It is hard to follow an idea. Ideas don’t go anywhere. It is much easier to follow directions.
If we only define Jesus by who he is rather than what he does, we lose the ability to imitate him. You cannot follow a person who is just standing there being himself. If you daily imagine Jesus as a heavenly being standing in the clouds in all of his eternal perfection rather than a man on mission, you’ll be left taking clues for how to make your next move from everything but Jesus himself.
That’s why my entire book Reenacting the Way (of Jesus) focuses on Jesus’ movement. We decipher the meaning of his most mysterious actions. And we find that his actions are not superfluous connecting material between teachings. His actions were making profound statements in and of themselves. He was challenging and changing the world by what he did. And he was setting an example for all who would follow him.
If we are going to honor Jesus, we must begin to reenact his way of doing things. We must find creative ways to be faithful to his example. Jesus understood the symbolism of wine and water in his culture. He knew what pigs and storms meant to pagan regions around the Galilee. He didn’t take deformities and debilitating diseases at face value. He used their cultural significance to his advantage and took action. We must do the same today.
For the rest of this post, go to my full post on the Catalyst blog.
If we only define Jesus by who he is rather than what he does, we lose the ability to imitate him. You cannot follow a person who is just standing there being himself. If you daily imagine Jesus as a heavenly being standing in the clouds in all of his eternal perfection rather than a man on mission, you’ll be left taking clues for how to make your next move from everything but Jesus himself.
That’s why my entire book Reenacting the Way (of Jesus) focuses on Jesus’ movement. We decipher the meaning of his most mysterious actions. And we find that his actions are not superfluous connecting material between teachings. His actions were making profound statements in and of themselves. He was challenging and changing the world by what he did. And he was setting an example for all who would follow him.
If we are going to honor Jesus, we must begin to reenact his way of doing things. We must find creative ways to be faithful to his example. Jesus understood the symbolism of wine and water in his culture. He knew what pigs and storms meant to pagan regions around the Galilee. He didn’t take deformities and debilitating diseases at face value. He used their cultural significance to his advantage and took action. We must do the same today.
For the rest of this post, go to my full post on the Catalyst blog.
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