Daily Journal: #97 Jesus Is Greater Than We Know
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Jesus is greater than we think He is. I realize it is a very Christian-ese thing to write. Of course He is, what else would I say? Hear me out.
Our beloved Messiah made many high-minded statements including “if you have faith for this mountain to move, it will move,” and “seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened, ask and it shall be given.” It is these sentiments we gravitate toward, but most of us do not walk in these realities.
Most of us settle for less as Christians. We accept the mountain as immovable and the doors are always locked. We believe a powerful faith is beyond us because we are not special. And yet, none of these promises come with a qualifier. Jesus didn’t say faith and extreme love are reserved for clergy or mystics.
Faith Requires Courage
I heard a new phrase the other day and it resonated in my bones: miracle opportunity. The phrase would’ve offended me a few years ago, but not now. I want all the God I can stuff into each and every day. Instead of seeing life as a series of tragic moments, I can create room for God to be God. Life has certainly presented a number of miracle opportunities lately.
In the last two weeks alone a number of friends have been hospitalized or diagnosed with a severe illness, including cancer and COVID-19. Not too lone ago I would’ve taken all this “bad news,” some kind of burden, as though it were up to me to fix them. (What an odd thought process.) Today, I see all of these difficult situations as miracle opportunities, mountains to be moved.
One friend has battled COVID-19 for an extended time. I haven’t seen them in weeks, and my heart aches when they text updates. Regardless, when I pray for them I pray with hope and expectation. I believe in their complete healing and recovery. Nothing less.
I don’t think faith is feeling or dramatic happening. It is the willingness to do, to move, to ask and persist.
The Endurance of Jesus
The disciples weren’t the cream of the crop, but they are who Jesus wanted. (For example, why Jesus didn’t ask John the Baptist to follow him?) He loved them with the kind of patience and persistence we expect from a Savior.
Consider the following. Peter was a flakey deserter. John and James were focused on status and their egos, and Thomas was so traumatized by the death of Jesus, he refused to believe resurrection was possible. Despite all of these serious flaws, Jesus confronted their shortcomings with love and patience.
But it’s more than that. Jesus pursued these guys. He knew Peter would wilt in the face of persecution. He knew John and James had douche bag tendencies. And He was willing to get in Thomas’ face to demonstrate the reality of resurrection. Jesus never gave up.
Jesus sought, knocked, and asked. He moved mountains. He has only asked us to trust Him. And since He told us to seek, knock, ask, and move mountains, guess what? We can seek, knock, ask, and move mountains.
No matter what my shortcomings are, the ways of the Kingdom are always at hand. I see the insecurity of Peter in my past, the pride of the Sons of Thunder in my actions, and battered emotions of Thomas might as well be my own. And yet…Jesus is asking me to have faith, to love, to answer His call on my life.
How great is that?
