reading jesus

Next week starts a year in the life and teachings of Jesus for a group of us – I’m a little excited and a little nervous with a splash of anticipation. But first, a story:

When I started at Apple they asked what I thought of when I saw this:   – I told them creativity.. excellence. And they told me I understood what Apple was all about. The truth was, I was wading in waters that weren’t deep enough to cover my toes when it came to my understanding of what Apple was all about… but I was on the right track. And because they encouraged me, I was motivated to understand Apple at deeper levels – to grow in my knowledge.

We often tell people who Jesus was. We rarely ask how people read Jesus. It’s risky. What if they only understand a little bit? Is it our job to download everything we know about him so they don’t make an “incorrect” assumption? What if what they read in Jesus doesn’t line up with what we read in Jesus? Are they wrong? Are we wrong?

Then general lack of open conversation about Jesus may be why so few people understand who he really is.

He is a conundrum in so many ways. Jesus lived under one of the most oppressive, anti-biblical governments of all time, yet he chose not to engage politically (radically unlike the religious/political movement in America). Jesus demonstrated extreme freedom in his own personal life (his first miracle was making alcohol for a party), yet he followed every law of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus sat alone with women (at the well…), enjoyed the benefits of illegitimate and oppressive business (lavish dinners with tax collectors) and he didn’t seem to condemn anyone based off their actions (unless they were religious people who showed no mercy or love).

So how do you read Jesus?

Does he fit into a nice neat box? Does he play by the rules you’ve been told to play by? Does he challenge you?

My prayer is that after a year of reading Jesus, I’ll understand a little more – and be challenged to experience living like him a little more. That I’ll be open to  stretching my views of him as I wade deeper into his life. That I would open up into conversation with people who have experienced the Christ in different ways than I have.

And as I watch Jesus bring heaven to earth, that what I’m reading would turn into reality in my life.