To be like Jesus

I was catching up on reading Mike Cope’s blog, and saw his comments from this past Tuesday regarding the hurricane aftermath in New Orleans, and his comments on Luke 16:19-31 (the rich man and Lazurus.) I urge you to read his post. This is along the same lines as some of my thoughts lately – as I mentioned last week in my ‘root beer’ post.

What does it mean to be like Jesus? That’s a hard question for me. Maybe it shouldn’t be. But sometimes I battle with the answer, perhaps because I often know the real answer, but search instead for an answer that’s a little easier to live with. In our bible class on Sunday, we talked about obstacles we face that sometimes prevent us from stepping out in faith and following God where He wants to lead us. One of the obstacles mentioned was fear. I didn’t submit fear myself, but I could have, as I would say it’s likely my greatest obstacle. Fear that maybe this isn’t the right step to take, that maybe it’s not really God leading me. Fear that I don’t have the gifts or talent to do something well enough to be pleasing to God. Fear that I cannot financially afford it. Fear that some harm may come to myself or my family. Fear that I will fail in some way. In other words, I fear that it is fear that keeps me from imitating Jesus sometimes.

One thing that was revealed about Rich Mullins after his death in 1997 was that he didn’t receive his checks from his record company. His producer once asked him about how much money he brought in. Rich said he didn’t know. His producer asked him why he didn’t know. Rich told him that he didn’t receive his checks – they went to the elders of his church, with whom RIch had made an arrangement. From the money he made, the elders then gave him an annual salary equivalent to an average working man in America, which at that time was about $24,000. A little more was put into a retirement account. The rest was either given to his church or given away to those in need. I don’t think I know a lot of people who only make $24,000 a year. Much less those who make far less. (And I probably don’t know people who make much more than that but give most of it away.)

I saw Rich several times in concert, and once he made the statement that, in order for us to identify with Jesus Christ, we must be able to identify with the poor. I don’t really like that statement, and the reason is this: I can’t do that. I cannot identify with the poor. I don’t know what it’s like to be homeless. I don’t know what it’s like to not have clothes. I don’t know what it’s like to not have enough food, and not be able to feed my children, to not know where our next meal will come from. I don’t know what it’s like to be poor. I’ve never been there. And the honest truth is, I don’t want to be. But if Rich is right, then is it possible that I’ll never really understand what it means to be like Jesus?

I often hear political conservatives, and more often than not they are Christians, speak about the poor as if they’re poor by choice. The homeless are homeless because they want to be. They need to just get off their butts and go get a job. They’re just living off the system so they don’t have to work. I suppose there are some who are. But I believe many would choose not to live in poverty if they could just get up and leave it behind. Maybe they need Jesus to help them get back on their feet. Who is this Jesus? Jesus left his presence, when he returned to heaven, in the form of his church. This Jesus is his followers, his hands and feet in this world. This Jesus is his church. This Jesus is me.

What does it mean to be like Jesus? In his song that I posted last week, Todd Agnew says “He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable”. Maybe being like Jesus is not being comfortable. Facing our fears and stepping out in faith to act on his behalf. Going to ‘the least of these’ and meeting their needs. Not ignoring the poor and hurting, realizing they have names, too, and are God’s children as well. Thinking not of ourselves, but of others. In our selfish society, it’s hard to do. It’s hard not to think of ourselves and our own families first. Maybe it’s time for me to look harder and more seriously at passages like the rich man and Lazurus. This is the one that came to my mind:

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, “Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those “sheep’ are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me–you did it to me.’

“Then he will turn to the “goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, “Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because–

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those “goats’ are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’ “He will answer them, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me–you failed to do it to me.’

“Then those “goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the “sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Matt 25:31-46 (The Message)

In his song “The Sheep and the Goats”, Keith Green makes a statement at the end that has always stuck with me:

The only difference between the sheep and the goats in this story is what they did and did not do.

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