Better off Naked?

Alright...sort of building on my last incoherent response to Donald Miller's book, I reflect on the life Jesus lived trying to compare it to me and my search of a vocation!

Jesus liked people, nobody would argued with that. He was ALWAYS with people...his entire ministry revolved around people. Think about the religious system of Christianity - if you were going to start a religion, what would you do..

Sit down and write it out right? That's what Muhammad did, and Joseph Smith did...this seems a logical way to communicate new ideas...but not Jesus. What did he do - he made friends, recruited followers, and disciples, and left the writing to others...writing didn't interest him. He didn't sit down and write a mission statement. He let other people write, testify, and witness HIM. He didn't have anything to prove...he knew what he was. All of the Gospels reveal Christ, a Christ who attended parties with people, ate and drank with people, prayed with people, traveled and worked with people...you get the idea. Here's what Miller says:

"I can't imagine He would do this unless He actually liked people and cared about them. Jesus built our faith system entirely on relationships, forgoing marketing efforts and spin."

Jesus essentially let people decide for themselves what they thought of him, which gives me grate comfort that Jesus would probably like me if we sat face to face.

This all goes back to my Life dream of authentically loving people...which Miller puts out beautifully when he points out in Matthew what the greatest commandment is - Love the Lord your God right? Well yea, but...:

Mat. 26:36-39

"'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

It's simple, but think about it - WHY would He say this? We know how important it is to love God...no secret. BUT the 2nd commandment is JUST as important...he doesnt say this about any other commandment.

"Love your Neighbor."

We must make a relational commitment to God and to other people. We are supposed to be this "Christ-like" term that we hear all the time. Think about how great it would have been to be with Christ. Somebody who loved you, believed in youand saught closeness foreign to skin-bound men. He would make you feel significant, and because you are a human, you would like that. You liked to feel worth something. I LOVE to feel worth something. We all do. The thing is, we are all CONSTANTLY comparing ourselves to other people, all the time, whether we know it or not. Is there a mirror in your house? Then you do it. Do you have a shower? then you do it. I do it all the time. I care what other people think. I know I do. I say I don't but I do. We all do. Obviously we don't like to smell bad, or to have chocolate running down our neck, or to have messy hair, or to walk around naked...but think back to Adam and Eve. No clothes...no bathing...why? because THEY WERENT AWARE that they were naked! Our sinful nature makes us 'conscious' of these things...one of the first thing God says to Adam and Eve after they eat from the tree is in Genesis 3:11:

"And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'"

God knew they were aware of their nudity, as they were not before...immediately human beings began to be self conscious of EVERYTHING in a social setting - particularly in appearance. Miller often talks about the "hidden" conversation going on between two people. next time you talk to somebody, really try to pay attention to what is going on in your head..."is this person really listening to me? am I saying the right things? I don't think he really understands me. Did the cubs when today?" - I don't think the mind did this sort of thing before the fall, when God and Man had a open channel of communication.

And I don't think these things going through Jesus' mind were he to take me out to lunch today.

Here is what I learned from all of this - It is in my nature to be dependent on God, but It is also a responsibility to build my life around people. My ministry is with People, Just as God's were. We aren't to become isolated from the World too much, except to worship and pray to God...we should surround ourselves with people as much as we can...Jesus' ministry was with people, so should yours and mine. This doesn't mean we all have to be preachers, or psychiatrists...vocation is a different subject...but socially, we can try to train our minds and our hearts to open up and be to other people the way we think Jesus would be to us.

Jesus didn't look favroably at everybody all the time, sure...but those were the arrogant. So I'll try to open my arms to everybody and embrace everybody I can as much as I am able - I can't do that on my own, and neither can you.