"Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
That's how Mr. Beaver spoke of Aslan in the Chonicles of Narnia (books). It is a great summary of what stands out to me in this story of Jesus. The demons knew he was not safe. The possessed man knew Jesus was powerful. The entire town recognized that he overpowered someone that they could never overpower. In fact, the demons submitted to him and begged his permission to act. This is not a safe person.
But oh how we tame Jesus. We only talk about the one who touches lepers, cradles children and talks about love. Whatever happened to recognizing him as the King? How did we lose sight of him controlling demons or the winds and waves?
A tame Jesus really doesn't do me much good at times. He doesn't really help a lot when I have serious issues. He is not the Jesus I appeal to when a friend is in ICU. He is not the Jesus I want when I've been treated unjustly. I want the Jesus who has power to change things. It's not just "our father" that I pray to but rather "our father in heaven."
That means a Jesus who is not on my level; who is much more powerful than me. It means a Jesus that is not safe. After all, supreme beings with infinite power tend to do things their way. Yet it forces me to give up my comfort zone of pat answers and predictability if I truly accept an unsafe Jesus. The more I think about it, the less Jesus seems to fit in this society.
No comments:
Post a Comment