Tuesday Morning Jesus

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV

I was talking with my wife and she was telling me how they were planning a skit for the Tuesday morning women’s group that she leads at our church. She needed to find one of the women who were interested and bold enough to be in the skit. She also needed a man to be Jesus. I told her that I would think of someone who would be able to be their Tuesday morning Jesus. Of course, I was just thinking I was funny by proposing this Tuesday morning Jesus concept, but I was sincere about thinking of someone who may be interested, and available, to be involved. What I was missing were the hints my wife was trying to give me about hoping I would volunteer for the role, so she had to come right out and suggest I do it myself. Well, I certainly have had my share of skits and performance parts and am not a stranger to being in front of groups of people. So being in a small skit for a ladies group was no far stretch of the imagination. Out of the quick flashes in my mind, I voiced that in order to be able to be their Jesus, I would have to grow my beard out. Either because I was making far too much a deal over this, or my wife didn’t want me to think I needed to go above and beyond for what they had planned, she assured me I would be just fine without having to grow out a full beard.

Thinking back on my response, I was really disappointed in myself and the underlying thought process I had fallen into. I know we are just talking about a five minute skit for about 70 women on a Tuesday morning, but it revealed something that I was less than proud of. My response revealed my beliefs that I somehow needed to prepare to play the part of Jesus; that there was something more I needed to do than I already do in order for people to see me as Jesus, or rather, see Jesus in me.

We are called to be Jesus to this lost and hurting world. In fact, the term Christian was first used as an insult in the New Testament (Acts 11:26) as an insult to those who were following “the Way”. People were scoffing at the followers of Jesus calling them little Christ. “Look at those people being little Christ, trying to save the world,” you could almost hear the people taunt. So why is my every day walk, talk, attitude, behavior not reflective of the One who has taken up residence in my heart? Why do I not shine with the Light that is inside me? Why is the One who is within me not being allowed to show through and be seen as the One who is bigger than the one who is in the world? I already have the victory. I already have the promise. I already have the hope and the new life. I have what the world needs and He wants to use me in every aspect of this life that I am supposed to have died to.

So if you have already blown it today, already displayed less than the love, patience, kindness, and grace of Jesus, then remember this: God’s mercies are made new every day. Jesus came to make us new creations. He is making the old new and still desires to do just that in your life, even before the sun goes down. So starting now, make the choice. Lose the selfish desires and the entitlements. God knows what He is doing. He knows everything and wouldn’t tell you to do something unless He had a plan and purpose for it. It will go against your nature. Your flesh will tell you you’re stupid. It will taunt you as those early followers we taunted two thousand years ago. It will ask you who you think you are to be this little Christ. But that’s just means you’re doing something right.