students of jesus

Do you find this curious? Jesus told his disciples “You cannot change a single hair on your head from black to white,” yet these same disciples changed an empire within a generation. Jesus asked us to consider that the birds of the air do not sow or reap but are fed by their Heavenly Father, yet he used his disciples to feed thousands of people on a moment’s notice.

When the Roman authority Pontius Pilate told Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have the power to either free you or crucify you?” Jesus waved off the threat by telling Pilate “you have no power except what’s been given to you.” Pilate eventually died, Jesus rose from the grave, and the so-called power of Rome is now only the stuff of history.

Here, then, is the curious lesson: we love power, but the power we love is an illusion. We love control, but “being in control” is a deception, while self-control is greater than the strength required to conquer a city. Jesus invites the sick, the lame, and the outcast to enter God’s Kingdom. The healthy, the strong, and the popular he lets play in the sandbox of their own illusions. To the strong and the rich, the gospel is an invitation to join the losing side. To the poor and the meek it is good news that changes the world.

Over the centuries we’ve done our best to fight back against the Lord’s kingdom: through the earth-bound miracles of science and capitalism we can now change the color of our hair (or the very lines on our faces!). We may be able to hide the grey be we cannot stop the march of time. Through the ingenuity of invention we can weave enough clothing to cover the nakedness of all humanity, but instead we sell our products to the highest bidder.

The wisdom of this age loves power and control. The wisdom of God suggests that “out of control” is actually an uncharted path toward discovering ultimate reality. The wisdom of this age counts horses, soldiers, and guns: in 1935 Joseph Stalin mocked Pope John, “The Pope? How many divisions has he got?” In 2015 Stalin (and his Soviet Union) lies among the rubble of history while Pope Francis visits the former capitals of Communism. Francis carries the image of a naked dying man on the crucifix all over the world (hardly a show of strength).

Even church leaders are seduced by the worldly beauty of power and control. Among Evangelicals the “best” churches are usually the biggest, the richest, the slickest, and the most popular. Power and control are still illusions, even if we are inside the walls of a church, but we should ask ourselves, how would church be different if Jesus had his way?

What is true on the big stage is true for individual students of Jesus. In every living room, at every family table, and in each community we are faced with the choice presented by the Psalmist thousands of years ago: “Some trust in chariots and horse, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) The victories of God are played out on the world stage—but also the front porch. His kindness prevails among the nations and among the neighbors. This means we are faced with the same choice facing the great and the mighty: will we forsake the need for control and the thirst for power and instead do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God?

The good news is quiet, and perhaps even subversive: he shows himself strong wherever he encounters a single humble heart.