Jesus gets sassy.

I am feeling so happy, well, joyous really because I have managed something I thought was beyond me. I have completed the first draft of my research essay, a mere 13,145 words! It’s not my best work but it’s done and submitted on time and that is a wonderful feeling. I feel like I got out of jail for free or that Christmas came early. This was achieved in the midst of working and handling some demanding things although I am so grateful for my two week’s Study Leave in January. I’m sure I would never had made the deadline without that. Thanks so much to my congregations, Eaglehawk and Marong Uniting Churches for that precious time to focus solely on my study as opposed to squeezing it in around work.

When have you achieved something that you thought was beyond you, that was so overwhelming that you nearly gave up? What was that like for you?

Do you think Jesus might have had times when he thought a task was beyond him, when he felt he needed to give up? I guess when he was dying a painful death on the cross was one time. He said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42 NRSV) Jesus felt like the task of dying by crucifixion was too demanding. He wanted to be spared it but in the end he did die that way.

I’m trying to think of other examples but I can’t right now. I find myself thinking instead of Jesus as a confident, even cocky, young man. While Jesus may have had doubts about what he could achieve, they weren’t evident when he was out and about in public. Jesus presents confidently, boldly confident, even a bit arrogantly and aggressively. In Luke, Chapter 4, he presents with a great deal of self-confidence and authority. Everyone is delighted with him.

And then he cranks it up. He becomes sassy. He becomes belligerent. He is what we would call, “In your face”. He “holds up the mirror” to the crowd in the synagogue, who it seems are resistant to the idea of “ethical economics”, of sharing their wealth with those who have none. He tells them, with some arrogance, and perhaps sneer, that God has cared for the foreigner and not their kind of people. No wonder they arced up and wanted to push him off the cliff!

Of course, we are on Jesus’ side, aren’t we? We are not like those self-serving Israelites! Or is Jesus mocking us too? Is he “holding up the mirror” for us as well? Are we, like the Israelites, resistant to hearing what Jesus came to say, to offer to humankind? As long as we seek to avoid the call to share our wealth, to work towards a world where the gaps between those of us who have and those of us who don’t have decrease exponentially, Jesus will come into our space, stand close and with sassiness, belligerence, arrogance and perhaps a sneer, confront and challenge us.

May we have ears to hear and a heart to respond with repentance and commitment. This is my prayer.

Dear God, show us what we need to hear. Help us to follow your way of Love with all of our being. We pray for your kingdom to come on earth, right now. We pray for a world where there is not such a huge divide between those in comfort and those struggling to live, so that all can live in harmony and know the way of Love. Amen.