I find it interesting that there is a continue reference to God when speaking of the higher power and when referring to Jesus there is greater upheaval. Jesus is the Son of God and I do believe that there is comfort in seeing Him that way. But, Jesus is also the Son of Man and that is where things get uncomfortable. So Jesus is God and “Man”. When said that way, it is raises difficult feelings as it did with the Jews when Jesus walked the earth.
“16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’ 18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” – John 5:16-18 (ESV)
What a difficult position to be in for the Jews. Jesus was not only doing work during a forbidden time, but He was also “claiming” it was okay based on being the Son of God. What a foreign concept for them. This was different and confusing and they immediately began to reject it.
I can certainly see how this would be confusing and create mixed feelings and emotions. I have to think about where society is today. There are many things going on that are outside of what we grew up with and that is driving the confusion and mixed feelings and emotions based on that which is outside of what is known. I can see how the Jews felt by being confronted with Jesus and His identifying as the Son of God when clearly He was also human as he walked with them.
Just because the Jews had not experienced something before, did not make themselves right and Jesus wrong. This was foreign to them and would take time for them to understand and grasp.
I have to remember that I am going to continue to encounter things that I am not familiar with and people that are different. Jesus and God being equal is something that has been for over 2000 year and yet still difficult to understand. There will be those that will make claims and statement that I do not agree with or have not heard before. These do not make them any less false, they are just different that what I “know”. It is up to me to treat them as equal and work to understand them and their thoughts. I am not placed on this world to judge, that task is for God and Jesus and Jesus states:
“22The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,” – John 5:22 (ESV)
Foreign to me does not mean incorrect, just as the concept of Jesus and God being equal was foreign to the Jews (and even today). It is up to me to listen and work to understand as opposed to simply claiming as incorrect and standing firm on my position.
What have you encountered that is different than you “know”? What is the attitude you take into those instances? Are you willing to accept as simply foreign and not incorrect?
Trevor's Thoughts 