.’ This is where we never really grow out of a childish (note childish NOT childlike) view of Jesus; where God exists to bless and endorse me no matter what. In this viewpoint the Christian faith only exists to make my life better. If there are any upheavals in my life, or dare I say it in my church, then I would rather move to where I can be comforted.

We too easily forget that Jesus seemed to challenge to the point of offense on an almost daily fashion during his ministry. Jesus challenged people on issues like caring for the poor and marginalised, and on not letting your religion be only for show to the point that he was eventually killed for it. Jesus was considered dangerous by the religious and political authorities of his day.

Of course Jesus will comfort us - he will love and heal us. But Jesus will also stretch us in some quite dramatic ways. Love others! Forgive your enemies! Share generously! We just cannot tame Jesus. We cannot squeeze him down into little self-seeking boxes of personal aggrandizement.

Essentially, this view of Jesus is remarkably similar to that of the Emmaus disciples, only that it is a little MORE foolish and slower of heart to believe because it is even more selfish. In the ‘Bless ME’ version of Jesus, all we are interested in is our own personal salvation – Jesus becomes nothing more than our passport to heaven and a bumper sticker to endorse my Ferrari-way of life. We forget that Jesus wants to use us as part of his great plan to save the entire world - he will bless us SO THAT we can be a blessing to others.

Faith in Jesus is meant to make us more not less. Faith is mean to take us beyond the borders of self and return us more fully into the image of God. In this Jesus is mean to be our teacher. We are meant to be formed in HIS image. This is a concept that we will discuss more fully tomorrow.

PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, forgive me for the times I make my faith all about me and my own personal benefit. Help me to hear your challenge to live in a way that reflects your call to self-sacrificial giving love. Amen

FOCUS READING
Luke 24. 25-27 NIV
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.