Later

This is kind of long, but if you have the time read it.  It's just something I've been reflecting on.

“…He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”  Isaiah 53:2

I was struck with the realization the other day that I don’t like the idea of an ugly Jesus.  I realize the image I have of Jesus is grossly inaccurate, shaped by years of Sunday school and paintings that look like they came out of the ‘60’s (you know, a side profile of a slightly glowing Jesus, blue background, and soft edges).  Still, this is the Jesus I like; it’s comfortable and it fits nicely into my worldview.  Yet, as so often happens when I truly seek to know Jesus, he changes my perspective.

“…As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!’”

Romans 10:15

I will be the last person to tell you feet are beautiful.  In fact, I might tell you they are ugly, and feet in the Bible times would most definitely be unattractive.  Constantly wearing sandals and walking on dusty roads would probably make for some pretty nasty feet.  Still, Paul reminds us of Isaiah’s prophetic words, telling us that even feet can be beautiful.  If you like feet this might make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it tells me something different.  God uses what the world despises and makes it beautiful for his use.

Luke 7:36-50

Then we have the woman who washes Jesus feet with her tears and hair.  Again, just as a reminder, these are dust covered, calloused feet (side note:  I will tolerate feet because I don’t want to be ridiculous, but I have three rules I like to follow about feet.  They should never touch my face, my hair, or my pillow.  This woman pretty much shatters all of that.).  She saw Jesus in light of the awe inspiring, life altering good news that he brought.  She recognized the ugliness that we all have; how we are marred by imperfection and hopelessly sinful (at least hopelessly from the perspective of what we have the ability to do on our own).  She understood that Jesus had come to bring grace and forgiveness; he made us beautiful.  The truth of this good news brought her to the feet of Jesus, where she abandoned the comfortable social standards of this world to receive God’s grace. 

The other side of this story is the Pharisee. He looked down on this woman because he didn’t see the beauty of her act.  In verse 44 it says that Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and looked at the woman.  This seems like the perfect moment of intimacy between Jesus and the woman.  The Pharisee is left out of the experience.  Jesus tries to explain it to him as he tells him about forgiveness, but the woman got to take part in this moment. It’s so easy to get caught up in the way things are supposed to be, to become comfortable with self righteousness, to lose sight of the beauty of the gospel.  In his own pride the Pharisee missed the beauty of Jesus’ feet.

I want to rest at, or maybe fall to Jesus’ feet, to recognize the beauty of the gospel.  My attractive Jesus may be comfortable, but how transforming and redemptive would it be to fully understand beauty from his perspective.

It's amazing what being bored will drive you to.  Why not go ahead and update the xanga...

One of my friends recently shared a conversation with me that she had with someone about relationships.  They had come to the agreement that it is easier for girls (I won’t speak for guys on this one) to imagine themselves married to a guy than it is for them to imagine themselves holding hands with him.  As true as this may be, that’s the subject of another xanga.  However, I do think I’ve often seen my relationship with God this way.  I’ve noticed that it’s become easy for me to focus on those awesome “spiritual high” moments I’ve had with God; where I have truly felt known and in His presence.  I want my life to be like that all the time, but I feel stuck in this distant, overwhelmed by the daily grind, rut.  I know that experiencing that intimacy was part of a process where I was fully seeking out God, but it has become hard to imagine myself taking those steps again.  I find myself getting frustrated with the process.  I’d rather simply experience that closeness without the work part, but I guess sometimes it really is about just being comfortable holding hands and struggling through those awkward conversations.

Just for Lisa Chu:

Does anyone else think the stairwell at Haste Street is weird?  It's like in doors and out doors at the same time.  I think it's odd that after the first flight of stairs it's carpeted, because really it's outside and things that are outside should not be carpeted.  I suppose they can have carpeting because there's a roof so it won't get wet, but the bottom is just open and exposed... so, really it's outside. Weird...