With
Max Lucado begins one of his books with this.
Born to a mother.
Acquainted with physical pain.
Enjoys a good party.
Rejected by friends.
Unfairly accused.
Loves stories.
Reluctantly pays taxes.
Sings.
Turned off by greedy religion.
Feels sorry for the lonely.
Unappreciated by siblings.
Stands up for the underdog.
Known to doze off in the midst of trips.
Accused of being too rowdy.
Afraid of death.Whom am I describing? Jesus...or you? Perhaps both. Based on this list, it seems you and I have a lot in common with Jesus.
The book goes on from there to talk about Jesus and how he interacted with folks then and bridges over to our walk with him now. Walking with Jesus. For me, the most powerful theological word in my bag just might be that word, "with." That is what Lucado is getting at in this list. Given the name Immanuel, Jesus lives as God with us. Of all the prepositions we can use of God in relation to you and me, "with" carries great import. Let the idea sink in, whether you are new at all this faith-life stuff, or you were born into it.
The king of the universe, the creator of all the seen and unseen worlds, the glue that holds it all together knows your name and desires you to be "with" him. When Jesus called his followers, the gospel says he did so in order for them to be with him, then equipped to go out and minister to others. With him. Skye Jethani wrote a really good book on just this idea, and it is simply called With (worth picking up ... you will want friends to read it, too).
He not only wants you to be with him, but he is able to be with you in all you face. Isaiah calls the Messiah "a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering." He has experienced all the "feels" you feel. He earned the place next to you as you go and will never depart.
This idea of being "with" him and he with us carries a powerful message forward for any of us:
For the friend who is facing an unexpectedly bad medical diagnosis and a most challenging treatment tour, Jesus is with you every step of the way.
For that relative who feels alone and a bit adrift, Jesus is with you in the dark.
For the acquaintance questioning their usefulness since they left their work behind some time ago, Jesus is with you in any new venture.
For the old friend who faced yet another crushing disappointment and could take no more, Jesus was with you then and much more right now.
And to the one who is just making laps, doing life as best as they can, walking with Jesus can make it all make sense.
The “so what” to all this is both comfort and courage to any believer who chooses to be with Jesus and assurance that he is with that one, as well. Comfort comes with his presence and companionship along the journey, knowing no thing, real or imagined, is out of his reach. Courage courses through the veins of followers who hold firmly to the truth that this life and even death has been overcome when Jesus conquered it all, and a bright future beckons us forward.
I so like the idea that Jesus is with me in every good or bad, uplifting or deflating situation I face. On top of that stands the same call to you as the first disciples heard, that his desire is for us to be with him and some of what he is engaged in.
There is great comfort in thoughts like this: The God of all is with you, now and forever. Take a moment to let this truth resonate in your soul.
Music can make the world a bit brighter…
And a couple of lame jokes for giggles:
After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. "How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk.
She showed him a bottle costing $50.
"That's a bit much," said Tim, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.
"That's still quite a bit," Tim complained.
Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle.
What I mean," said Tim, "is I'd like to see something really cheap."
The clerk handed him a mirror.
__________
A little girl asked her mother, "How did the human race come about?
The mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so all mankind was made."
Two days later she asks her father the same question.
The father answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys and we developed from them."
The confused girl returns to her mother and says: "Mom, how is it possible that you told me that the human race was created by God and Dad says we developed from monkeys?"
The mother answers, "That's simple, honey. I told you about the origin of my side of the family and your father told you about his side."