This month we've been rolling through the Gospels, dissecting the life of Christ, and gaining insights regarding His character from an author who had clearly delved deep into who Jesus was, during his ministry back in the early parts of the 1900s. The purpose of the month being for us to not only understand more about our Savior, but to be more like Him in every way. So, after four weeks of study I've created a small list of ways we can be like Him, and I'll let you guys decide which of you wants to take which task.
We need someone who wants to be responsible for healing the sick and diseased, someone to cast out demons, to raise the dead, feed thousands with but a few loaves and fish, preach all over the countryside to countless people needing to hear the truth before dealing with tough emotions gained from the loss of a cousin and a close friend, get money out of a fish's mouth, walk on water, control the weather, withstand direct temptation from Satan himself, turn water into wine, answer tricky questions under intense pressure without misspeaking, sneak through angry mobs who want to throw you off a cliff, wither a fig tree, and a few other "light" tasks.
Any volunteers?
Obviously, His shoes are pretty big. Even the things that should be easy are difficult to emulate. Like, say, napping in a boat. Napping seems easy. I think I could handle that. But what's that you say? It has to be during a storm violent enough to scare experienced fishermen while in a not-so-large wooden boat? Guess that just leaves eating with sinners and praying a lot.
This is Jesus. This was His purpose. Maybe we won't be able to work all the miracles He did, maybe we won't ever have an audience as large as His, maybe our lives won't look exactly like His did from a "total body of work" standpoint. But His mission statement should not seem out of reach. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us too, we can preach the gospel to the poor, we can proclaim the truth, His truth, to release those held captive in a world of sin, we can open the eyes of the morally and ethically blind to the reality of their situation, we can pass along the same instructions we have received to gain freedom from the oppression of sin and death, and we can proclaim how great it is that we live in a time where the promises of the Savior have been fulfilled, where the price has been paid and the gift of eternal life is ready and waiting.
We can never be Christ. But we can absolutely be like Him.
Brett "I can't even nap like Jesus" Hibbler
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